Commercial Driver Handbook ( PDF ) - California Department of ...

If you are driving a 40 foot bus at 50 mph and
the road is dry and visibility is good, you should
keep at least 5 seconds of space in front of your
bus to be safe. If you are driving a 30- foot bus
on a highway at 45 mph and the road is dry and
visibility is good, you should keep at least 4 seconds
of space in front of your bus to be safe.
Slippery surfaces. It will take longer to stop and
it will be harder to turn without skidding when
the road is slippery. You must drive slower to be
able to stop in the same distance as on a dry road.
Wet roads can double the stopping distance. Allow
yourself much more space than needed for ideal
driving conditions when the road is slippery.
the effeCt of speed on stopping
distanCe
The faster you drive, the greater the impact or
striking power of your bus. When you double
your speed from 20 to 40 mph, the impact is four
times greater and the stopping distance is four
times longer. Triple the speed from 20 to 60 mph
and the impact and stopping distance is nine times
greater. High speeds greatly increase the severity
of collisions and stopping distance. By slowing
down, you can reduce the stopping distance.
driving at night
At night, your headlights will usually be the main
source of light for you to see by and for others to
see you. You can’t see nearly as much at night with
your headlights as you see in the daytime. With
low beams, you can see ahead about 250 feet and
with high beams about 300-500 feet. You must
slow down to keep your stopping distance within
your sight range. This means slowing down to be
Figure 4-1
EXEMPT CROSSINGS
able to stop within the range of your headlights.
When you have your high beams on and must dim
them for oncoming traffic, you should slow down
to keep your stopping distance within the range
of your headlights.
hazards
What is a hazard? A hazard is any road condition or
other road user (e.g., driver, bicyclist, or pedestrian)
that is a possible danger.
using your mirrors
When you use your mirrors while driving on the
road, check them quickly. Look back and forth
regularly as part of your scan for potential hazards.
Do not focus on the mirrors for too long. Otherwise,
you will travel quite a distance without knowing
what is happening ahead.
Many buses have convex mirrors that show a wider
area than flat mirrors. This is often helpful. But
remember, these mirrors make things seem smaller
and farther away than they really are.
railroad Crossings
No stop needs to be made (See Figure 4-1):
• At railroad tracks which run alongside and on
the roadway within a business or residence
district.
• Where a traffic officer or flagman is directing
traffic.
• If the railroad track is within the intersection
and the traffic control signal shows green.
• At railroad crossings marked “exempt
crossing.”
NOT EXEMPT
- Official traffic control signal
- Railroad crossing warning device
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