Prescription and over-the-counter medications may have side effects that can impair a person's ability to drive safely. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any other controlled substance, including some over-the-counter medications.

It is always important to have enough water and antifreeze in a vehicle's cooling system. Despite the name, antifreeze is beneficial to an engine even in hot weather.

If a tractor-trailer is so equipped, the trailer brake hand valve can be used to stop the vehicle from rolling back when being started from a stop.

You must drive in a safe and responsible manner during the on-road driving test. This includes wearing your safety belt; obeying all traffic signs, signals, and laws; and completing the test without an accident or moving violation.

When checking the springs as part of the vehicle inspection test, you should look for missing, shifted, cracked, or broken leaf springs, as well as broken or distorted coil springs. If the vehicle is equipped with torsion bars, torque arms, or other types of suspension components, ensure that they are not damaged and are mounted securely.

After you start the engine, keep an eye on the gauges. Oil pressure should rise to a normal level within a few seconds of the engine being started.

A hazardous material will be placed into one of nine classes to explain the type of risks associated with the material.

During the vehicle inspection test, you must ensure that any emergency exit warning devices are working. All emergency exits should operate smoothly, be undamaged, and close securely from the inside.

It is safest not to drive in foggy areas. However, if you must drive through fog, you should slow down, use your low beam headlights and fog lights, and turn on your four-way flashers.

If you are asked to alley dock, you should first pull past the alley and stop your vehicle in a position that is parallel to the outer boundary. From there, you should back your vehicle entirely into the alley parking area. Your vehicle should be parked in a straight position within the boundaries of the parking space.

Areas with heavy traffic, road construction, large numbers of pedestrians, or severe weather demand extra attention from a driver. The driver should avoid all possible distractions while in such areas, including cell phone use.

Roads are particularly slippery when it first begins to rain. The water mixes with oil drippings on the road that have not yet washed away, creating a slippery and dangerous mixture.

If a vehicle is coming toward you while using its high beam headlights, glance away from the headlights and toward the right side of the road until the vehicle has passed. This will keep you from being blinded by the lights.

The driver's seat on a bus must be equipped with a seat belt, which the driver should always use.

Check your engine during the pre-trip inspection. After starting the engine, you should listen for unusual noises.

During the on-road driving test, you must drive in a safe and responsible manner; wear your safety belt; obey all traffic signs, signals, and laws; and complete the test without any accidents or moving violations.

Cargo should be inspected before beginning a trip, within the first 50 miles of the trip, and every three hours or 150 miles traveled. The driver of a truck transporting cargo is responsible for the cargo being safely secured throughout the trip.

An encroachment during the basic vehicle control skills test is when an exercise boundary line is touched or crossed by any portion of the applicant's vehicle. Every encroachment will be counted as an error.

Hydroplaning is a phenomenon during which a vehicle's tires lose traction with the road surface and begin to glide along on water on the road. There does not have to be a large amount of water on the road for this to occur.

The most important reason to inspect your vehicle before a trip is to ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road. Safety inspections before every trip are required by state and federal laws.