CDL Practice Tests For Safe Driving Page 13

2.10.3 – What You Should Do When Confronted by Aggressive Drivers

• First and foremost, make every attempt to get out of their way.
• Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your ` travel lane.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to react to them.
• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location and, if possible, direction of travel.
• If you have a cellphone, and can do it safely, call the police.
• If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.

Give a distracted driver plenty of room and maintain your safe following distance.

Be very careful when passing a driver who seems to be distracted. The other driver may not be aware of your presence, and they may drift in front of you.

2.10.3 – What You Should Do When Confronted by Aggressive Drivers

• First and foremost, make every attempt to get out of their way.
• Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your ` travel lane.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to react to them.
• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location and, if possible, direction of travel.
• If you have a cellphone, and can do it safely, call the police.
• If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.

Respond to Tire Failure:

When a tire fails, your vehicle is in danger. You must immediately:

Hold the Steering Wheel Firmly —

• If a front tire fails, it can twist the steering wheel out of your hand. The only way to prevent this is to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands at all times.

Stay Off the Brake —

• It is natural to want to brake in an emergency. However, braking when a tire has failed could cause loss of control. Unless you are about to drive into something, stay off the brake until the vehicle has slowed down. Then brake very gently, pull off the road and stop.

Check the Tires —

• After you have come to a stop, get out and check all the tires. Do this even if the vehicle seems to be handling normally. If one of your dual tires goes, the only way you may know it is by getting out and looking at it.

Wheel and Rim Problems:

• Damaged rims.
• Rust around wheel/lug nuts may mean the nuts are loose — check tightness. After a tire has been changed, stop a short while later and re-check tightness of nuts.
• Missing clamps, spacers, studs or lugs means danger.
• Mismatched, bent or cracked lock rings are dangerous.
• Wheels or rims that have had welding repairs are not safe.

Steering System Defects:

• Missing nuts, bolts, cotter keys or other parts.
• Bent, loose or broken parts, such as steering column, steering gear box or tie rods.
• If power steering equipped, check hoses, pumps and fluid level; check for leaks. (See Figure 2.1.)
• Steering wheel play of more than 10 degrees (approximately 2 inches movement at the rim of a 20-inch steering wheel) can make it hard to steer.

2.1.5 – Seven-step Inspection Method

Method of Inspection: A pre-trip inspection should be conducted the same way each time so the driver will learn all the steps and be less likely to forget something.

STEP 1: Vehicle Overview

Review last vehicle inspection report: Drivers may have to make a vehicle inspection report in writing each day. The motor carrier must repair any items in the report that affect safety and certify on the report that repairs were made or were unnecessary. Drivers must sign the report only if defects were noted and certified to be repaired or not needed to be repaired.

Front:

• Condition of front axle.
• Condition of steering system:
  —No loose, worn, bent, damaged or missing parts.
  —Must grab steering mechanism to test for looseness.
  
• Condition of windshield:
  —Check for damage and clean if dirty.
  —Check windshield wiper arms for proper spring tension.
  —Check wiper blades for damage, "stiff" rubber and securement.
• Lights and reflectors:
  —Parking, clearance and identification lights clean, operating and proper color (amber at front).
  —Reflectors clean and proper color (amber at front).
  —Right front turn signal light clean, operating and proper color (amber or white on signals facing forward).

Condition of visible parts:

• Rear of engine — not leaking.
• Transmission — not leaking.
• Exhaust system — secure, not leaking, not touching wires, fuel or air lines.
• Frame and cross members — no bends or cracks.
• Air lines and electrical wiring — secured against snagging, rubbing and wearing.
• Spare tire carrier or rack not damaged (if so equipped).
• Spare tire and/or wheel securely mounted in rack.
• Spare tire and wheel adequate (proper size, properly inflated).