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DRIVER HANDBOOK * CALIFORNIA Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor State of California George Valverde, Director Department of Motor Vehicles 6 7 $ 7 ( 2 ) & $ / , ) 2 5 1 , $ ® *This Driver Handbook and more are available on our easy-to- use website: www. dmv.ca.gov Important California DMV Alerts DMV announces 5 arrests. DMV offers customers new user-friendly website! Registration renewals on the way - What you need to know. Time-saving tools to improve your DMV experience! Involved in a traffic collision? Here’s what to do. The latest DMV office and closure information. Online Services | Media Center | Other Services Make an appointment before going to a DMV Field Office. Obtain a copy online of your driver record. Renew your vehicle registration online today. Driver license renewal. Have you moved? You can submit a change of address to DMV online. Show detailed listing of online services. How do I... Check Us Out! DMV PLAY Identity Management Portal LOGIN/REGISTER Login Here Register Here Areas of Interest HOME | OFFICES | ONLINE SERVICES | DRIVER LICENSE | VEHICLE REGISTRATION | Contact Us | Español | Forms | Publications | DMV Info Login Here | Register Here View Shopping Cart California Department of Motor Vehicles Search This Site California ENGLISH 2012

Transcript of dl600

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Driver HanDbook*California

Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor State of California

George Valverde, Director Department of Motor Vehicles

®

* This Driver

Handbook

and more are

available on

our easy-to-

use website:

www.

dmv.ca.gov

Important California DMV AlertsDMV announces 5 arrests.

DMV offers customers new user-friendly website!

Registration renewals on the way - What you need to know.

Time-saving tools to improve your DMV experience!

Involved in a traffic collision? Here’s what to do.

The latest DMV office and closure information.

Online Services | Media Center | Other ServicesMake an appointment before going to a DMV Field Office.

Obtain a copy online of your driver record.

Renew your vehicle registration online today.

Driver license renewal.

Have you moved? You can submit a change of address to DMV online.

Show detailed listing of online services.

How do I...

Check Us Out!

D M Vplay

Identity Management Portal

LOgIn/RegISTeRLogin Here

Register Here

Areas of Interest

hoMe | offIces | onlIne servIces | drIver lIcense | vehIcle regIstratIon |

contact Us | español | forms | Publications | dMv Infologin here | register here view shopping cart

california department of

Motor vehicles SearchThis Site California

ENGLISH

2012

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AD plAcement

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Director’s messAge California Driver HanDbook

Dear California Motorist:

The California Driver Handbook is a useful guide for helping you understand the rules of the road, prepare for a drive test, and develop good driving habits. This handbook is also available on the new DMV website, www.dmv.ca.gov, where you can renew your driver license and registration, access forms to report a vehicle sale, watch creative tutorial videos, or make an appointment to visit a DMV office.

I also encourage you to use other DMV resources, including the “DMV NOW” smartphone application, Appointment Notify, Virtual Hold, and Self-Service Terminals. These tools are designed to help improve your DMV experience. Connecting with a customer service representative is also easy through DMV Twitter and Facebook or by calling (800) 777-0133.

We share California’s roadways with millions of fellow drivers and it is important to remember this privilege comes with personal responsibility. Whether you are a new or an experienced driver, the California Driver Handbook is designed to assist in making your travels throughout our beautiful state more safe and enjoyable.

Sincerely,

George Valverde Director California Department of Motor Vehicles

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dmv.ca.gov

Save timeand resources

Go onlinefor speedy DMV transactions

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dmv.ca.gov

Save timeand resources

Go onlinefor speedy DMV transactions

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AD plAcement

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TABLE OF CONTENTSWhere to Write ............................ viii

Dmv inFormAtion.................... ixnew 2012 lAws ........................ x

Effective January 1, 2012 ..............xgenerAl inFormAtion .............. 1

Disclaimer ......................................1Accurate Identification ...................1Basic Information ...........................1

tHe cAliForniA Driver license .. 2Who Must Have a Driver License? ........................................2

California Residents ..................2California Resident Military Personnel (U.S. Armed Forces) ..................2Nonresident Military Personnel Stationed in California ...............2New California Residents ..........2Adults Visiting California ............2Minors Visiting California ...........3

oBtAining A Driver license ....... 3Acceptable Documents .................3Application Requirements for a Basic Class C Driver License ........4Adults’ Permit Requirements .........4Adults’ Driver License Requirements ................................5

Driver license clAsses ............ 5tHe exAminAtion process ......... 7

Where to Take the Tests ................7Cheating ........................................7DMV Examinations ........................7

speciAl section - minors .......... 8Minors’ Permit Requirements ........8Minors’ Permit Restrictions ...........9Minors’ Driver License Requirements ................................9Exceptions - Minors’ Driver License Restrictions ......................9Traffic Violations .........................10

Teenage Traffic Deaths ............10Actions against the Provisional Driver License ..............................10

Keeping Your Provisional Driver License ..........................10

Habitual Truant—Persons 13 – 18 Years of Age ........................11

Minors and Cell Phones ..............11miscellAneoUs licensing inFormAtion ..........................11

To Replace a Lost/Stolen or Damaged Driver License .............11Name Changes ............................12Driver License Renewals .............12Renewal by Mail, Internet, or Telephone ....................................12Driver License Extension ............13Driver License in Your Possession ..................................13Address Changes ........................13Medical Information Card ............14Organ and Tissue Donation ........14Veteran Benefit Information .........14Unlicensed Drivers ......................14Diplomatic Driver Licenses ..........15Identification (ID) Cards ...............15Free ID Cards for Physical and Mental (P&M) Conditions.............15Identification (ID) Card Renewal by Mail or Internet .......................15Driving Schools ...........................16Mature Driver Program ................16Pedestrian Responsibilities .........16

seAt Belts .............................17Mistaken Beliefs About Seat Belts ....................................18Child Restraint System and Safety Seats ................................19Riding Safely with Air Bags .........20Side-Impact Air Bags ..................20Unattended Children in Motor Vehicles .............................20

trAFFic ligHts AnD signs ........20Traffic Signal Lights .....................20Pedestrian Signal Lights..............21Traffic Signs ................................ 22

lAws AnD rUles oF tHe roAD ....23Right-of-Way Rules .....................23

General Information .................23Pedestrians ..............................23Crosswalks ..............................24Intersections ............................24

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Roundabouts ...........................25On Mountain Roads ................28

Speed Limits ................................28Maximum Speed Limit .................28Reduced Speeds .........................29

Heavy Traffic or Bad Weather ....................................29Towing Vehicles, Buses, or Large Trucks ............................29Around Children ......................29Blind Intersections .................. 30Alleys ...................................... 30Near Railroad Tracks .............. 30Light Rail Transit Vehicle Crossings .................................31Near Streetcars, Trolleys, or Buses .......................................31Business or Residential Districts ....................................31Near Animals ...........................31

trAFFic lAnes ........................31Line Colors ..................................31Choosing a Lane ........................ 32Changing Lanes ......................... 32Passing Lanes ............................ 33Carpool/High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) Lanes ............... 33Center Left Turn Lanes ............... 34Turnout Areas and Lanes ........... 34End-of-Lane Markings ................ 34Shared Roadway Bicycle Markings (Sharrows) .................. 35Bicycle Lanes ............................. 35Bicycles in Travel Lanes ............. 35

tUrns ....................................36Examples of Right and Left Turns .....................................37Legal U-Turns ............................. 38Illegal U-Turns ............................. 38

pArKing .................................39Parking on a Hill ......................... 39Parallel Parking .......................... 39How to Park Perfectly ................. 40Parking at Colored Curbs ........... 40Illegal Parking ..............................41Special Parking Rules ................ 44

sAFe Driving prActices ...........44Signaling ..................................... 44

Steering .................................. 45

Scanning ..................................... 46Know What Is Ahead .............. 46Know What Is at Your Side ..... 48Know What Is Behind You ...... 48Clean Windows and Mirrors ... 49Adjust Seat and Mirrors .......... 49How Well Can You Stop? ........ 49

Driving in the Fog ....................... 50Driving in Darkness .................... 50Driving in Rain or Snow ...............51Driving in Hill Country or Curves .........................................51Horn, Headlights, and Emergency Signals .....................51

Use Your Horn..........................51Do Not Use Your Horn .............51Use Your Headlights ................52Use Your Emergency Signals .....................................52

Following Distances ................... 53Taking Dangers One at a Time ........................................ 53Splitting the Difference ........... 53Problem Drivers ...................... 53

Merging in/out of Traffic .............. 53Space to Merge ...................... 54Space to Cross or Enter ......... 54Space to Exit........................... 54

Passing Other Traffic .................. 55Space and Speed to Pass ..... 55Space to Return ...................... 55

sHAring tHe roAD ...................55Large Trucks (Big Rigs) and RVs ...................................... 55

Braking ................................... 55Trucker’s Blind Spots— the “No Zone” ......................... 56Turning .................................... 56Maneuverability ...................... 56

Buses, Streetcars, and Trolleys ...57Light-Rail Vehicles .......................57Emergency Vehicles ................... 58Slow-Moving Vehicles ................ 58Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) and Low-Speed Vehicles (LSV) ............................................59Animal-Drawn Vehicles ...............59Motorcycles .................................59Bicycles ...................................... 60

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Pedestrians Who Are Blind .........61Road Workers and Work Zones (“Cone Zones”) ....... 62Double Fine Zones ..................... 63Move Over and Slow Down ........ 63Vehicles with Hazardous Loads .......................................... 63

importAnt Driving tips ...........63Dealing with Traffic Congestion .. 64Dealing with Aggressive Drivers and Road Rage .......................... 64Text Messaging and Cell Phones ................................ 64Collision Avoidance .................... 66

Keep Your Car Visible ............. 66What Is the Road Condition.... 66Curves ..................................... 66Driving in Heavy Traffic .......... 66Traffic Speeds ........................ 66

Driving Hazards ...........................67Water on the Road ...................67Slippery Roads ........................67Skids on Slippery Surfaces .....67

Mechanical Tips ......................... 68Acceleration Skids .................. 68Locked Wheel Skids ............... 68Accelerator Malfunction ......... 68Steering Wheel Locking Device ..................................... 68

Collisions Are Not Accidents ...... 68Causes of Collisions ............... 69Involved in a Collision ............. 69Reporting a Collision .............. 69

ADDitionAl Driving lAws/rUles ...........................70

Things You Must Not Do: .............70Things You Must Do: ...................72

HeAltH AnD sAFetY .................72Safety for the Aging Driver ..........72Good Vision for All Drivers ..........72Hearing ........................................72Alertness .....................................73Medications .................................73Hot Weather Risks .......................73Health and Emotions ...................74Conditions Physicians Must Report .................................74Safety Tips ...................................74Record Confidentiality .................75

Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips .....75Traffic Breaks ..............................76What a Driver Should Do During an Enforcement Stop ...... 77

Actions tHAt resUlt in loss oF Driver license .......................77

Financial Responsibility.............. 77Insurance .....................................78

Insurance Requirements .........78Collisions on Your Record .......79Collisions, Insurance, and Minors ......................................79

Alcohol/Drugs while Driving ........79Alcohol/Drugs and Driving Is Dangerous ...............................79Carrying Alcohol in a Vehicle . 80Drivers Under 21 (Possession of Alcohol) .......... 80Drivers of All Ages .................. 80Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Limits .............................81

Admin Per Se ...............................81Court DUI Convictions ................ 84

Drivers 21 and Older — DUI Programs and Restricted Driver Licenses ....................... 85

Designated Driver Program ........ 85Getting a Ticket .......................... 86Evading a Police Officer ............. 86Points on the Driver Record ....... 86Vandalism/Graffiti—All Ages .......87Speed Contests/Reckless Driving .........................................87Possessing Firearms ...................87Traffic Violator School Convictions ..................................87Suspension or Revocation by the DMV ................................. 88Suspension by Judge ................. 88

veHicle registrAtion reqUirements ........................88

California Vehicles ...................... 88Out-of-State Vehicles ................. 89Driver License Fast Facts and Other Publications ..................... 90

Available Online ...................... 90Available in Print Only..............91

Knowledge Test Sample #1 ........ 93Knowledge Test Sample #2 ........ 94

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Where to Write

If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this publication, please send them to:Department of Motor VehiclesCustomer Communications Section MS H165PO Box 932345Sacramento, CA 94232-3450

© Copyright, Department of Motor Vehicles 2012All rights reserved

This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. DMV owns the copyright of this work. Copyright law prohibits the following: (1) reproduction of the copyrighted work; (2) distribution of copies of the copyrighted work; (3) preparation of derivative works based upon the copyrighted work; (4) displaying the copyrighted work publicly; or (5) performing the copyrighted work publicly. All requests for permission to make copies of all or any part of this publication should be addressed to:

Department of Motor Vehicles Legal Office MS C128 PO Box 932382 Sacramento, CA 94232-3820

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Dmv inFormAtion

DMV offices are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. A few offices offer only driver license or vehicle registration services. Go online or call the toll-free number below to find the office locations and service options of an office near you.

Go online at www.dmv.ca.gov for (to):

• Fieldofficelocations,hours,directions,andphonenumbers.• Makeappointmentstovisitafieldofficeortakeadrivingtest(exceptfor

commercial driving tests).• Orderpersonalizedplates.• Driverlicenseandidentificationcardinformation.• Vehicle/vesselregistrationinformation.• Downloadableforms.• Publications—handbooks,brochures,andsampletests.• Seniordriverinformation.• Teendriverinformation.• Linkstootherstateandfederalagencies.• Renewyourdriverlicenseorvehicleregistration.

Call 1-800-777-0133 during normal business hours to:• Obtain/requestdriverlicenseand

vehicle registration information, forms, and publications.

• Findofficelocationsandhours.• Makeadrivingtestappointment.• SpeaktoaDMVrepresentative.

Call 1-800-777-0133 for automat-ed service 24 hours a day, 7 days aweekto:• Renewyourdriverlicenseorve-hicleregistrationwiththeRenew-alIdentificationNumber(RIN)provided on your billing notice. You can pay with a credit card or e-check.

• Makeafieldofficeappointment.

Advertising sponsorship, instead of your fees, helps defray the printing costs of this publication. The products and services provided by the advertising sponsors are not promoted or endorsed by DMV, but the significant contribution by the advertising sponsors is most appreciated.

If you would like to advertise in this publication, please call the Office of State Publishing Advertising Department at 1-866-824-0603.

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new 2012 lAws

effective January 1, 2012

new Driving Under the influence (DUi) Sanctions

• California Vehicle Code§23597authorizesthecourttoimposea10-yearrevocationtodriversconvictedofathirdorsubsequentDUIoffensewith-in 10 years. After serving 5 years of the 10-year revocation, the driver can applyforearlyreinstatement,ifspecifiedeligibilityrequirementsaremet.Theseincludetheinstallationofanignitioninterlockdevice(IID)forape-riodof2yearsonanyandallvehiclesownedand/oroperated.

Military extension for Spouses

• SpousesofactivedutymilitarypersonnellivingoutsideofCaliforniaqual-ifyfordriverlicenseextensions.

Child restraint Systems

• Theagelimitforchildrenwhomustberestrainedinachildsafetyseatwhenriding in a motor vehicle has been raised. This new law prohibits a parent, legal guardian, or driver from transporting any child under eight years old in a motor vehicle without securing the child in an appropriate child pas-senger restraint system that meets applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. A child under eight years of age who is 4 feet 9 inches in height or taller may be properly restrained by a safety belt rather than a child pas-senger restraint system. The new bill imposes fines and penalties for these violations.

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generAl inFormAtion

DisclaimerThe fees listed in the California Driver Handbook are subject to legislative change.Thishandbookprovidesasummaryofthelawsandregulationsout-lined in the California Vehicle Code (CVC). The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV),lawenforcement,andthecourtsfollowthefullandexactlanguageofthe CVC. The CVC and California Code of Regulations(CCR)areavailableonline at www.dmv.ca.gov ortheLegislativewebsiteatwww.leginfo.ca.gov. You may also buy a copy of the CVC at any DMV office.

accurate iDentificationThe reliability, integrity, and confidentiality of the California driver license (DL)andidentification(ID)cardisofprimeconcerntoalllevelsofgovern-ment and the private sector.It is critical that these documents be completely authenticated and accurate. TheCaliforniaLegislaturehasdeclaredthattheDLorIDcardistheprimaryidentificationdocumentinthisstate.Californialawrequiresthatallappli-cantswhoapplyforanoriginalCaliforniaDL/IDcardsubmitproofoflegalpresenceintheU.S.asauthorizedunderfederallaw.YourtruefullnameasshownonyourlegalpresencedocumentwillappearonyourDL/IDcard.

Basic informationA California driver license shows that you have been given permission by the state to drive on public roadways. You may apply for a driver license at most DMVoffices(refertopageix).It is a misdemeanor to drive in California without a valid driver license. If you do, you can be cited, your vehicle may be impounded, and you may have to appear in court.If you do not have outstanding actions on your record, you will receive a driv-erlicenseafteryoupaytheapplicationfee,passallapplicableexaminations,showthatyourphysicaland/ormentalconditionissatisfactory,anddemon-strate your ability to drive safely. If you have a medical condition or a disability, theDMVmayrequireyoutotakeadrivingtest.Youmayalsohavetopro-vide a statement from your physician regarding your current health condition.

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tHe cAliForniA Driver license

Who must have a Driver license?California residentsCalifornia residents who drive on publichighwaysorusepublicpark-ing facilities must have a California driver license, unless they are:• MembersoftheArmedForcesoraUnitedStates(U.S.)Gov-ernment civilian employee who only drives vehicles owned or controlledbytheU.S.Govern-ment on federal business.

• Personswhodrivefarmingvehi-cles not normally used on public highways.

• Personswhodriveregisteredoff-highway vehicles or snowmobiles across a highway (other than a freeway).

California resident Military Personnel (U.S. armed forces)If you are out-of-state on active military duty and have a valid Cali-fornia driver license, your and your spouse’s California driver license will be valid for the full time you are absent from California and for 30 days following your discharge date, if you are honorably discharged out-side of California. Carry both, your driver license and discharge or sep-aration documents, during those 30 days (CVC §12817).Call 1-800-777-0133 to obtain an ExtensionofLicenseforPerson

inArmedForces(DL236)cardwhichextendsyourCaliforniadriv-er license. NOTE: Your driver license is not valid if it has been suspended, can-celledorrevoked.nonresident Military Personnel Stationed in CaliforniaIf you are 18 years of age or older, refertothe“CaliforniaResidents”and“AdultsVisitingCalifornia”sections on this page for additional information.Licenseeseligibleformilitaryextensionsshouldcarrydocumentation from their home state to verify their status to law enforcement.new California residentsWhen you become a California resident and you want to drive in California, you must apply for a California driver license within 10days.Residencyisestablishedin a variety of ways, including the following:• BeingregisteredtovoteinCali-

fornia elections. • PayingresidenttuitionataCali-

fornia college or university.• Filingforahomeowner’sprop-ertytaxexemption.

• Receivinganyotherprivilegeorbenefitnotordinarilyextendedto nonresidents.

adults visiting CaliforniaVisitors over 18 years old with a valid driver license from their home state or country may drive in Cali-fornia without getting a California

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driver license as long as their home state driver license is valid.Minors visiting CaliforniaVisitorsbetween16–18yearsoldmay drive with their home state driver license for only 10 days af-ter arriving in California. After 10 days, they must have a:• CurrentCaliforniadriverlicense,

or• NonresidentMinor’sCertificate

(which is issued by DMV) to a minor with proof of financial responsibility.

oBtAining A Driver license

WhenyouapplyforanoriginalDL/ID card, you must present an ac-ceptablebirthdate/legalpresencedocument and provide your social securitynumber(SSN).Dependingonthebirthdate/legalpresencedoc-ument you present, your first Cali-forniaDL/IDcardmayexpireonthe same date as your legal presence document. If the name on your birth date/legalpresencedocumentisdif-ferentfromthenameonyourDL/ID card application, you must also bring an acceptable true full name document. Your fingerprint, signa-ture,andpicturewillalsobetaken(refertothe“ApplicationRequire-mentsforaBasicClassCDriverLi-cense”sectiononpage4).ForanyotherDL/IDcardtransaction,youmust present photo identification.

acceptaBle DocumentsAnacceptablebirthdate/legalpres-ence or true full name document is issued by a county or state. This document is a certified copy of the original (the original is retained by the county or state) and contains an impressed seal or an original stamped impression. The DMV will not accept a photocopy of the certi-fiedcopyforbirthdate/legalpres-ence or true full name verification.Examplesofotheracceptablebirthdate/legalpresencedocumentsare:U.S.BirthCertificate,ProofofIn-dianBloodDegree,U.S.Passport,U.S.ArmedForcesIDCards,Cer-tificateofNaturalization,Perma-nentResidentCard,oraforeignpassportorMexicanBorderCross-ing Card with a valid I-94. The I-94 expirationdatemustbemorethan2monthsfromtheDL/IDcardap-plication date. A complete list of birthdate/legalpresencedocu-ments is available online at www.dmv.ca.gov or in the Birth Date/Le-gal Presence and True Full Name (FFDL05)FastFactsbrochure.Examplesoftruefullnameveri-fication documents include the following:• Adoptiondocumentscontaining

your legal name as a result of the adoption.

• Namechangedocumentscon-taining your legal name both be-fore and after the name change.

• MarriageCertificate.

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• Acertificate,declaration,orregistration document verifying the information of a domestic partnership.

• Dissolutionofmarriagedocu-ment containing your legal name, as a result of the court order.

application requirements for a Basic class c Driver licenseTo apply for a Class C driver license, you must:• SubmitacompletedandsignedDriverLicenseorIdentificationCardApplication(DL44)form.Signingthisformmeansyouagree to submit to a chemical test to determine the alcohol or drug content of your blood when requestedbyapoliceofficer.Ifyou refuse to sign this statement, the DMV will not issue a permit or driver license.

• Presentanacceptablebirthdate/legal presence document.

• Provideyourtruefullname.• ProvideyourSSN,whichwillbe

electronically verified with the SocialSecurityAdministration.

• Payanonrefundableapplicationfee. The fee is good for 12 months andallowsyoutotaketheappro-priate law test(s) three times. If youfailthelawtestand/ordrivingtest three times your application will be void, and a new applica-tionandfeearerequired.Thisfee pays for both the instruction permit and driver license, if you

qualifyforbothdocumentswithinthe 12-month period. If the appli-cationexpires,youmustresubmitdocuments, repay the application fee,andretaketherequiredtests.

• Passavisiontest.Youmustbeable to pass a vision test, with or without corrective lenses, with visualacuitybetterthan20/200in at least one eye without the use of a bioptic telescopic lens or similar bioptic device to meet the minimum vision acuity stan-dard (CVC §12805(b)). You are al-lowed to use a bioptic lens for the behind-the-wheel driving test. A bioptic lens restriction and day-time driving only restriction will be added to your driver record.

• Haveyourpicturetaken.• Giveafingerprintscan.• Signyourname.

aDults’ permit requirementsIf you are at least 18 years old, meet theapplicationrequirements,andpasstherequiredtests,youmaybe issued a California instruction permit.You must have an instruction per-mit while learning to drive. Your accompanying driver must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid California driver license. This person must be seated close enough toyouthatheorsheisabletotakecontrol of the vehicle at any time. An instruction permit does not per-mityoutodrivealone–noteventoaDMVofficetotakethedrivingtest.

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If you want to obtain professional driver education and driver train-ing,refertothe“DrivingSchools”and“MatureDriverProgram”sec-tionsonpage16.If you have a motorcycle permit, you cannot carry passengers, you must ride during daylight hours only, and you cannot ride on the freeway.To get a motorcycle permit you must:• Beatleast18yearsofage.• Comple t e t he appl ica t ionrequirements.

• Passatrafficlawsandroadsignstest.

aDults’ Driver license requirementsIf you have never been licensed, you must meet the following criteria:• Beatleast18yearsold.• Complywiththerequirementsfor

a driving permit and when you are ready, you must schedule your behind-the-wheel driving test.

• Makeanappointmenttotakethebehind-the-wheel driving test. When you report for the driving test, bring your instruction per-mit with you.

• Passthebehind-the-wheeldriv-ing test. If you fail the test, you must pay a retest fee for a second orsubsequenttestandscheduleabehind-the-wheel driving test for another day.

If you have an out-of-state or out-of-country driver license, you must:

• Completeallthestepsrequiredfor a driving permit.

• Bringyourvalidout-of-statedriver license to the DMV. Your out-of-state driver license will be invalidated and returned to you unless you are applying for a commercial driver license.

NOTE: The behind-the-wheel driv-ing test for holders of out-of-state orU.S.territorydriverlicensesarenormallywaived.However,thede-partmentmayrequireabehind-the-wheel driving test for any type of driverlicenseapplication.Behind-the-wheel driving tests are man-datory for out-of-country driver license holders.

Driver license clAsses

Thishandbookisprimarilyforabasic Class C driver license.Class C driver license -• You may drive a:–2-axlevehiclewithaGrossVe-hicleWeightRating(GVWR)of26,000lbs.orless.

–3-axlevehicleweighing6,000lbs. or less gross.

–Housecar40feetorless.–3-wheelmotorcyclewithtwo

wheels located in the front or back.

–Vanpoolvehicledesignedtocarry more than 10 persons, but no more than 15 persons including the driver.

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NOTE: The vanpool driver must have a valid medical certification on file with the DMV and carry a valid medicalcard.Thedrivermustkeepin the vanpool vehicle a statement signed under penalty of perjury, that he or she has not been convicted of recklessdriving,drunkdriving,orhit-and-run in the last five years (CVC §12804.9(j)).• You may tow a:–SinglevehiclewithaGVWR

of 10,000 lbs. or less, including a tow dolly, if used.

• With a vehicle weighing 4,000 lbs. or more unladen, you may tow a:–Trailercoachor5th-wheel

travel trailer under 10,000 lbs. GVWRwhentowingisnotforcompensation.

–5th-wheel travel trailerex-ceeding 10,000 lbs. but under 15,000lbs.GVWR,whentow-ing is not for compensation, and with endorsement.

• A farmer or employee of a farmer may drive:–AnycombinationofvehicleswithaGVWRof26,000lbs.orless,ifusedexclusivelyinagricultural operations and it is not for hire or compensation.

NOTE:• ClassClicenseesmaynottow

more than one vehicle.• Apassengervehicle,regardless

of weight, may not tow more than one vehicle.

• Amotorvehicleunder4,000lbs.unladen weight may not tow any vehicleweighing6,000lbs.ormore gross. (CVC §21715)

Other classes of driver licenses/endorsements are:• NoncommercialClassA• NoncommercialClassB• CommercialClassA• CommercialClassB• CommercialClassC• MotorcycleClassM1• MotorcycleClassM2• Commercialendorsements:–Doubles/Triples–HazardousMaterials–PassengerTransportation–TankVehicle

• AmbulanceDriverCertificate• FirefighterEndorsement• SchoolBusEndorsement• TowTruckDriverCertificate• VerificationofTransitTraining

CertificateDetailed information on other driver license types and endorsements can be found in the California Commer-cial Driver Handbook, Recreation-al Vehicles and Trailers Handbook, Ambulance Drivers Handbook, Cal-ifornia Parent-Teen Training Guide, and California Motorcycle Hand-book.Pleaserefertothesehand-booksforadditionalinformation.

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tHe exAminAtion process

Where to take the testsYoumaytakethewritten,vision,and behind-the-wheel driving tests at any DMV field office that pro-vides driver license services.Tosavetime,makeanappointmentonline at www.dmv.ca.gov or call 1-800-777-0133 during normal busi-ness hours. NOTE: The DMV will not admin-isterwrittenoraudioexamsafter4:30 p.m. to ensure you have suf-ficient time for testing.Writtenandvisiontestsarerequiredwhen you apply for an original driv-er license or upgrade to a different class of driver license.

cheatingThe use of testing aids is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: the California Driver Handbook, cheat sheets, or elec-tronic communication devices such as a cell phone, hand-held com-puter, etc. If any testing aid is used during the written test, the written testwillbemarkedasa“failure.”AnactionmayalsobetakenbytheDMV against your driving privilege or the driving privilege of anyone elsewhoassistsyouintheexami-nation process.

Dmv examinationsYourdriverlicenseexaminationsinclude:• Avisiontest.(Bringyoureye-

glasses or contact lenses to the exam.)

• Atestoftrafficlawsandroadsigns.

• Abehind-the-wheeldrivingtest,ifrequired.Youmusthaveanap-pointmenttotakethebehind-the-wheel driving test. For the driving test, bring:–Yourolddriverlicenseorin-

struction permit, if you have one.

–Alicenseddriverage18yearsor older with a valid driver license.

–Proofthatthevehicleisprop-erly insured.

–Avehiclethatissafetodrive,with valid registration, and dis-playing front and rear license plates.Thevehicle’sbrakelights,horn,parkingbrake,andelectricsignalsmustworkproperly. The vehicle cannot have bald tires. The driver’s side window must roll down. The windshield must allow a full unobstructed field of vi-sion and there must be two rear view mirrors (one on the left outside of the vehicle).Youwillbeaskedtolocatethe controls for the vehicle’s headlights, windshield wip-ers, defroster, and emergency

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flashers. You must demonstrate howtousetheparkingbrake.Ifyou use a rental vehicle for the driving test, the driver’s name must show on the contract as the insured driver. You must also wear your seat belt.

NOTE: The behind-the-wheel driv-ing test will be rescheduled if the vehicle does not meet the above re-quirementsorifyourefusetouseyour seat belt during the driving test. For more information, refer to the DMV’s Driving Test (FFDL22)Fast Facts brochure, DMV videos, and sample tests available online at www.dmv.ca.gov.

speciAl section - minors

minors’ permit requirementsA minor is a person under 18 years of age. Minors must have their applications (for a driver license or any change of driver license class) signed their parent(s) or le-galguardian(s).Ifbothparents/guardians have joint custody, both must sign.NOTE:Minorsmaynotworkasa driver for pay and they may not drive a school bus containing pupils.To get a permit you must:• Beatleast151/2 years of age, but

under 18 years of age.• CompletetheDriverLicenseor

Identification Card Application (DL44)form.

• Haveyourparent(s)orguardian(s)signtheDL44form.

• Passatrafficlawsandroadsignstest. If you fail the test, you must waitoneweekbeforeretakingthetest.

• Ifyouare151/2–171/2 years of age, you will need to provide proof that you:–Completeddrivereducation

(Certificate of Completion of Driver Education) OR

–Areenrolledandparticipat-ing in an approved integrated drivereducation/drivertrain-ing program (Certificate of Enrollment in an Integrated [Classroom] Driver Education andDriverTrainingProgram).For more information, refer to the Provisional Licensing (FFDL19)FastFacts brochure at www.dmv.ca.gov.

The provisional permit is not valid until you start your behind-the-wheel driver training with an in-structor or reach age 171/2.If you have a permit and plan to driveoutsideofCalifornia,checklicensingrequirementsinthatstateor country.NOTE: If you are at least 171/2 years of age, you may obtain a permit without completing driver educationordrivertraining.How-ever, you cannot get a driver license before you are 18 years old, or you must provide proof of driver educa-tion and driver training completion.

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minors’ permit restrictionsYour permit is not valid until you begin driver training; your instruc-tor will sign the permit to validate it. You must practice with a licensed California driver: parent, guardian, driving instructor, spouse, or an adult 25 years of age or older. The person must sit close enough to you totakecontrolofthevehicleatanytime. A provisional permit does not allowyoutodrivealone–noteventoaDMVofficetotakeadrivingtest.

minors’ Driver license requirementsYou must:• Beatleast16yearsold.• Prove thatyouhavefinished

both driver education and driver training.

• HavehadaCaliforniainstructionpermit or an instruction permit fromanotherstateforatleastsixmonths.

• Provideparent(s)orguardian(s)signature(s) on your instruction permit stating that you have com-pleted 50 hours of supervised driving practice (10 hours must be night driving) as outlined in the California Parent-Teen Training Guide (DL603).VisittheTeenwebsite at www.dmv.ca.gov/teenweb/ or call 1-800-777-0133 torequestthisbooklet.

• Passthebehind-the-wheeldriv-ing test. You have three chanc-es to pass the driving test while your permit is valid. If you fail

the behind-the-wheel driving test, you must pay a retest fee for a sec-ondorsubsequenttestandwaittwoweeksbeforeyouareretested.

Onceyouhaveyourprovisionaldriver license, you may drive alone, as long as you do not have any col-lisions or traffic violations.When you become 18 years old, the “provisional”partofyourdriverli-censeends.Youmaykeepyourpro-visional photo license or pay a fee for a duplicate driver license with-outtheword“provisional.”During the first 12 months after you are licensed, you cannot drive be-tween 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and you cannot transport passengers under 20 years of age, unless you are ac-companied by a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed driver 25 years of age or older, or a licensed or cer-tified driving instructor.

exceptions - minors’ Driver license restrictionsThelawallowsthefollowingex-ceptions when reasonable trans-portation is not available and it is necessary for you to drive. A signed noteexplainingthenecessitytodrive and the date when this driv-ingnecessitywillendmustbekeptin your possession for the following exceptions(emancipatedminorsareexcludedfromthisrequirement):• Medicalnecessitytodrivewhen

reasonable transportation alter-nativesareinadequate.Thenotemust be signed by a physician

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with the diagnosis and probable date of recovery.

• Schoolingorschool-authorizedactivity. The note must be signed by the school principal, dean, or designee.

• Employmentnecessityandtheneed to operate a vehicle as part of your employment. The note must be signed by the employer verifying employment.

• Thenecessitytodriveanimme-diate family member. A physi-cian’s note and a note signed by your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) isrequired,statingthereasonandprobable end date of the necessi-ty to drive the immediate family member.

EXCEPTION:Theserequirementsdo not apply to an emancipated mi-nor. You must have declared yourself emancipated and provided the DMV withProofofFinancialResponsibil-ity(SR1P)inlieuofyourparent(s)or guarantor(s) signature(s).

traffic violations Nearly 50 percent of the drivers be-tween15–19yearsofagearecon-victed of a traffic violation in their first year of driving.The most common violation is for speeding, which often results in the loss of vehicle control and accounts for about 50 percent of all teen traf-fic convictions.When you violate traffic laws, you increase your chances of having a collision.

Teenage Traffic DeathsDrivers15–19yearsoldhavethehighest traffic conviction, collision, and injury rates of any age group. Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers. If you areunder18yearsold,yourriskofafatalcollisionisabout21/2timesthatofthe“average”driver.Yourriskofaninjurycollisionisthreetimes higher than the average driv-er’srisk.

actions against the provisional Driver licenseTeenagers as a group average twice as many collisions as adult drivers, while driving only half as many miles. The teenage collision rate per mile is four times greater than the adult driver collision rate per mile.Studiesshowthatthetrafficdeathsof new drivers are deadly combina-tionsoftheirinexperiencedriving,lackoffamiliaritywiththevehicle,and their need to push themselves and the vehicle to the limit.keeping Your Provisional Driver licenseTheDMVwilltrackyourdrivingre-cordandtakeactionsbaseduponanycollisions or violations as follows:• Ifyougetatrafficticketandfail

to appear in court, the DMV will suspend your driving privilege until you appear in court.

• Ifyougetatrafficticketandfailto pay the fine, the DMV will sus-pend your driving privilege until you pay the fine.

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• Ifyouhaveone“atfault”collisionor conviction within 12 months, the DMV will send you a warn-ing letter.

• Ifyouhaveasecond“atfault”collision or conviction (or combi-nation of both) within 12 months, you cannot drive for 30 days, unless accompanied by your li-censed parent or other licensed adult who is at least 25 years of age.

• Ifyouhaveathird“atfault”col-lision or conviction (or any com-bination) within 12 months, you willbesuspendedforsixmonthsand placed on probation for one year.

• Ifyouhaveadditional“atfault”collisions or point count convic-tions while on probation, you will be suspended again. (Traf-fic law violations resolved in Ju-venile Court are also reported to the DMV.)

• Ifyouareconvictedofusingalco-hol or a controlled substance and youarebetween13–21yearsofage, the court orders the DMV to suspend your driver license for one year. If you do not have a driver license, the court orders the DMV to delay your eligibility to apply for a driver license. You mayalsoberequiredtocompleteaDrivingUndertheInfluence(DUI)program.

Any restriction, suspension, or pro-bation will continue for its full term past your 18th birthday.

Other,stronger actions may be takenifyourdrivingrecordjusti-fiesthem.Remember,ifyourdriv-ing privilege has been suspended orrevoked,you may not drive in California.Habitual Truant— Persons 13 – 18 Years of ageThe court will suspend, restrict, de-lay,orrevokeyourdrivingprivilegefor one year if you are convicted of being a habitual truant from school.

minors anD cell phones• Itisagainstthelawforaminor

to use a cell phone while driv-ing. If your cell phone rings, do not answer the call or respond to thetextmessage.

• Convictionsforviolationsofthislaw are subject to fines.

EXCEPTIONs: You may use a cell phone to contact law enforcement, a health care provider, the fire de-partment, or another emergency entity in an emergency situation.

miscellAneoUs licensing inFormAtion

to replace a lost/stolen or DamageD Driver licenseIf your driver license is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must go to a DMV office,completetheDriverLicenseor Identification Card Application (DL44)form,andpayafeeforthereplacement. You should also pres-ent a photo identification. If the

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DMV cannot confirm your identity, you will not be issued a temporary driver license. If you are a minor, your parent(s) orguardian(s)mustsigntheDL44form.Ifbothparents/guardianshavejoint custody, both must sign.Onceareplacementdriverlicenseis issued, the previous driver license is no longer valid. Destroy the old driver license if you find it later.

name changesWhen you legally change your name because of marriage or other rea-sons, be sure to change your name withtheSocialSecurityAdminis-tration(SSA)beforecomingintothe DMV. BringyourdriverlicensetotheDMV in person, along with your marriage certificate or other ac-ceptable verification of your “true fullname”(refertothe“AcceptableDocuments”sectiononpages3and4). You must complete the Driver LicenseorIdentificationCardAp-plication(DL44)formandpaytheapplicable fee. The DMV will elec-tronically verify your name, birth date, and social security number (SSN)withtheSSA.A new picture, fingerprint, and sig-naturewillbetaken.YouroldphotoDL/IDcardwillbeinvalidatedandreturned to you.

Driver license reneWalsThe DMV sends a renewal notice to your address of record about two months before your driver license

expires.Followtheinstructionsonthe renewal notice. If you do not receive a renewal notice, go online orcalltomakeanappointmenttorenew your driver license (refer to pageix).Qualified drivers may be eligible to renew their driver license online at the DMV’s website at www.dmv.ca.gov or by mail.The DMV issues a driver license for five years. The driver license expiresonyourbirthdayin theyear shown on the driver license. It is against the law to drive with an expireddriverlicense.Adrivingtestmayberequiredaspart of any driver license transac-tion.Drivingtestsarenotrequiredsimply because of age.If the DMV cannot confirm your identity, you will not be issued a temporary driver license.For other types of driver licenses refer to the California Commercial Driver Handbook, Recreational Ve-hicles and Trailers Handbook, or California Motorcycle Handbook.

reneWal By mail, internet, or telephoneIf you have not received two consec-utivefive-yeardriverlicenseexten-sions, you may be eligible to renew by mail, Internet, or telephone with-outtakingalawtest,if:• Yourcurrentdriverlicenseex-

pires before age 70.• Youdonothaveaprobationary

driver license (CVC §14250).

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• Youhavenotviolatedawrittenpromise to appear in court or to pay a fine within the last two years.

• Youarenotsuspendedfordriv-ingwithanillegalBloodAlcoholConcentration(BAC)level,orrefusing or failing to complete a chemical or preliminary alcohol screening test within the last two years.

• Youdonothaveatotalviola-tion point count greater than one point.

NOTE: If you renew by telephone, youmusthavetheRenewalIden-tificationNumber(RIN)availablewhen you call. This can be found on your renewal notice.

Driver license extensionIf you are away from California (uptooneyear),youmayrequestafreeone-yearextensionbefore your driver license expires. Mail your requesttoDMV,POBox942890,Sacramento,CA94290-0001.In-clude your name, driver license number, birth date, California resi-dence address, and out-of-state ad-dress.Limitedtermdriversarenoteligibleforthisextension.

Driver license in your possessionYou must always have your driver license with you when you drive. Showittoanypoliceofficerwhoaskstoseeit.Ifyouareinacolli-sion, you must show it to the oth-er driver(s) involved (refer to the

“InvolvedinaCollision”sectiononpage69).

aDDress changesWhen you move, you must give the DMV your new address within 10 days. There is no fee to change your address. You may notify the DMV of your address change for your driver license, identification card, and vehicle(s) online at www.dmv.ca.gov. You may also down-load a Change of Address (DMV 14) form and mail it to the address on the form, or call the DMV at 1-800-777-0133andrequestaDMV14 form be mailed to you.A new driver license is not issued when you change your address. A spaceisprovidedonthebackofyourdriver license or identification card to record your new address. You may also type or write your new address on a small piece of paper, sign, and date the paper and carry it (do not use tape or staples) with your driver license or identification card. If you change your address at a field office, the DMV representative will give you a Change of Address Cer-tificate(DL43)tocompleteandcar-ry with your driver license.REmINdER: TheU.S.PostalService forwards some DMV cor-respondence; however, it is your responsibility to ensure the DMV has your correct mailing address on record.

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meDical information carDCall 1-800-777-0133 to obtain a Medical InformationCard(DL390) to list your blood type, aller-gies, name of physician, and other medical information. It can be car-riedwithyourDL/IDcard.

organ anD tissue DonationYou may sign up to donate your or-gans and tissue for transplantation after your death. When you apply for or renew your driver license or IDcard,checkthe“YES!Addmynametothedonorregistry.”boxonthe renewal form to place your name on the Donate Life California Organ Tissue Donor Registry. If you need additionalinformation,checkthe“Idonotwishtoregisteratthistime.”boxandcallDonate Life California where Donate Life California rep-resentativescanansweranyques-tions you may have about organ and tissue donation. You may also use the renewal form to financially contributetotheregistrybycheck-ing the “$2 voluntary contribution to support and promote organ and tissuedonation.”box.If you are older than 13, and under 18 years of age, you may register with Donate Life California, pro-vided your parent(s) or guardian(s) authorizethedonation.For more information about the donor registry, adding restrictions to your gift, and the donation process, visit the Donate Life California website at donateLIFEcalifornia.org, or call

1-866-797-2366.Youmayconsentto the organ and tissue donation on their website; however, a new driver license or identification card with apinkdotwillnotbeissueduntilyoucheck“YES!Addmynametothedonorregistry.”boxonadriverlicense or identification application form and the department processes the new transaction (replacement, renewal, change of name, etc.).

veteran Benefit informationHaveyouservedintheU.S.ArmedForces? The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA), Cal-VetConnectprogram,wouldlikeyou to receive information regard-ing benefits, such as employment, housing, education, and health care services, for which you may be en-titled.Justcheckthe“IhaveservedintheU.S.ArmedForcesandIwantto receive veteran benefits informa-tion.”boxontheDriverLicenseorIdentificationCardApplication(DL44) form. The DMV will transmit your name and mailing address to the CDVA for them to send you ben-efits information.To locate a CDVA office near you, refer to your local government listing inyour telephonebook,or visit the CDVA’s website at www.cdva.ca.gov or the DMV’s website at www.dmv.ca.gov.

unlicenseD DriversIt is against the law to loan your ve-hicle to a person who is unlicensed or whose driving privilege has been

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suspended. If an unlicensed per-son is caught driving your vehicle, it may be impounded for 30 days (CVC§14607.6).No person of any age may drive on ahighwayorinapublicparkingfacility unless he or she has a valid driver license or permit. The law also states that you must not employ, permit,orauthorizeanypersontodrive your vehicle on a public street or highway, unless he or she is li-censed to drive that class of vehicle.A person must be at least 21 years old to drive most commercial vehi-cles for hire in interstate commerce andtotransporthazardousmateri-als or wastes.

Diplomatic Driver licensesNonresidents who possess a valid diplomatic driver license issued by theU.S.DepartmentofStateareex-empt from California driver licens-ingrequirements.

iDentification (iD) carDsThe DMV issues ID cards to persons of any age. To obtain an original ID card,youmustpresentabirthdate/legal presence verification docu-ment and provide your social secu-ritynumber(refertothe“ObtainingaDriverLicense”and“AcceptableDocuments”sectionsonpages3and 4). The ID card is valid until the sixthbirthdayaftertheissuedate.The fee for an ID card may be re-duced, if you meet certain income requirementsforspecificpublicas-sistance programs.

NOTE: Governmental or non-profit organizationsdeterminewhetheranindividualmeetstherequirementsfor a reduced-fee ID card.Ifyouareage62orolder,youmayobtain a free seniorcitizenIDcardthat is good for 10 years.

free iD carDs for physical anD mental (p&m) conDitionsDrivers with physical or mental (P&M)conditionsmayneedtobereexaminedfromtimetotimebyaphysician or be retested more often than every five years by a DMV examinertoobtainalimited-termdriver license.Drivers who are no longer able to drivesafelybecauseofaP&Mcondi-tionmayexchangetheirvaliddriverlicense for a no-fee ID card, if cer-tain guidelines are met. Go online at www.dmv.ca.gov or call 1-800-777-0133 for additional information.

iDentification (iD) carD reneWal By mail or internet Customers who are eligible to renew their ID cards by mail or Internet will receiveaRenewalbyMailorInter-netNoticeapproximately60daysbeforetheexpirationoftheircurrentIDcard.Reduced-feeIDcardscan-not be renewed by mail or Internet. There is a fee for regular ID cards (customersunder62yearsofage);thereisnochargeforseniorcitizenIDcards(customers62yearsofageor older), if applying for a senior citizenIDcard.

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Driving schoolsWhen learning to drive, you should seekqualifiedinstruction,eitherwith a public or private high school or a state licensed professional driv-ing school.The DMV licenses professional schools and instructors in Califor-niathatmeetrigidqualifyingstan-dards.Schoolsmustcarryliabilityinsurance, hold a bond, and main-tain complete records for the DMV inspection. Vehicles are subject to annual inspection. Instructors mustpassawrittenexaminationevery three years or show proof of continuing education in the traffic safety field. If you use the services ofaprofessionaldrivingschool,askto see the instructor’s identification card. Go online at www.dmv.ca.gov or refer to the Selecting a Driving School(FFDL33)FastFacts bro-chure for additional information.

mature Driver programTheMatureDriverProgramisaneight-hour course for drivers 55 and older. This course covers a variety of topics of special interest to the ma-ture driver and is available from the DMV approved course providers.Your insurance company may offer discounts for those who complete the class and receive a completion certificate . The certificate is valid for three years and can be renewed by completing a four-hour course.

peDestrian responsiBilitiesPedestrians(includingjoggers)should be aware of traffic condi-tions. Watch out for drivers before assuming that you have the right-of-way when crossing a street.Beawarethathybridandelectricvehicles are virtually silent when running on electric power and you may not hear them approaching an intersection. Yield the right-of-way to vehicles when you cross a street between intersections and in areas with no pedestriancrosswalksorsignals.REmEmbER:Makingeyecontactwith a driver does not mean that the driver will yield the right-of-way.Do not suddenly leave a curb or oth-ersafeplace,andwalkorrunintothe path of a vehicle close enough to be a danger to you. This is true even thoughyouareinacrosswalk.Thelaw states that drivers must always yield the right-of-way to a pedes-trian, but if the driver cannot stop in time to avoid hitting you, the law will not prevent you from being hit.Always obey traffic signals. Wheth-er the intersection has pedestrian signals or traffic lights, you must obey the pedestrian rules (refer to pages 23 and 24). At an intersec-tion where traffic is not controlled bysignals,driversarerequiredtoyield the right-of-way to pedestri-answithinanycrosswalk,marked or unmarked.

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When a signal first changes to green or“WALK,”lookleft,right,andthen left again, and yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the inter-section before the signal changes.If thesignalbeginsblinkingorchangesto“DON’TWALK,”orto an upraised hand after you have gone part way across a divided street, you may continue across the street.Do not stop or delay traffic unneces-sarily while crossing a street.Pedestriansarenotpermittedonany toll bridge or highway crossing, unlessthereisasidewalkandsignsst at ing pedest r ian t raf f ic is permitted.Iftherearenosidewalks,walkfac-ing oncoming traffic (see graphic).

Donotwalkorjogonanyfreewaywhere signs tell you that pedestri-ansarenotallowed.Donotwalkorjoginabikelaneunlessthereisnosidewalk.Atnight,makeyourselfmorevis-ible by:• Wearingwhite,light,orreflec-

tive material clothing.• Carryingaflashlight.

seAt BeltsSeatbelts,boththelapbeltandshoulder harness, must be in good workingorder.Youmaynotoper-ate your vehicle on public roads and on private property, such as public parkinglots,unlessyouandallofyour passengers eight years of age or older, or children who are 4 feet 9 inches tall or taller are wearing seat belts; and children younger than eight years old or who are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall are seated in a federally-approved child pas-senger restraint system. If seat belts are not worn by any of your passen-gers, you and the passenger(s) can be cited. If the passenger is young-erthan16yearsofage,youwillbecited if he or she is not wearing his or her seat belt.Always use your seat belts (includ-ing the shoulder harness) even if the vehicleisequippedwithairbags.You can have shoulder harnesses or seat belts installed in older ve-hicles. Even if you wear only a lap belt when driving, your chances of living through a collision are twice as high as someone who does not wear a lap belt. If you wear a lap and shoulder belt, your chances are three to four times higher to live through a collision.Pregnantwomenshouldwearthelap belt as low as possible under the abdomen, and the shoulder strap should be placed between the breasts and to the side of the abdo-men’s bulge.

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WARNING:Usingseatbeltsre-ducestheriskofbeingthrownfromyour vehicle in a collision. If you do not install and use a shoulder harness with the seat (lap) belt, se-rious or fatal injuries may happen insomecrashes.Lap-onlybeltsin-crease the chance of spinal column andabdominalinjuries—especiallyinchildren.Shoulderharnessesmaybe available for your vehicle, if it is notalreadyequippedwiththem.

mistaken Beliefs aBout seat BeltsMany studies and actual crash tests have proven safety belts can reduce injuriesanddeaths.Haveyouheardthese myths?• “Seatbeltscantrapyouinsideavehicle.”Itactuallytakeslessthanasecondtotakeoffaseatbelt. This myth often describes a vehiclethatcaughtfireorsankindeepwater.Aseatbeltmaykeepyoufrombeing“knockedout.”Therefore, your chances to escape are better if you are conscious.

• “Seatbeltsaregoodonlongtrips,but I don’t need them if I’m driv-ingaroundtown.”Morethanhalfof all traffic deaths happen with-in25milesofhome.Donottakechances with your life or the lives ofyourpassengers.Buckleupev-ery time you drive regardless of travel distance.

• “Somepeoplearethrownfromavehicleinacrashandwalkawaywithhardlyascratch.”Yourchances of surviving a collision

are five times better if, upon im-pact, you are not thrown from the vehicle.Aseatbeltcankeepyoufrom being thrown into the path of another vehicle.

• “I’monlygoingtothestore.Mylittle brother or sister doesn’t need tobesecuredinasafetyseat.”Car collisions are the number one preventable cause of death for children.Thelawrequiresthat children under eight years of age who are 4 feet 9 inches tall or taller to be properly secured with an appropriate safety belt , or be buckledintoafederally-approvedchild passenger restraint system if under eight years of age and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Thegraphiconthenextpageillus-trates what can happen in a colli-sion.Ifyouarestruckfromtheside,theimpactcouldpushyoubackandforthacrosstheseat.Seatbeltsandshoulderharnesseskeepyouinabetter position to control the vehicle andmayminimizeseriousinjuries.When you collide, your vehicle stops,butyoukeepgoingatthesamespeed you were traveling, until you hit the dashboard or windshield. At 30mphthismotionisequivalenttohitting the ground from the top of a three-story building.

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chilD restraint system anD safety seatsAny child who is under the age of eight years and who is less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, must be secured in a federally-approved child pas-senger restraint system and ride in thebackseatofavehicle.Properchildpassengerrestraintsysteminstallationcanbecheckedby contacting local law enforce-ment agencies or fire departments that may provide this service or re-feryoutoaChildPassengerSafety(CPS)technicianinyourarea.Asyourchildgrows,checkwiththeseagencies to confirm that the car seat isthecorrectsizeforyourchild.

A child who is under the age of eight years and who is less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, may ride in the front seat of a vehicle only in the follow-ing instances:• Thereisnorearseatortherear

seats are either side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats.

• Thechildpassengerrestraintsys-tem cannot be properly installed in the rear seat.

• Allrearseatsarealreadyoccu-pied by children under the age of 12 years.

• Amedicalreasonrequiresthechild to ride in the front seat.

A child may not ride in the front seatofanairbag-equippedvehicleif the child:• Islessthanoneyearofage.• Weighslessthan20lbs.• Isridinginarear-facingchild

passenger restraint system.Children eight years of age and older,butunder16yearsmustbeproperly secured with an appropri-ate safety belt. Children under eight years of age, who are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall must be properly secured in an ap-propriate child passenger restraint system that meets federal safety standards.However,childrenun-der eight years of age, who are 4 feet 9 inches tall or taller may be secured with an appropriate safety belt instead of a child passenger re-straint system.

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riDing safely With air BagsMostpeoplecantakestepstoelimi-nateorreduceairbagriskwithoutturning off air bags. The biggest riskisbeingtooclosetotheairbag.An air bag needs about 10 inches ofspacetoinflate.Rideatleast10inches (measured from the center of the steering wheel to your breast-bone) from the air bag cover, if you can do this while maintaining full control of the vehicle. If you cannot safely sit 10 inches away from the air bag, contact your vehicle dealer or manufacturer for advice about ad-ditionalwaysofmovingbackfromyour air bag.Passengersshouldalsositatleast10 inches away from the passenger-side air bag.

siDe-impact air BagsSide-impactairbagscanprovideextrasafetybenefitstoadultsinside-impactcrashes.However,chil-drenwhoareseatednexttoasideairbagmaybeatriskofseriousorfatalinjury.Sincesideairbagsare different in design and perfor-mance, you should consider the ben-efitsandrisksassociatedwiththeuse of side air bags if you transport children.Studieshaveshownthatchildren who are leaning against a side air bag when it inflates are at riskofseriousinjury.Thesestud-ies also show that children who are traveling in a correctly installed child restraint system appropriate toageandweightarenotatriskofserious injury. These children are

usually not in the path of a side air bag when it inflates.

unattenDeD chilDren in motor vehiclesItisillegaltoleaveachildsixyearsof age or younger unattended in a motorvehicle.Beawareif:• Weatherconditionsorothercon-ditionspresentasignificantriskto the child’s health or safety. Example:Leavingachildinaclosed vehicle on a very hot day.

• Thevehicle’sengineisrunning,keysareintheignition,orboth.Children may start or move the vehiclecausinginjuriesand/ordeaths to themselves or others.

EXCEPTION: The child may be left under the supervision of a per-son 12 years of age or older.The court may fine a violator and requirehimorhertoattendacom-munity education program. Also, DMV and court penalties for leav-ing an unattended child in a vehicle are more severe if the child is in-jured,requiresemergencymedicalservices, or dies.

trAFFic ligHts AnD signs

traffic signal lightssolid Red–A red signal lightmeans“STOP.”Youcanmake a r ight turnagainst a red light after you stop then yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles close enough to be a

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hazard.Maketherightturnonlywhenitissafe.Donotturnifa“NOTURNONRED”signisposted.Red Arrow–A red arrow means“STOP.”Remainstopped until the green signal or green arrow appears. Do not turn against a red arrow.Flashing Red–A flashing red signal light means “STOP.”Afterstopping,youmayproceedwhenitissafe.Observetheright-of-way rules.solid Yellow–A yellow sig-nal lightmeans “CAU-TION.”Theredsignalisabouttoappear. When you see the yellow light, stop if you can do so safely. If you cannot stop safely, cross the intersection cautiously.Yellow Arrow–A yellow arrow means the “protect-ed”turningtimeperiodisending.Bepreparedtoobeythenextsignal,which could be the green or red light or the red arrow.Flashing Yellow–A flashing yellow signal light warns youto“PROCEEDWITHCAUTION.”Youdonotneedtostopfor a flashing yellow light, but you must slow down and be especially a l e r t b e f o r e e n t e r i n g t h e intersection. F l a s h i n g Y e l l o w Arrow–This signal means turns are permitted (un-protected), but you must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians and then proceed with caution.

solid Green–Give the right-of-way to any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian in the intersection. A green light means “GO.”Ifyouareturningleft,makethe turn only if you have enough space to complete the turn before creatingahazardforanyoncomingvehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Do not enter the intersection if you can-not get completely across before the lightturnsred.Ifyoublockthein-tersection, you can be cited.Green Arrow–A green arrowmeans“GO.”Youmust turn in the direction the ar-row is pointing after you yield to any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian still in the intersection. The green arrowallowsyoutomakea“pro-tected”turn.Oncomingvehicles,bi-cyclists, and pedestrians are stopped by a red light as long as the green arrow is lighted.Traffic signal blackout–The traf-ficsignallightisnotworking.Pro-ceed cautiously as if the intersection iscontrolledby“STOP”signsinalldirections.

peDestrian signal lightsPedestriansignalsshowwordsorpictures similar to the following examples:“Walk”or“Walking Per-son”signallightmeansitis legal to cross the street.“don’t Walk”or“Raised Hand”signallightmeansyou may not start crossing the street.

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Flashing “don’t Walk” or Flash-ing “Raised Hand” signal light means do not start crossing the street because the traffic signal is about to change. If the signal light starts f lashing after you have al-ready started to cross, finish cross-ingthestreetasquicklyaspossible.Countdown signals indicate how many seconds remain for crossing. These signals allow pedestrians the flexibilitytospeedupifthecross-ingphaseisabouttoexpire.Somesignalsmayprovideabeep-ing or chirping sound or a verbal message. These signals are de-signed to help blind or visually im-paired pedestrians cross the street.At many traffic signals, you need to push the pedestrian push button to activate the “Walk”or“Walking Person”signallight.Iftherearenopedestrian signals, obey the traffic signal lights.

traffic signsThe shape and color of a sign offers you a clue about the information containedonthesign.Herearethecommon shapes used:An eight-sided red sTOP sign indicates that you must makeafull“STOP”when-everyouseethissign.Stopatthewhite limit line (a wide white line painted on the street) or before en-teringthecrosswalk.Ifalimitlineorcrosswalkisnotpaintedonthestreet, stop before entering the in-tersection.Checktrafficinalldi-rections before proceeding.

STOP

A three-sided red YIELd sign indicates that you must slow down and be ready to stop, if necessary, to let any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian pass before you proceed.A square red and white regulatory sign indicates that you must follow thesign’sinstruction.Forexample,the dO NOT ENTER sign means: do not en-ter a road or off ramp where the sign is post-ed (usually on a free-way off ramp). The WRONG WAY sign may or may not be posted with the dO NOT ENTER sign. If you see one or both of these signs, drive to the side of the road and stop. You are going against traf-fic.Whensafe,backoutorturnaround and return to the road you were on. At night if you are going the wrong way, the road reflectors will shine red in your headlights.If a sign has a red circle with a red line through it, it al-waysindicates“NO.”Thepicture inside the circle shows what you cannot do. The sign may be shown with or without words. A yellow and black circular sign indicates that you are approaching a rail road crossing.X-shaped signs with a whitebackgroundthatstateRAILROAd CROss-INGindicatethatyoumustlook,

DO NOT

WRONGWAY

ENTER

DO NOT

WRONGWAY

ENTER

R R

RA

I LROADC

RO

SS

I NG

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listen, slow down, and prepare to stop,ifnecessary.Letanytrainspass before you proceed.A five-sided sign indicates that you are near a school. Stopifchildrenareinthecrosswalk.A four-sided diamond-shaped sign warns you of specific road condi-tions and dangers ahead. Many warning signs are diamond-shaped.A white rectangular sign indicates that you must obey important rules.Somewarning signs have a fluo-rescentyellow-greenbackground.These signs warn of conditions related to pedestrians, bicyclists, schools, playgrounds, school buses, andschoolpassengerloadingzones.Obeyallwarningsignsregardlessoftheirshape(refertopages26and27forexamples).

lAws AnD rUles oF tHe roAD

right-of-Way rulesGeneral informationRight-of-wayrules,togetherwithcourtesy and common sense, help to promote traffic safety. It is im-portant to respect the right-of-way of others, especially pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and bicycle rid-ers. Never assume other drivers will give you the right-of-way. Yield your right-of-way when it helps to prevent collisions.Respecting the right-of-way of oth-ers is not limited to situations such

as yielding to pedestrians in cross-walks,orwatchingcarefullytoen-sure the right-of-way of bicyclists and motorcyclists. Motorists must respect the right-of-way of others by not violating traffic laws, such as failing to stop at a stop sign or trafficlight,speeding,makingun-safe lane changes, or illegal turns. Statisticsshowthatright-of-wayviolations cause a high percentage of injury collisions in California.PedestriansPedestriansafetyisaseriousissue.A pedestrian is a person on foot or who uses a conveyance such as roller skates,skateboard,etc.,otherthana bicycle. A pedestrian can also be a person with a disability using a tricycle,quadricycle,orwheelchairfor transportation.In California, pedestrian deaths oc-curinapproximately19percentofall traffic fatalities. Drive cautiously when pedestrians are near because they may suddenly cross your path.Pedestriansmaybeatriskwalkingnear hybrid and electric vehicles because these vehicles are virtually silentwhileoperating.Useextracau-tion when driving near pedestrians.• Respect the right-of-way of pe-

destrians. Always stop for any pedestrian crossing at corners orothercrosswalks,evenifthecrosswalkisinthemiddleoftheblock,atcornerswithorwithouttraffic lights, whether or not the crosswalksaremarkedbypaintedlines.

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• Donotpassavehiclethathasstoppedatacrosswalk.Apedes-trian you cannot see may be cross-ingthestreet.Stop,thenproceedwhen all pedestrians have crossed the street.

• Donotdriveonasidewalk,ex-cepttocrossittoenterorexitadriveway or alley. When crossing, yield to all pedestrians.

• Donot stop in a crosswalk.You will place pedestrians in danger.

• Remember,ifapedestrianmakeseye contact with you, he or she is ready to cross the street. Yield to the pedestrian.

• Allowolderpedestrians,disabledpedestrians, and pedestrians with young children sufficient time to cross the street.

ImPORTANT:Blindpedestriansrely on the sound of your vehicle to become aware of your vehicle’s presence; so, it is important that you stop your vehicle within 5 feet of the crosswalk.Driversofhybridorelec-tric vehicles must remain especially awarethatthelackofenginenoisemay cause a blind pedestrian to as-sume there is not a vehicle nearby. Follow this cue:• Whenablindpersonpullsinhis

or her cane and steps away from the intersection, this gesture usu-ally means for you to go (additional information regarding blind pe-destrians can be found on pages 61and62).

CrosswalksAcrosswalkisthepartoftheroad-way set aside for pedestrian traffic. Most intersections have a pedestri-ancrosswalkwhetherornotlinesare painted on the street. Most crosswalksarelocatedatcorners,but they can also be located in the middleoftheblock.Beforeturninga corner, watch for people about to cross the street. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in marked or un-marked crosswalks.Crosswalksareoftenmarkedwithwhitelines.Yellowcrosswalklinesmay be painted at school crossings. Mostoften,crosswalksinresiden-tialareasarenotmarked.Somecrosswalkshavef lashinglights to warn you that pedestrians maybecrossing.Lookforpedestri-ans and be prepared to stop, whether or not the lights are flashing.intersectionsAn intersection is any place where one line of roadway meets anoth-er roadway. Intersections include cross streets, side streets, alleys, freeway entrances, and any other location where vehicles traveling on different highways or roads join each other.Driving through an intersection isoneofthemostcomplextraf-fic situations motorists encounter. Intersection collisions account for more than 45 percent of all reported crashes and 21 percent of fatalities accordingtotheFederalHighwayAdministration.

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• Atintersectionswithout“STOP”or“YIELD”signs,slowdownand be ready to stop. Yield to traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection or just enter-ing the intersection. Also, yield to the vehicle or bicycle that arrives first, or to the vehicle or bicycle on your right if it reaches the in-tersection at the same time as you.

• At“T” intersectionswithout“STOP”or“YIELD”signs,yieldto traffic and pedestrians on the through road. They have the right-of-way.

• Whenyou turn left,give theright-of-way to all vehicles ap-proaching that are close enough tobedangerous.Also,lookformotorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Safety suggestion: While wait-ingtoturnleft,keepyourwheelspointed straight ahead until it is safe to start your turn. If your wheels are pointed to the left, and a vehicle hits you from be-hind, you could be pushed into oncoming traffic.

• Whenyouturnright,besuretocheckforpedestrianscrossingthe street and bicyclists coming up behind you on the right.

• Ondividedhighwaysorhigh-ways with several lanes, watch for vehicles coming in any lane you cross. Turn either left or right only when it is safe.

• Whenthereare“STOP”signsatall corners, stop first then follow the rules listed above.

• Ifyouhaveparkedofftheroadorareleavingaparkinglot,etc.,yield to traffic before reentering the road.

roundaboutsA roundabout is an intersection where traffic travels around a cen-tralislandinacounter-clockwisedirection.Vehiclesenteringorexit-ing the roundabout must yield to all traffic including pedestrians.When you approach a roundabout:• Slowdownasyouapproachthe

roundabout.• Yieldtopedestriansandbicyclists

crossing the roadway.• Watchforsignsand/orpavementmarkingsthatguideyouorpro-hibit certain movements.

• Entertheroundaboutwhenthereis a big enough gap in traffic.

• Driveinacounter-clockwisedi-rection. Do not stop or pass other vehicles.

• Useyour turn signalswhenyouchange lanesorexit theroundabout.

• Ifyoumissyourexit,continuearound until you return to your exit.

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Red and White Regulatory Signs

Highway Construction and Maintenance Signs

Guide Signs

Hazardous Loads Placards

White Regulatory Signs

Slow Moving vehicle

NoU-turn NoLeftTurn NoRightTurn

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Warning Signs

Slippery

When Wet

Sharp

Turn

Merging

Traffic

Divided

Highway

Lane

Ends

Two Way

Traffic

Traffic

Signal

Ahead

Pedestrian

Crossing

Stop Ahead

“T”

Intersection

Winding

Road

Reverse

Turn

CrossroadAdded Lane

Yield Ahead

Directional

Arrow

End Divided

Highway

Curve

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Multiple and single lane roundabout

For roundabouts with multiple lanes,chooseyourentryorexitlanebased on your destination as shown inthegraphic.Forexample,to:• Turnrightattheintersection(blue

car), choose the right-hand lane andexitintheright-handlane.

• Gostraightthroughtheintersec-tion (red car), choose either lane, andexitinthelaneyouentered.

• Turnleft(yellowcar),choosetheleftlane,andexit.

on Mountain roadsWhen two vehicles meet on a steep road where neither vehicle can pass, the vehicle facing downhill must yieldtheright-of-waybybackingup until the vehicle going uphill can pass. The vehicle facing downhill has the greater amount of control whenbackingupthehill.

speeD limitsCaliforniahasa“BasicSpeedLaw.”This law means that you may never drive faster than is safe for current conditions.Forexample,ifyouaredriving 45 mph in a 55 mph speed

zoneduringadensefog,youcouldbe cited for driving “too fast for conditions.”Regardlessofthepostedspeedlim-it, your speed should depend on:• Thenumberandspeedofother

vehicles on the road.• Whether the road surface is

smooth, rough, graveled, wet, dry, wide, or narrow.

• Bicyclistsorpedestrianswalkingon the road’s edge or crossing the street.

• Whether it is raining, foggy,snowing, windy, or dusty.

maximum speeD limitThemaximumspeedlimitonmostCaliforniahighwaysis65mph.Youmay drive 70 mph where posted. Unlessotherwiseposted,themaxi-mum speed limit is 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways and for vehicles towing trailers.Otherspeedlimitsignsarepost-ed for the type of roads and traffic in each area. All speed limits are based on ideal driving conditions. Constructionzonesusuallyhavereducedspeedzones.Driving faster than the posted speed limit or driving faster than safe for current conditions on any road is dangerousandillegal.Highspeedincreases your stopping distance. The faster you go, the less time you havetoavoidahazardorcollision.Theforceofa60mphcrashisnotjust twice as great as a 30 mph crash; it’sfourtimesasgreat!

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reDuceD speeDsHeavy Traffic or bad WeatherYou must drive slower when there is heavy traffic or bad weather. However,ifyoublockthenormaland reasonable movement of traf-fic by driving too slowly, you may begivenaticket.Ifyouchoosetodrive slower than other traffic, do notdriveinthe“Number1lane”(thefast lane) (refer to the “Choosing a Lane”sectiononpage32).Whentraveling below the speed limit and another driver is close behind you and wishes to driver faster, always move to the right.Towing vehicles, buses, or large TrucksWhen you tow a vehicle or trailer, ordriveabusorthreeormoreaxletruck,youmustdriveintherighthand lane or in a lane specially markedforslowervehicles.Ifnolanesaremarkedandtherearefour lanes or more in your direction, you may only drive in either of the two lanes closest to the right edge of the road.around ChildrenWhen driving within 500 to 1,000 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing the street, the speed limit is 25 mph unless oth-erwise posted. Also, if the school grounds have no fence and children are outside, never drive faster than 25mph.Someschoolzonesmayhave speed limits as low as 15 mph. Always drive more carefully near schools,playgrounds,parks,and

residential areas because children may suddenly dart into the street. Also, many children have not yet de-veloped the ability to judge speeds and distances well enough to cross streets safely when cars are mov-ing fast.

All vehicles must stop

Nearschools,lookfor:• Bicyclistsandpedestrians.• Schoolsafetypatrolsorschoolcrossingguards.Besuretoobeytheir directions. For the crossing guard’s safety, allow him or her to safely get to the side of the road before driving ahead.

• Stoppedschoolbusesandchil-drencrossingthestreet.Someschool buses flash yellow lights when preparing to stop to let children off the bus. The yellow flashing lights warn you to slow down and prepare to stop. When the bus flashes red lights (locat-edatthetopfrontandbackofthe bus), you must stop from ei-ther direction until the children are safely across the street and the lights stop flashing. The law requiresyouremainstoppedaslong as the red lights are flashing

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(CVC §22454). If you fail to stop, you may be fined up to $1,000 and your driving privilege could be suspended for one year. If the school bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes in each direc-tion), you do not need to stop.

blind intersectionsThe speed limit for a blind inter-section is 15 mph. An intersection isconsidered“blind”iftherearenostop signs at any corner and you can-not see for 100 feet in either direc-tion during the last 100 feet before crossing. Trees, bushes, buildings, orparkedcarsatintersectionscanblockyourviewtotheside.Ifyourviewisblocked,edgeforwardslow-ly until you can see.alleysThe speed limit in any alley is 15 mph.near railroad TracksThe speed limit is 15 mph within 100 feet of a railroad crossing where you cannotseethetracksfor400feetin both directions. You may drive faster than 15 mph if the crossing is controlled by gates, a warning sig-nal, or a flag man.

At railroad or train crossings:

• Lookinbothdirectionsandlistenfor trains. Many crossings have multipletracks;so,bereadytostop before crossing, if necessary. Crossrailroadtracksonlyatdes-ignated crossings and only when it is safe to do so.

• Expectatrainonanytrackatanytime traveling in either direction. If you need to stop after cross-ingthetracks,waituntilyoucancompletelycrossthetracksbeforeproceeding.Makesureyourve-hicleclearsthetracksbeforeyoustop.

• Neverstopontherailroadtracks.Rememberthatatraincannotstopquicklyorswerveoutoftheway.Ifyouareonthetracks,youriskinjuryordeath.

• Watchforvehiclesthatmuststopbeforetheycrosstraintracks.These vehicles include buses, schoolbuses,andtruckstrans-portinghazardousloads.

• Remember that f lashing redlightsmeanSTOP!Stopatleast15 feet, but not more than 50 feet, fromthenearesttrackwhenthe

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crossing devices are active or a person warns you a train is com-ing.Stopifyouseeatraincom-ing or you hear the whistle, horn, or bell of an approaching train.

• Donot go under lowering gates or around lowered gates. Flashing red lights indicate you must stop and wait. Do not proceed over the crossing until the red lights stop flashing, even if the gate rises. If the gates are lowered and you do not see a train approaching, call the posted railroad emergen-cytoll-freenumberor9-1-1.Beready to give a detailed descrip-tion of your location.

light rail Transit vehicle CrossingsThe same rules apply to light rail transit vehicle crossings as to freight train crossings. Do not proceed acrossthetracksuntilyoucanseeclearly in both directions and are sure there are no light rail transit vehicles or trains coming. Do not go around or under any lowered gate. NOTE:Lightrailtransitvehiclesareveryquietandacceleratemorequicklythanfreighttrains.near Streetcars, Trolleys, or busesThe passing speed limit, when safe to pass, is no more than 10 mph. This speed limit applies at a safe-tyzoneoranintersectionwhereastreetcar, trolley, or bus is stopped and traffic is controlled by a police officer or traffic signal. A safety zoneismarkedbyraisedbuttonsor

markersontheroadandissetasidefor pedestrians. You will most of-tenseesafetyzonesinareaswherestreet cars or trolleys and vehicles share the roadway.business or residential DistrictsThe speed limit is 25 mph, unless otherwise posted.near animalsIfyouseeanimalsorlivestock,slowdown and follow directions from the person in charge of the animals. If you see a stray animal in your path, slow down or stop, if it is safe.

trAFFic lAnes

(1) Solid yellow line: No passing if solid yellow line is on your side.

(2) Double solid lines: DO NOT pass.(3) Broken yellow line: May pass if

movement can be made safely.

Examples of lane markings

line colorssolid yellow linesmarkthecenterof a road used for two-way traffic.broken yellow lines indicate that youmaypassifthebrokenlineisnexttoyourdrivinglane.Two solid yellow lines indicate no passing. Never drive to the left of these lines unless you are:• Turningleftatanintersection.

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• Turningintooroutofaprivateroad or driveway.

• Inacarpoollanethathasades-ignated entrance on the left.

• Instructedbyconstructionoroth-er signs to drive on the other side of the road because your side of theroadisclosedorblocked.

Two sets of solid double yellow lines spaced 2 feet or more apart are considered a barrier. Do not driveonoroverthisbarrierormakealeftturnoraU-turnacrossitex-cept at designated openings (see diagram).

B

solid white linesmarktrafficlanesgoing in the same direction, such as one-way streets.broken white lines separate traf-fic lanes on roads with two or more lanes in the same direction.double white lines are two solid white lines that indicate a lane bar-rier between a regular use and a pref-erential use, such as a carpool lane. Never change lanes while in these lanes;waituntilasinglebrokenwhite line appears. You may also see these parallel lines in or near freeway on and off ramps.

choosing a laneTraffic lanes are often referred to bynumber.Theleftor“fast”laneiscalledthe“Number1Lane.”The lane to the right of the “Num-ber1Lane”iscalledthe“Num-ber2Lane,”thenthe“Number3Lane,”etc.

Example of numbered traffic lanes

Drive in the lane with the smooth-est flow of traffic. If you can choose amongthreelanes,pickthemiddlelane for the smoothest driving. To drive faster, pass, or turn left, use the left lane. When you choose to drive slowly or enter or turn off the road, use the right lane.If there are only two lanes in your direction,picktherightlaneforthesmoothest driving.Do not weave in and out of traffic. Stayinonelaneasmuchaspossible.Onceyoustartthroughanintersec-tion,keepgoing.Ifyoustarttomakeaturn,followthrough.Lastminutechanges may cause collisions. If you miss a turn, continue until you can safely and legally turn around.

changing lanesChanging lanes includes:• Movingfromonelanetoanother.• Enteringthefreewayfroman

on-ramp.

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• Enteringtheroadfromacurborthe shoulder.

Beforechanginglanes,signal,lookin all your mirrors, and:• Checktrafficbehindandbeside

you.• Glanceoveryourleftorrightshouldertomakesurethelaneyou want is clear.

• Lookforallvehicles,motorcy-clists, and bicycle traffic in your blind spot.

• Besurethereisenoughroomforyourvehicleinthenextlane.

passing lanesBeforeyoupass,lookaheadforroad conditions and traffic that may cause other vehicles to move into your lane.Never drive off the paved or main-traveled portion of the road or on the shoulder to pass. The edge of the main-traveled portion of the road may have a painted white line ontheroad’ssurface.Passingoth-er vehicles at crossroads, railroad crossings, and shopping center en-trances is dangerous.Passtrafficontheleft.Youmaypass on the right only when:• Anopenhighway is clearlymarkedfortwoormorelanesoftravel in your direction.

• Thedriveraheadofyouisturn-ing left and you do not drive off the roadway to pass. Never pass on the left if the driver is signal-ing a left turn.

carpool/high occupancy vehicles (hov) lanes A carpool lane is a special freeway lane used only for carpools, buses, motorcycles, or decaled low-emis-sion vehicles. You may use a carpool lane or on-ramp if your vehicle car-ries the posted minimum number ofpeoplerequiredforthecarpoollane, or you drive a low-emission vehicle displaying a special DMV-issued decal. Motorcycle riders may use designated carpool lanes, unless otherwise posted.

Signsattheon-ramporalongthefreeway tell you the minimum num-berofpeoplepervehiclerequiredfor the carpool lane(s). These signs alsolistthedaysoftheweekandthehourswhenthecarpoolrequirementapplies. The pavement in this lane ismarkedwithadiamondsymbolandthewords“CarpoolLane.”

Theselanesarealsoknownashigh-occupancyvehicle(HOV)lanes.Donot cross over double parallel solid linestoenterorexitanycarpoollaneexceptatdesignatedentryorexitplaces.

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center left turn lanesA center left turn lane is located in the middle of a two-way street and is markedonbothsidesbytwopaintedlines.Theinnerlineisbrokenandthe outer line is solid. If a street has a center left turn lane, you must use ittoprepareforormakealeftturn,

ortoprepareforormakeapermit-tedU-turn(CVC§21460.5(c)).Youmay only drive for 200 feet in the center left turn lane. This lane is not a regular traffic lane or a pass-ing lane. To turn left from this lane, signal,lookoveryourshoulder,anddrive completely inside the center left turn lane. Do not stop with the backofyourvehicleblockingtraf-fic.Makesurethelaneisclearinboth directions and then turn only whenitissafe.Lookforvehiclescoming toward you in the same lane, preparing to start their left turn. When turning left from a side street or driveway, signal and wait until it is safe. Then you may drive into the center left turn lane. Enter traffic only when it is safe.You may drive across a center left turn lane to turn left or to turn into a driveway.

BIKELANE

BIKELANE

turnout areas anD lanesSpecial“turnout”areasaresometimesmarkedon two-lane roads. Drive into these areas to allow cars behind you to pass.Sometwo-laneroadshavepassinglanes. If you are driving slowly on a two-lane highway or road where passing is unsafe, and five or more vehicles are following you, drive into the turnout areas or lanes to let the vehicles pass.

enD-of-lane markingsFreeway lanes, as well as some city street lanes, which are ending will usuallybemarkedbylargebrokenlines painted on the pavement. If you

aredrivinginalanemarkedwiththesebrokenlines,bepreparedtoexitthefreewayorforthelanetoend.Lookforasignthattellsyoutoexitormerge,etc.

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shareD roaDWay Bicycle markings (sharroWs)Sharrowsareusedtoremindmo-torists that bicyclists are allowed to lawfully use this portion of a lane.

Sharrowsareusedtoassistbicy-clists with positioning on a shared roadway. They also alert motorists of the location a bicyclist may oc-cupy within the traveled roadway.

Bicycle lanesA bicycle lane is a designated traf-fic laneforbicyclists,markedbyasolidwhiteline,typicallybreakinginto a dotted line ending before it reaches the corner. Different from a simple white line showing the edge of the road, a bicycle lane follows specificwidthrequirementsandisclearlymarkedasabikelane.• Treatabicyclelanethesameas

other traffic lanes. • Donotturnintothelaneifthereisabicyclistinthebikelane.

• Donotobstructbicycletrafficbyreducingthewidthrequiredforsafe bicycle passage, typically 3 to 4 feet.

Whenyouaremakingarightturnand are within 200 feet of the cor-ner or other driveway entrance, you

must enter the bicycle lane only after ensuring there is no bicycle traffic, andthenmaketheturn.Donotdrivein the bicycle lane at any other time.Youmayparkinabicyclelaneifyourvehicledoesnotblockabicy-clistand/orthereisnota“NoPark-ing”signposted.Driversofmotorizedbicyclesshould use bicycle lanes carefully to avoid collisions with bicyclists.

Bicycles in travel lanesWhen passing a bicyclist in the travel lane ensure enough width for the bicyclist, typically 3 feet. Donotsqueezeorforceabicyclistoff the road.

Right Wrong

Bicyclistsmayoccupythecenterofthe lane when conditions such as a narrowlaneorroadhazardmakeit unsafe to ride in a position that may provide room for a vehicle to pass. With any slow-moving vehicle or bicycle, drivers should follow at a safe distance. When it is safe, the bicyclists should move to a position thatallowsvehiclestopass.Remem-ber, bicyclists are entitled to share the road with other drivers.

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Bicyclistshavethesamerightsandresponsibilities as vehicle and mo-torcycle drivers. Respect theright-of-way of bicyclists be-cause they are entitled to share the road with otherdrivers.Herearesome critical points for drivers and bicyclists to remember. Motor ve-hicle drivers must:• Passabicyclistasyouwoulda

slow-moving vehicle. Allow suf-ficient clearance, and ample room formovementandunexpectedroad conditions. Change lanes and pass with caution only when it is safe.

• Alwayslookcarefullyforbicy-clistsbeforeopeningdoorsnexttomoving traffic or before turning.

• Allowbicyclistsenoughroomtoavoid colliding with vehicle doors that are opened into traffic.

• Mergetowardthecurborintothebikelaneonlywhenitissafe.

• Nottrytopassabicyclistjustbe-foremakingaturn.Mergesafelywhere it is allowed, then turn.

• Notdriveinabikelaneunlessini-tiating a turn at an intersection or driveway, and not more than 200 feet in advance.

• Makeavisualcheckforbicyclistswhen changing lanes or entering traffic.Bicyclesaresmallandmaybe hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot.

• Becarefulwhenapproachingorpassing a bicyclist on a two-lane highway or freeway.

tUrnsLeft turns–Tomakealeftturn,drive close to the center divider lineorintotheleftturnlane.Beginsignaling about 100 feet before the turn.Lookoveryourleftshoulderandreduceyourspeed.Stopbe-hindthelimitline.Lookleft,thenright,thenleftagain,andmaketheturn when it is safe. When you turn left, do not turn too soon and “cut thecorner”ofthelanebelongingtothe vehicles coming towards you.

DO NOT CUT CORNER

Example of a left turn

Safety suggestion: While waiting to turnleft,keepyourwheelspointedstraight ahead until it is safe to start your turn. If your wheels are point-ed to the left and a vehicle hits you from behind, you could be pushed into oncoming traffic.A left turn against a red light can only be made from a one-way street ontoaone-waystreet.Signalandstop for a red traffic light at the markedlimitline.Ifthereisnolimitline, stop before entering the cross-walk.Ifthereisnocrosswalk,stopbefore entering the intersection. You may turn left into a left-moving, one-way street if there is no sign to prohibit the turn. Yield to pedes-trians, bicyclists, or other vehicles moving on their green light.Right turns–Tomakearightturn,drive close to the right edge of the road.Ifthereisabikelane,drive

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intothebikelanenomorethan200feet before the turn. Watch for bicy-clists or motorcyclists who may get between your vehicle and the curb. Beginsignalingabout100feetbe-foretheturn.Lookoveryourrightshoulder and reduce your speed. Stopbehindthelimitline.Lookboth ways and turn when it is safe. Do not turn wide into another lane. Complete your turn in the right lane.Example of a right turn

DO NOT TURNWIDERight turn against a red light–Signalandstopforaredtrafficlightatthemarkedlimitline.Ifthereisno limit line, stop before entering thecrosswalk.Ifthereisnocross-walk,stopbeforeenteringtheinter-section. You may turn right if there is no sign to prohibit the turn. Yield to pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicy-clists, or other vehicles moving on their green light.No turn against a red arrow–You may not turn right or left against a red arrow.

examples of right anD left turnsThe numbers on the cars in the di-agrams refer to the numbered sen-tences on these pages. Always use your turn signals.1. Left turn from a two-way street.

Starttheturnintheleftlaneclos-est to the middle of the street.

Complete the turn, if safe, in either lane of the cross street (shownbythearrows).Usethecenter left turn lane if one is available. A left turn may be made from the other lane, if per-mitted by signs or arrows.

1

1

2*

2. Right turn.Beginand end the turn in the lane nearest the right-hand curb. Do not swing wide into another lane of traffic. Watch for pedestrians, motor-cyclists, and bicyclists between yourvehicleandthecurb.Some-times,signsorpavementmark-ings will let you turn right from another lane as shown by the graphic 2 .

3. Left turn from a two-way street into a one-way street.Starttheturn from the lane closest to the middle of the street. Turn into any lane that is safely open, as shown by the arrows.

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4. Left turn from a one-way street into a two-way street.Starttheturn from the far left lane. Turn into either of the lanes that are safely open, as shown by the arrows.

5. Left turn from a one-way street into a one-way street.Starttheturn from the far left lane. Watch for pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists between your ve-hicle and the curb because they can legally use the left turn lane for their left turns. Turn into any lane that is safely open, as shown by the arrows.

5

6

*one way

6. Right turn from a one-way street into a one-way street.Starttheturn in the far right lane. If safe, you may end the turn in any lane. Sometimes,signsorpavementmarkingswillletyouturnrightfrom another lane, as shown by the graphic 6 .

7. Turn at a “T” intersection from a one-way street into a two-way street. Through traffic has the right-of-way. You may turn ei-ther right or left from the center lane. Watch for vehicles, motor-cyclists, and bicyclists inside your turn.

7

legal u-turnsAU-turnisturningyourvehiclearoundinthestreettogobackthewayyoucame.TomakeaU-turn,signal and use the far left lane or the centerleftturnlane.YoumaymakealegalU-turn:• Acrossadoubleyellowlinewhen

it is safe and legal.• Inaresidentialdistrict:–If therearenovehiclesap-

proaching you within 200 feet.–Wheneveratrafficsign,light,

or signal protects you from ap-proaching vehicles.

• Atanintersectiononagreenlightorgreenarrow,unlessa“NoU-turn”signisposted.

• Onadividedhighway,onlyifanopening is provided in the center divider.

illegal u-turnsNevermakeaU-turn:• Atoronarailroadcrossing.• Onadividedhighwaybycross-

ing a dividing section, curb, strip of land, or two sets of double yel-low lines.

• Whereyoucannotseeclearly200feet in each direction because of

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a curve, hill, rain, fog, or other reason.

• Wherea“NoU-Turn”signisposted.

• Whenothervehiclesmayhityou.• Onaone-waystreet.• Infrontofafirestation.Never

use a fire station driveway to turn your vehicle around.

• Inbusinessdistricts.Areaswithchurches, apartments, multiple dwelling houses, clubs, and pub-licbuildings(exceptschools)arealso considered to be business districts. Turn only at an intersec-tion, unless a sign prohibits it, or where openings are provided for turns.

pArKing

parking on a hillWhenyoupark:• Onaslopingdriveway,turnthe

wheels so the vehicle will not roll intothestreetifthebrakesfail.

• Headeddownhill,turnyourfrontwheels into the curb or toward the sideoftheroad.Settheparkingbrake.

• Headeduphill,turnyourfrontwheels away from the curb and letyourvehiclerollbackafewinches. The wheel should gently touchthecurb.Settheparkingbrake.

• Headedeitheruphillordown-hill when there is no curb, turn the wheels so the vehicle will roll

away from the center of the road ifthebrakesfail.

down hill up hill no curb- up hill or down hill

Alwayssetyourparkingbrakeandleave the vehicle in gear or in the “park”position.

parallel parkingHowtoparallelparksafely:1. Find a space.Lookforaspace

about 3 feet longer than your ve-hicletosafelyparkinthespacewithoutstrikinganothervehicleor object. When you find a space, signalyourintentiontopark.

2. Pull your vehicle alongside the vehicle in front of your space, if any, 2 feet away from it and bumpersaligned.Checkyourrearviewmirrorandlookoveryour shoulder for approaching vehicles.Youcanbrakegentlyso approaching vehicles behind youwillseethebrakelightsandstoptoallowyoutopark.Keepyourfootonthebrakeandputthe vehicle in reverse.

3. Lift your foot off the brake. Checkyourmirrorsandlookoveryourshouldertomakesurethe street is clear of traffic be-foreyoubegintobackup.Lookover your shoulder at the space tomakesureitisclearofany

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objects, pedestrians, animals, etc.Begintobackupwhileturn-ing the wheel hard toward the curb; you want the angle to be sharp but not too sharp.

4. Once the back of your seat is aligned with the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of the empty space, begin turning the steer-ing wheel away from the curb.

5. straighten out. Your vehicle shouldnowbeabout6inchesfrom and parallel the curb. You might have to adjust your vehi-cleforwardorbackwardbeforeyouputyourvehicleinparkandturnofftheengine.Checkyourmirrorsandlookoveryourleftshoulder for oncoming traffic or bicyclistsbeforeyouexit.

hoW to park perfectly

Step 1Bring you car to a stop alongside the car at the front of the space.

Step 2Reverse into the space with an S motion.

Step 3Once the car is parallel with the curb, pull forward to center your car within the space.

parking at coloreD curBsPaintedcoloredcurbshavethefol-lowingspecialparkingrules:White–Stoponlylongenoughtopickupordropoffpassengersormail.

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Green–Parkfora limitedtime.Lookforapostedsignnexttothegreenzonefortimelimits,orlocatethe time limit painted on the curb.Yellow–Stopnolongerthanthetime posted to load or unload pas-sengers or freight. Drivers of non-commercial vehicles are usually requiredtostaywiththevehicle.

Red–No stopping, standing, or parking.(Busesmaystopataredzonemarkedforbuses.)blue–Parkingispermit-ted only for a disabled person or a driver of a dis-abled person who displays a placard or a special license plate for dis-abled persons or disabled veterans. Disabled people with a placard or specialplatesmayparkinspecialareas for unlimited periods of time, regardless of time restrictions. No one other than a disabled person or a driver of a disabled person may parkthere.Acrosshatched (diag-onal lines) area adjacent to a des-ignateddisabledparkingspaceisa no parking area. Qualified per-sons may apply at any DMV office or visit the DMV website at www.dmv.ca.gov to obtain a form for a parkingplacardorspecialplates.Anidentification card will be issued to

holders of disabled person or dis-abled veteran license plates.Example of crosshatched (diagonal lines) area

NOTE:Placardabuseresultsinthelossofspecialparkingprivileges.Itis also a misdemeanor and punish-able by a fine of up to $1,000, im-prisonment in county jail for up to sixmonths,orboth.Examplesofplacardabuse:• Usingaplacardafterithasbeen

reported lost or stolen without reporting that the placard was found.

• Loaningyourplacardtofriendsor family members (disabled or not).

• Interchangingplacardswithfriends or family members.

• Usingaplacardwhenthepersonitwas issued to is not in the vehicle with you (disabled child, family member, disabled employer, etc.).

• Using a deceased person’splacard.

illegal parkingNeverparkorleaveyourvehicle:• Wherea“NoParking”signis

posted.• On a marked or unmarkedcrosswalk,sidewalk,partially

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AisAD plAcement

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blockingasidewalk,orinfrontof a driveway.

• Within3feetofasidewalkrampfor disabled persons or in front of or on a curb that provides wheel-chairaccesstoasidewalk.

• Inadisabledpersonparkingspace, unless you are disabled and display a placard or special plates.

• Inthespacenexttoadisabledper-sonparkingspace,ifitispaint-ed in a crosshatched (diagonal) pattern (CVC §22507.8).

• Inaspacedesignatedforparkingorfuelingzero-emissionvehi-cles which display an identifying decal.

• Inatunneloronabridge,exceptwhere permitted by signs.

• Within15feetofafirehydrantor a fire station driveway.

• Onorwithin71/2 feet of a railroad track.

• Betweenasafetyzoneandthecurb.

• “Doubleparked.”(Parkinginthestreetwhenalllegalparkingplac-esatthecurbaretaken.)

• Onthewrongsideofthestreet.• Ataredcurb.• Onafreeway,except:–Inanemergency,or–Whenanofficerordevicere-quiresastop,or

–Whereastopisspecificallypermitted. A vehicle (even if disabled) that is stopped,

parked,orleftstandingonafreeway for more than four hours may be removed (CVC §22651(f)).

NOTE: If you must stop on a free-way,parkcompletelyoffthepave-ment and stay in your vehicle with thedoorslockeduntilhelparrives.Leaveenoughspaceforothervehi-cles to freely pass by your vehicle. Your vehicle should be visible for at least 200 feet in each direction.

special parking rules• Whenyouparkalongsideacurb

on a level street, the front and backwheelsmustbeparallelandwithin18inchesofthecurb.Parkparallel to the street if there is no curb.

• Neverleaveyourvehiclewhiletheengine is still running; stop the engineandsettheparkingbrake.

• Whenyouarereadytoexityourvehicle,lookcarefullyforpassingvehicles, bicyclists, and motorcy-clists. Do not open the driver’s side door unless it is safe to do so and you do not interfere with traffic. Do not leave the door open any longer than necessary.

sAFe Driving prActices

signalingAlways signal when turning left or right, changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping; it lets other driv-ers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestriansknowyourintentions.

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Signalsmaybegivenbyhand-and-arm positions or by using the vehi-cle’s signal lights. If bright sunlight makesthesignallightshardtosee,also use hand-and-arm signals.

RIGHT TURN

SLOW or STOP

LEFT TURN

Motorcyclists often use hand signals tomakethemselvesmorevisible.Bicyclistsmaygiveright turn-signals with their right arm held straight out, pointing right.Signal:• Duringthelast100feetbefore

reaching the turning point (left or right turn).

CAuTION!—Eventhoughyousig-nal, do not automatically assume that the space you want to occupy is clear.• Beforeeverylanechange.Checkyourmirrors, lookoveryourshoulder,andcheckyourblindspot before changing lanes.

• Atleastfivesecondsbeforeyouchange lanes on a freeway.

• Beforepullingnexttothecurboraway from the curb.

• Whenyouchangedirections.

• Evenwhenyoudonotseeothervehicles. A vehicle you do not see may suddenly appear and hit you.

If you plan to turn beyond an inter-section, start signaling when you are in the intersection. If you signal tooearly,theotherdrivermaythinkyou plan to turn into the intersec-tion and he or she may pull out in front of you.Remembertocancelyoursignalaf-ter turning.Steeringsteering Control–Modern vehicles requireverylittlesteeringtoturn.Lookatthesteeringwheelasaclockface and place your hands at 9 and 3 o’clockorslightlylowerat8and4o’clock.Thesearethedesiredhandpositions that reduce the possibility of turning the wheel too sharply.To reduce forearm and hand inju-ries, your hands should be placed on the lower half of the steering wheel,withyourknucklesontheoutside of the wheel, and your thumbs stretched along the rim of the steering wheel.Pull-Push steering–Usepull-pushsteering for most turning maneu-vers.Putyourhandsinthe8and4o’clockpositions.Pulldownwithone hand and push up with the other. This results in smooth steering and reduces the potential for over steer-ing, which can lead to loss of con-trol.Keepyourhandsandthumbson the outside of the wheel.

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Hand-Over-Hand steering–Usehand-over-hand steering when steering movements are critical, such as when:• Parking.• Performingsharprightturns.• Correctingaskid.Usequickmovementsonentrytothe maneuver, and then use slow, smooth movements when straight-ening the wheel.One-Hand steering–Useone-handsteering for:• Backingmaneuversthatdonotrequirefullleftorrightturns,or

• Whenoperatingvehiclecontrolsfor information, safety, or comfort.

Steeringerrorsaredirectlyrelatedto vision errors.

scanningScanningyoursurroundings(keep-ing your eyes moving) includes keepingasafedistancearoundyourvehicle.Whenanotherdrivermakesamistake,youneedtimetoreact.Giveyourselfthistimebykeepinga“spacecushion”onallsidesofyourvehicle. This space cushion will give youroomtobrakeormaneuverifyou need the space.know What is aheadToavoidlastminutemoves,lookdowntheroad10–15secondsaheadofyourvehiclesoyoucanseehaz-ards early. Constantly staring at the road just in front of your vehicle is dangerous. As you scan ahead, be alert for vehicles around you.

Where is the green vehicle headed?

Useyourmirrors.Allowenoughspace between you and the vehicle aheadtogiveyourselfan“out.”Mis-takescausecollisions.Inthecity,10–15secondsisaboutoneblock.Onthehighway,10–15secondsisaboutaquarterofamile.Take in the whole scene–If you onlylookatthemiddleoftheroad,you will miss what is happening on the side of the road and behind you. Scanninghelpsyoutosee:• Carsandpeoplethatmaybein

the road by the time you reach them.

• Signswarningofproblemsahead.• Signsgivingyoudirections.

The shaded areas are your blind spots.

Beforechanginglanes,lookintoyour rear view mirror for nearby vehicles and also over your shoulder

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tocheckforblindspots.Blindspotscan hide a motorcyclist, a vehicle or a bicyclist. Watch for things about tohappen,likeaballrollingintothe street or a vehicle door opening.Watch for hazards–Lookbeyondthe vehicle ahead of you. Do not developa“fixedstare.”Keepscan-ning.Checkyourrearviewmir-rorseverytwo–fivesecondssoyouknowthepositionofvehiclesnear you.Onthefreeway,bereadyforchang-es in traffic conditions. Watch for signalsfromotherdrivers.Expectmerging vehicles at on-ramps and interchanges.Bepreparedforrapidchanges in road conditions and traf-ficflow.Knowwhichlanesareclearso you can use them if necessary.do not be a tailgater! Many drivers follow too closely (tailgate) and are not able to see as far ahead as they should because the vehicle ahead blockstheirview.The more space you allow between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead, the more time you will have to see ahazard,andstoporavoidthathazard.Most rear end collisions are caused by tailgating. To avoid tailgating, usethe“three-secondrule”:whenthe vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point such as a sign, count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two,one-thousand-three.”Countingthesenumberstakesapproximatelythree seconds. If you pass the same

point before you finish counting, you are following too closely.You should allow a four-second or more cushion when:• Beingcrowdedbyatailgater.Allowextraroomahead,donotbrakesuddenly.Slowdowngrad-ually or merge into another lane to prevent being hit from behind bythetailgater!

• Drivingonslipperyroads.• Followingmotorcyclistsonwet

or icy roads, on metal surfaces (e.g., bridge gratings, railroad tracks,etc.),andongravel.Mo-torcyclists can fall more easily on these surfaces.

• Thedriverbehindyouwantstopass. Allow room in front of your vehicle so the driver will have space to move in front of you.

• Towingatrailerorcarryingaheavyload.Theextraweightmakesithardertostop.

• Followinglargevehicles thatblockyourviewahead.Theex-tra space allows you to see around the vehicle.

• Youseeabus,schoolbus,ora placarded vehicle at railroad crossings. These vehicles must stop at railroad crossings; so, slow down early and allow plenty of room.

• Mergingontoafreeway.If you follow too closely and anoth-erdriver“cuts”infrontofyou,justtakeyourfootoffthegas.Thisgives

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you space between your vehicle and the other driver, without having to slamonyourbrakesorswerveintoanother lane.know What is at Your SideAny time you come to a place where people may cross or enter your path or one line of traffic meets another, youshouldlooktotheleftandrightsidesofyourvehicletomakesurenooneiscoming.Alwayslooktoeachside of your vehicle at intersections, crosswalks,andrailroadcrossings.At intersections: • Lookbothwaysevenifothertraf-

fic has a red light or a stop sign.–Looktotheleftfirst,since

vehicles coming from the left are closer to you than vehicles coming from the right.

–Looktotheright.–Takeonemorelooktotheleft

in case there is a vehicle or a pedestrian you did not see the first time.

• Donotrelyontrafficsignals.Somedriversdonotobeytrafficsignals; so, before you enter an intersection,lookleft,right,andahead for approaching traffic.

To maintain a space cushion on each side of your vehicle:• Donotstayinanotherdriver’s

blind spot. The other driver may not see your vehicle and could change lanes and hit you.

• Avoiddrivingdirectlyalong-side other vehicles on multilane streets with or without traffic in

the opposite direction. Another driver might crowd your lane or changelaneswithoutlookingandcrash into you. Drive either ahead of or behind the other vehicle.

• Ifpossibleandwhensafe,makeroom for vehicles entering free-ways even though you have the right-of-way.

• Atfreewayexits,donotdrivealongside other cars. A driver maydecidetoexitsuddenlyorswervebackontothefreeway.

• Keepaspacebetweenyourve-hicleandparkedcars.Someonemay step out from between them, a vehicle door may open, or a ve-hicle may pull out suddenly.

• Becarefulwhendrivingnearmo-torcyclists or bicyclists. Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcy-clists or bicyclists.

know What is behind YouItisveryimportanttocheckbehindyou before you:• Changelanes.Lookoveryourshouldertomakesureyouarenotgetting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter.

• Reduceyourspeed.Takeaquickglance in your mirrors. Also checkyourmirrorswhenyouare preparing to turn into a side road or driveway and when you arestoppingtopullintoapark-ing space.

• Drive down a longor steephill. Watch for large vehicles

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because they can gather speed veryquickly.

• Backup.Backingupisalwaysdangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. When youarebackingoutofaparkingspace:–Checkinfrontandbehindthe

vehicle before you get in.–Knowwhereyourkidsare.Makesuretheyareawayfromyour vehicle and in full view before moving your vehicle.

–Ifotherchildrenarenearby,makesureyoucanseethembeforebackingup.

–Donotdependonlyonyourmirrorsoronlylookingoutaside window.

–Turnandlookoveryourrightand left shoulders before you beginbacking.Asasafetymeasure,alsolookoveryourright and left shoulders again whilebacking.

–Backslowlytoavoidcollisions.Checktrafficbehindyouoftentoknowifyouarebeingtailgated(an-other driver is following too close-ly). If you are being tailgated, be careful!Brakeslowlybeforestop-ping.Tapyourbrakeslightlyafewtimes to warn the tailgater you are slowing down.“Lose”thetailgaterassoonasyoucan. Change lanes and allow the tailgater to pass you, or slow down toallowenough“cushion”betweenyou and the car in front of you. If this

doesnotwork,pullofftheroadwhenit is safe and let the tailgater pass.Clean Windows and MirrorsKeepyourwindshieldandsidewin-dowscleaninsideandout.Brightsun or headlights on a dirty win-dowmakeithardtoseeout.Clearoff ice, frost, or dew from all win-dows before you drive.Makesureyoucanseeandbeseen.If you drive in rain or snow, you may have to stop sometimes to wipe mud or snow off your windshield, head-lights, and taillights.adjust Seat and MirrorsAdjust your seat before you put on your seat belt. You should sit high enough to see the road. If you still cannot see, use a seat cushion.Adjust your rear and side mirrors be-fore you start driving. If your vehicle hasaday/nightmirror,learnhowtouse it. The night setting reduces the headlight glare from the cars behind you and helps you see well.How Well Can You Stop?If something is in your path, you need to see it in time to stop. As-suming you have good tires, good brakes,anddrypavement:• At55mph,ittakesabout400feet

to react and bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

• At35mph,ittakesabout210feetto react and bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

Adjust your driving speed to the weather and road conditions (refer tothe“BasicSpeedLaw”inthe

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“SpeedLimits”sectiononpage28). Turn on your lights during the day, if it is hard to see or you cannot see at least 1,000 feet ahead of you.

Driving in the fogThe best advice for driving in the fogisDON’T.Youshouldconsiderpostponing your trip until the fog clears.However,ifyoumustdrive,then drive slowly, turn on your windshield wipers, and use your low beam headlights. The light from the high beam headlights will reflect backandcauseglare.Never drive with just your park-ing or fog lights. Increase your following distance and be prepared to stop within the space you can see ahead. Avoid crossing or passing lanes of traffic unless abso-lutelynecessary.Listenfortrafficyoucannotsee.Useyourwipersanddefroster as necessary for best vision.Ifthefogbecomessothickthatyoucan barely see, pull completely off the road. Do not continue driving until you can see well. Turn off yourlightsandkeepyourfootoffthebrakepedalorsomeonemayseeyourtaillights,thinkyouaremoving, and drive into your vehicle.

Driving in DarknessDrive more slowly at night because you cannot see as far ahead and you will have less time to stop for ahazard.Makesureyoucanstopwithin the distance lighted by your headlights.

Useyourlowbeamheadlightsatnight when it rains. do not drive using only your parking lights.Useyourhighbeamheadlightswhenever possible in open country ordarkcitystreets,aslongasitisnot illegal. Do not blind other driv-ers with your high beam headlights. Dim your lights when necessary. If another driver does not dim his or her lights:• Donotlookdirectlyintotheon-

coming headlights.• Looktowardtherightedgeof

your lane.• Watchtheoncomingvehicleout

of the corner of your eye.• Donottryto“getback”attheoth-erdriverbykeepingyourbrightlights on. If you do, both of you may be blinded.

When you drive at night, remember:• Pedestriansandbicyclistsare

much harder to see at night; stay alert for them.

• Motorcyclesarealsohardertoseeat night because most have only one taillight.

• Morehighwayconstructiontakesplaceatnight.Reduceyourspeedinhighwayconstructionzones.

• Whenyouleaveabrightly-litplace, drive slowly until your eyes adjusttothedarkness.

• Driveasfartotherightaspos-sible, when a vehicle with one light drives toward you. It could be a bicyclist or motorcyclist,

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but it could also be a vehicle with a missing headlight.

Driving in rain or snoWMany road pavements are the most slippery when it first starts to rain or snow because oil and dust have not yetwashedaway.Slowdownatthefirstsignofrain,drizzle,orsnowonthe road. Turn on your windshield wipers, low-beam headlights, and defroster.In a heavy rainstorm or snowstorm, you may not be able to see more than 100 feet ahead of your vehi-cle. When you cannot see any far-ther than 100 feet, you cannot safely drive faster than 30 mph. You may have to stop from time to time to wipe mud or snow off your wind-shield, headlights, and taillights.If you drive in snowy areas, carry the correct number of chains and be sure they will fit your drive wheels. Learnhowtoputthechainsonbe-fore you need to use them.

Driving in hill country or curvesYouneverknowwhat isontheother side of a steep hill or a sharp curve. When you come to a hill or curve, slow down so you can stop for anyhazard.Youmustdriveslowlyenough to stop.Anytimeyourviewisblockedbyahill or a curve, you should assume there is another vehicle ahead of you.Onlypassthevehicleifahillorcurve is at least one-third of a mile

away, because you need at least that much room to pass safely.Do not drive on the left side of the road when coming to a curve or the top of a hill, because you cannot seefarenoughaheadtoknowifitis safe to pass.

horn, heaDlights, anD emergency signalsUse Your Horn• Onlywhennecessary,toavoid

collisions. • Totrytoget“eyecontact”with

other drivers. You may tap your horn to alert another driver who might turn in front of you and cause a collision.

• Onnarrowmountain roads, where you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead of your vehicle.

Do not Use Your Horn• Ifadriverorbicyclistisgoing

slowly, and you want him or her to drive faster or get out of your way. The driver or bicyclist may not be able to safely go faster, due toillness,beinglost,intoxication,or having mechanical problems with the vehicle.

• Toalertotherdriversthattheymadeamistake.Yourhonkingmaycausethemtomakemoremistakesortobecomeangryandretaliate.

• Becauseyou may be angry or upset.

• Tohonkatpedestrians,bicyclists,or motorcyclists unless necessary

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toavoidacollision.Rememberthat your horn sounds much loud-er outside a vehicle.NOTE:Honkingyourhornmaystartle other drivers. It is safer to slow down or stop instead of honkingyourhorn.

Use Your Headlights• Whenitiscloudy,raining,snow-

ing, or foggy. If weather con-ditionsrequireyoutouseyourwindshield wipers, you must turn onyourlow-beamheadlights—it’s the law.

• Onfrostymornings,whenotherdrivers’ windows may be icy or “fogged.”

• Anytimeconditions(clouds,rain,snow,dust,smoke,fog,etc.)pre-vent you from seeing other ve-hicles.Otherdriversmayhavetrouble seeing you, too.

• Onsmallcountryormountainroads, even on sunny days. This helps other drivers see you and may help you avoid a head-on crash.

• Whennecessarytogetanotherdriver’s attention.

Use Your emergency SignalsIf you can see a collision ahead, warn the drivers behind you by turn-ing on your emergency flashers or tappingyourbrakepedalquicklythree or four times. You can also use the hand signal when slowing and stopping.Never stop on the road, unless nec-essary for safety or to obey a law. If

youneedtostop,thenstartbrakingearly as a signal to the cars behind you.Ifyourvehiclebreaksdownontheroad,makesurethatotherdriverscanseeit.Ifyouexperiencevehicle trouble, and need to stop, follow these rules:• Pullofftheroadawayfromall

traffic, if possible.• Ifyoucannotgetcompletelyoff

the road, stop where people can see you and your vehicle from be-hind. Do not stop just over a hill or just around a curve.

• Turnonyouremergencyflash-ers if you are not moving. If your vehicle doesn’t have emergency flashers, turn signals may be used instead.

• Ifitissafe,liftthehoodtosignalan emergency.

• Giveotherdriversplentyofwarn-ing.Placeemergencyflaresortriangles200–300feetbehindthe vehicle. This allows other drivers time to change lanes, if necessary.Beverycarefulwhenusing f lares. They may cause fires, especially when used near flammableliquids.

• Ifyoudonothaveemergencyf lares, follow the rules listed above and stay in your vehicle untilhelparrives.Becarefulforyour safety and stay off the road. REmEmbER: Do not try to change a tire if it means you have to stand in a traffic lane.

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folloWing DistancesTaking Dangers one at a TimeSupposethereisanoncomingvehi-cle to your left and a child on a bicy-cle to your right. Instead of driving between the vehicle and the child, takeonedangeratatime.First,slowdown and let the vehicle pass. Then, move to the left to allow plenty of room to pass the child.Splitting the DifferenceSometimestherewillbedangersonboth sides of the road at the same time.Forexample,therewillbeparkedcarstotherightandoncom-ing cars to the left. In this case, the best thing to do is “split the differ-ence.”Steeramiddlecoursebe-tween the oncoming cars and the parkedcars.If one danger is greater than the other, give the most room to the mostdangeroussituation.Supposethere are oncoming cars on your left sideandachildonabikeonyourrightside.Thechildismorelikelytomakeasuddenmove.Therefore,slow down, and if safe, use as much of your lane to the left as possible until you pass the child.Problem DriversIncrease your following distance and allow a bigger space cushion for drivers who may be potential-lydangerous.Personswhopresentdangers are:• Driverswhocannotseeyoube-causetheirviewisblockedbybuildings, trees, or other cars.

• Driversbackingoutofdrivewaysorparkingspaceswiththevehi-cle’s windows covered by snow or ice.

• Driverswhopassyouwhenthereis a curve or oncoming vehicle(s) ahead.

• Driversabouttobeforcedintoyour lane to avoid a vehicle, a pe-destrian, a bicyclist, an obstruc-tion, or because of fewer lanes ahead.

• Pedestrianswithumbrellasinfront of their faces or hats pulled down over their eyes.

• Distractedpeople,suchas:–Deliverypersons.–Constructionworkers.–Children,whooftenrunintothestreetwithoutlooking.

–Driverstalkingoncellphonesorspeakingtotheirpassengers.

–Driverstakingcareofchil-dren,eating,orlookingatmapswhile driving.

• Confusedpeople,suchas:–Tourists,oftenatcomplicated

intersections.–Driverswhoarelookingfor

a house number or who slow down for no apparent reason.

merging in/out of trafficWhenever you enter traffic, signal and be sure you have enough room to safely enter the lane. You have to share space with traffic already on theroad,andyoumustknowhowmuch space you need to merge with

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traffic,crossorentertraffic,andexitout of traffic.Space to MergeEnter the freeway at or near the speedoftraffic.(Rememberthatthemaximumspeedallowedis 65mphonmostfreeways.)do not stop before merging into free-way traffic, unless it is absolutely necessary. Freeway traffic has the right-of-way.Any time you merge with other traf-fic, you need a gap of at least four seconds, which gives both, you and the other vehicle, only a two-second following distance. When it is safe, gobacktofollowingthe“three-sec-ondrule”(refertothe“Donotbeatailgater”sectiononpage47).• Donottrytosqueezeintoagapthatistoosmall.Leaveyourselfa big enough space cushion.

• Watchforvehiclesaroundyou.Useyourmirrorsandturnsignals.Turnyourheadtolookquicklyover your shoulder before chang-ing lanes or merging in traffic. Leavethreesecondsofspacebe-tween you and the vehicle ahead ofyou.Makesureyoucanstopsafely, if necessary.

• Ifyouneedtocrossseveralfree-way lanes, cross them one at a time. If you wait until all of the lanes are clear, you may cause traffic delays or a collision.

Space to Cross or enterWhenever you cross or enter city or highway traffic from a full stop, you will need a large enough gap

(from vehicles approaching in either direction) to get up to the speed of other vehicles. You need a gap that is about:• Halfablockoncitystreets.• Afullblockonthehighway.If you are crossing lanes or turning, makesuretherearenovehiclesorpeopleblockingthepathaheadorto the sides of your vehicle. You do not want to be caught in an inter-section with traffic coming at you.Even if you have the green light, do not start across the intersec-tion,iftherearevehiclesblockingyour way.When turning left, do not start the turn just because an approaching vehicle has its right turn signal on. The driver may plan to turn just be-yond you, or the signal may have been left on from an earlier turn. This is particularly true of motor-cycles. Their signal lights often do not turn off automatically. Wait un-til the other driver actually starts to turn before you continue.Space to exitWhenyouplantoexitthefreeway,give yourself plenty of time. You shouldknowthenameornumberofthefreewayexityouwantaswellas the one that comes before it. To exitsafely:• Signal,lookoveryourshoulder,

and change lanes one at a time, until you are in the proper lane to exitthefreeway.

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• Signalyourintentiontoexitforapproximatelyfivesecondsbe-forereachingtheexit.

• Besureyouareat theproperspeedforleavingthetrafficlane–not too fast (so you remain in con-trol) and not too slow (so the flow of traffic can still move freely).

passing other trafficSpace and Speed to PassAlways signal before passing. Do notpullouttopassunlessyouknowyouhaveenoughspacetopullbackinto your lane.Avoid passing other vehicles, in-cluding motorcycles and bicycles, on two-lane roads; it is dangerous. Every time you pass, you increase your chances of having a collision. However,whenyoupassabicyclist,bepatient.Slowdownandpasshim/heronlywhenitissafe.Donotsqueezethebicyclistofftheroad.Athighwayspeedsof50–55mph,youneeda10–12secondgapinon-coming traffic to pass safely. At 55 mph, you will travel over 800 feet in 10–12seconds;sowillanoncomingvehicle. That means you need over 1,600feet(oraboutone-thirdofamile) to pass safely. It is harder to see and judge the speed of oncoming vehicles that are traveling one-third of a mile or more away from you.You must judge whether or not you have enough room to pass whenever you approach:• Anoncomingvehicle.• Ahilloracurve.

• Anintersection.• Aroadobstruction.Vehicles appear to move slower than they really are moving. A vehicle that is far enough away generally appears to be standing still. In fact, if you can see it moving closer to you, it is probably too close for you to start to pass.Space to returnBeforeyoureturntoyourdrivinglane, be sure you are not danger-ously close to the vehicle you have justpassed.Onewaytodothisistolookforthevehicleinyourinsiderear view mirror. When you can see both headlights in your rear view mirror, you have enough room to return to your driving lane. Do not count on having enough time to pass several vehicles at once or that oth-erdriverswillmakeroomforyou.

sHAring tHe roAD

large trucks (Big rigs) anD rvsTo reduce the chance of having a collisionwithalargetruckorRV,you must be familiar with a big rig’s physical capabilities and how it maneuvers.brakingLargetruckstakelongertostopthanvehicles traveling at the same speed. The average passenger vehicle trav-eling at 55 mph can stop within 400 feet.However,alargetrucktravel-ingatthesamespeedcantakeal-most 800 feet to stop. Do not move

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infrontofalargetruckandsuddenlyslowdownorstop.Thetruckerwillnotbeabletostopquicklyenoughto avoid crashing into you.Trucker’s blind Spots—the “no Zone”

Shaded areas are the driver’s blind spots.

Passengervehicledriversincor-rectlyassumethatatruckercanseethe road better because he or she is higherofftheroad.Whiletruckersdo have a better forward view and bigger mirrors, they still have large blind spots and your vehicle can get lost in those blind spots. If you stay inthoseblindspots,youblockthetrucker’sabilitytotakeevasiveac-tion to avoid a dangerous situation. Generallyspeaking,ifyoucannotseethetruckdriverinhisorhersidemirror, he or she cannot see you. These blind spots are often called the“NOZONE.”TurningWhenavehiclemakesaturn,therear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels. The longer the vehicle, the greater the difference in the turning path. This is why big rig drivers must often swing wide to complete a right turn. When you fol-lowabigrig,lookatitsturnsignals

beforeyoustarttopass.Ifthetruckappearstobeturningleft,checktheturn signals again; the driver may actually be turning right but first swinging wide.ManeuverabilityTrucksaredesignedtotransportproducts and they are not as ma-neuverable as passenger vehicles. Largetruckshavelongerstoppingandstartingdistances.Theytakemore space for turns and they weigh more.Onmultilanehighwaysandfreeways,largetrucksusuallystayin the center portion of the lane to help the flow of traffic. This also increasesthetrucker’soptionsifheor she must change lanes to avoid ahazard.Avoidthesemistakeswhendrivingaroundlargetrucks:• Cuttingoffatruckintraffic

or on the highway to reach an exit or turn. Cutting into the openspaceinfrontofatruckisdangerous.Tryingtobeatatruckthrough a single-lane construc-tionzone,forexample,removesthe truckdriver’scushionofsafety and places you in danger. Slowdownandtakeyourturnenteringtheconstructionzone.Donotspeeduptopassatruck,soyoucanexittheroadway.Takeamomenttoslowdownandexitbehindatruck—itwillonlytakeyouafewextraseconds.

• Lingeringalongsideatruckwhen passing. Always pass a largetruckontheleftside,and

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afteryoupassthetruck,moveaheadofit.Donotlinger.Other-wise,youmakeitverydifficult,ifnotimpossible,forthetruckertotakeevasiveactionifanobstacleappears in the road ahead.

• Followingtoocloselyortailgat-ing. When you follow so closely behindatruckthatyoucannotseethetruckdriver’ssideviewmir-rors,thetruckercannotseeyouandhasnowayofknowingyouarethere.Tailgatingatruck,orany vehicle, is dangerous because youtakeawayyourowncushionof safety if the vehicle in front of youstopsquickly.

• Underestimatingthesizeandspeed of an approaching trac-tor-trailer. A large tractor-trailer often appears to be traveling at a slower speed because of its large size.Manycollisionsinvolvinga passenger vehicle and a large truckoccuratintersections,whenthe passenger vehicle driver did notrealizehowclosethetruckwas or how fast it was traveling.

Buses, streetcars, anD trolleysDonotdrivethroughasafetyzone.This is a space set aside for pedes-trians,andmarkedbyraisedbuttonsormarkersonaroadway.When people are boarding or leav-ing a streetcar or trolley where there isnosafetyzone,stopbehindthevehicle’s nearest door or vehicle platform and wait until the people have reached a safe place.

When a bus, streetcar, or trolley isstoppedatasafetyzoneoratanintersection where traffic is con-trolled by a police officer or traf-fic signal, you may pass at no more than 10 mph.Donotovertakeandpassanylightrail vehicle or streetcar on the left side, whether it is moving or standing. EXCEPTIONs:• Whenyouareonaone-waystreet.• Whenthetracksaresocloseto

the right side that you cannot pass on the right.

• Whenatrafficofficerdirectsyouto pass on the left.

light-rail vehiclesLight-railvehicleshavethesamerights and responsibilities on pub-lic roadways as other vehicles. Al-though everyone must follow the same traffic laws, light-rail vehicles requireexceptionalhandlingabilitybecauseoftheirsize.Safelysharetheroadwithlight-railvehicles by:• Beingawareofwherelight-railvehiclesoperate.Buildings,trees,etc., cause blind spots for the trol-ley operator.

• Never turning in front of an ap-proaching light-rail vehicle.

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Do not turn in front of light-rail vehicles.

• Maintainingasafedistancefromthe light-rail vehicle if it shares a street with vehicular traffic.

Safety Zones are marked by dotted white lines.

• Lookingforapproachinglight-rail vehicles before you turn acrossthetracks.Completeyourturn only if a signal indicates you may proceed.

NOTE:Light-railvehiclescanin-terrupt traffic signals. Do not pro-ceed until the signal light indicates you may proceed.

emergency vehiclesYou must yield the right-of-way to any police vehicle, fire engine, am-bulance, or other emergency vehicle using a siren and red lights. Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle(s) havepassed.However,never stop in an intersection. If you are in an

intersection when you see an emer-gency vehicle, continue through the intersection and then, drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop. Emergency vehicles often use the wrong side of the street to continue on their way. They sometimes use a loudspeakertotalktodriversblock-ing their path.Yield to emergency vehicles.

You must obey any traffic direction, order, or signal given by a traffic or police officer, or a firefighter even ifitconflictswithexistingsigns,signals, or laws.It is against the law to follow with-in 300 feet behind any fire engine, police vehicle, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle with a siren or flashinglights(CVC§21706).If you drive for sight-seeing purpos-es to the scene of a fire, collision, or other disaster, you may be arrested. Casual observers interfere with the essential services of police, fire-fighter, ambulance crews, or other rescue or emergency personnel.

sloW-moving vehiclesSomevehiclesarenotdesignedtokeepupwiththespeedoftraffic.Farm tractors, animal-drawn carts, and road maintenance vehicles usu-allytravel25mphorless.Slow-movingvehicleshaveanorange/

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redtriangleonthebackoftheve-hicles.Itlookslikethesigninthepicturebelow.Lookfortheseve-hicles and adjust your speed before you reach them.

A Slow-Moving Vehicle

Also,beawarethatlargetrucks,bi-cyclists, and small-underpowered cars lose speed on long or steep hills andtakelongertogetuptospeedwhen entering traffic.Othertypesofslow-movingmotor-izedvehicles,suchaswheelchairs,scooters, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and golf carts may legally operate on public roads. Ad-just your speed accordingly to ac-commodate them.

neighBorhooD electric vehicles (nev) anD loW-speeD vehicles (lsv)YoumayhaveseenlanesmarkedasNEV usE ONLY on roadways in some California towns, especially those near retirement communi-ties and golf courses. NEVs and LSVsarerestrictedfromroadwayswhere the speed limit is greater than 35mph(CVC§§385.5and21260).TheNEVandLSVvehiclesreachamaximumspeedof25mph.OwnersofregisteredNEVsandLSVsmustcomplywithfinancial

responsibility laws and a driver licenseisrequiredtooperatethevehicle.

animal-DraWn vehiclesHorse-drawnvehiclesandridersofhorses or other animals are entitled to share the road with you. It is a traf-fic offense to scare horses or stam-pedelivestock.Slowdownorstop,ifnecessary,orwhenrequestedtodo so by the riders or herders.

motorcyclesMotorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as automobile drivers. While everyone must fol-low the same traffic laws, motor-cyclists face additional dangers becausemotorcyclesrequireex-ceptional handling ability and are harder to see. Therefore, many mo-torcycleskeeptheirheadlightoneven during daylight hours.From ahead or behind, a motorcy-cle’s outline, whether 2 or 3 wheels, is much smaller than a passenger ve-hicle’soutline.Mostdriversexpectto see larger vehicles on the road andarenotlookingformotorcycles.Motorcyclists can do many things tomakeiteasierforotherstorec-ognizethemwhileincreasingtheirchances of being seen.• Wearabright-coloredjacket,

vest, and a helmet. • Wearreflectivematerialonhel-

mets and clothes.• Useturnsignalswhenplanning

to change lanes or turn.

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• Flashtheirbrakelightsbeforeslowing down to help others no-tice the motorcycle.

Follow these rules to respect the right-of-way and safely share the road with motorcyclists:• Whenyouchangelanesorenteramajorthoroughfare,makeavi-sualcheckformotorcycles.Alsouse your mirrors. Motorcycles are small and can easily disap-pear into a vehicle’s blind spots.

• Allowafour-secondfollowingdistance. You will need this space to avoid hitting the motorcyclist, ifheorshebrakessuddenlyorfalls off the motorcycle. Motor-cycles generally can stop faster than passenger vehicles.

• Allowthemotorcycleafulllanewidth. Although it is not illegal to share lanes with motorcycles, it is unsafe.

• Nevertrytopassamotorcyclein the same lane you are sharing with the motorcycle.

• Whenyoumakeaturn,checkfor motorcyclists and gauge their speed before turning.

• Lookcarefullyformotorcyclistsbeforeopeningdoorsnext tomoving traffic or before turning right.

• Motorcyclesmaytravelfasterthan traffic during congested road conditions and can legally travel in the unused space be-tween two lines of moving or stationary vehicles; this is com-monlycalled“lanesplitting.”

• Rememberthatroadconditions,which are minor annoyances to you,posemajorhazardstomo-torcyclists.Potholes,gravel,wetor slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement can cause mo-torcyclists to change speed or di-rection suddenly. If you are aware of the effect of these conditions and drive with care and attention, you can help reduce motorcyclist injuries and fatalities. For more information regarding motorcy-cle safety, contact the Califor-niaMotorcyclistSafetyProgramat1-877-RIDE-411orwww.ca-msp.org.

BicyclesBicyclists:• Areentitledtoshare

the road with motor vehicles.

• Havethesamerightsand responsibilities as vehicle and motorcy-cle drivers.

• Mustobeyalltrafficsignalsandstop signs.

• Arelawfullypermittedtorideon certain sections of roadway in rural areas where there is no alternate route.

• Mustrideinthesamedirectionas other traffic, not against it.

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STOP, LOOKBEFORE CROSSING

RIDE A STRAIGHT LINE—DON’T TURN IN AND OUT BETWEEN PARKED CARS. LEAVE SPACE TO AVOID

SUDDENLY OPENED DOORS.

MERGE LEFT TO PASS VEHICLE TURNING RIGHT

Turns for bicyclists

Intersections with special lanes

• Shallrideasneartotherightcurbor edge of the roadway as practi-cal–notonthesidewalk.

• Arelegallyallowedtorideinthecenter of the lane when moving at the same speed as other traffic.

• Maymovelefttopassaparkedormoving vehicle, bicycle, animal, oravoiddebrisorotherhazards.

• Maychoosetorideneartheleftcurb or edge of a one-way street.

• Shouldridesinglefileonabusyor narrow street.

• Mustmakeleftandrightturnsinthe same way drivers do, using the same turn lanes. If the bicyclist is traveling straight ahead, he or she should use a through traffic laneratherthanridenexttothecurbandblocktrafficmakingright turns.

• Mustsignalalltheirintentionsto motorists and bicyclists near them.

• Mustwearahelmetifundertheage of 18.

• Shouldcarryidentification.• Shallnotoperateabicycleon

a roadway unless the bicycle is equippedwith:–Abrakewhichwillenabletheoperatortomakeonebrakedwheelskidondry,level,cleanpavement.

Duringdarkness,bicyclistsmust havethefollowingequipment:• Afrontlampemittingawhite

light visible from a distance of 300 feet.

• Arearredreflectorvisiblefroma distance of 500 feet.

• Awhiteoryellowreflectoroneach pedal or on the bicyclist’s shoesoranklesvisiblefromadistance of 200 feet.

peDestrians Who are BlinDPedestriansusingguidedogsorwhite canes with or without a red tip must be given the right-of-way at all times. These pedestrians are partially or totally blind. When these pedestrians are in your vicinity, be especially careful when turningcornersorbackingup,par-ticularlyifyouaredrivingaquiethybrid vehicle.Herearesomesuggestionsforhelp-ing pedestrians who are blind:

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• Atastoplightorsign,donotstop your vehicle more than 5 feet from the crosswalk, unless there is an advance stop bar (line). A blind pedestrian uses the sound of your engine as a guide, sodriveuptothecrosswalktoallow the person to hear you. ImPORTANT: Drivers of elec-tric and hybrid vehicles must be extraalerttoblindpedestrians,as they may be unaware of your presence due to the nearly silent nature of these vehicles.

• Stopatallcrosswalkswherepe-destrians are waiting. Wait for the pedestrian to cross the street.

• Donotstopinthemiddleofacrosswalk. This forces the blind pedestrian to go around your ve-hicle and into traffic outside of thecrosswalk.

• Donotgivetheblindpedestrianverbal directions. A blind pedes-trian listens to all traffic sounds before deciding to cross the street.

• Donotwaittoolongfortheblind pedestrian to cross the street. When a blind person pulls in his or her cane and steps away from the intersection, this gesture usually means for you to go.

• Donotturnrightwithoutlook-ing first.Lookforanypedestri-ans, especially blind pedestrians or traffic, before starting your turn.Blindpedestrianswhohaveagreenlightarenotexpectingadrivertomakearightturninfront of them. Turning may result

in the blind pedestrian becoming disoriented and vulnerable to be-ing hit by another right turning vehicle when attempting to cross the street.

• Donothonkyourhornatablind person. The blind person hasnoideawhoyouarehonk-ing at and may be startled by the noise.

• Donotblockanysidewalk.

roaD Workers anD Work Zones (“cone Zones”)Paycloseattentionwhenroadworkisbeingperformed.Signsandmes-sageboardswarnyouofworkers,slow-movingequipment,andclosedlanesahead.Conesand/ordrumswill guide you through theworkzone.Mergeas soon as it is safe to do so and without crossing theconesordrums.Re-duce your speed and be prepared to slow down orstopforhighwayequipment.Inworkzoneswherelanesarenar-row or where the shoulder is closed, watch for bicycles and “share the road”whentheyarepresent.The most common cause of deaths andinjuriesinworkzonesisrear-end collisions. In fact, most of the peoplekilledinworkzonesaredriv-ers and passengers. For your own safety and the safe-ty of your passen-gers remember to passtheworkzonecarefully, slow down,

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allowextrafollowingroombetweenvehicles,mergeearly,expectsuddenslowing or stopping, watch for driv-ers changing lanes at the last minute, and avoid distractions while driving in the “Cone Zone.”Distractionsin-clude using your hands-free cell phone,reading/sendingtextmes-sages,and/oroperatingyourGPSand entertainment systems. Fines for traffic violations in the “Cone Zone”can be up to $1,000 or more. Anyone convicted of assaulting a highway workerfacesfinesofupto$2,000and imprisonment for up to one year. Keepyoureyesontheroadandothervehicles around you. Do not stop or slowdowntowatchtheroadwork.Obeyspecialsignsorinstructionsfromworkers(flaggers).Drivingcarefullythroughworkzonesim-proves safety for drivers, pedestri-ans,bicyclists,androadworkers.Rememberto“slow for the Cone Zone.”

DouBle fine ZonesDue to increased collision-relat-ed injuries and fatalities, certain roadsaredesignatedas“SafetyEn-hanced-DoubleFineZones.”Finesfor violations are doubled in these zonesandalsoinhighwayconstruc-tionormaintenancezoneswhenworkersarepresent(CVC§42010).

move over anD sloW DoWnDriversarerequiredtomoveoverand slow down when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or towtruckthatisdisplayingflashing

amber warning lights, or a vehicle markedDepartmentofTranspor-tation (CalTrans) that is displaying emergency flashing or amber warn-ing lights while it is stopped on the side of a state highway or freeway. The law is designed to reduce the deathsofpoliceofficers,towtruckdrivers, paramedics, CalTrans em-ployees, and other emergency per-sonnel who are aiding stranded or injured motorists or involved in road work.Usecautioniflanechangesarerequired.

vehicles With haZarDous loaDs

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Red and White Regulatory Signs

Highway Construction and Maintenance Signs

Guide Signs

Hazardous Loads Placards

White Regulatory Signs

A diamond-shapedsignonatruckmeansthattheloadonthetruckispotentiallydangerous(gas,ex-plosives,etc.).CaliforniaHighwayPatrol(CHP)orfiredepartmentof-ficersknowwhattodoiftheloadisaccidentally spilled. Vehicles which displaythesesignsarerequiredtostopbeforecrossingrailroadtracks.

importAnt Driving tips

Safedrivingrequirespersonalre-sponsibility to use sound judgment, reflexes,experience,andcommonsense—everytimeyouarebehindthe wheel of a vehicle. Another im-portant element of safe driving is courtesy.Becourteousatalltimes!!!

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• Useyourhornforemergenciesonly.

Preventapotentiallyviolentinci-dent by:• Avoidingeyecontactwithanan-

gry driver.• Givinganangrydriverplentyof

space.Takethequestionnaireonthenextpage to determine the type of driv-er you are.

text messaging anD cell phonesRegardlessofage,itisillegaltodrive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communica-tion device to write, send, or read textmessages,instantmessages,and emails. NOTE:Withcertainexceptions,adults may not use a cell phone while driving unless hands-free equipmentisused.Minorsmay not useacellphoneexceptincertainemergencies (refer to the “Minors andCellPhones”sectiononpage11for additional information). Cell phones can be a lifesaver in emergencysituations.Useyourcellphone in the following safe and re-sponsible ways while driving:• Withhands-freedevices(except

minors).• Tocallforhelpinanemergency.• Ifyourcellphonerings,donotanswerit.Letthecallgotovoice-mail, if you have this feature.

Dealing With traffic congestionSmallchangesinyourdrivinghabitscan help relieve chronic traffic con-gestion, according to the California OfficeofTrafficSafety(OTS).Avoid the fol lowing d r iv ing behaviors:• Rubbernecking–slowing down tolookatcollisionsorvirtuallyanything else out of the ordinary.

• Tailgating–following too closely.• Unnecessary lanechanges–

weaving in and out of freeway lanes.

• Inattention– eating, grooming, talkingonacellphone,textmes-saging, reading the newspaper, etc.

• Operatingapoorly-maintainedor malfunctioning vehicle or running out of fuel.

Dealing With aggressive Drivers anD roaD rageAggressive driving and road rage happens when crowded roads, rush-ing, and impatience cause one driver to react angrily to another driver. To avoid aggressive driving and road rage situations:• Allowplentyoftimetoreachyour

destination.• Donotcutoffotherdrivers.• Donotdriveslowlyintheleft

(fast) lane.• Donottailgate.• Donotmakegesturestoother

drivers.

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Overtake other vehicles only on the left.

Avoid blocking passing lanes. Yield to faster traffic by mov-

ing to the right. Keep to the right as much as

possible. Maintain appropriate follow-

ing distance. Provide appropriate distance

when cutting in after passing vehicles.

Use headlights in cloudy, rainy, low light conditions.

Yield to pedestrians. Come to a complete stop at

stop signs, etc. Stop for red traffic lights. Approach intersections and

pedestrians at slow speeds. Follow right-of-way rules at

four-way stops. Drive below the posted speed

limit when conditions warrant. Drive at slower speeds in

construction zones. Maintain speeds appropriate

for conditions. Use vehicle turn signals for

turns and lane changes. Make eye contact and signal

intention where needed. Acknowledge intention of oth-

ers.

Use your horn sparingly. Avoid unnecessary use of

high beam headlights. Yield and move to the right

for emergency vehicles. Refrain from flashing head-

lights. Make slow, deliberate U-

turns. Maintain proper speeds

around roadway crashes. Avoid returning inappropriate

gestures. Avoid challenging other driv-

ers. Try to get out of the way of

aggressive drivers. Focus on driving and avoid

distracting activities.

DO YOu AVOID: Driving when drowsy. Blocking the right-turn lane. Taking more than one parking

space. Parking in a space desig-

nated for the disabled. Letting your door hit the ve-

hicle parked next to you. Using the cell phone while

driving. Stopping in the road to talk. Inflicting loud music on neigh-

boring cars.

ARE YOu AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER?

DO YOU (Check the appropriate box):

Y N Y N

Score Yourself: Count the number of “No” Answers

(1-3) SAFE DRIVER (4-7) GOOD DRIVER (8-11) SEMI-AGGRESSIVE DRIVER (12+) AGGRESSIVE DRIVER

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do not use your cell phone:• Duringhazardousconditions.• To engage i n d i s t r a c t i ng

conversations.

collision avoiDancekeep Your Car visibleThe driver’s blind spots are shown inthegraphiconpage46.Ifyoulookonlyinyourmirrors,youcan-not see vehicles in these blind spots. Turn your head to see if a vehicle is in one of these blind spots. Do not linger in another driver’s blind spot. Asquicklyasyoucan,dropbackorpass the vehicle.What is the road ConditionThe faster your speed, the less con-trolyouhaveofyourvehicle.Rath-er than driving at the legal posted speed limit, consider adjusting your driving speed for road conditions or whatever affects the safe opera-tionofyourvehicle.Forexample,should you drive 35 mph (the post-ed speed limit) on a curve down an icymountainroad?Manyinexpe-rienced drivers do not adjust their driving speed for the road condi-tions; that causes them to have more “out-of-control”collisionsthanex-perienced drivers.CurvesOncurves,thereisastrongout-ward pull on your vehicle, especial-lywhentheroadisslippery.Rain,mud,snow,ice,andgravelmakethe road slippery. If a speed limit is not posted before a curve, you must judge how sharp the curve is and

adjustyourspeedaccordingly.Slowdown before you enter the curve; youdonotknowwhatmaybeahead(stalledcar,collision,etc.).Brakingonacurvemaycauseyoutoskid.Driving in Heavy TrafficDrive slower in heavy traffic, so you can stop within the available stop-ping distance.As a general rule, drive more slowly:• Inshoppingcenters,parkinglots,

and downtown areas.• Onroadswithheavytraffic.• Whenyouseethebrakelightsof

several vehicles ahead of you.• Overnarrowbridgesandthrough

tunnels.• Throughtollplazas.• Nearschools,playgrounds,and

in residential areas.Traffic SpeedsCollisionsaremorelikelytohappenwhen one driver goes faster or slow-er than the other cars on the road.If you drive faster than other traffic, you increase your chances of being involvedinacollision.Studieshaveshown that speeding does not save more than a few minutes in an hour of driving time.Driving slower than other vehicles or stopping suddenly can be just as dangerous as speeding, if not more dangerous, because you may cause a rear end collision or cause other drivers to swerve to avoid hitting your vehicle. If you are in the fast lane and you notice vehicles moving

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to the right lane to pass you, or a line of vehicles are forming behind you, the best thing to do is move into the right lane, when it is safe, and let the vehicle(s) pass.

Driving haZarDsWater on the roadSlowdownwhenthereisalotofwater on the road. In a heavy rain at speeds of 50 mph or more, your tires can lose all contact with the road and then your vehicle will be ridingonwateror“hydroplaning.”A slight change of direction or a gust of wind could throw your vehicle intoaskid.Ifyourvehiclestartstohydroplane,slowdowngradually–donotapplythebrakes.Slippery roadsSlowdownatthefirstsignofrain,especially after a dry spell. This is when many roads are the most slip-pery, because oil and dust have not washed away. A slippery road will not give your tires the grip they need. Drive more slowly than you would on a dry road. Adjust your speed as follows:• Wetroad–gofive–tenmiles

slower.• Packedsnow–reduce your speed

by half.• Ice–slow to a crawl.Someroadsurfacesaremoreslip-pery than others when wet and usu-ally have warning signs posted. Herearesomecluestohelpyouspotslippery roads:

• Oncold,wetdays,shadefromtrees or buildings can hide spots ofice.Theseareasfreezefirstand dry out last.

• Bridgesandoverpassestendtofreezebeforetherestoftheroaddoes. They can hide spots of ice.

• Ifitstartstorainonahotday,thepavement can be very slippery forthefirstseveralminutes.Heatcauses oil in the asphalt to come tothesurface.Theoilmakestheroad slippery until the rain wash-es the oil off the surface of the road.

Skids on Slippery SurfacesA road that is normally safe can be-come dangerous when it is slippery. Iceandpackedsnowontheroadcancauseyourvehicletoskid,espe-cially if you are driving too fast or goingdownhill.Ifyoustarttoskid:• Easeoffthegaspedal,• Stopbraking,and• Turnthesteeringwheelinthedi-rectionoftheskid.

If you cannot control your vehicle on a slippery surface, try to find somethingtostoptheskid.Trytoget a wheel on dry pavement or on the shoulder of the road. You may havetoedgeslowlyintoasnowbankor some bushes to stop the vehicle.Topreventskiddingonslipperysurfaces:• Driveslowlyandstayfartherbe-

hind the vehicle ahead of you.• Slowdownasyouapproach

curves and intersections.

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• Avoidfastturns.• Avoidquickstops.“Pump”thebrakestosloworstop.(Donotpumpantilockbrakes.)

• Shifttolowgearbeforegoingdown a steep hill.

• Avoidespeciallyslipperyareas,such as ice patches, wet leaves, oil, or deep puddles.

Ifthebrakesgetwet,drythembylightly pressing the gas pedal and brakepedalatthesametimesothatthe vehicle drives against the pres-sureofthebrakes.Performthislightpressingonlyuntilthebrakesdry.

mechanical tipsacceleration SkidsAnaccelerationskidusuallyhap-pens when the drive wheels lose traction on the road surface. To maintaincontrolofaskiddingve-hicle,donotapplythebrakes.Easeoff the gas pedal and straighten the front wheels as the vehicle begins to straighten itself out. locked Wheel SkidsThistypeofskidisusuallycausedbybrakingtoohardatahighrateofspeedandlockingthewheels.Thevehiclewillskidnomatterwhichway the steering wheel is turned. Takeyourfootoffthebraketoun-lockthewheels.Then,straightenthe front wheels as the vehicle be-ginstostraightenout.Slowtheve-hicle gradually until you are at a safe speed to continue driving.

accelerator MalfunctionIfyouracceleratorbecomesstuckyou should:1. Shifttoneutral.2. Applythebrakes.3. Keepyoureyesontheroad.4. Lookforanalternaterouteaway

fromtrafficorlookforawayout.5. Warnotherdriversbyhonking

and f lashing your emergency lights.

6. Try to drive the car safely off the road.

7. Stopandturnofftheignition.WARNING: Turning the igni-tion off while the vehicle is mov-ingmaylockthesteeringwheel;you will not have control of the steering.

Steering Wheel locking DeviceNever turn your vehicle’s ignition to the“lock”positionwhileitisstillinmotion;thesteeringwilllockandyou will lose control of your vehicle.

collisions are not acciDentsAn“accident”impliesanunfore-seen event that occurs without any-one’s fault or negligence. Most often in traffic, that is not the case.Ifyouseeavehicle’shazardlightsahead, slow down. There may be a collision or other road emergen-cyahead.Stopandgiveassistanceifaskedbyanyone,orpassverycarefully.Avoid driving near collisions, if you can. Those injured will be helped faster if other vehicles aren’t

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blockingtheroad.Ifyoumustdrivenear a collision, do not stop or slow downjusttolook.Youmaycauseanother crash. Drive by carefully, watching for people in the road.Causes of CollisionsThe most common causes of colli-sions are:• Unsafespeed.• Drivingonthewrongsideofthe

road.• Improperturns.• Violatingtheright-of-wayrules.• Violatingstopsignalsandsigns.• Driverdistractions.involved in a CollisionIf you are involved in a collision:• Youmuststop.Someonecould

be injured and need your help. If you do not stop, you may be con-victedof“hitandrun”andcouldbe severely punished.

• Call9-1-1,ifanyoneishurt.• Moveyourvehicleoutofthetraf-

fic lane if no one is injured or killed.

• Showyourdriverlicense,regis-tration card, evidence of finan-cial responsibility, and current address to the other driver, per-sons involved, or police officer.

• You(oryourinsuranceagent,bro-ker,orlegalrepresentative)mustmakeawrittenreporttothepo-liceorCHPwithin24hoursofthecollisionifsomeoneiskilledor injured.

• You(oryourinsuranceagent,bro-ker,orlegalrepresentative)mustmakeawrittenreporttotheDMVwithin 10 days.

• Ifyouhitaparkedvehicleorotherproperty, leave a note with your name, phone number, and address in or securely attached to the ve-hicleorpropertyyouhit.Reportthe collision to the city police or, in unincorporated areas, to the CHP.

• Ifyourparkedcarrollsawayandhits another vehicle, try to find the owner and report the incident to authorities as mentioned above.

• Ifyoukillorinjureananimal,call the nearest humane society, thepolice,orCHP.Donottrytomove an injured animal or leave an injured animal to die.

reporting a CollisionWhen you have a collision, report it to the DMV within 10 days if:• Morethan$750indamagewas

done to the proper ty of any person.

• Anyonewasinjured(nomatterhowslightly)orkilled.

Each driver (or the driver’s in-suranceagent,broker,or legalrepresentative) must file a report with the DMVusingtheReportofTrafficAccidentOccurringinCalifornia(SR1)form.Goon-line at www.dmv.ca.gov or call 1-800-777-0133andaskfor the SR1form.TheCHPorpolicewill notmakethisreportforyou.

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You or your representative must makethisreportwhetherornotyoucaused the collision, even if the col-lision occurred on private property.Your driving privilege will be suspended:• Ifyoudonotmakethisreport.• Foruptofouryears,ifyoudidnot

have proper insurance coverage. During the last three years of the suspension, your driver license can be returned to you if you pro-videaCaliforniaInsuranceProofCertificate(SR22)andmaintainit during the three-year period.

ADDitionAl Driving lAws/rUles

things you must not Do:• Donotsmokeatanytimewhen

a minor is in the vehicle. You can be fined up to $100.

• Donot dump or abandon animals on a highway. This crime is pun-ishable by a fine of up to $1,000, sixmonthsinjail,orboth.

• Donot operate a cell phone with-out the use of a hands-free device (minors, refer to the “Minors and CellPhones”sectiononpage11for pertaining information).

• Donot drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless communi-cations device to write, send, or readtext-basedcommunications.

• Donot wear a headset or earplugs in both ears while driving.

• Donot drive a vehicle so load-ed, either with property or peo-ple, that you cannot control it, or see ahead or to the sides of your vehicle.

• Itisillegaltodriveanyvehiclewith an unsafe, unsecured load that isasafetyhazard (CVC24002(a)).Unsecuredloads(lad-ders,buckets,andlooseitemsinthebackofpickuptrucks)cancause danger for other motorists, especially motorcycles, when they fall onto the road.

• Donot carry anything in or on a passengervehiclewhichextendsbeyond the fenders on the left side ormorethan6inchesbeyondthefenders on the right side. Cargo extendingmorethan4feetfromthebackofthevehiclemustdis-play a 12-inch red or fluorescent orangesquaref lagortworedlights at night.

• Donot allow anyone to ride on any part of your vehicle not in-tended for passengers.

• Donot allow anyone to ride in thetrunkofyourvehicle.Convic-tions will result in penalties for both the driver and the person(s) ridinginthetrunk.

• Donot allow a person to ride inthebackofapickuporoth-ertruck,unlessthevehicleisequippedwithseatsandtheper-son uses both the seat and a safety belt.

• Donot transport animals in the backofapickuporothertruck

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unless the animal is properly secured.

• Donot leave a child or an animal unattended in a hot vehicle (refer tothe“UnattendedChildreninMotorVehicles”sectiononpage20andthe“HotWeatherRisks”section on pages 73 and 74).

• Donot tow anyone who is riding a bicycle, in a wagon, on roller skates,rollerblades,skis,sled,toyvehicle,skateboard,etc.

• Donot litter the roadside. The fine is $1,000 and you may be forcedtopickupwhatyouthrewaway.Litteringconvictionsshowon your driving record.

• Donot wear eyeglasses with templeswideenoughtokeepyoufrom seeing clearly to the sides.

• Donotdriveavehicleequippedwith a video monitor, if the moni-tor is visible to the driver and dis-plays anything other than vehicle information or global mapping displays.

• Donothonkyourhornunlessit is a safety warning to avoid a collision.

• Donot throw any cigarette, ci-gar, or other flaming or glowing substance from your vehicle.

• Donot shoot firearms on a high-way or at traffic signs.

• Donotblockyourviewbyput-ting signs or other objects on the frontwindshieldorthebacksidewindows. Do not hang objects on themirror.Windshield/window

stickers,etc.,arepermittedinthese locations only:–Aseven-inchsquareoneither

the passenger’s side windshield lower corner or the lower cor-ner of the rear window.

–Afive-inchsquareonthelow-er corner of the driver’s side window.

–Thesidewindowsbehindthedriver.

• Donotdrive any motor vehicle into a designated wilderness area (CVC §38301.5).

• Donot drive with illegally tinted safety glass. If you have sun-sen-sitiveskin,youmayuseremov-able sun screens during daylight travel, provided you have a letter from your physician.

• Donotblockorhinderafuneralprocession.Vehiclestakingpartin a funeral procession have the right-of-way, and if you interfere, obstruct, or interrupt the funeral procession, you are subject to a citation (CVC §2817). A funeral procession is led by a traffic of-ficer.Allvehiclestakingpartinthe procession have windshield markerstoidentifythemandhavetheir headlights on.

• Donotride, or allow a child to ride,a“pocketbike”onapublicstreet or highway. These vehicles are not manufactured or designed for highway use, and do not meet federal safety standards.

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things you must Do:• Youmust drive as far to the right

as reasonably possible on narrow mountain roads. If you cannot see atleast200feetahead,honkyourhorn.

• Youmust use your headlights 30 minutes after sunset and leave them on until 30 minutes before sunrise.

• Youmust dim your lights to low beams within 500 feet of a vehicle coming toward you or within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.

• Youmust turn on your headlights if snow, rain, fog, dust, or low vis-ibility(1,000feetorless)requiresthe use sof windshield wipers.

• Ifyouareinvolvedinacollision,you must move your vehicle out of the traffic lane (unless it is disabled) when it is safe to do so. Lawenforcementmaytoworim-pound your vehicle if it is left in an unsafe area and causes safety concerns.

HeAltH AnD sAFetY

safety for the aging DriverThe department has published a handbookspecificallyforseniordrivers.Pleasegoonlineatwww.dmv.ca.gov to view or download a copy of the Senior Guide for Safe Driving(DL625),call1-800-777-0133torequestacopytobemailed,or contact the Senior Driver Om-budsman Program in your area:

Sacramento/NorthernCalifornia(916)657-6464SanFrancisco/Oakland (510)563-8998Orange/SanBernardino/SanDiego (949) 553-3573LosAngeles/Oxnard (310)412-6103

gooD vision for all DriversYou need good vision to drive safely. If you cannot see clearly, you can-not judge distances or spot trouble, andyouwillnotbeabletomakethebest judgments. You also need to see peripherally or “out of the cor-nerofyoureye”tospotcarscom-ing up beside you while your eyes are on the road ahead.You may see clearly and still not be able to judge distances. You need good distance judgment so you knowhowfaryouarefromothercars. Many people who may see clearly in the daytime have trouble seeingclearlyatnight.Somepeo-pleseepoorlyindimlight.Othersmay have trouble with the glare of headlights.Haveyoureyescheckedeveryyearortwo.Youmayneverknowaboutpoor peripheral vision or poor dis-tance judgment, unless you have youreyescheckedbyahealthcareprofessional.

hearingHearingismoreimportanttodriv-ingthanmanypeoplerealize.Thesound of horns, a siren, or screech-ing tires can warn you of danger.

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Sometimesyoucanhearavehiclebut cannot see it, especially if it is in your blind spots.Even people with good hearing can-not hear well if the radio or CD play-er is blaring. Do not wear a headset or earplugs in both ears while driv-ing; it is against the law.Hearingproblems,likebadeye-sight, can come on so slowly that youdonotnoticethem.Haveyourhearingcheckedperiodically.Driv-ers that are deaf or hearing-impaired can adjust their driver safety hab-its by relying more on their seeing sense and therefore, compensate for the loss of hearing.

alertnessWhen you are tired, you are less alert. The body naturally wants to sleep at night. Most drivers are less alert at night, especially after mid-night.Youmaynotseehazardsassoonorreactasquicklyaswhenyou are rested and alert; so, your chances of having a crash may be greater. If you are sleepy, the only safe response is to get off the road and get some sleep.Tokeepfrombecomingtiredonalong trip:• Getanormalnight’ssleepbefore

you start on your trip.• Donottakeanydrugsthatcanmakeyoudrowsy.

• Donotdrivelonghours;trynotto drive late at night.

• Takeregularreststopsevenifyouare not tired.

• Keepshiftingyoureyesfromonepartoftheroadtoanother.Lookat objects near and far, left and right.

• Trychewinggumorsingingalongwiththeradio/CD.

• Rollyourwindowdowntogetsome fresh air.

If you are tired all the time and fall asleepoftenduringtheday,askyourphysiciantocheckforasleepdisorder.

meDicationsRememberthatallmedications,pre-scription or over-the-counter, are potentially dangerous and can im-pairyourdriving.Over-the-countermedicinesthatyoutakeforcoldsandallergiescanmakeyoudrowsyand affect your driving ability. If youmusttakemedicationbeforedriving, find out the effects of the medication from your physician or pharmacist. It is your responsibil-ity to know the effects of the medi-cations you take.Beforeyoudecidetodrive,do not:• Mixmedications,unlessdirected

by your physician.• Takemedicationsprescribedfor

someone else.• Mixalcoholwithyourmedications

(prescribed or over-the-counter).

hot Weather risksAsstatedinthe“UnattendedChil-dreninMotorVehicles”sectionon page 20, it is against the law to leave unattended minor children in

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avehicle.Additionally,andequallyimportant, it is dangerous and dead-lytoleavechildrenand/oranimalsin a hot vehicle. After sitting in the sun, with even a slightly opened window, the temperature can rise rapidlyinsideaparkedvehicle.Thetemperature inside a vehicle can rise approximately40-50degreeshigherthan the outside temperature. Dehydration,heatstroke,anddeathcanresultfromoverexposuretotheheat.Rememberifit’stoohotforyou, it’s too hot for children and pets. health anD emotionsYour personality affects the way you drive. Do not let your emotions interferewithsafedriving.Useallof your good judgment, common sense, and courtesy when you drive. Follow all the recommended safe driving rules.Discuss health concerns such as poor vision, heart problems, dia-betes, or epilepsy with your physi-cian and follow his or her advice. Notify the DMV if you have a con-dition that might affect your ability to drive safely.

conDitions physicians must reportPhysiciansandsurgeonsarere-quiredtoreportpatientsatleast14years of age and older who are di-agnosed as having lapses of con-sciousness,Alzheimer’sdisease,orrelated disorders (California Health & Safety Code §103900).

Althoughnotrequiredbylaw,yourphysician may report to the DMV any other medical condition that he or she believes may affect your abil-ity to drive safely.

safety tipsAccordingtotheCHP,ifyourve-hicle becomes disabled on the freeway:• Safelypulltotherightshoulder.Ideally,parkthevehiclenexttoacallbox,ifpossible.(Thereisacallboxlocatedeveryquartermile to two miles.)

• Ifyoumustexitthevehicle,exiton the right side of your vehicle, away from traffic.

• Onceyouarrangeforassistance,returntoyourvehicle,getbackinto the vehicle from the right side (away from traffic), and put on your seatbelts.

• Stayinsideyourvehiclewiththeseatbelts on until help arrives.

In certain circumstances (when there is not enough shoulder space or if there is a guard rail or an area to safely stay away from the free-waylanes),exityourvehicleandstayawayfromyourvehicle.Useyouremergencyblinkinglightsatyour discretion according to weath-er conditions. The lights may be helpful, but they could also attract drunkdrivers.TheCaliforniaHighwayPatrol’sFreewayServicePatrol(FSP)pro-vides free emergency roadside ser-vices during commute periods. If

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yougetstuckonthefreewaybe-cause your automobile stops run-ning,FSPwill:• Offeryouagallonofgasifyou

run out. • “Jumpstart”yourvehicleifthe

battery is dead. • Refillyourradiatorandtapehoses.• Changeaflattire.TheFSPprogram:• Cannottowyourvehicletoapri-

vate repair service or residence. • Doesnotrecommendtowservice

companies or repair and body shops.

• Doesnottowmotorcycles.• Doesnotassistvehicleswhich

have been involved in a collision unlessdirectedbytheCHP.

• DoesreportanycollisiontotheCHP.

IfFSPcannotstartyourvehicle,itwill be towed free of charge to a locationapprovedbytheCHP.FSPwill also contact additional assis-tanceforyou.TheCHPwillnotifyan auto club or towing service.TheFSPservesthefollowingareas:• ValleyDivision–theSacramento

metro and Tracy areas • GoldenGateDivision–theSanFranciscoBayArea

• CentralDivision–theFresnoarea• SouthernDivision–theLosAn-gelesBasin

• InlandDivision–theRiversidearea

• BorderDivision–theSanDiegoandOrangeCountyareas

• CoastalDivision–theMontereyandSantaCruzareas

Call1-800-TELLCHP(835-5247)tofindoutiftheFSPoperateswhereyouareandhowtocontacttheFSP.

recorD confiDentialityMost information in your driver li-cense file is available to the public. Your residence address may only beviewedbyauthorizedagen-cies. Your mailing address, if dif-ferent from your residence, is less restricted.Recordsonthephysicalormen-tal condition of a driver remain confidential.You may obtain a copy of your driv-ing record at any DMV office for a fee with valid identification.

vehicle theft prevention tipsIf you follow the suggestions below, youcanminimizeyourchancesof becoming the victim of vehicle theft.IntheUnitedStates,ave-hicle is stolen an average of every 21 minutes. Vehicle theft results in costs to the victim and it increases insurance premiums. Also, vehicle thieves often use the stolen vehicles to commit other crimes.Vehicle thefts occur more often where large groups of cars are parkedatanytimeofdayforex-tended periods of time, such as shopping centers, colleges, sport-ingevents,moviecomplexes,andlargeapartmentcomplexes.

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Herearesometipsyoucanusetoavoid becoming the victim of ve-hicle theft:• Neverleave:–Yourvehiclerunningandunat-

tended even to dash into a store.–Thekeysintheignition.–Keysinsidealockedgarageorahide-a-keybox.

–Valuablessuchaspurses,lap-tops, etc., in plain view even ifyourvehicleislocked.Placethem out of sight.

–Personalidentificationdoc-uments, such as the owner-ship title or credit cards in the vehicle.

• Always:–Rollupyourwindowsandlockyourvehicleevenifitisparkedin front of your house.

–Parkinhigh-traffic,well-light-ed areas whenever possible.

–Reportastolenvehicleimme-diately to the police.

• Suggestions:–Installamechanicaldevicethatlocksthesteeringwheel,col-umn,orbrakes.

–Thinkaboutpurchasingavehi-clethefttracking/securitysys-tem, especially if you own one ofthefrequently-stolenmodelvehicles.

–Whenyoumustleaveyourkeywith a valet, attendant, or me-chanic, only leave the ignition key.

–Copyyourlicenseplateandvehicle information on a card, andkeepthatinformationwithyou and not in the car. The po-lice will need this information, if your vehicle is stolen.

traffic Breaks Trafficbreaksareusedbylawen-forcement to: • Sloworstoptraffictoremovehazardsfromtheroadway.

• Conductemergencyoperations.• Preventtrafficcollisionsinheavy

fog or unusually heavy traffic.Duringatrafficbreak,theofficerturns on the rear emergency lights, slows the vehicle, and drives across the lanes of traffic in a serpentine manner. To assist the officer in con-ductingatrafficbreak:• Activateyouremergencyflash-

ers to warn other drivers there is ahazardahead.

• Slowlybegintodecreaseyourspeed. Do not slow abruptly un-less it is necessary to avoid a col-lision.Slowtothesamespeedastheofficerwhilekeepingasafedistance from the patrol vehicle ahead of you.

• Donot attempt to drive past the patrol vehicle. Do not accelerate until the patrol vehicle has turned off its emergency lights and traf-fic conditions ahead allow the re-turn to normal speeds.

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What a Driver shoulD Do During an enforcement stopAcknowledge the officer’s pres-ence by turning on your right turn signal. Activating your signal lets theofficerknowthatyourecognizehis or her presence. An officer may become alarmed if you fail to recog-nizehimorher,andmightperceivethat you have a reason to avoid yield-ing or that you might be impaired. move your vehicle to the right shoulder of the road. The officer will guide you using his or her pa-trol vehicle. Do not move onto the center median. Do not stop in the center median of a freeway or on the opposite side of a two-lane road-way. This places both the driver and the officer in danger of being hit by oncoming traffic.On a freeway, move completely onto the right shoulder, even if you’re in the carpool lane.Stopinwelllitareaswhenpossible.Pullyour vehicle as far off the roadway aspossible.Whenitisdark,lookfor locations that have more light such as areas with street or freeway lights, near restaurants, or service stations.End your cell phone conversa-tion and turn off your radio. The officer needs your full attention to communicate with you to complete the enforcement stop in the least amount of time needed. Remain inside your vehicle un-less otherwise directed by the of-ficer. Never step out of your vehicle,

unless an officer directs you to do so. During an enforcement stop, the officer’s priorities are your safety, the safety of your passengers, and the officer’s own personal safety. In most situations, the safest place for you and your passengers is inside yourvehicle.Exitingyourvehiclewithout first being directed by an officercanincreasetheriskofbeingstruckbyapassingvehicleand/orincrease the officer’s level of feel-ing threatened.Place your hands in clear view, in-cluding all passengers’ hands such as on the steering wheel, on top of your lap, etc. During an enforce-ment stop, an officer’s inability to see the hands of the driver and all occupants in the vehicle increases the officer’s level of feeling threat-ened. Most violent criminal acts against a law enforcement officer occur through the use of a person’s hands, such as the use of a firearm, sharp object, etc. If your windows are tinted, it is recommended that you roll down your windows after you have stopped your vehicle on the right shoulder of the roadway andbeforetheofficermakescon-tact with you.

Actions tHAt resUlt in loss oF Driver license

financial responsiBilityThe California Compulsory Finan-cialResponsibilityLawrequiresevery driver and every owner of a motor vehicle to maintain financial

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responsibility (liability coverage) at all times. There are four forms of financial responsibility:• Amotorvehicleliabilityinsur-

ance policy.• Adepositof$35,000withthe

DMV.• Asuretybondfor$35,000ob-

tained from a company licensed to do business in California.

• ADMVissuedself-insurancecertificate.

You must carry written evidence of financial responsibility whenever you drive, and show it to a police officer after a traffic stop or colli-sionwhenaskedtodoso.Youmayhave to pay a fine or have your ve-hicle impounded if you do not com-ply with this law.insuranceinsurance requirementsThe law states that you must be fi-nancially responsible for your ac-tions whenever you drive and for all the motor vehicles you own. Most drivers choose to have a liability in-surance policy as proof of financial responsibility. If you have a colli-sion not covered by your insurance, or you do not have insurance, your driver license will be suspended. If the driver is not identified, the own-er of the motor vehicle involved in a collision will have his or her driver license suspended.The minimum amount your insur-ance* must cover per collision is:

* Lowcostautomobilepoliciesareavailable inAlameda,ContraCosta,Fresno,Imperial,Kern,LosAngeles,Orange,Riverside,Sacramento,SanBernardino,SanDiego,SanFrancisco,SanJoaquin,SanMateo,SantaClara,andStanislauscounties.Pleasecontactyourinsuranceagent.

• $15,000forasingledeathorinjury.

• $30,000fordeathorinjurytomore than one person.

• $5,000forpropertydamage.Call1-800-927-HELP,beforeyoupurchase insurance to confirm that youragent/brokerandinsurerarelicensed by the California Depart-ment of Insurance.If you are visiting California or have just moved here, be aware that not all out-of-state insurance compa-niesareauthorizedtodobusinessinCalifornia.Beforeyoudrivehere,askyourinsurancecompanyifyouare covered in case of a collision. If you have a collision in California, all three of the following conditions must be met to avoid the suspension of your driving privilege:1. Your liability policy must pro-

vide bodily injury and property damagecoveragewhichequalsorexceedstherequiredlimitsstated in this section.

2. Your insurance company must file a power of attorney allow-ing the DMV to act as its agent for legal service in California.

3. You must insure the vehicle be-fore you come to California. You cannot renew the out-of-state policy, once the vehicle is reg-istered in California.

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Collisions on Your recordThe DMV retains information on every collision reported to the DMV by:• Lawenforcement,unlessthere-

porting officer states another per-son was at fault.

• Youoranotherpartyinvolvedinthe collision, if any one person has over $750 in damage, or if anyone is injured or dies.

It does not matter who caused the collision;theDMVmustkeepthisrecord.Collisions, insurance, and MinorsIf you are under 18 years of age, your parent(s) or guardian(s) must sign your driver license application and assume financial responsibility for your driving. When you reach age 18, your parent(s) or guardian(s)’ li-ability automatically ends.If you are involved in a collision, your parent(s) or guardian(s) may be liable for civil damages and you may also be fined.EXCEPTION: Your parent(s) or guardian(s) can have your driver license cancelled at any time while you are a minor.

alcohol/Drugs While Drivingalcohol/Drugs and Driving is DangerousAlcoholand/ordrugsimpairyourjudgment. Impaired judgment or good sense affects how you react to sounds and what you see. It is also dangeroustowalkintrafficorride

a bicycle while under the influence ofalcoholordrugs.Ittakesaboutan hour for the body to get rid of each“drink.”Ifapersonhashadmorethanonedrinkanhour,onehourof“soberingup”timeshouldbeallowedforeachextradrinkcon-sumedbeforedriving.Betterstill,someonewhohasnotbeendrink-ing should drive (refer to the “Des-ignatedDriverProgram”sectiononpages85and86).Much of what has been said about alcohol also applies to drugs. Cali-fornia’sdrunkdrivinglawisalsoadrug driving law. It refers to “driv-ing under the influence of alcohol and/ordrugs.”Ifanofficersuspectsthat you are under the influence of drugs, the officer can legally re-quireyoutotakeabloodorurinetest. Drivers who refuse these tests are subject to longer driver license suspensions and revocations. The use of any drug (the law does not distinguish between prescrip-tion, over-the-counter, or illegal drugs) which impairs your ability todrivesafelyisillegal.Checkwithyour physician or pharmacist and read the warning label if you are notsurethattakingthemedicationwillaffectyourdriving.Herearesome facts:• Mostdrugstakenforcolds,hay

fever, allergy, or to calm nerves ormusclescanmakeapersondrowsy.

• Medicinestakentogetherorusedwith alcohol can be dangerous.

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Manydrugshaveunexpectedsideeffectswhentakenwithalcohol.

• Peppills,“uppers,”anddietpillscanmakeadrivermorealertforashorttime.Later,however,theycan cause a person to be nervous, dizzy,andnotabletoconcentrate.They can also affect the vision.

Any drug that “may cause drowsi-nessordizziness”isoneyoushouldnottakebeforedriving.Makesureyoureadthelabelandknowtheef-fects of any drug you use.Carrying alcohol in a vehicleThe law is very strict about carry-ing alcohol or drugs in a vehicle, whether the vehicle is on or off the highway.Youmustnotdrinkanyamount of alcohol in any vehicle.Acontainerofliquor,beer,orwinecarried inside the vehicle must be full,sealed,andunopened.Other-wise,itmustbekeptinthetrunkof the vehicle or in a place where passengersdonotsit.Keepinganopenedalcoholicdrinkintheglovecompartment is specifically against the law.Inabus,taxi,camper,ormotorhome, this law does not apply to non-driving passengers.Drivers Under 21 (Possession of alcohol)If you are under 21 years of age:• Youmaynotcarryliquor,beer,or

wine inside a vehicle unless you are accompanied by a parent or other person as specified by law

and the container is full, sealed, and unopened.

• Ifyouarecaughtwithanalco-holic beverage in your vehicle, the vehicle may be impounded for up to 30 days. The court may fine you up to $1,000, and either suspend your driving privilege for one year orrequiretheDMVto delay the issuance of your first driver license for up to one year, if you are not already licensed.

• Yourdrivingprivilegewillberevokedforoneyear,ifyouareconvicted of either driving with aBloodAlcoholConcentration(BAC)of0.01%orhigherorDriv-ingUndertheInfluence(DUI)ofalcoholand/ordrugs.Onthefirstoffenseyouwillberequiredto complete the educational por-tionofalicensedDUIprogram.AsubsequentoffensemayrequirealongerDUIprogramandyouwillnot have a restricted driver license toattendtheDUIprogram.EXCEPTION: You may carry alcoholic beverages in closed containers,whileworkingforsomeonewithanoff-siteliquorsales license.

Drivers of all agesIt is illegal to drive after consum-ingexcessiveamountsofalcoholin any form (including medications suchascoughsyrup),ortakinganydrug (including prescription medi-cations), or using any combination of alcohol or drugs.

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blood alcohol Concentration (baC) limitsIt is illegal for any person to oper-ate a vehicle with a:• BACof0.08%orhigher,ifthe

person is age 21 or older.• BACof0.01%orhigher,ifthe

person is under age 21.• BACof0.01%orhigheratany

age, if the person is on a Driv-ingUndertheInfluence(DUI)probation.

• BACof0.04%orhigher,inanyvehiclerequiringacommercialdriverlicense(CDL)—withorwithoutaCDLissuedtothedriver.

TheDMVcantakeanadminis-trative action against your driving privilege after you are detained or arrested, andthecourtmaytakeaseparateaction(suspend,revoke,or delay the driver license) for the same offense. DMV’s action is re-lated only to your driving privilege. The court’s action may involve the payment of a fine, jail time, suspen-sion or revocation of your driving privilege,andcompletionofaDUIprogram. Similarprovisions(California Har-bors and Navigation Code) apply whenyouoperateanyvessel,aqua-plane,jetskis,waterskis,orsimi-lar devices. These convictions are placed on your driving record and will be used by the court to deter-mine“priorconvictions”formotorvehicleDUIsentencing.Thesecon-victions are also used when deter-mining the length of a suspension

or revocation action or the rein-statementrequirements,becauseof a violation you committed while driving a motor vehicle.

aDmin per seWhen you drive in California, you consent to have your breath, blood or, under certain circumstances, urine tested if you are arrested for driving under the influence of alco-hol, drugs, or a combination of both.Under 21—Zero Tolerance for Al-cohol Use. If you are under 21 years of age, you must submit to a hand-heldbreathtest,PreliminaryAlco-holScreening(PAS),oroneoftheother chemical tests if you have been detained and a police officer has reasontobelieveyouweredrink-ingalcohol.IfyourBACmeasures0.01%orhigheronthePAS,theof-ficermaytakeyourdriverlicenseand issue you a temporary driver license for only 30 days, give you an order of suspension for one year, and then determine whether to re-lease you, turn you over to juvenile authorities, or contact your parent(s) orguardian(s).YoumayrequestaDMV administrative hearing with-in 10 days.IfyourPASshowsaBACof0.05%,theofficermayrequireyoutosub-mit to either a breath or blood test. SomePASdevicesprovidearecordwhich may be submitted to the court asevidence.OtherPASdevicesdonot provide a record, so the officer mayaskforabreathorbloodtestafterthePAS.Youdonothavea

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Provide law enforcement with the:

exact location

vehicle make & model

license plate

One call could save a life.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.

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Page 96: dl600

right to consult with a lawyer be-fore selecting or completing a test.IfasubsequenttestrevealsaBACof0.05%orhigher,theofficerwillissue you an order of suspension, arrestyouforDrivingUndertheIn-fluence(DUI)(CVC§23140),anddetain you until you can be turned over to your parent(s), guardian(s), orjuvenileauthorities.IfyourBACis0.08%orhigher,thepoliceoffi-cer may arrest you (CVC §§23152 or 23153).If the officer reasonably believes you are under the combined influ-ence of alcohol and drugs and you havealreadysubmittedtoaPASand/orabreathtest,youmaystillberequiredtosubmittoabloodor urine test because the breath test does not detect the presence of drugs.If you refuse to submit to any of the tests, your driving privilege may be suspended because of your refusal. Even if you change your mind later and agree to a test, and yourBACmeasures0.01%orhigh-eronthePAS,yourdrivingprivi-lege may be suspended for both reasons, although both actions will run concurrently.

court Dui convictionsIfyouareconvictedofDrivingUn-dertheInfluence(DUI)ofeitheralcoholand/ordrugsorboth,andyouhaveanexcessiveBAClevel,you may be sentenced to serve up tosixmonthsinjailandpayafinebetween$390—$1,000(plusabout

three times the fine in penalty as-sessments) the first time you are convicted. Your vehicle may be impounded and is subject to stor-age fees.Onthefirstconviction,thecourtwill suspend your driving privi-legeforsixmonthsandrequireyoutocompleteaDUIprogrambeforeyour driver license can be reinstat-ed. The length of the program may vary.IfyourBACis0.15%orhigh-er, and you already have a record of violations for other reasons or you refuse to submit to a chemical test, the court may order you to complete a nine-month or longer program. If yourBACis0.20%orhigherandthe court refers you to an enhanced DUItreatmentprogram,yourdriv-er license will be suspended for 10 months.Youcouldalsoberequiredtoinstallanignitioninterlockdevice(IID) on your vehicle. A court may also order you to install an IID if yourBACis0.15%orhigher,youhave two or more prior moving vi-olations, or you refuse a chemical test at the time of your arrest. An IID prevents you from starting your vehicle if you have any alcohol on your breath. If anyone is injured as aresultofyourDUI,thesuspensionperiod is one year.Effective July 1, 2010, through De-cember 31, 2015, all first time and repeatDUIoffendersconvictedinAlameda,LosAngeles,Sacramen-toorTulareCountiesarerequiredto install and maintain, for a spe-cific period of time, an IID on all

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vehicles they own and operate and pay a $45 administrative service fee to reinstate their driving privileges (CVC §23700).In cases involving serious injury or death, you may be punished under theCaliforniaThreeStrikesLaw.You may also face civil lawsuits. AllDUIconvictionswillremainon DMV’s records for 10 years. The courtsand/ortheDMVmayimposemore stringent penalties for subse-quentviolationsduringthatperiod.ABACbelowlegallimitsdoesnotmean that you are safe to drive. Al-most all drivers show impairment by alcohol at levels lower than the legallimit.Theimpairmentyouex-hibit at the time you are stopped may beenoughtoconvictyouofaDUIevenwithoutaBACmeasurement.Drivers 21 and older —DUi Programs and restricted Driver licensesThecompletionofaDrivingUn-dertheInfluence(DUI)programisrequiredforallDUIconvictions.Generally, if you are over 21 years of age,enrollinaDUIprogram,fileaCaliforniaInsuranceProofCertifi-cate(SR22),andpaytherestrictionand reissue fees, the DMV will is-sue you a restricted driver license, whichallowsyoutodriveto/fromworkandduringthecourseofem-ployment (unless you hold a com-mercialdriverlicense)andto/fromaDUIprogram.However,ifyouareconsidereda“trafficsafety”or“publicsafety”risk,ifpermittedto

drive, the court may order the DMV to not grant you a restricted driver license.Otheractionsagainstyoumay also prohibit the issuance of a restricted driver license.SecondandsubsequentDUIconvic-tions result in increased penalties, including a two-year suspension or a revocation of up to four years. Af-ter you complete a prescribed period ofyoursuspension/revocationandeither enroll in, or complete a por-tionof,aDUIprogram,youmayobtain a restricted driver license to drive anywhere necessary, if you:• InstallanIIDonyourvehicle.• Agreenottodriveanyvehicle

without an IID.• AgreetocompletetheprescribedDUIprogram.

• FileanSR22.• Paythereissueandrestriction

fees.

DesignateD Driver programTheDesignatedDriverProgramisananti-DrivingUndertheInfluence(DUI)effortthatworks.Thispro-gram encourages one individual to abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages during an outing, so he or, she can be responsible for trans-porting other person(s) safely.To participate as a designated driver, an individual:• Shouldbeatleast21yearsofage

and must possess a valid driver license.

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• Mustbepartofagroupoftwoormore persons and verbally iden-tify himself or herself as the des-ignated driver to the server.

• Mustabstainfromconsumingal-coholic beverages for the duration of the outing.

• Mustnotbeanotherwiseim-paired driver.

• Mustunderstandthatmanage-ment reserves the right to refuse service to anyone at any time.

getting a ticketIf you are stopped by a police offi-cer and cited for a traffic law viola-tion, you sign a promise to appear in traffic court. When you go to court, you may plead guilty or not guilty, or you may forfeit (pay) the citation fine.Payingthefineisthesameasa guilty plea.Ifyouignorethetrafficticketanddonotkeepyourpromisetoappearin court, the failure to appear (FTA) goes on your driver record. If you failtopayafine(FTP),thecourtwillnotify the DMV and will also show on your driver record. Even one FTA orFTPcancausethedepartmenttosuspend your driver license. To end the suspension will cost you a driver license reissue fee of $55.Each time you are convicted of a moving traffic law violation, the court notifies the DMV and the conviction is placed on your driver license record. Convictions report-ed by other states are also added to your driver record.

evaDing a police officerAny person who willfully f lees or attempts to evade a police offi-cer performing his or her duties is guilty of a misdemeanor punish-able by imprisonment in a coun-ty jail for not more than one year (CVC §2800.1).If a person is convicted of causing serious bodily injury during the course of a police pursuit (CVC §2800.3(a)), he or she is subject to:• Imprisonmentinastateprisonfor

three, five, or seven years or in a county jail for not more than one year.

• Afinethatisnotlessthan$2,000or more than $10,000.

• Bothafineandimprisonment.When a person is convicted of man-slaughter resulting from evading police during a pursuit, he or she is subject to imprisonment in a state prison for a minimum of four to ten years (CVC §2800.3(b)).

points on the Driver recorDTheDMVkeepsapublicrecordofall your traffic convictions and col-lisions. Each occurrence stays on yourrecordfor36months,orlonger,depending on the type of conviction.TheNegligentOperatorTreatmentSystem(NOTS)isbasedonnegli-gent operator points and consists of a computer generated series of warning letters and progres-sive sanctions against the driving privilege.

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You may be considered a negligent operator, when your driving record shows one of the following “point count”totals:• 4pointsin12months• 6pointsin24months• 8pointsin36monthsSome examples of one pointviolations:• Trafficconvictions• At-faultcollisionsSome examples of two point violations:• Recklessdrivingorhit-and-run

driving • DrivingUnder theInf luence(DUI)ofalcohol/drugs

• Drivingwhiledriverlicenseissuspendedorrevoked

If you get 4 points in 12 months, you will lose your driver license. A vio-lation received in a commercial ve-hicle carries one and one-half times the point count normally assessed. For detailed point count informa-tion, refer to the California Com-mercial Driver Handbook.

vanDalism/graffiti— all agesCalifornia law allows the courts to suspend the driver license for up to two years of a person convicted of engaging in vandalism, including graffiti. If you are convicted and do not have a driver license, the courts can delay the issuance of your driver license for up to three years from the date you are legally eligible to drive.

speeD contests/reckless DrivingApersonconvictedofdrivingreck-lessly or engaging in a speed con-test which causes bodily injury to another person is subject to:• Imprisonmentinacountyjailor

state prison for a minimum of 30 daysto6months,

• Afinerangingfrom$220–$1,000,or

• Both,afineandimprisonment (CVC §§23105 and 23109.1).

possessing firearmsThe court will:• Suspendorrevokethedriving

privilege of any minor convict-ed of possessing a concealable weapon or live ammunition, or

• Imposedriverlicensesanctionsfor minors convicted of misde-meanors involving firearms.

traffic violator school convictionsWhen a driver is cited for a one point traffic violation, the judge may of-fer the driver the opportunity to attendaTrafficViolatorSchool.Drivers who do not have a commer-cial driver license may participate once in any 18-month period to have acitationmaskedfromtheirdriv-ing records.NOTE: If you have a commercial driver license and attend traffic school, the citation will still appear on your driving record, regardless of the type of vehicle you were driv-ing when cited.

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suspension or revocation By the DmvIf you get too many negligent driver points, the DMV will place you on probation for one year (which in-cludesasix-monthsuspension)orrevokeyourdrivingprivilege(referto the topics included in the “Ac-tionsThatResultinLossofDriverLicense”sectiononpages77-88).Your suspension or revocation or-der informs you of your right to a hearing.At the end of the suspension or re-vocation period, you may apply for a new driver license and must show proof of financial responsibility.TheDMVwillrevokeyourdriverlicense if you are convicted of a hit-and-runorrecklessdrivingthatre-sulted in injury.

suspension By JuDgeA judge may suspend a person’s driver license, if the driver is con-victed of one of the following:

• Breakingspeedlawsorrecklessdriving.

• DrivingUnder theInf luence(DUI)ofalcoholordrugs.

• Hit-and-run.• Engaginginlewdconductand

prostitution in a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a residence.

• Assaultingadriver,passenger,bicyclist, or pedestrian when the offense occurs on a highway (road rage).

• Failuretostopasrequiredatarailway grade crossing.

• Felonyormisdemeanoroffenseofrecklesslyfleeingalawenforce-ment officer.

Regardlessofthepointcount,manyserious offenses in which a vehicle is used carry heavy penalties such asfinesand/orimprisonment.Ifyou use your vehicle as a weapon, your driver license may be perma-nentlyrevoked.

veHicle registrAtion reqUirementsThefollowingisabriefsummaryofCalifornia’svehicleregistrationrequire-ments.PleasevisittheDMV’swebsitetoobtaindetailedinformationatwww.dmv.ca.gov.

california vehiclesWhen you purchase a new or used vehicle from a licensed California dealer, thedealercollectsusetaxandfeestoregisterandtitlethevehicle.The dealer submits these fees and documents to the DMV and gives you tem-poraryoperatingauthority.Usuallywithinsix–eightweeksafterthepurchasedate,youwillreceivearegistrationcard,licenseplates,stickers,andaCer-tificate of Title, if appropriate.

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IfthedealerparticipatesintheBusinessPartnerAutomation(BPA)program,the dealer or their registration service will process the DMV documents and issuetheregistrationcard,licenseplates,andstickerstothecustomer.If you obtain or purchase a vehicle from a private party, you must transfer the ownership within 10 days.SubmitthefollowingtotheDMV:• AproperlyendorsedandcompletedCertificateofTitleorApplicationforDuplicateTitle(REG227).

• Smogcertificationprovidedbytheseller,ifrequired.• Usetaxpayment,ifrequired.• OdometerMileageDisclosureStatement,ifapplicable.• AppropriateDMVfees.When you sell or transfer a vehicle, report it to the DMV within 5 days. You cancompletetheNoticeofTransferandReleaseofLiability(REG138)formonline, download and mail the completed form, or call the DMV at 1-800-777-0133torequesttheformbemailed.

out-of-state vehiclesVehicles registered in another state or foreign country must be regis-tered in California within 20 days after you become a resident or get a job (refer to page 2 for information regarding residency).NOTE:IfyouareaCaliforniaresidentandacquireanew car, truck, or mo-torcycle (this includes certain diesel powered vehicles) from another state, ensure that it meets California smog laws; otherwise, it cannot be registered here. The DMV cannot accept an application to register the vehicle in Cali-forniawhenthevehicledoesnotqualifyforregistration(Health and Safety [H&S]Codes§§43150-43156).Nonresident military personnel and their spouses may operate their vehicles in California with their valid home state license plates or until the plates is-suedfromthestateoftheirlastassigneddutystationexpire.TheymayrenewtheregistrationintheirhomestatebeforeitexpiresorregisterthevehicleinCalifornia.The items needed to register any out-of-state vehicle are:• Completed and signed Appl icat ion for Tit le or Regist rat ion (REG343).

• VerificationofthevehiclecompletedbytheDMV,lawenforcementagent,or an auto club employee.

• Out-of-statetitleand/orlastissuedout-of-stateregistrationcard,ifthetitleis not submitted.

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• Smogcertification(1976andnewermotorvehiclesonly).• Weightcertificateforcommercialvehiclesonly.• AppropriateDMVfeesandusetax,ifapplicable.• CompletedOdometerMileageDisclosurestatement,ifapplicable.

Driver license fast facts anD other puBlications available online• FFDL05 Birth Date/Legal Presence and True Full Name • FFDL08 Social Security Number • FFDL08ASocial Security Number Supplemental Requirements• FFDL10 Potentially Unsafe Driver • FFDL14 Vision Standards • FFDL15 Retention of Driver Record Information • FFDL16 Vehicle Collisions! • FFDL19 Provisional Licensing • FFDL22 DMV’s Driving Test • FFDL24 Identity Theft • FFDL25 Identity Fraud • FFDL26 Administrative Hearings • FFDL27 DMV’s Reexamination Process • FFDL28 Driver Distractions • FFDL29 Federal Hazardous Materials Requirements -

USA Patriot Act of 2001 • FFDL31 Ignition Interlock Devices • FFDL32 Limited Term for Legal Presence • FFDL33 Selecting a Driving School • FFDL34 Organ & Tissue Donation • FFDL35 Driving Under the Influence -

Immediate Driver License Suspension or Revocation: Drivers Age 21 and Older

• FFDL36 Driving Under the Influence - Immediate Driver License Suspension: Drivers Under Age 21

• FFDL37 Sharing the Road• FFDL40 Diabetes and Driving

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• FFDL41 Helping Drivers Maintain Their Driving Independence • FFDL42 Firefighter Endorsement Training Requirements • FFDL43 Are you a Veteran? • FFDL44 Ignition Interlock Device (IID) Pilot Program • Senior Guide for Safe Driving(DL625)• California Parent-Teen Training Guide(DL603)• Preparing for Your Supplemental Diving Performance Evaluation (DL956)

available in Print only• Driving Test Criteria(DL955)

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dmv.ca.gov

Distractions: A split second can change or end your life.

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KnowleDge test sAmple #11. Whenyoudrivethroughaconstructionzone,youshould:

a. Slowdowntowatchtheworkers.b. Decrease your following distance.c. Passtheconstructionzonecarefullyandnot“rubberneck”.

2. Tomakearightturnatthecorner,you:a. May not enter the bicycle lane.b. Shouldonlymergeintothebicyclelaneifyoustopbeforeturning.c. Must merge into the bicycle lane before turning.

3. Ifatrafficsignallightisnotworking,youmust:a. Stop,thenproceedwhensafe.b. Stopbeforeenteringtheintersectionandletallothertrafficgofirst.c. Slowdownorstop,onlyifnecessary.

4. Apedestrianiscrossingyourlanebutthereisnomarkedcrosswalk.Youshould:a. Makesurethepedestrianseesyou,butcontinuedriving.b. Carefully drive around the pedestrian.c. Stopandletthepedestriancrossthestreet.

5. Always use your seat belt:a. Unlessthevehiclewasbuiltbefore1978.b. Unlessyouareinalimousine.c. Whenthevehicleisequippedwithseatbelts.

6.Theextraspaceinfrontofalargetruckisneededfor:a. Otherdriverswhenmergingontoafreeway.b. Thetruckdrivertostopthevehicle.c. Otherdriverswhentheywanttoslowdown.

7. Roadsareslipperyafteritfirststartstorain.Whentheroadisslipperyyou should:a. Avoidmakingfastturnsandfaststops.b. Test your tires’ traction while going uphill.c. Decreasethedistanceyoulookaheadofyourvehicle.

8. Collisions can happen more often when:a. All vehicles are traveling about the same speed.b. Onelaneoftrafficistravelingfasterthantheotherlanes.c. Onevehicleistravelingfasterorslowerthantheflowoftraffic.

ANSWERS:1c,2c,3a,4c,5c,6b,7a,8c

dmv.ca.gov

Distractions: A split second can change or end your life.

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KnowleDge test sAmple #21. When you enter traffic from a stop (away from the curb), you:

a. Shoulddriveslowerthanothertrafficfor200feet.b. Need a large enough gap to get up to the speed of traffic.c. Shouldwaitforthefirsttwovehiclestopass,thendriveintothelane.

2. When passing another vehicle, it is safe to return to your lane if you:a. Cannot see the vehicle directly to your right.b. Seethevehicle’sheadlightsinyourrearviewmirror.c. Havepassedtheothervehicle’sfrontbumper.

3. Dim your headlights for oncoming vehicles or when you are within 300 feet of a vehicle:a. You are approaching from behind.b. Approaching you from behind.c. You have already passed.

4. If you see orange construction signs and cones on a freeway, you must:a. Slowdownbecausethelaneendsahead.b. Bepreparedforworkersandequipmentahead.c. Change lanes and maintain your current speed.

5. U-turnsinresidentialdistrictsarelegal:a. Onaone-waystreetonagreenarrow.b. When there are no vehicles approaching nearby.c. Across two sets of solid double, yellow lines.

6.Youconsenttotakeabloodtestforthealcoholcontentofyourblood,breath, or urine:a. Onlyifyouhavebeendrinkingalcohol.b. Whenever you drive in California.c. Onlyifyouhaveacollision.

7. Onagreenarrow,youmust:a. Yield to any vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian in the intersection.b. Yield to pedestrians only in the intersection.c. Wait four seconds before proceeding.

8. When driving at night on a dimly lit street, you should:a. Drive slowly enough so you can stop within the area lighted by your

headlights.b. Turn on your high beam headlights to better see the vehicles ahead of you.c. Keeptheinstrumentpanellightsbrighttobemorevisibletootherdrivers.

GOONLINEATWWW.dmV.CA.GOV FORMORESAMPLETESTS

•ANSWERS:1b;2b;3a;4b;5b;6b;7a;8a

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