4f – City Rural Freeway Driving and Highway Systems
CITY, RURAL AND FREEWAY DRIVING
DRIVING IN THE CITY
This photo of Paris Las Vegas is courtesy of TripAdvisor
DRIVING IN THE CITY requires you to be extremely diligent about traffic rules and regulations. The speed limit is set for up to 45 mph or less. City driving is relatively more complex than highway driving because of the inherent complexities of inner streets, smaller passageways, and circuitous roads.
City driving means frequent stops, lots of obstacles, reduced visibility due to closer distances between cars, more intersections, pedestrians, school zones, bicyclists, loading and unloading delivery trucks, traffic lights, congested roads especially during rush hour, etc.
DRIVING ON RURAL ROADS
It may seem more relaxing because of greater distances and vehicle rarity, but the danger is always present as a surprise may come at the least expected time, especially since your attention may be more relaxed. You have to be particularly attentive to livestock and farm vehicles crossing areas, unmarked driveways, and farm entrances.
The images conjured up when one thinks about the American roads less traveled are charming – peaceful scenery, casual cruises, and a warm fuzzy feeling. According to many studies and data collected, the rural roads are far from charming.
The closer distance between vehicles or the presence of cars on all sides, often on two or more parallel lanes, has a greater tendency for minor vehicular accidents that often result in scrapes and dents.
Many rural areas in America have the deadliest routes in the country.
With less traffic and fewer cars on the roads, how is this possible? Mainly its carelessness and poor decision-making, along with a higher rate of speed, and complacency.
Accidents and Risks on Rural Roads
Only 23 percent of Americans live in a rural area, so that would make the roads safer to travel, right?
Wrong!
According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration, 6 out of every 10 fatal accidents occur on rural roads – that means rural roads are the setting for 60 percent of all deadly car crashes. That number is just an average, however, a stunning 90 percent of fatal accidents happen on rural roads in some states.
A driver is 2-1/2 times more likely to die in a car crash per mile on rural roads than urban roads.
HIGHWAY & FREEWAY DRIVING
Highway and freeway driving presents more risk for high-speed and requires extra attentiveness from a driver because of the typical faster speed adopted by vehicles traveling what appears to be a free expanse of road. Drivers are expected to drive faster than 70 mph or higher, which leads to a danger of causing high-speed accidents.
Freeways around town are busier and more active than across the country because there are a lot more exits and entrances, more panels, and more car changing lanes.
It is wise to study area maps because using a freeway in an unknown area, especially in Los Angeles brother big cities.
Highways are designed for safety, with plenty of signs to warn drivers way in advance:
– Clear markings on the road indicate safe passing, merging lanes, or reduced speed areas.
– Large panels above the road prepare you miles in advance to change direction, so you have plenty of time to prepare and choose the correct lane.
– Guard rails in more dangerous parts are designed to stop vehicles that are out of control.
– Median barriers, made of concrete or steel, separate the two opposite lanes, preventing head-on collisions.
– Rumble strips along highways are meant to warn drowsy drivers that they are going off the road by producing a sudden car vibration and loud rumbling noise.
Interstate Highway System
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS:
LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE ON INTERSTATES WITHOUT MAPS OR GPS.
like our ancestors used to navigate by looking at the stars.
Never get lost again while looking like a Pro.
Control-Access Highway (Freeway)
A controlled-access highway has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated. Common English terms are freeway (in the U.S. & Australia), motorway (in the U.K. & Ireland), and expressway (in Canada and many Asian countries).
They may also be called limited-access highways, although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic.
Conversely, some of the United States uses “controlled access” to describe a non-limited-access road, entrances to which are controlled by the state.
A controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals, intersections, or property access. They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses across the highway.
Entrances and exits to the highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway arterial roads and collector roads. On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of the sources of potential conflicts with other directions of travelers dramatically improves security and capacity.
The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway, the Preston By-pass (M6), until 1958.
The National Highway System
The National Highway System (NHS) is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals, and other strategic transport facilities. Altogether, it constitutes the largest highway system in the world.
Individual states are encouraged to focus federal funds on improving the efficiency and safety of this network. The roads within the system were identified by the United States Department of Transportation in cooperation with the states, local officials, and metropolitan planning organizations and approved by the United States Congress in 1995.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is headed by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current sheriff of Clark County is Joseph Lombardo, who became a sheriff in January 2015. The sheriff is the only elected head law enforcement officer within the county, and, as such, the department is not under the direct control of the city, county, or state.
Metro is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Nevada, and one of the largest police agencies in the United States.
Learning More about LasVegas freeways.
Try to practice the 2-second minimum for the following distance. When a vehicle is in front of a pole or under a bridge, count “one thousand-and-one-plus-one-thousand-and-two” before you reach the same point.
This is the MINIMUM following distance, and it increases automatically with the speed. This 2-second is a basic minimum. Increase the distance according to the road and weather conditions, and your experience.
HOV Lines ( High Occupancy lanes)
Rules of HOV Lanes
• 2+ Persons per vehicle
• Hours vary – See regulatory signs
for each segment
• Motorcycles are eligible
• Emergency Vehicles responding to
an emergency are eligible
• Vehicles with more than 2 axles
(or vehicle-trailer combinations)
are not eligible
HOV (car pool) lane highway markings
For carpool lanes, there will be specific locations to enter or exit the carpool lane. A double solid white
line means that you cannot cross the lines to enter or exit the car pool lane. You can enter or exit the
carpool lane where there is a broken white line.
RELAXED AWARENESS:
The term relaxed awareness has garnered quite some buzz lately. Technically, it is a state when you are on a high alert (through the power of the mind) and that of a passive existence, wherein the mind and Its thoughts are working in auto mode with your least attention.
Why practice relaxed awareness?
Attention does not imply “tension”, it comes from being “attentive”. The practice of relaxed awareness is the starting point for letting go of the “fear-based” grip that you may have on your mind as a beginner driver.
The more often you simply follow the practice of relaxed awareness, the sooner you will reach a state of balance in your mind and become a safe driver.
Just allow yourself to become comfortable while driving, your subconscious mind will act for you so you do not have to drive with fear.
After a while, you will realize that even when you are lost in thought, this awareness is present in the background. That is because your brain may be busy with some other thoughts, but your subconscious mind (instinct) will be still vigilant as long as your eyes are fixed on the road and surrounding space. You may talk to your passengers, but you do not have to look at them. Keep your eyes on the road always, your subconscious mind (instinct) will be aware of the appropriate action if you train it correctly.
THAT IS WHY YOU NEED TO READ YOUR TOPICS AND NOT BE GUESSING THE QUIZ- ANSWERS.
Driving in a large city (Boston) while practicing SIPDE (without rear and side mirror)
THIS VIDEO IS A RELAXED AWARENESS EXERCISE:
- – Remember SIPDE– ( Scan, identify, predict, decide, execute) When starting at the first green light, you will notice a black car on your left starting faster than you do, You then know its intention as you notice that the lane in front of it is occupied by a motionless delivery truck. So expect the black car to change lanes into yours. When it pulls in front of you without using the blinkers, then it slows down to yield to a jaywalking pedestrian. You will not be surprised because you ANTICIPATED all of it. This is what relaxed awareness is all about.
Practice more:
- -The first portion is a one-way street so scan the pavement left and right behind parked cars, someone may decide to cross the street while texting, (people are absent-minded most of the time) or does he/she have a white cane?
- – At the 3rd intersection, a pedestrian is standing on the street inside the marked crossing. He should not be on the road since you have the green light, but he is WATCHING YOU while standing straight. You may continue, but keep an eye on him. He seems in a hurry and may decide to run across right in front of you!
- CONTINUE WATCHING AND TRY TO ANTICIPATE ANY MOVE, Be particularly aware of double-parked cars, someone may suddenly appear behind one If someone is sitting in the driver’s seat, then he/she may open the door right in front of you.
- EVERYONE DRIVES SLOW, BUT IT IS STILL A WAR ZONE. ADVANCE CAREFULLY AS IF YOU WERE IN PATROL. Beware of pedestrians crossing everywhere without looking. After a while, it will become second nature, but NEVER, EVER take your eyes off the road with a 180-degree panoramic view.
And while your eyes are scanning the scene, have a glimpse on your back and side mirrors too.
REMEMBER: driving a car is LIKE having a deadly weapon in your hands.
Driving is not knowing how to turn a steering wheel or slow down but knowing when to do it INSTINCTIVELY.
Safe Driving Tips
How streets, roads, and avenues are different
Why do we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
One of the classic illustrations of the supposed illogical of the English language is the fact that we park on a driveway but drive on a parkway. There are two explanations for this particular conundrum:
1) the meanings of words change over the years, and the same word can have more than one meaning.
2) The distance from the house to the street also changes and is getting much shorter than it used to be.
A driveway originally did refer to a road you drive on: a driveway was a private road leading from the main road to a house:
Imagine the stereotyped long winding driveway leading up to a huge manor house, and you get the idea. But nowadays, when driveways are thirty feet long and lead only to a garage–if anything–their purpose is just to store cars next to a house. That’s why we park on driveways.
A parkway, in contrast, was (and still is) a thoroughfare meant to suggest a park:
rather than just being a plain road, it has trees planted on the sides or a median divider, it’s usually smaller than other highways, and it twists and turns–a scenic road, in short. So the park part of the parkway is the word meaning a nice-looking part of the land in a natural state, like driving through a park, not the word meaning ‘to park (a vehicle) in a place’. And that’s why we drive on parkways.
If you park in a parkway, you will get smashed by other cars or block traffic and cause a jam.
End of lesson 4- “READY TO DRIVE”
End of Topic 4f ( City, Rural and Highway Driving” with “Highway Sysytem”
Next Step : QUIZ # 4