Turnabouts, Parking, Passing, Backing, Wet Roads, Night Driving, Pedestrians, Phones and Sharing the Road: Turning Around on a Narrow Street and the Three-Point Turnabout, Always Using the Parking Brake, Hills, Angle and Parallel Parking, Passing Parked Cars, Within 18 Inches of the Curb, Every No-Parking Rule and Painted Curbs, Accessible Spaces and Access Aisles, Passing on the Left and the 100-Foot Rule, Passing on the Right, the 25-Second Illusion, Backing, Wet Pavement, Hydroplaning at 35 and 55 mph, Steering Locks, Low Beams for 45 mph and High Beams for 65, Dimming at 500 and 200 Feet, Pedestrian Signals and Rights, White Canes and Guide Dogs, Cell Phones and Texting, Peer Pressure, Older Drivers, Bicycles, Motorcycles and Big Trucks

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Louisiana Class E knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: Louisiana Class D & E Driver's Guide (OMV, R08/25 edition), Chapter 5 "Safe Driving Habits", "Turning Around on Narrow Street" through "Sharing the Road with Big Trucks" (pages 66–85).

Turnabouts

Avoid turning around on a busy street; circling the block is better. On a quiet narrow street, stop close to the right edge, look over your left shoulder and check traffic both ways, signal left and follow the steps. The three-point turnabout is the most difficult and dangerous turnabout, used only on a two-lane road too narrow for a U-turn with no way around the block: signal right and stop at the right edge; signal left, check traffic and the left blind spot, turn hard left to the far side and stop; in reverse, check both blind spots, turn hard right to the other side and stop; in drive, signal left, check, turn hard left into the right lane of the new direction and confirm the signal cancels.

Parking

Use the parking brake every time you park, manual or automatic, hill or flat; the transmission's parking pawl can break and let the car roll, the brake holds more strongly, protects the transaxle, CV joints and transmission, and steadies the car if it is hit. Set it with your foot still on the brake pedal before shifting into park, and release it before driving. On a hill, always set the brake and use park, reverse or low gear; facing downhill turn the wheels toward the curb and use reverse or park; facing uphill turn them away from the curb and use low gear or park; with no curb turn them toward the edge of the road either way. For angle parking, watch traffic ahead and behind, signal and slow, make sure your rear will clear parked cars, steer sharply in, straighten and center, shift to park or reverse and set the brake; before backing out, walk around, back slowly since oncoming traffic is hard to see, stop and look again once you can see past the neighboring cars, remember the front swings opposite to your turn, and back while turning until your left front wheel passes the rear bumper of the car on your left; exiting a perpendicular or angle space, back straight until your front bumper clears the neighbor, then turn sharply, stop when centered in the lane, shift to drive and straighten, and where possible back in or pull through, which is safer. For parallel parking, signal and stop parallel to the front car about 18 inches away with rear bumpers even; back slowly turning sharply right to about a 45-degree angle, straighten and keep backing; when your front bumper is even with the other car's rear bumper, turn sharply left and back toward the car behind without touching; then turn sharply right, pull forward and center, ending no closer than two feet to the cars ahead and behind unless the street is marked otherwise. Park in designated areas, as far from traffic as possible and close to any curb. Passing parked cars, watch for tailpipe smoke, brake, signal or backing lights and turned-out front wheels, expect doors to open when someone is seated, and watch for pedestrians, bicycles and children between cars. A parallel-parked car's right wheels must be within 18 inches of the curb; when leaving a car unattended, stop the motor, remove the key, lock the ignition and set the brake; and look for passing vehicles, especially bicycles, before opening a street-side door. Under R.S. 32:143 you may not park on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, in an intersection, in a bike lane, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or 50 feet of a railroad crossing, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 20 feet of a fire station driveway on the same side or 75 feet on the opposite side, beside a parallel-parked vehicle (double parking), on a bridge, overpass or in a tunnel, where signs prohibit it, in a construction area if you block traffic, more than 2 feet from the curb, in a disabled space without a plate, sticker or tag, within 20 feet of a traffic signal, flashing beacon, stop sign, yield sign or roadside control signal, or between a safety zone and the curb or within 20 feet of its ends. Painted curbs: white short stops only, yellow loading zone or other restriction, red fire zone, blue accessibility. Accessible spaces are only for vehicles with the proper plate, hang tag, card and ID, and the blue-striped access aisle beside some spaces is for loading and unloading equipment; parking there without documentation or blocking the aisle, physically or by defeating its purpose, brings towing and costs, and unauthorized use of a marked space brings a fine.

Passing

Pass on the left only when you will not interfere with oncoming traffic or the vehicle being passed, never forcing another driver to slow or pull over, and complete the pass before coming within 100 feet of an oncoming vehicle. Passing is unsafe and illegal when a hill or curve blocks your view, when a solid yellow line is in your lane, within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing, within 100 feet of a bridge or tunnel, or on the shoulder. You may pass on the right when two or more lanes move in the same direction, never by driving onto the shoulder, and it is dangerous if the other driver does not see you and changes lanes. On multi-lane roads the left-most lane is for passing slower vehicles; never pass on the shoulder, paved or not. Do not pull up close behind the vehicle you will pass, especially a truck or bus, which blocks your view; follow at a safe distance until you can see far enough, and if you can see an oncoming vehicle, do not pass, because oncoming vehicles seem slower than they are: one more than 25 seconds away appears to stand still, and if you can see it getting closer it is probably nearer than 25 seconds. Check that no one is passing you and your blind spot, signal, tap the horn lightly to avoid surprising the driver, and return only when you see the other car in your mirror. When being passed, slow slightly and on a two-lane road move right as far as is safe. Pass as quickly and safely as possible, since time alongside is time in danger: check for oncoming vehicles, vehicles entering from side streets and driveways and vehicles slowing ahead, check mirrors and over your shoulder, signal when safe, begin at least two seconds behind to avoid striking the rear of the vehicle, steer smoothly out, hold or adjust speed, keep searching ahead and checking mirrors without drifting toward the passed vehicle, continue until its whole front shows in your rearview mirror, signal and steer smoothly back.

Backing

Check behind before backing, do not rely on mirrors, turn your head and body to see where you are going, hand at the top of the wheel, back slowly and be ready to stop; for backing straight or right, and for backing left, turn your body as shown and turn the wheel in the direction of the turn. Turn your head and look out the rear window, and walk around the car first to check for a child, pet or object.

Wet pavement and hydroplaning

Roads are most slippery right after rain begins, before oil and grease wash away, and an oil-and-water road can be like ice; reduce speed, use extra caution and allow twice the normal following distance. Prevent skids by driving slowly, especially on curves; in a skid stay calm, ease off the gas, look and steer where you want to go, avoid the brakes and be ready to counter-steer. In heavy rain, tires with good tread wipe the road up to 35 mph; above that they ride up on the water like skis, partial hydroplaning beginning about 35 mph and increasing until at 55 mph the tires may lose all contact, leaving no braking, acceleration or turning. Stay calm, keep looking and steering where you want to go and ease off the gas without braking so the tires regain contact. Prevent it by slowing on wet roads, keeping recommended pressure, keeping good tread so water escapes, using all-weather tires, steering around water and slowing if you hear the tires sloshing. Never turn the key to the lock position while moving; steering-lock systems vary (park system, two-hand button, lever, one-hand button, push-in, turn-and-remove).

Night driving

Nobody sees as well at night, oncoming glare can cut vision to near zero and a dirty windshield worsens it. You must be able to stop within the distance your headlights show: low beams show about 150 to 200 feet, a stopping distance matched by about 45 mph; high beams about 350 to 400 feet, matched by about 65 mph. Add at least one second of following distance at night and at least two on unfamiliar roads. Louisiana requires headlights, not parking lights, from sunset to sunrise, low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet when following, and headlights whenever the wipers are needed, in unfavorable weather, and whenever conditions keep others from seeing you clearly from 500 feet. Do not drive with the flashers on without need. Front fog lights throw a flat, low, wide beam that shows the road edges; a rear fog light is red so you are seen sooner and is used only in dense fog or similar conditions, switched off when visibility improves. Keep the windshield and windows clean inside and out, check every light, slow so you can stop within your sight distance, dim for approaching cars, and if a driver refuses to dim, look to the right edge of the road and slow down.

Pedestrians

Once out of your car you are a pedestrian. A steady Don't Walk means do not enter the road; a flashing Don't Walk means do not start but finish if already crossing; a steady Walk means cross; a flashing Walk warns of a possible conflict with vehicles. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in a marked crosswalk, at an intersection with a green light or walk signal, and over a vehicle turning right on red, but you must yield to pedestrians at all times, even jaywalkers crossing illegally. Coming too close to a pedestrian can hide them from the next driver; never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, and be ready to stop for people in marked or unmarked crosswalks. Pedestrians should walk facing traffic, check before entering the road, cross at intersections and crosswalks, and look left, right and left again. Slow near people walking or standing by the road and children playing, give room, expect sudden moves, and remember most pedestrian crashes happen away from intersections where speed is not enforced. Pedestrians with guide dogs or white canes, red-tipped or not, always have the right-of-way, so take special care turning and backing; stop no more than five feet from the crosswalk so they can hear your engine, give no verbal directions, go when the person steps back and pulls in the cane, look before turning right on red, stop at every crosswalk where they wait, never stop in a crosswalk or block a sidewalk, and never honk, which startles them.

Cell phones, peer pressure and older drivers

Phone use involves all three distractions, visual, manual and cognitive; use the phone only in emergencies, have a passenger call, pull off to call, take no notes or number lookups, let voicemail answer and keep calls short with voice-activated hands-free equipment. Texting takes your eyes off the road 4.6 seconds, a football field at 55 mph, and makes a crash 8 to 23 times likelier. Louisiana bans using any wireless device while driving unless hands-free, writing, sending or reading any text at any age, and accessing, reading or posting to social networks at any age. Peer pressure affects adults and teens; the single biggest cause of a teen's crash death is another teen, usually a friend, and inexperienced drivers push limits, run lights, steer carelessly, race, fill the car with teens, turn to talk, stare at phones and drive impaired or unbelted; trust your instincts, choose friends wisely and speak up. Fatal crash risk rises from age 75 because of injury susceptibility; older drivers should exercise, have medications reviewed, get eyes checked yearly and wear lenses, drive in daylight and good weather, check hearing, choose lit routes with left-turn signals, plan ahead, leave a large gap, avoid distractions, know their limits, take a refresher course and consider alternatives.

Bicycles

Bicycles have the same rights to the road and follow the same laws; 783 bicyclists died in US crashes in 2017. Yield to bicyclists at intersections as to pedestrians and vehicles; increase following distance because bicycles stop in shorter distances; expect riders away from the right edge to be avoiding gravel, debris, bad pavement and grates, and riders legally moving to the lane center or left for turns; on a two-way road never pass between a bicyclist and an oncoming vehicle, let the vehicle pass first and then move left; keep at least three feet when passing; give riders the whole lane past parked cars because of opening doors; remember your air current can crash a rider; allow extra room when towing a trailer; take extra care in wet, windy or icy weather; slow down and never tailgate; and give only a light horn tap if a rider drifts unsafely into your lane. Turning left, wait for oncoming bicyclists; never swing in front of a rider to turn right after passing, and look once and again before turning, since bicycle speeds range from under 10 to over 35 mph. Look for bicyclists before opening a door, a collision that is the driver's fault; expect zigzags at railroad crossings and wobbling on metal or grated surfaces; expect truck wind blasts to push riders on open highways and bridges; expect children not to know traffic laws; and add following distance in bad weather. Riders should always wear a helmet (required by law for children under 12), signal with hand signals and eye contact, obey signals and signs, ride on the right with traffic and in the left side of the turn lane for left turns or the lane center to avoid hazards, be predictable, yield to pedestrians, carry a white front light and red rear light or reflector at night, carry no more riders than designed, ride single file though two abreast is allowed, and use a rearview mirror.

Motorcycles

Motorcyclists are more vulnerable, and over two-thirds of car-motorcycle collisions come from the other driver turning in front of the rider. A motorcycle's narrow, short silhouette makes it look farther away and slower than it is and hides it in blind spots and quick glances, so look a second and third time; some riders cut between cars and appear unexpectedly. A rider positions in the lane to see and be seen, often on the left portion, moving to the center or right as conditions change, and shifts position suddenly for potholes, wind and tracks that barely affect cars; respect a motorcycle's full lane and never share it, and pass it as you would a car, not too fast or close, since wind blast can blow it out of control. Intersections are the likeliest crash site when a driver fails to see the motorcycle and turns into its path; do not assume a rider's intention until the maneuver has clearly begun, and remember turn signals may not cancel automatically. Follow a motorcycle by at least four seconds, more when wet, since tailgating a motorcycle is like an 18-wheeler tailgating you. A motorcycle's single headlight and taillight blend into other lights and distort distance, and you must dim your lights for a motorcycle as for any vehicle.

Big trucks

Give trucks a wide berth; collisions with lighter vehicles usually kill the other vehicle's occupants. A loaded tractor-trailer with good tires and brakes at 55 mph on dry road needs at least 290 feet to stop, and truck drivers see you far less well than you see them; car occupants suffer 78 percent of fatalities in car-truck crashes and in over 70 percent of them the car driver contributed. Keep as much space as possible; never cut into the open space ahead of a truck, which is its safety cushion, and a long hood may hide you entirely; never linger alongside, and if you cannot see the driver's face in a mirror the driver cannot see you; if you cannot see the truck's side mirrors you are too close; give trucks room to turn, since blind spots shift constantly; leave extra space behind a truck stopped on a hill, which rolls back; avoid the right lane on hills and near weigh stations where trucks re-enter slowly; and on windy days never ride beside a truck longer than a pass requires, staying to the outer edge of the lane with both hands on the wheel. The bigger the truck, the bigger its blind spots, the more room it needs to maneuver, stop, pass, accelerate and turn, and the likelier you lose a collision. Follow trucks by at least four to five seconds in good conditions and more in poor ones to avoid spray and see past them, stay far enough back at intersections and in slow traffic to be seen, keep headlights on low beam at night because the truck's mirrors reflect high beams into the driver's eyes, and in rain keep the windshield clean, turn on the wipers before an oncoming truck passes, never pull out to pass without a clear view, and slow down to escape the spray. Stay out of the No-Zone blind spots at the front, back and sides; pass on the left with plenty of room, keeping a firm grip against turbulence, and pull back in only when the whole front of the truck shows in your mirror while keeping your speed; move over to let a truck merge, and be careful pulling behind a truck that just entered the highway, since it takes a long time to reach speed; and avoid the squeeze play, since a truck or bus swings wide left to turn right and may use other lanes, so never move between it and the curb and wait until the turn is complete.

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