New York Insurance and Point Reduction Program

Module 3 Review
Crash Dynamics, Safety Equipment, Watching the Road, Following and
Stopping Distances, Vehicle Emergencies and Sharing the Road,
Intersections and Roadways

• Braking, steering, and accelerating are the three most important actions you can use to control
your vehicle.
• The force of impact is the relationship between the weight of the vehicle and the speed the
vehicle travels; force of impact increases with vehicle speed and weight.
• Two impacts happen in a crash. First is the impact of the car with the object, followed by the
impact of the driver with the inside of the car.
• Objects that are loose inside a vehicle make up a third type of crash because they have the
potential to hit the driver or passengers in the vehicle with the impact of the crash.
• Kinetic energy is the force that is dissipated in a crash.
• Vehicles are designed to absorb energy from a crash by allowing the body and chassis of the
vehicle to crush.
• Wearing a safety belt is the single most effective thing we can do to save lives and reduce
injuries on our roadways.
• In New York law enforcement officers have the authority to stop and issue a traffic ticket to
anyone not wearing a safety belt or not properly restrain children in safety seats or safety belts.
• The proper way to wear a safety belt is with both straps snugly fitted, one across your hips and
the other across your chest.
• The safest place for children to ride in a vehicle is the back seat.
• Infants must ride in the back seat of a vehicle in a rear-facing child safety seat.
• In New York, children up to age 4 must be in a child safety seat anchored by the LATCH
system.
• Children who are 4 years old and weigh at least 40 pounds may use a booster seat with a
lap/shoulder belt in New York.
• Children age 8 and older in New York may use regular vehicle safety belts if they are large
enough that the adult safety belt fits them securely.
• The airbag’s inflation system reacts by combining sodium azide with potassium nitrate to
produce nitrogen gas.
• Dual airbags have been required in all new vehicles produced since 1999.
• A person’s position in the vehicle in relationship to the airbag is what may cause injury in a
motor vehicle crash, not the person’s size or age.
• Pregnant women may have difficulty being positioned at least 10 inches from the steering wheel
and may ask the NHTSA for permission to have the airbag disabled.
• Airbags combined with lap/shoulder belts are the most effective safety precaution available for
passenger vehicles.
• Headrests are most effective in reducing neck injury when positioned close to the back of the
occupant’s head with the top of the headrest just above the ears.
• Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) enable drivers to maintain steering control during hard braking
situations by limiting or preventing wheel lockup.
• Anti-lock brakes create a pulsing vibration within the brake when activated.
• Electronic stability control (ESC) helps drivers maintain control while steering around curves
and on slippery roads.
• Vehicle maintenance helps your vehicle to work better, last longer, and keep you safer.
• Proper vehicle maintenance will help ensure safe winter driving.
• It is important to properly maintain all parts of a vehicle.
• Drivers should train themselves to scan ahead two seconds looking for immediate hazards and
10-12 seconds down the road for potential hazards.
• Four essential scanning strategies include look ahead, look to the sides, look behind, and be
aware of blind spots.
• The techniques used in the IPDE method of driving are identify immediate and potential
hazards, predict what might happen, decide what action you will take, and execute the action.
• The Two-Second Rule allows at least two seconds of following distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front.
• The Two-Second Rule was designed for clear weather and good visibility.
• If you are being tailgated, slow down and encourage the other driver to pass.
• The four parts of stopping distance are perception distance, reaction distance, braking distance,
and total stopping distance.
• Applying the correct amount of pressure to the brake is vital in maintaining safety when driving.
• Centrifugal force, center of gravity, inertia, and momentum are all involved in cornering and
making a turn.
• Oversteering is over-compensating by turning the steering wheel further than is necessary.
• Visibility during the night is limited to an area immediately in front of the motor vehicle.
• Using headlights, reducing speed, and increasing following distance help mitigate driving
dangers in rainy, foggy, and nighttime conditions.
• If your vehicle begins to skid, let off the accelerator and keep a firm grasp on the steering wheel
to regain control.
• Hydroplaning is a complete loss of tire traction on wet or slick roads.
• When driving in the mountains, maintain a position in the center of the lane in which you are
traveling or drive as close to the right-hand edge of the roadway as possible.
• Vehicles can overheat in the winter as well as in warm weather because the engine works harder.
• If your car breaks down, park where the vehicle can be seen by other drivers, as far off the active
roadway as you can while keeping the vehicle on level ground. Turn on your emergency flashers,
and get all passengers out on the side of the vehicle away from traffic. Tie a white cloth on the
left door handle or antenna, and raise the hood.
• If your brakes get wet, test them lightly after driving through deep water, and dry brakes by
driving slowly in low gear and applying brakes.
• If you have a tire blowout, begin reducing speed by removing your foot from the accelerator
pedal and disengaging the vehicle’s cruise control.
• If your vehicle’s brakes fail, remove your foot from the accelerator pedal to begin reducing
vehicle speed. Carefully try the brakes again, using strong consistent pressure. If necessary,
using the emergency brake and downshift to reduce speed while finding a safe place to pull off
the roadway.
• If your power steering fails, slow down and do not attempt any sharp turns.
• If your vehicle stalls, move it off the roadway as quickly as possible.
• Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in all circumstances.
• Bicyclists should adhere to all the same traffic laws as motor vehicle drivers.
• Motorcyclists are entitled to the full use of the lane.
• Maintain a following distance of at least four seconds behind large vehicles.
• It is a crime to leave the scene of a fatal or personal injury accident.
• When approaching an intersection, look both ways prior to proceeding, don’t depend on traffic
signals, don’t presume compliance with traffic signals, and obtain a good view of intersecting
traffic.
• A marked intersection has traffic control devices in place to control the flow of traffic.
• Intersections not controlled by a traffic control device are known as unmarked intersections.
• At intersections, look for approaching cars, make sure other drivers are obeying traffic controls
before proceeding, and follow traffic signal changes.
• New York law requires drivers to signal an intention to turn continuously for at least 100 feet
prior to turning.
• A phenomenon known as “sensory overload” is common in city and suburban driving due to the
almost unlimited amount of visual information within the driving environment.
• Traffic congestion, aggressive drivers, speeding, and following too closely are some issues you
may encounter when driving on expressways.
• Slow moving vehicles can cause rural drivers serious problems if not identified early.
• Before deciding to pass another vehicle, ask yourself if passing is necessary, legal and safe.
• Make sure there is sufficient room to pass and complete your next maneuver safely when
passing.
• Never pass more than one car at a time.
• It is illegal to exceed the speed limit when passing another vehicle.
• Do not speed up when you are being passed.
• The law gives the right-of-way to no one; it only states who must yield the right-of-way.
• Never insist on the right-of-way or attempt to force your way into traffic.
• If a traffic signal is malfunctioning, treat the intersection as you would a four-way stop.
• New York law prohibits driving a vehicle faster than what is “reasonable and prudent” under
current conditions.
• When driving around construction sites, be alert for individuals and equipment involved in road
service, maintenance, or construction.
• If you drive on the soft shoulder of a road, remove your foot from the accelerator, allowing the
vehicle to slow down gradually.
• Reduce speed when entering a school zone.
• When approaching a railroad crossing, slow down and be prepared to stop.
• The number of railroad tracks is printed on the crossbuck sign at a railroad crossing.
• Always stop at least 15 feet from the railroad tracks, because a train needs a stopping distance of
as much as 1.5 miles, depending on the length of the train and the speed at which it is traveling.