Questions about driving? still a young learner; & alittle confused about the road?
(2011-06-27 14:25:14) 1. Says: ..blehh i know these may sound dumb...but1. when driving, WHEN should you check your blindspot?
2. When should you use your trafficator? how long should you wait before moving to the next road? do you check your blind spot first and then put on trafficator?
3. lets say, your driving, and up ahead there are traffic lights
well your turning right. -should you wait until the traffic light goes green and then go; or is it ok to go when its clear? <<--(this im scared about.,.,)
4. yield
this one i have trouble with
if someone could give me information about yielding to other cars and when other cars should yield to me
is there anyway to get more comfortable driving.?
im 16; and i drive with my dad, for practice
but i still feel alittle scared on the road at times..
and my foot is still at the wheel
plus another question (sorry a dumb one) when your driving in a school zone; i know that the speed limit if 20, but like you can go 35 right? when there are not children present or if the lights arnt flashing
plus whats the speed limit in neighboorhoods?
ahh im stressed cuz my permit is gonna expire soon, in july..14th...and my dad wants me to take my drivers lisense before then
even though we havnt practiced so much...2. Says: 1.whenever you are changing lanes, but if you keep a good eye on who is around you with your mirrors, make sure everything is the same as it has been, and you should be good to change lanes with a real quick glance in your peripheral vision.
(btw, it took me forever to realize that your blind spot is really just behind your front windows)
2.There are two different mentalities that I see... A. I put my turn signal on when I'm turning (after all, I'm signaling that I am turning!). In this case, you turn it on a second or two before actually turning the wheel. (Thats really just for lane changes, and yes, blind spot then signal). B. I need to let everyone know that I want to turn, so I will put on my turn signal and wait for someone to let me in. (This shows that you are 'unsure' and usually can cause issues for everyone. The only time I ever do this is when I am stuck in a traffic heavy lane, and I want to move over to a moving lane... it just lets people realize that you could possibly jump out so they need to be ready... most of the time if you do this, someone will eventually slow and flash their lights or something which means "GO QUICKLY before I change my mind. Don't hesitate if they tell you to go AND YOU FEEL THAT IT IS SAFE FOR YOURSELF TO GO!)
3. Some states allow "right turn on red" which means that if the light is red, you can treat it like a yeild sign (if there isn't one already). The difference is that if the light is red, and there is no yeild sign, you MUST STOP! it is a red light after all. Most people just slow down a lot, check, and then go. Otherwise, wait until you get a green light, and then go. Don't just sit there if its clear though, because that make you stick out like a sore thumb as inexperienced.
4. OK! This took me a year of driving with parents, and a year on my own to fully understand. A yeild simply means that YOU give way to the other car. My book described it "if a car must apply brakes to allow you into their flow of traffic, you have not yeilded correctly". When You see the "Left turn on green must yeild" sign that means that even though you have a green light, YOU need to yeild (let the other person go) to the car turning to the right going the otherway if that makes since. Usually you only see yield signs to turn right. Basically you just need to slow, possibly to a stop, and wait for a suitable break in traffic where you can file in. Basically, if you think "who was on this road first" you will do fine, unless it is stated otherwise. If someone is turning left, and they are not told to yield, then they are on that road first (by maybe 20 feet) and you must yield to them. There is usually a yield sign at almost all right turns though (unless it is right turn on red then it is assumed).
YOU CANNOT SPEED IN A SCHOOL ZONE IF THE LIGHTS ARE FLASHING. that is HUGE! you will get very screwed if you do either that, or go around a school stop sign. Both are actually misdemeanors if I recall, which means that you could possibly loose your license. if EVERYONE is going a certain speed (usually like 5-10 over) then your probably ok, but then again, you are risking it. If the lights are not flashing, then the regular speed limit resumes.
speed limit in neighborhoods varies but around me it is usually 25, sometimes 20. Basically if you can't stop on a dime, you are going to fast.
The only advice I can give to get more comfortable is just to relax. Realize "If I am doing everything right, and everyone else is doing everything right, nothing will happen." You are supposed to drive for you AND the others around you because as we all know some people are just very stupid. So even if you do something that no one is really expecting, chances are that someone is going to be ready to react and avoid conflict. NOT THAT YOU SHOULD DO ANYTHING WRONG! but it is just ok if you do screw up every once in a while. If you are unsure right of ways or something, then just let someone go and flash your lights, or wave your hand.
Basically, once you start to get the hang of things, it just becomes nature. Its like walking, you really weren't perfect at it until you did it for a while, and even now sometimes you screw up and trip or walk into something!3. Says: I suggest you should get lessons from a professional. It is a fact that parents teach their kids their own bad driving habits. Parents are fine for helping you get road time experience - but that is all. A qualified instructor will answer all your questions. Tag: Questions about driving? still a young learner; & alittle confused about the road?