Driving Tips, Part 1 (ca. 1958)

[Music] one of the greatest Collision hazards especially on expressways and highways is the dangerous practice of tailgating or following the car in front of yours too closely serious rear end collisions can result from tailing a car too close at high speeds if the automobile ahead on the road has to make a sudden stop several cars May pile up if they're driving too close behind each other your safe following distance is easy to calculate look at your speedometer your following distance should be 20 ft or a little more than one car length for each 10 mph of the speed with which you are traveling should another driver tail your car too closely pull over to the right and allow him to pass bumper-to-bumper driving is dangerous always stay far enough behind the car you follow that is insurance against Collision when you're driving your car and you hear the sound of a siren be it from a police car or motorcycle a fire engine ambulance or any other emergency vehicle you must move at once as close as possible to the right side street curb or Road shoulder and stop your car completely regardless of so whether you're going in the same or opposite direction of the emergency [Music] vehicle be sure you're not obstructing any intersection or Side Street then wait until the car with the siren has gone past before resuming your driving always yield to emergency vehicles sounding their Sirens or other signaling devices these cars have the right of way at all times yielding the right of way may save your bank account as well as your life who is riding in this car we may not know his first name but we know his second name is obviously litterbug throughout our nation there are countless spots of great Scenic Beauty but in all too many of them the litterbug has driven through leaving his unmistakable and disgraceful Mark not only does he Mar our roads and our nation by his inconsiderate and irresponsible littering but by throwing things out the car window he may cause serious accidents never throw empty containers paper or rubbish from a traveling car instead carry a paper bag for such refu and dispose of it later cleaning up want littering uses up taxpayers money don't be a litterbug there are many kinds of signs and markers along the highway some of these are self-evident in their meanings others are indispensable guides to the driver these are the traffic signs traffic signs fulfill three main purposes as rout guides as warnings of Hazards ahead and to show traffic regulations regardless of their Legends the shapes of the signs give Vital Information a diamond warns of a hazard ahead a Circle means railroad crossing diagonal shape means stop a triangle means yield right of way a rectangular sign gives information or traffic regulations learn to recognize and interpret traffic signs by their shape it is the duty of every driver to slow to a safe speed and to be extra careful when driving through a school zone where children are apt to be crossing the street all school zones are plainly marked by standard traffic signs in many cases adult crossing guards or school safety patrols recruited from the pupils themselves are posted at Street Crossings when the children are entering or leaving school the motorist must have oby the direction of these guards at all times children do not always watch for approaching cars and may run out into the street unexpectedly it's up to the driver to be especially careful in school or playground zones even slow speed is reckless if it is too fast for the situation the road curve can be a dangerous driving Hazard if the driver does not keep complete control of his car the sharper the curve in the faster your speed the greater is the centrifugal force which tends to push your car off its course always enter a curve at a speed that does not make you fight the wheel when rounding a curve drive as far right as possible and stay in your own lane it is good driving to slow down before entering a curve not while in it then pull around the curve with slight acceleration this makes your driving smoother and steadier slowing down before a curve is also wise because you often have a short forward sight distance and traffic hazards ahead may be hidden from view never overtake in a curve and observe posted speed limits when driving with children in your car make sure they all know the correct safe way to behave as a passenger it's dangerous to let a child kneel on the car seat in the event you have to make a sudden stop the child may be thrown to the floor or forward and be injured if your car is equipped with a safety belt which is easily obtainable have the child use it it will prevent worry on the part of the driver small children should sit in special seats with straps or belts to hold them and no child should be allowed to stand up in front of the dashboard if you must stop suddenly the child can be hurt badly be sure all the doors are locked and that the children are told not to play with the handles make your trip a pleasure rather than a hassle a left turn must be made with great care always observing the RightWay rules check the traffic to your left and rear and give your left turn signal well in advance then reduce speed and move to the Lane closest to the left permitted to Vehicles going in your direction on the street you wish to leave when it is safe make your left turn just as your front wheels reach The Pedestrian cross line steer your car into the lane immediately to the right at the center line on the street you are entering never turn left from a right hand lane and never turn wide into a lane further to the right than is allowed these are the general rules for left turns some intersections may be marked to permit left turns from more than one lane into more than one lane in such cases you may turn left as directed driving over a Hill Crest requires extra caution because you cannot see what traffic conditions Prevail over the hill just beyond the top you may encounter a slow moving vehicle such as a tractor or there may be a car stalled on the road or other hazards to the driver always slow down before topping a hill so you can stop with short warning never pass another car on a hill even on a multi-lane road unless you are on a highway with a dividing center strip decrease your speed at the crest of the hill and drive at a speed which will permit you to stop well within your sight distance in case of emergency once Over the Hill Crest on the downgrade your stopping distance increases even if you do not increase your speed because of the added gravitational pull drive as if your life depends on it it does here is good advice for the cross country motorist although it may seem a kind act it is not a wise act to pick up hitchhikers [Music] indiscriminately we interrupt this program with the following warning be on the lookout for a man dressed in blue work clothes last seen on Highway 101 he's an escaped inmate of the state Institute of Correction and may be dangerous besides the possible danger in picking up total strangers on the road the driver of the car in case of an accident in which the hitchhiker is injured faces another problem he may have a lawsuit lodged against him by his passenger and be held legally liable