Hydroplaning occurs when there is standing water on a roadway. At speeds up to 35 mph, most tires will channel water away from the tire. As your speed increases past 35 mph, tires cannot channel the water as well and your tires may start to lose contact with the road and ride over the water like a set of water skis.

When following a motorcyclist, allow for at least a three- to four-second following distance. Motorcycles can stop quickly and following them too closely endangers your life and that of the motorcyclist. If the motorcyclist should fall, you need extra distance to avoid the rider. The chances of a fall are greatest on wet and icy roads, gravel roads, and metal surfaces such as bridges, gratings, and streetcar or railroad tracks.

If possible, try to only deal with one roadway hazard at a time. If you want to pass a pedestrian but an oncoming vehicle is approaching, slow down and let the vehicle pass. You may then pass the pedestrian if it is safe to do so.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign warns drivers that they are arriving upon a fork in the road and they must bear either right or left.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. They alert you to conditions that are immediately ahead. This sign warns that you are leaving a separated one-way highway and will soon be driving on a two-way highway.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign indicates that you are approaching a steep hill. Slow down and be ready to shift to a lower gear to control your speed and protect your brakes from damage.

If you want to enter the freeway but do not see a space for your vehicle in traffic, slow down on the ramp to wait for a gap. Do not drive to the end of the ramp and wait for a gap or you will not have enough room to accelerate to the speed of traffic before entering the roadway.

You are driving defensively when you are looking down the road for potential hazards. Constantly staring at the road directly in front of your vehicle is dangerous. As you scan ahead, be alert to vehicles around you.

If your wheels drop off the roadway or pavement edge, do not attempt to turn back onto the roadway immediately. Instead, reduce your speed, check traffic, and gradually turn back onto the roadway when it is safe to do so.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions. Dashed lines on the pavement indicate that passing is permitted when safe.

By definition, blind spots are areas that cannot be seen using your mirrors. To check your blind spots, you should look over your shoulders.

When you wish to change lanes or make a turn, signal to inform other motorists of your intentions. Signals are to be activated at least 100 feet before you begin a turn. When using a mechanical turn signal, continue signaling until you have completed the turn or lane change.

A wet, slippery road does not allow your tires the traction they need, so it is necessary to drive more slowly on a wet road than you would on a dry road. To reduce the risk of skidding, you should avoid fast turns or stops.

Legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs can impair your ability to drive, including drugs taken for colds, hay fever, allergies, or to calm nerves or muscles. It is illegal to drive while under the influence of any drug that impairs your ability to drive safely; this law does not differentiate between illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. They alert you to conditions that are immediately ahead. This sign tells drivers to prepare to allow traffic to safely merge from the right.

When entering and driving through a work zone, slow down and be prepared to stop. Obey posted speed limits and be alert to conditions around you. Workers could be present.

To avoid contributing to chronic traffic congestion, you should not "rubberneck." That is, you should not slow down to look at out-of-the-ordinary things.

Use high beam headlights only when driving in the open country where other cars are not nearby. When driving at night, your driving speed should be slower than it would be if you were driving during the day.

Even after a train passes, watch out for a second train approaching on any track. Do not proceed until all gates have been lifted and all warning signals have stopped flashing.

Blind spots are areas that a driver cannot see if they look in their mirrors. Large trucks have large blind spots that drivers of other vehicles should avoid.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. They alert you to conditions that are immediately ahead. This sign warns drivers about the presence of traffic signals at an intersection ahead.

Drivers of trucks, buses, vans, or any vehicles pulling campers or trailers may not be able to see you if you are driving directly behind them. Increase your following distance when driving behind one of these vehicles. Additionally, large vehicles can block your view of the road, so increase your following distance to look around the sides of the vehicle and see the road ahead.

At an intersection controlled by a steady yellow light, you should bring your vehicle to a safe stop. If you are already within the intersection when the light changes from green to yellow, continue through the intersection at a safe speed.

When turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street, you should begin the turn from the far left lane.

When driving in fog, you should always use your low beam headlights. Using high beams will reduce visibility because the high beam lights will reflect back into your eyes.

This sign indicates that U-turns are prohibited. You may see a sign like this at an intersection that commonly has oncoming traffic.

If you try to insert your vehicle between a turning truck or bus and a curb, you may suffer a serious crash. To avoid a collision, do not turn until the truck or bus has completed its turn.

When passing another vehicle that is traveling in the same direction as you, pass quickly to resume visibility. Return to your previous lane only when you can see both of the vehicle's headlights in your rearview mirror.

When approaching this sign, you must yield the right-of-way. Slow down and let vehicles and pedestrians crossing your path pass before you proceed. If necessary, stop before going ahead.

Yellow lane markings indicate a separation of lanes where traffic is traveling in opposite directions. When you see double solid yellow lane markings, passing is prohibited from both directions.