The Little Known Facts Of Driving That Can Save A Life

Anyone who has their license has been through written and driven tests...but how many of you remember these rules of driving? IF you do, driving is probably a much better experience for you. For those of you who may need a refresher, take a look and see if these rules might help you in your commute.

THE PLACEMENT OF EXIT PANELS

Maybe you knew this when you first started driving...maybe you forgot. If a freeway exit is on the left or right, you can tell by the sign placement. To clarify, if the exit number panel is positioned to the left of the freeway guide sign, that means that the exit is on the left. IF the exit number sign is positioned to the right of the freeway guide sign, as pictured above, it means that the exit is on the right. I was reading a story written by Kristin Wong, and she found these helpful tips.

EXIT NUMBERS TELL YOU HOW FAR YOU HAVE TO GO

For example, if you pass exit 40, you are close to mile marker 40. So, if you need to get off on exit 50, you can figure that you are about 10 miles away.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU'RE HEADED NORTH OR SOUTH

Typically if a highway has an odd number, it's traveling north or south. If the highway is even, then you are typically traveling east and west. The rule is based on the overall direction of the highway.

THREE DIGIT INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS

If the first digit is even, the highway connects to another interstate at both ends, meaning its' a loop.

If the first digit is odd, the highway is typically a spur route.

The last two numbers typically tell you which interstate the route spurs off of.

There are always exceptions to the rule.

TRUCK DRIVERS HAVE CODES 

A FLASH OF HIGH BEAMS -I'm sure you've learned that flickering your high beams at someone who is driving without their lights on at night, is a way of signaling to them that they need to turn their lights on. Sometimes in Minnesota we flash our high beams at someone to let them know that a deer is up ahead, so be careful as you approach. Some people do this to let people know that a police car is up ahead. Whatever the reason, if someone flashes their high beams at you...something is going on....so start paying attention.

TRUCKS DRIVERS USE OF HAZARD LIGHTS- Truck drivers will flash their hazard lights when traffic is coming to an abrupt stop. This signal is fairly common in Europe, but is only common among truck drivers in North America. But if you see this, it can help you know what's happening as well.

TAPPING BREAKS MEANS THANK YOU

If a trucker puts on a blinker to get into a lane, sometimes truckers will quickly flash their lights at you as a way of saying, "Go ahead." Once you get over, you may then tap your brakes quickly twice as a way of saying, "Thank you."

IF YOU SEE REFLECTORS

Blue reflectors are actually designed for firefighters, but it is useful for people who are having trouble parking as well. White markers indicate lane markings, yellow markers separate traffic in opposite directions, red markers warn you that you're driving in the wrong direction.  Red markers are actually clear, white or yellow when you're going the right way.