feet wide and you need about six seconds to cross the intersection. As the width of the intersection increases the amount of time required to get across it, increases. If you turn right onto a road where traffic is moving at 30mph, you will need a gap of 8 seconds. If you are pulling onto a highway with traffic going 55 mph, you are going to need a gap of at least 11 seconds. You can use the counting method: one-one thousand, two one-thousand, etc. A tip for measuring a safe enough gap in traffic is to count four telephone poles to the right, and four telephone poles to the left, if there are no cars in that space you can probably turn safely. Another tip is to turn behind the last car in the pack.
A railroad crossing is an intersection, and many drivers who practice good driving etiquette at intersections act differently at railroad crossings. The main cause of accidents at railroad crossings is inattention. To safely navigate through a railroad crossing:
IDENTIFY All signs and signals
LOOK AND LISTEN: Look, and listen for approaching trains .After a train has passed, make sure there are nor approaching trains from the other direction
BE ALERT After dark, at a crossing that is not protected by a gate or flashing lights, it is possible to drive into the side of a parked train.
NEVER Stop on the railroad tracks.
Finally, good time and space management is critical to avoiding collisions at intersections. Correctly assessing the risk, using the proper approach and adjusting speed, Yielding to pedestrians, and to those who are legally in the intersection, will be implementing proper etiquette.
Judging a safe gap will reduce the risk of accident and increase your safety.
AAA How to Drive 2000 ( A text for beginning drivers)
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