If you must drive in reverse, you should first walk around your vehicle to look at the path of travel and check for obstacles. Because mirrors have blind spots, you cannot rely exclusively on them. It is recommended to use a helper whenever possible.

Never attempt to beat a train to a railroad crossing. It is very difficult to accurately judge the speed of an approaching train. If you come upon a crossing that is being approached by a train, you must stop and wait for the train to pass before you attempt to cross the tracks.

Most alcohol is removed from the body by the liver, which processes alcohol at a fixed rate. Despite popular belief, techniques like drinking black coffee or taking a cold shower will not accelerate this process. The only thing you can do to become sober after drinking is allow your body the time it needs to eliminate the alcohol from your system.

A vehicle that is equipped with air brakes must also be equipped with a supply pressure gauge. This gauge tells the driver how much air pressure is in each of the vehicle's air tanks.

Under slippery conditions, you should drive slowly and smoothly. Make turns as gently as possible and do not pass other vehicles unless you have to.

A common cause of vehicle fires in the aftermath of an accident is the improper use of flares near spilled fuel. Use flares with caution.

The most important reason to inspect your vehicle is to ensure the safety of yourself and other road users.

A broken exhaust system can let poisonous fumes into a vehicle's cab or sleeper berth. Be sure to inspect your exhaust system for any loose, broken, or missing parts.

If you are being tailgated, you should increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. This will reduce your need to make sudden moves, and will also allow the tailgater more room to pass you. Speeding up when being tailgated is not advised because it may result in the tailgater continuing to follow you closely at the higher speed, only increasing the danger.

Truck tractors with air brakes built on or after March 1, 1997, and other vehicles with air brakes built on or after March 1, 1998, must be equipped with anti-lock brakes.

Eating while driving can be a dangerous distraction to the driver both because it diverts their attention away from the task at hand and requires them to remove a hand from the steering wheel.

Never push down the brake pedal while the spring brakes are activated. The combined force of springs and air pressure could damage the brakes.

To help prevent a rig from rolling over, you should keep the weight of the cargo as close to the ground as possible when loading. You should also drive slowly around turns.

You should always complete an after-trip inspection of your vehicle at the end of a trip, day, or tour of duty. Complete a vehicle inspection report, if required.

In an air brake system, there are three different braking systems: a service brake system, a parking brake system, and an emergency brake system. The emergency brake system uses parts of both the parking and service brake systems.

It is common for drivers to tailgate slow-moving vehicles that cannot keep up with the speed of surrounding traffic. If you are being tailgated, allow the other driver to pass your vehicle.

Texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it is both a mental and physical distraction to the driver. In addition to diverting a driver's mental attention away from the road, texting requires a person to remove at least one hand from the vehicle's controls.

Brakes out of adjustment will fade before those that are properly adjusted. Brake adjustment must be checked frequently to help prevent brake issues.

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.

To prevent a vehicle with manual transmission from rolling backward when you begin to move forward from a stopped position, you can partly engage the clutch before removing your foot from the brake pedal.