Know Your Vehicle

Vehicle Checks and Lights

Making sure your vehicle is safe to drive is your responsibility. Small problems become expensive, dangerous ones, so act when a dashboard warning comes on.

Tires

• Tread depth must be at least 2/32 of an inch. Worn tires slip, especially on wet roads.
• Low pressure hurts handling and speed. The correct pressure is on the Tire and Loading Information label on the driver's door edge or in the owner's manual.

Glass: keep the windshield and windows clean inside and out, keep washer fluid full, completely clear snow, ice and frost before driving, do not hang things from the mirror or clutter the windows with decals, and replace wipers as the manufacturer recommends.

Headlights

• The law requires headlights from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and you should use them in rain, snow, fog and smoke. Simplest is to leave them on all the time.
• Daytime running lights are not headlights: they are dimmer and do not turn on your tail lights, so switch on the headlights when it is dark or raining.
• Use high beams only on open roads without streetlights, and dim them within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and 300 feet when following.
• Keep every light clean, bright and aimed correctly. A "lamp out" symbol on the dash means replace the bulb.

Brake lights: red, and clearly visible from 100 feet. If they fail, use the hand signal: left arm out the window, fingers pointing down.

Signals, Hand Signals and the Pre-Drive Check

Turn signals: make a habit of signaling before every change of direction, even with no one around. Signal 100 feet ahead and make sure it stops blinking after the turn.

Hand signals (when turn signals or brake lights fail, all with the left arm out the driver's window):

• Left turn: arm straight out, fingers pointing left.
• Right turn: arm bent upward, fingers pointing to the sky.
• Slowing or stopping: arm pointed down, fingers toward the ground.

Hazard warning lights: turn them on when your vehicle malfunctions or you must stop in an emergency so others can go around you. Do not drive along with them on in normal traffic.

The pre-drive routine

• Outside: objects in the tires, broken glass around the car, fluid leaks underneath; obstructions, children, pets, snow or ice.
• Inside: dashboard warnings; windows clear; loose items secured.
• Adjustments: mirrors set; seat and wheel in the right place; seat belt buckled; phone silenced and put away.
• Yourself: healthy and clear-headed; ready to focus on driving; emotions steady enough for wise choices.

Repeat the adjustments every time someone else has driven the car.

Seating, Mirrors and Blind Zones

The driver's seat

• Adjust the seat so you see clearly out the windshield and reach the pedals easily.
• Set the seatback so you sit comfortably upright with your chest at least 10 inches from the steering wheel to leave room for the airbag.
• Adjust the wheel so your elbows bend slightly when you grip it.
• Set the headrest level with your ears to protect against whiplash.

Mirrors: set the rearview mirror so you see the whole back window without stretching. Adjust the side mirrors by the traditional or enhanced method; either way the goal is the smallest possible blind zones. Recheck every time you get in.

A blind zone is an area you cannot see from the driver's seat, big enough to hide a car, a motorcycle or a bicyclist. Good mirror settings shrink blind zones but never remove them. Before every lane change, turn or merge, turn your head and body and look with both eyes to confirm the zone is clear, keeping the wheel straight while you look. Blind-spot alerts help, but keep the habit of checking yourself.

Scanning habit: regularly check ahead, the rearview mirror, the side mirrors and over your shoulder so your picture of the traffic around you stays current.

Other drivers' blind zones: stay out of them, speeding up or slowing down so the driver can see you. Buses, motorhomes and trucks have much bigger blind zones, called "no zones." Remember: if you cannot see their mirrors, the driver cannot see you.

Airbags and Driver Assistance

Airbags work together with seat belts. If you are unbelted when one deploys you can be seriously hurt or killed. That is why children under 13 ride in the back and the driver's chest stays at least 10 inches from the wheel.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and vehicle safety technology aim to reduce crashes caused by human error, but they assist your driving habits rather than replace them. You remain fully responsible. Common features:

• Collision avoidance: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning.
• Adaptive cruise control: holds a set speed but adjusts to the distance from the car ahead.
• Lane keeping assistance: alerts or gently steers when you drift from your lane.
• Blind spot detection: warns of a vehicle in the next lane.
• Parking assistance: sensors and cameras guide you into a space.
• Traffic sign recognition: reads speed limit and other signs and displays them.
• Driver monitoring: warns when it detects drowsiness or distraction.
• Cross traffic alert: warns of traffic from the side when backing out.
• Automatic high beams: switch between high and low beams for oncoming traffic.
• Collision mitigation: tightens belts before an unavoidable crash and brakes after it.

These systems have limits: blind spot detection sees a car in the next lane but not one two lanes over about to merge, and detection systems may not recognize people walking, rolling or riding nearby. The duty to yield is always yours.

Learn the features of any vehicle you drive and leave them on, unless severe weather makes the alerts themselves a distraction. The owner's manual and the dealer can tell you what your car has. Technology can help, but it is no substitute for focused driving.