If a vehicle has an antilock braking system (ABS), the brakes can be tested by applying steady pressure to the brake pedal. A motorist should never pump an ABS or jerk the steering wheel when braking. On very soft surfaces, such as loose gravel or unpacked snow, an ABS system may actually lengthen stopping distance. In wet or slippery conditions, a motorist should still drive carefully, always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and maintain a speed consistent with the road conditions.
Brake Lights
If a vehicles brake lights are not working, someone may crash into it from the back. A motorist should have someone help to check the brake lights. Replace broken light covers. They may cause a glare that affects the motorist in back.
Headlights
Bright and dim lights must work and be in line. A motorist can check them against the garage wall or on parked vehicles. Lights should be kept clean. If other motorists flash their lights while a motorists lights are on low beam, it could mean that the lights are out of line.
Horn
A horn should not be overused, but a motorist should check it often to make sure it works. Use the horn to signal when passing or when coming out of a blind alley, curve or driveway.
Steering
On straight level roads a vehicle should hold a straight course. The front end should not vibrate (shimmy). The steering should respond to a motorists turns without too much play in the steering wheel.
Tail Lights
Always keep tail and sidelights in working order. They signal other motorists in the dark and prevent accidents.
Tires
If a motorist feels or hears any unusual thumping while driving, he/she should check the tires. Bumps, cuts or bad tread can cause blowouts. Tire pressure should be checked often, especially when tires are cold. A motorist should check the owners manual to determine proper tire pressure or should ask for advice at a service station. Properly inflated tires save money in fuel consumption. A vehicle should not be driven with tires that have less than 1/16 inch of tread (about the edge of a dime). To hold on to the road properly, tires must match (do not mix radials with other tire types) and must have enough tread.
Turn Signals
A motorist should be able to hear the clicking and see the lighted arrows flash on the dashboard. If they do not work, the signals must be fixed as soon as possible. Meanwhile, a motorist should use hand signals.
Windshield
Cracks or chips in a windshield could cause it to break; it should be replaced.
A windshield should be clean at all times, inside and out. Windshield wipers should always work. If they come with washers, a motorist can use non-freezing spray to stop icing. New Jersey laws prohibit add-on tinting on windshields and front
side windows.
Snow/Ice
State law (N.J.S.A 39:4-77.1) requires a motorist to remove snow or ice from a vehicle before driving it. If snow or ice dislodges from a moving vehicle, it could strike another vehicle or pedestrian, causing injury or property damage.
Starting a parked car
Before getting into a vehicle, look behind it and in front of it. There are blind spots once a motorist is behind the wheel. Children may be there. There also may be bottles, cans, bicycles or other things that cannot be seen from the motorists seat.
Starting Checklist
* All windows should be clean and nothing should block a motorists vision.
* The seat must be adjusted so a motorist can reach all pedals and controls easily. (For most motorists, the seat may be adjusted so he/she is sitting an arms length from steering wheel.)
* Inside and outside rearview mirrors should be adjusted.
* Seat belts and shoulder harnesses should be fastened so that they are firm and comfortable.
* The vehicle should be in park or neutral gear and the parking brake should be set.
* Doors should be locked.
A motorist should keep good posture while driving. The seat should be adjusted so that the motorist can reach the foot pedals easily. The motorist should be comfortable behind the wheel. He/she should not have to strain to reach the gearshift levers, turn signals or dashboard controls. A motorist is properly positioned when he/she can see clearly and can glance to the rear.
If a motorist wears glasses, he/she should adjust them. More than 95 percent of the information a motorist needs is visual. To fight glare at night, colored lenses should be avoided as they distort color. Anti-reflective coatings should be used on lenses. This will help eliminate internal reflections in eyeglasses and may help night driving. A motorist should have an eye checkup every two years. As a motorist ages, visual clarity declines and peripheral vision becomes less distinct. For example, a 60-year-old perceives light about a third as well as a 20-year-old.
Inside and outside mirrors should be adjusted to reduce blind spots. These are areas where a motorist cannot see behind his/her vehicle (on both sides) through the mirror. A motorist can check this by turning his/her head. The outside mirror should be adjusted so that the motorist can see the tip of the driver-side front door handle in the lower right of the mirror. This will allow the motorist to see part of the lanes of traffic to the left and rear of the vehicle.
After starting the engine, a motorist should make sure his/her path is clear by turning and looking back. A motorist should not depend on rearview mirrors. A motorist must also be sure to check for pedestrians and less conspicuous vehicles, such as bicycles and mopeds. A motorist should give the proper signal and drive with caution.
The illustration below shows blind spots while driving.
Area of forward vision
Left side mirror/Area of rearview mirror/Right side mirror
Black shows blind areas
When on the road, a motorist can check the vehicles mirrors by letting a vehicle pass on the left. As the passing vehicle disappears from the inside rearview mirror, a motorist should be able to see its front bumper in the outside rearview mirror.
Steering
Hand Position
A motorists grip on the steering wheel is important. The steering wheel can be thought of as the face of a clock. For normal driving, a motorist should grip the steering wheel by the outside rim at the 9 and 3 oclock positions, keeping his/her thumb along the face of the wheel. Gripping the steering wheel as described diminishes the risk of hand, wrist or arm injury if the air bag is deployed. A motorist should never turn the wheel while gripping it from the inside of the rim, hand facing inward. The steering wheel should be held firmly but not too tight, as steady as possible as the vehicles speed increases. Both hands should be kept on the wheel at all times, except when shifting gears or giving hand signals.
The motorist should keep the vehicle in the center of the lane that it is traveling. On a two-lane road with traffic coming toward the vehicle, the motorist should keep to the right. Once a motorist feels how the vehicle reacts to steering, he/she will be ready to practice turning, parking and other movements.
It takes practice to get the feel of steering. If the vehicle has antilock brakes (ABS), the motorist should never violently jerk the steering wheel while braking.
Hand-Over-Hand Steering
Hand-over-hand steering permits a motorist to make steering adjustments ranging from very minor up to a half turn of the wheel, while keeping both hands on the wheel. If turning through a slight curve, both hands will typically retain their original grip on the wheel, making only slight finger or wrist adjustments as necessary to maintain the path of travel. However, when moving through a turn, the hands may move as much as 165 degrees. The motorist initiates the turn by pushing the wheel up from the 9 or 3 oclock position toward 12 oclock, and the opposite hand crosses over and down to the 9 or 3 oclock position, as appropriate to provide additional input or to stabilize steering. The original hand then returns to the original start position of 9 or 3 oclock. The process is reversed to return to a straight path, or the wheel can be allowed to slip through the fingers (controlled slipping) to straighten when coming out of a turn, while both hands are always on the wheel to make adjustments as necessary. Hand-over-hand steering is particularly well suited for precision maneuvers, steering through curves, intersection entry and exit, and skid recovery.