DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 140 074 CE 011 489

TITLE Tips on Car Care & -Safety for Deaf Drivers.INSTITUTION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT),

Washington, D. C.

PUB DATE Jul 75NOTE 42p.

EDRS PRICELESCRIPTORS

ABSTRACT

MF-$0.83 HC-$2.06 Plus Postage.*Deaf; Driver Education; Guidelines; *Hard ofHearing; Mechanics (Process); *Mot07: Vehicles;*Safety; safety Education; *Traffic Safety

Primarily intended for the deaf or hard of hearingdriver, this booklet contains many tips useful to all drivers. It isdivided into two sections: Signs of Car Trouble and What to Do, andSafe Driving Tips and Special Situations. The rationale for section 1is that a bearing driver can often tell that his car is not runningproperly or that some part is worn out or broken by the sounds ittakes. Topics covered in this section tell the deaf or severely hardcf hearing driver how to find out many of :the same thinvi throughsight and vibrations. Topics include the following: Inspecting thecar, lights on the instrument panel, unusual vibrations that'oan meantrouble, and using the sense of smell. Section 2 is primarilyintended for the young deaf driver, whether taking a driver educationcourse or recently licensed with little or no experience in handlingdifferent driving situations. Topics discussed in this'sectioninclude general driving tips, rules of the road, accidents andexperiences and special tips (first aid supplies, winter driving(rA)

4* ******** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished *

* materials mot available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort ** to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal *

* reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality *

* of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available *

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responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions ** supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original.*********** ***************** 4*** ********************************

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. TIPS

CAkE ETFR-VFOR

DEAFDRIVERS

This booklet is primarily intendedfor the deaf or hard of hearingdriver. However, it contains manytips useful to all drivers.

It is divided into two sections:

Section 1: Signs of CarTrouble and what to Do. Ahearing driver can often tellthat his car is not runningproperly or that some part isworn out or broken by thesounds it makessounds hecan hear. As a driver who isdeaf or severely hard ofhearing, you can find outmany of the same thingsthrough your sight and abilityto feel vibrations. Thissection tells you how.

Section II: Safe Driving Tipsand Special Situations. Thissection is primarily intendedfor the young deaf driverthe one taking a drivereducation course as well asthe recently licensed driver

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with little or no experience inhandling the many differentsituations he may encounterin driving on the Nation'shighways.

U.S. DEPARTMENT DE HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

EDUCATIONTHIS DOCUMENT HAS DEEN REPROOUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINACING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONSSTATED OO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE5ENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OEEDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY

ContentsSection I. Signs of Car Trouble and What to Do

Inspect Your CarBelts and Hoses 1

Loose or Broken Wires ....... . 2

Exarnine Your Tires 2

Tailpipe Smoke 4Other Trouble Signs 4

Warning 5

Watch Those LightsFasten Safety Belts 7

Alternator/Gnerator and Oil 7Hot 8Brake 9Brake Failure 9

Turn Signals 9

Emergency Flashers 10High Beam Indicator 10

Vibrations Can Mean TroubleSteering Wheel Vibrations 12Wheel Bounce 13Wheel Wobble 13The Whole Car Shakes 14Brake Pedal Thump 15Accelerator Bounce 15

One More Thing ... Don't Forget Your NoseSpecial Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . .... . .. . ... . . . 17

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONNational Highway Traffic Safety

AdministrationWashington, D.C. 20590July 1975

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Section II, Safe Driving Tips and SpecialHighway Situations 19

Rules of the Road 19Look Right and Left; 'Meek Your Mirrors and

Look Left Again . 20Don't Communicate with the Driver 21Be Careful at Intersections 22Stop and Look at Railroad Crossings 23Don't Spin Your Wheels 24Emergency Vehicles Right-of-Way 24Keep Your Car in Good Running Condi ion 25Highway Breakdowns 26Plan Trips in Advance 27

Accidents and ExperiencesIf You Are Stopped by a Police- an 29It You See an Accident 30If Your Car Is in an Accident 31

Sorne Special TipsFirst Aid Supplies for Your Car. 35Necessary I terns 35Very Useful Items 35Other Useful Items 36For Winter Driving 36

nspectYourCar

Section LSigns of Car Troubleand What to Do

This is good advice for alldrivers. For you it is moreimportant because many of thethings that may be wrong withyour car will produce warningsoundssounds that you can'thear. So for you it is important touse your eyes to inspect for thetroubles other drivers can hear.

Your eyes will show you manythingsdangerous wear on yourtires, worn or frayed belts in the'engine compartment, a smokyexhaust, or leaky hoses. Each ofthese things means trouble if youmiss them. Get to know your car.If you don't already know, ask afriend to show you the differentplaces and things to check on acar. Learn the names of the mainparts of your car, and learn whatthese parts do.

The next few pages will tellyou about the things on your carwhich you, especially, shouldinspect regularly. Use your eyes.

Belts and HosesLook at your fan belt and feel

it. Make sure it is tight and notfrayed or damaged (cut, riggededges). A loose fan belt or onethat breaks while you are drivingcan leave you with no electricalpower for your car. Your waterpump will also stop working andyour engine will get hot. Checkyour other belts the same waythe belt on your power steeringand the one for your airconditioner, if-you have one.

Look at your hoses. too. Makesure the clamps are tight and notleaking. This includes the hosesfrom your radiator to your engine,the hoses going to your heater,and the hoses on your airconditioner. If the hoses are verysoft or if they look brittle orcracked, you might want toreplace them with new onesbefore you have a hose failure_while you are driving,7

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Loose or BrokenWires

If your car won't start or if itruns rough (vibrates) when it doesstart, the problem may be in thewires or cables. Look at themfrom time to time. Tighten thosethat may be loose and giving youa bad electrical connection.Replace or put tape on wires thatare frayed. Reconnect wires thatmay be broken at terminals(where they are connected tosomething). Push your spark plugwires down tight over the ends ofyour spark plugssometimesthese vibrate loose. Push theother end of these same wires'clown tight into the distributorcap. If one of your rear lights goesout and the bulbs are still good,look for damaged wires in yourtrunk.

Examine Your TiresThis is very important to your

driving safety. and it may save youmoney. Look for crack% cuts.bubbles, and places where the

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tread may be separated from thetire casing. Look at the tread tosee if the tires are wearing out onone edge or the other, if all wearis in the middle, or if the tire iswearing out only in certain placesaround the whole tireAlneventread wear may mean the tires arenot balanced, have too much ortoo little air, or the front end isout of alignment. Also feel theinside of the tires for bubbies ortread separation that is hard tosee. If you find anything wrong,get the problem corrected atonce.

Uneven WearErratic

Scuff Wear

Out-of-Line Underinflation Overinflation(Improper Camber)

TreadContact

withRoad

TreadContact

Rwith

oad

Out-of-Line(Improper to&in or toe-out)

The tires pictured above aretalking to you in a sign languageall their own. They're telling youwhat is wrong with the driver ofthe car (he put in too much air ornot enough), the brakes (they maybe grabbing), the shockabsorbers (they may be bad,

causing the wheels to bounce), orthe alignment of the wheels. Ifyou see any of these signs, haveyour car checked immediatelyand correct what is wrong. If it'sonly a problem of air pressure,you can do this yourself.

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Lea from Undenidee4 Trantunisaion

Leok Wm ShockAbscatier

Tailpipe SmokeA lot of smoke coming from

your car's tailpipe tells you thatsomething may be wrong with theengine. It could be somethingsimple like a carburetor thatneeds adjustment, or it could beyour engine is burning diJ 'andmay need a lot of work done on it_Have a mechanic check to seewhat is wrong.

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Other Trouble SignsAll careful drivers inspect

their cars regularly. They checkall their lights to make sure all areworking properly. They check thelevel of fluids in the enginecompartment, including: engineoil. transmission fluid. radiatorcoolant. battery water. powersteering fluid, and windshieldwasher fluid. And they look underthe car,for leaks and signs thatsomething is worn out or broken.

Here are some of the troublesigns you may see by looking atthe underside of your car or thesurface on which it is parkedsigns which should tell you to finda good service shop to check outthe problem:

o Brokon or rusted out parts inthe exhaust system (manifold,muffler, tailpipe. catalyticconverter).

Signs of brake fluid leaks ontires or drums.

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Parts of the engine coveredwith oil (look for such signs inthe engine compartment also).

Leaks around fittings andseals.

Leaking shock absorbers.

Signs of leaks pn the garagefloor or other surface whereyou park your car.

Note: You can usually tell whatis leaking by looking at the colorand consistency (texture) of the.fluid that has leaked onto yourgarage floor. Fluid from theradiator will look green or rustcolored. Oil leaking from theengine is black and heavy_Transmission fluid is light andlooks pink in color. A gasolineleak will produce only a lightshadowy spot because gasolineevaporates rapidly.

WarningIf your car must be elevated

(raised up) for you to workunderneath, use jack stands (nota regular jack) to hold the car up.Be careful to follow directions onthe jack stand label and makesure the stands are capable ofsupporting the car safely. Also,whenever you are working underyour car it's always a good idea tohave someone nearby. If a jackstand should slip or the carshould roll, pinning youunderneath, the other personcould get help quickly.

Watch...ThOseLights._

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The lights on your instrumentpanel (some people call it a dashor dashboard) tell you manythings about your car. When oneof the lights comes on and stayson, you have forgotten to dosomething, or something is wrongwith your car.

Many late model cars havemore lights for more things thanolder cars. The latest model carsmay also have buzzers that makea noise if you forget to turn yourheadlights off or forget to fasten(buckle) your safety belt. Sinceyou can't hear the buzzer, youmust watch the lights.

FastenSafetyBelts

The first thing to do when youget into a car, any car, is fastenyour safety belt. A car beingdriven without safety belts beingfastened is an unsafe car. Thedriver and all passengers shouldbuckle their belts before the carmoves. Cars made after January1, 1972 have a reminder light(fasten safety belts) that lightswhen the ignition (key) is turnedon and either the driver or thepassenger in the front seat hasforgotten to fasten his safety belt.So, if this light comes on, fastenyour safety belt before you movethe car, and make sure all otherpeople in the car fasten theirbelts, too.

Alternator

(GeneratorIOil

Sometimes a deaf personcannot tell when his engine isrunning after he turns on theignition (key). This is especiallytrue if he has a well-tuned enginethat is running smoothly. He mayturn the ignition back and forth tothe start position several timesbefore he is sure the engine isrunning. If the engine is alreadyrunning, turning the key on againmakes a very bothersome noise.Also, this is not good for thestarter. An easy way to knowwhen the engine is running is towatch the alternator/generatorand oil lights. When these lightsgo off after you have turned onthe ignition switch, the engine isrunning. If the lights go off, andthen come on again, it meansyour engine has stopped and youmust start it again.

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The most important reasonfor these lights is to warn you oftrouble in the electrical system ofyour car or that your car's engineis not getting enough oil.

OilThis light always comes on-as soon as you turn on theignition. After the engine startsrunning it should go out. If thelight does not go out. you havetrouble. You may not haveenough oil in your engine, or youroil pump may be bad and notpumping oil through your engine.Don't drive a car that doesn't haveenough oil, or you will ruin yourengine. If the oil light stays on.the first thing to do is check tosee how much oil you have inyour engine. Most of the timeyou'll find that your oil is low, andwhen you add enough oil the lightwill go out. If your check showsyou have enough oil and the lightis still on, don't drive the cargeta good mechanic to check the carbecause something else is wrong.

Alternator/GeneratorMostnewer cars have an alternator.Older cars have a generator. Bothserve the-same purpose. Theymake 'the electric current thatkeeps your car's battery chargedand operates your lights andanything else in your car thatneeds electricity. If the alternator/generator light comes on andstays on, something is wrong withthe electrical system of your car.Have a mechanic look for thetrouble as soon as you can. You

may have a bad alternatorgenerator, a bad voltageregulator, or maybe just a badwire connection. But you mustfind the trouble and have the carrepaired before you have abreakdown on the highway.

Note: These lights (alternatorgenerator and oil) should lightwhen you first turn on theignition. They should go out soonafter the motor starts. If theselights don't light when you firstturn the key, one of the bulbs maybe burned Out Such a bulbshould be replaced, otherwise thelight won't signal trouble when itshould, as when you have an oilpressure problem or thealternator/generator isn't working.

Some cars have atemperature light to tell you whenyour engine is overheating.Others have a gauge. When thetemperature light goes on or theneedle on the gauge points to"Hot," you have problems withyour cooling system. You mayhave insufficient coolant in theradiator, you may have a leak, orthe thermostat may be stuck.Don't drive your car when theengine is running -Hot." Pull offthe road to a safe place, wait forthe engine to cool, and check thecoolant in the radiator (or surge

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tank if you have one). Also checkfor leaks in the hoses. Get theproblem corrected.

This light comes on if youforget to release the emergencyparking brake. It will stay lit untilyou release the brake. If youdon't, you'll wear out the brakeson your back wheels.

BrakeFailure

Some of the newest modelcars also have a brake failurelight. When this light goes on. ittells you that there isn't enoughpressure in your brake system.This is dangerousyou might nothave any brakes when you needto stop. If this light comes onwhile driving. slow down, pumpyour brake pedal lightly, and haveyour brakes checked and repairedif necessary.

CTurn Signals

Your turn signal indicatorlights tell you what kind of a turnsignal you have given to otherdrivers. When the turn signals are

on, they also make an audiblesound that tells the hearing driverthat they are flashingbut foryou. a visual check is necessary.You must look at the indicatorlights on your dash to see whichsignal is flashing. If you signal fora right turn, only your right turnsignal should be flashing (turningon and off). If you signal for a leftturn, only your left turn signalshould be flashing. If the lightdoes not come on when yousignal a turn, or if the turn signallight just glows and does not flashon and off, your turn signals arenot working properly. Youprobably have a burned outflasher or a burned out bulb inone of your signal lights. Get thisfixed right away, because withouta turn signal other drivers can'ttell which way you are turning.Until you get the signals fixed,use the arm and hand signals youwere taught in dnver education.

Note: Some cars have only oneturn signal indicator light, so thislight will flash for a right or a leftturn.

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Emergency FlashersAlso Note: When you turn onyour emergency flashers, usuallyby pushing a button on the side ofthe steering column. both turnsignal indicator lights shouldflash. indicating all your outsideturn signals are flashing.

*

High Beam IndicatorWhen this little light is lit, it

tells you that you are using thehigh beams on your headlights_This light may be on yourspeedometer, or in any otherlocation on your dashboard. Inmost older cars the light is red: inthe newer cars, other colors (e.g.,blue) may be used. If you areusing your high beams, rememberto dim them (change to lowbeams) when another car, comestoward you. Also, don't use yourhigh beams when you are closebehind another car. If you don'tdim your lights, your high beamsmay blind the other driver andcause an accident.

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10

17

VlbratiOnsCan Mean

Trouble

-?=

hear.ing driver can hearstrange noises that tell himsomething is wrong with his car.When the car is running well, hehears certain kinds of noises thattell him everything seems to be allright. But, many parts of a carmake.their own special noiseswhen they break. wear out. or arenot working properly. Forexample, a bad wheel bearing ora bad gear in the rear end of thecar will make a rumble; a badwater pump will squeal; a bad tiremay thump; a loose muffler willrattle; a bad valve lifter willclatter. By listening to what thesespecial noises tell him, thehearing driver can often get hiscar fixed before it breaks down onthe highway or he has anaccident.

A deaf driver can't hear thosesounds. But, the deaf person canfeel vibrations. All cars, even newones that are working well, makesome vibrations that the drivergets used to. So. when a new andunusual vibration is felt, it canmean some part of the car isgoing bad. You can find out manythings about your car by beingalert to new and unusualvibrations, and have the problemtaken care of before it causes youtrouble on the highway, or evenworse, an accident. Here aresome hints for you.

Steering WheelVibrations

A vibration (shaking) in thesteering wheel tells you thatsomething is wrong with thesteering or front end of your car.Have your wheel balance andfront end alignment checked. Allgarages, most service stations,and most automotive servicestores can do this for you. If thisdoesn't take care of the problem,have a good mechanic check theother parts of your steering andfront end. Vibration in thesteering wheel may signal a verydangerous condition that youshould take care of as soon asyou can_

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12

Wheel BounceAn up and down vibration

(bounce) from the direction of anywheel may tell you that you mayhave a bad shock absorber. It mayalso tell you that a tire is baditmay have a flat spot on it: it mayhave a bubble on it: or it may beout-of-round. Look at your tiresyourself. you may see what iswrong. If the problem is not inyour tires, have your shockabsorbers checked. This problemis dangerous because it cancause you to lose control of yourcar and have an accident.

II

a

Wheel WobbleIf your car seems to be

moving from side to side as youdrive down the road. especially ifthis vibration seems to be comingfrom one of the wheels. you mayhave another dangerous problem.It may also feel as thoughsomething is pulling and jerkingyour car to one side or the othei%The lugs (nuts) holding yourwheel on may be loose. Take offyour hub cap or wheel cover andcheck to make sure the lugs aretight. If this is not the trouble andthe vibration or pulling continues.you may have a damaged wheelor axle that should be replaced.

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TheWhole Car ShakesIf your whole car shakes'you

may think you have a lot oftrouble. But this may not be asbad as some of the othervibratioos. Maybe all your carneeds is a good tuneupand allcars need one now and then: or,there may be something wrongwith your engine. It may even besomething as simple as a loosewire that is not properlyconnected to a spark plug.making the engine miss. Thenagain. either the copper or rubbertubing that goes from thecarburetor to the automatictransmission to provide vacuummay be broken or shaken loose.The carburetor may needadjustment or there may be dirt inthe gasoline. So look into yourengine compartment and checkfor loose wires, disconnectedwires or tubing, or spark plugs

0 0

that are cracked. If you can't findout what is wrong. have amechanic look at the car. It's hardto control a car that's shaking allover,

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2 0

Brake Pedal ThumpIf the brake pedal thumps or

'vibrates against the bottom ofyour foot when you apply thebrakes, something is wrong withyour brakes.

if your car pulls to the right orleft when you apply the brake,one of your brakes is grabbing, orthe air pressure in your tires isuneven. This could pull you offthe road or into another trafficlane and cause an accident.

You may even feel more thanone wheel grabbingmaybe allthe wheelswhen you apply thebrakes. This may mean your brakelinings are worn out and you aredoing damage to your wheels.

Have your brakes checkedany time you feel something is notright (any unusual vibration) whenyou push down on the brakepedal. All these conditions cancause accidents.

Accelerator BounceThe accelerator (gas) pedal

can also talk to you. If you feelthis pedal vibrating (bouncing)against the bottom of your foot,something could be wrong withyour car's drive mechanism. Youmay also feel these vibrations onthe floor or in the seat. This, too,is a dangerous condition thatshould be checked by a goodmechanic,

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15

_

,...,,r.,Mill

Sornetimes you can tell thatsomething is going wrong withyour car by the way it smells. Ifyou get new brakes put on yourcar and they are adjusted tootight, you may be able to smell thebrakes when they get too hot_ Ifone of the fittings in your gas lineor around the carburetor isbroken or loose, you may smellleaking gas in your enginecompartmentthis should befixed immediately before you haVea fire. If you flood your engineand the car won't start, you canalso smell gas. If your engine orradiator gets hot due to lack ofwater or because something isnot working right, you may beable to smell that, too.

Special TipThis section has told you

what you can learn about your carby looking at the lights on yourdashboard, by feeling vibrations.by inspecting with your eyes, andeven by using your nose. Youdon't have to be able to hear totell when something is wrong withyour car. But, it's still a good ideato take a hearing friend or relativefor a ride from time to time Askhim to listen for noises that youcan't hear and that can meantrouble. He may be able to hearthe start of a small problembefore it gets to be a big problemthat can be dangerous and costyou money.

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Section II.Safe Driving Tipsand Special HighwaySituations

There are a great manypeople who think deaf personsshould not drive; so you. the deafdriver, must prove to them thatyou are as good a driver as theyare. To do this you must learn andpractice safe driving habits.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

KILLED OVER 45,000

IN THE U.S. IN 1974

One of the problems with a_

great many young drivers is thatthey don't respect their cars.Don't make this mistake.Remember, your car is a deadlyweapon. It can hurt, and it cankill. It must be kept in goodworking order. It must also beoperated with care. or it will kill orhurt you and maybe otherinnocent people, too.

Get to know your car, andlearn how to control it and

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operate it safely. Learn how torecognize possible danger. andhow to slow down without havingto jam on the brakes and come toa sudden stop. Get the feel of theaccelerator (gas) pedal so thatyou'll know just how to pressdown on the pedal to avoid a stallwhen crossing a dangerousintersection. Get a feel for yourcar's power so that you knowwhen you can pass other cars infront of you safely. and when youshould wait.

Rules of the RoadThere are a great many

booklets and pamphlets availableon -How to Drive Safely.- Thisbooklet is not one of those. Butthere are a number of points thatshould be made over and overagain, so remember

Always wear safety belts.Drive within the speed limit.Don't drive if you have beendrinking or if you are overlytired or sleepy.Observe traffic regulations.traffic lights, and highwaysigns.Expect the unexpected. Beready to stop at any time.Learn how to drive safely inbad weather (snow, rain, icyrOads).

Know what to do if your brakesfail or your accelerator sticks.

a Keep yourself and your car ingood working order.

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Look Right and Left;Check Your Mirrors,and Look Left Again

Because you are deaf, it isvery important that you look tothe right,.and to the left and checkyour miriors often. This isespecially important atintersections. You never knowwhen another car will run througha red light or a stop sign, or whenanother driver at an intersectionthinks he can get across beforeyou get there and stalls his carright in front of you. Also, anemergency vehicle may becoming from a side road orintersecting street.

Looking to the right and leftis also important when passinganother- car-orchanging lanes ona highway of three or more lanes.

Watch what is going onahead of you and behind you.Watch for warning lights oraccidents far down the road in

front of you so that you may beready to stop, pull off the road, orchange lanes safely. Watch foremergency vehicles coming upbehind you and for drivers gettingready to pass you. Check yourmirrors before passing.

Glance over your leftshoulder before passing orchanging lanes. Almost all carshave a blindspot to their left andrear_ When another car is passingyou may not see it in your mirrorswhen it enters this blindspot. So,check your mirrors, but glanceover your left shoulder beforepulling out to pass. just in case.And, always drive as if the carbehind you is ready to pass you atany time.

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Don't Communicatewith the Driver

If you communicate throughsign language, you know that ifyou are driving and someonewants to talk to you, you must takeyour eyes off the road to see whatthey are signing. You know youcan't do thisthat you must keepyour eyes on the road. So youdon't try to communicate whiledriving. Hearing persons can talkto each other while driving,because they don't have to taketheir eyes off the road.

If you are a passenger in acar, whether the driver can hearor not, don't try to talk to himthrough sign language. If there isan emergency and you must gethis attention, do it quickly bygently tapping him on theshoulder and pointing to theemergency (e.g.. an emergencyvehicle coming up fast to the rear)or by pointing to the side of theroad (to tell him to pull over when

it is safe because you havesomething impolant to tell him).EIL.] do this quickly so the driverdoesn't have to take his eyes offthe road for too long a time.

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Be Careful atIntersections

When stopped at anintersection, whether because ofa stop sign or a traffic signal. be'especially careful beforeproceeding. If there is a car nextto yours waiting for a light tochange, or if there is a carstopped at the other side of theintersection and heading in yourdirection, wait for one of thesecars to move before you do- evenif the light has_turned green. Dothe same thing at a stop sign. Ifthere are no other vehicles at theintersection, proceed slowly andlook to the right and left beforeaccelerating. This is one way toavoid collisions with emergencyvehicles coming up theintersecting street.

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Don't Spin YourWheels

When starting a car from astandstill on a gravel road or at anintersection where there may bestones on the road, your backwheels may begin to spin if youpress down too hard on theaccelerator. This spinning resultsin your car's rear wheels throwinggravel (stones) to the rear. Thiscan result in damage to anothercar behind you. A hearing drivercan hear when his wheels arespinning and throwing gravel, butyou can't. Fast starts on loosematerial may also result in fish-tailing (back end of car swingingfrom side to side), and this is alsoa safety hazard. So, you must beextra careful not to make faststarts (sometimes called"jackrabbit" starts). When youstart your car forward from aparked position or from a stop ata stop sign or red light, press your

30

accelerator down slowly andfirmly. Don't press down on youraccelerator suddenly, or you willspin your wheels.

Emergency VehiclesRight-of-Way

Some hearing drivers don'tthink the deaf should be allowedto drive because they can't hearthe sirens of emergency vehicles.

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And, there have been times whendeaf drivers have been involved inaccidents with emergencyvehicles because they couldn'thear the sirens. So, you must beextra careful when it comes toemergency vehicles. Of courseyou know that you must pull tothe right of the road when you seethe flashing lights of anemergency vehicle behind you, orin front of you and coming in yourdirection. Ambulances, policecars, and fire trucks have the rightof way on the streets andhighways when they are going toan emergency. So, by all means

-pull off onto the shoulder (or asfar to the right as possible if thereis no shoulder) and give theemergency vehicle room to pass.

Another word of caution:When an ambulance, fire truck, orpolice car passes, wait for a shorttime before moving back onto thehighwaythere may be anotheremergency vehicle coming rightbehind the first one.

KeepYour Car in GoodRunning Condition

Keeping your car in goodrunning condition is veryimportant. You don't want to havea breakdown on the highway. If ahearing driver has a breakdown,he can often walk to a roadsidetelephone and call for assistance.A deaf driver can't do this.

Have your car checked oftento make sure it is running welland is safe to drive. Make sureyou check it before you start on along trip. Take it to a garage, agood service station, or have agood mechanic check it. If youtake the time to learn how, youcan do a lot of this checkingyourself. Section I of this booklettells you how.

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Highway BreakdownsAny car can have a flat tire or

a mechanical breakdown alongthe highwayeven one in goodcondition. So, for your safety youmust know what to do.

Fir St, pull off the road in asafe spot where you have enoughroom to park and get out of thecar without danger to yourself, orwithout causing a tra'fic hazardfor other motorists I: you can'tpull off the road where you are(not enough room to pull to theside), drive to a spot where youcan pull off safely. Do this even ifyou have to drive on a flat tire.

If your problem is a flat tire,don't try to change the tire onuneven or hilly ground. Look for alevel spot. It's better to riskruining a tire by driving on it flatthan to risk having a jack slip andthe car fall on you when you arechanging a tire.

In some breakdowns, youmay not be able to drive off the

road. For example, the enginemay just quit. In such cases, coastto the side of the road as far asyou can, and if the car is stillpartly on the highway, try to pushit to a safe spot.

If your car is equipped withfour-way flashers, put them on towarn oncoming cars. Put outflares and warning reflectors ifyou have them, and-put these wellto the front and to the rear of thecar so they can be seen in time.

When you've taken thesesafety precautions, inspect yourcar to see if you can find what iswrong and whether you can fix ityourself. If you need help, raisothe hood of the car and attach awhite rag or handkerchief to adoor handle (or to the radioantenna, if your car has one). Thiswill .alert police cars and otherpassing motorists that you needassistance.

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Plan Trips in AdvanceBefore going on a trip,

especially a long trip or a visit to acity where you haven't beenbefore, plan your trip. Knowwhere you are going and how toget there.

Hearing drivers, if they take awrong turn or go down a wrongstreet, can stop and askdirections. The deaf driver can'tdo this. So, get maps before youmake your trip. Study the maps tolearn which routes you must takeand where you must turn off onturnpikes and freeways. If you aregoing to visit a big city, you mayfind a street map of this city onyour highway mapstudy this,too.

If you still get lost, your bestbet is to look for a policeman or apolice stationlet them know youare deaf and where you want togo.

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Accidentsand

E -periences

If You Are Stoppeda-PolicemanSometimes the deaf driver

will be guilty of breaking trafficlaws just like a hearing driver, andmay be stopped by a policeman. Itmay be for speeding, for followingtoo closely to another car, forillegal passing, or for goingthrough a stop sign or stop light.You may even be stoppedbecause one of your lights ispurned out, or your muffler ismaking a lot of noise. Or you maybe stopped for a routine trafficcheck. There may be nothingwrong; the police may just bechecking cars for some otherpurpose.

If a policeman standingbeside the road motions you topull over, do it. If a police carcomes up beside you with its lightflashing and the policemansignals you to pull over, do it. Youcan then wait for the policeman tocome to your car, or you can getout of your car and go over tohim. If you get out of your car,though, be very careful of trafficon the road remember you can'thear'other cars corning, you haveto look for them.

First, let the policeman knowthat you are deaf. Don't reach intoyour pocket for anything until thepoliceman knows that you can'thear. If necessary, point to yourears to show him you are deaf.The policeman will ask to seeyour driver's license and the carregistration. If the policeman tries

to talk to you and you don'tunderstand what he is saying.hand him your pad and pencil.Don't nod your head; if you do,the policeman may think youunderstand him when you reallydon't. If you are a young driverthe policeman may want to callyour parents, so have their namesand address (and phone numberif they can hear) ready.

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If You See an AccidentToday, many drivers driving

along our roads and highways willjust keep going if they see a carrun off the road and hit a tree, acar turned over, or several carsinvolved in a crash. There may bepeople lying on the road or in thecars, badly hurt and perhapsdying. There may be a fire anddanger that the car will explode.Still, some drivers will not stopbecause they don't want to getinvolved. Don't be like this. If yousee an accident along the roadand you are the first to see it, or ifyou are among the first to comealong. stop and help. Here aresome of the things you should do:

If the car is on fire, try to getthe people out of the car, if youcan.

Flag down another car if onecomes along. Write the driver anote telling him you are deaf, andask him to help you help theaccident victims.

Don't move the accidentvictim unless it is absolutelynecessary for his safety. If youmove him, you may injure himmore. Leave this for theambulance attendants who aretrained. But, if the injured personis in a car that is burning, if he ispinned under a car and bleedingbadly. or if he has been thrownfrom the car onto a highway witha lot of traffic, you may have tomove him for his safety and tostop his bleeding. If you move

step carefully and only farenough to get him to safety.

If the accident victim isbleeding badly, try to stop thebleeding.

You, or another driver thatstops, should put out warningflares or reflectors, especially atnight.

Even before you do the abovethings, consider your own safetyand the safety of other drivers onthe highway. When you pull offthe road to help an accidentvictim, pull well off the road sothat you don't cause an accidentyourself.

Finally, if you come upon anaccident and there are otherpeople there already helping,don't stop to lookjust keepgoing. Accidents are often causedby drivers slowing down orstopping to look at anotheraccident.

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If Your Car Is inan Accident

In your driver educationcourse you learned what to do incase you have an accident. Also,if you have insurance on your car(and you should), your insurancecompany will often give you acard that tells you what to do incase of an accident. Read thiscard often, and keep it in yourglove compartment so that youcan find it easily if you need it.Here are special tips that will helpif you have an accident:

Stop another car. Let thedriver know you are deaf. Writehim a note telling him to call thepolice (and an ambulance ifsomeone is hurt). Always call thepolice if your car is in an accidentwith another car, if your car hits apedestrian, or if your carhits a bicycle or motorcycle. If youhit another car, the other drivermight say it is only a small

accident, that the insurancecompanies will take care of it, andthat the police are not needed.Afterwards, the other driver maygo to your insurance company orto the police and say it was yourfault, even if it was his fault. So,for your protection, call the policeif your car is involved in anaccident.

Also. remember, the driver ofany vehicle (car, motorcycle,truck, or bus) involved in anaccident that results in injury ordeath to any person or totaldamage to all property of $100 ormore shall immediately notify thenearest police office by thequickest means Ofcommunication (but take care ofthe injured people first). Note:The laws in different states varyon when and how to report anaccident, so check the laws in thestate where the accident occurs.

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If someone is hurt, either inyour car or in the other car, followthe tips already listed. If one ofthe cars is on fire, get the peopleout. If someone is lying in themiddle of the road and is indanger of getting run over byother cars, move him to safety. Ifsomeone is bleeding badly, trV tostop the bleeding. If you have adeaf person riding in your car,make sure the ambulance peopleknow this when they arrive.

Let the other driver know youare deaf, and that he will have towrite to communicate with you(unless you are an excellent lipreader and have excellentspeech).

When the policeman arrives,let him know that you are deaf_ Ifyou need an interp:eter to mAkesure you understano isbeing said by the driver an:1the policeman, .F,nc.; to make surethey undemia;,,2 you, ask thepolicernaz, of:n hi radio to askfor an inte,lroreter. Or, if you areclose to anC if your parentscan hear, or if you have hearingfriends, get the policeman to callso that someone can c*rne outand help you. You should keepthe name of such a perso. am-)his phone number in youiand show it to the policemar,you don't need an interpreter ,DE-one is not available, use paperand pencil to communicate witvEthe policeman.

If you are on a trip far fromhome and have an accident, againask the policeman to get you aninterpreter, if you need one. It's

also a good idea to carry thename and address (and phonenumber) of relatives or friends tobe contacted in case of anemergency. This informationshould be in your wallet. If theperson to be contacted can hear,he can be reached by phone; ifthat person is deaf, the police cansend him a telegram or they cannotify the police in your hometown, who can then pass on themessage.

For your protection, in caseof an accident with anothervehicle, there are a number ofthings you should do for yourfinancial and legal protection:

Get the name and address ofthe other driver.

Ask to see his driver's license,and copy down the number andstate. Also ask to see theregistration card of the othervehicle and copy down the nameand address of the owner.

Ask the other driver for thename of his insurance companyand his policy number.

Give the other driver thesame information he gave you(but don't tell him how muchinsurance you have).

To help you fill out anaccident report, copy down thenames of the streets or thenumber of the highway where theaccident occurred. Note howmany !anes there were, and thecondition of the road (wet, dry,icy). Note whether the road waslevel or hilly, the speed limit in thearea, and whether it was a -nopassing" zone. Don't forget to

38 32

write down the make, model, andyear of the other vehicle. Alsolook at the other vehicle to get anidea of how badly it is damagedand where. After an accident youmay be very excited, but youshould not forget these things.because they can help you if youhave to go to court because of theaccident.

Unless the damage is verysmall and you are sure no one ishurt, you should not let the otherdriver move his car and youshould not move yours. Wait forthe police to arrive. Thepoliceman will want to see theposition of the cars to help himfind out who was at fault. If thepoliceman tells you to move yourcar, you can.

In most accidents (except forthose very little bumps and fenderscrapes) it is also a good idea tohave all the people involved go toa doctor or to a hospital for anexamination. This could be veryimportant if sometime later theother driver sues you in court oryou sue him.

Carry identification. This isvery important, especially if youare hurt and unconscious as aresult of the accident and areunable to write to communicatewith the police or other persons.Some persons who have medicalproblems (like a heart conditionor allergy to drugs) wear anidentification bracelet. You canwear such a bracelet that willindicate you are deaf, and this is agood idea. But, many deafpersons do not like to wear such

a bracelet. If you are one of these,at the very least you should havea card in your wallet that says youare deaf, gives your blood type,and tells whom to contact in anemergency.

Notify your insurancecompany as soon as possible. Ifsomeone is killed or hurt in theaccident, notify your insurancecompany immediately. Mostcompanies haVe a number to callfor such emergencies. Since youcan't use the phone, havesomeone call for you.

Also, fill out and submit anaccident report to the Departmentof Motor Vehicles in your statewhen such reports are required.Forms for filling out such reportscan be obtained from the office oflocal or state police.

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39

Fir'stAid Supplies:.ki(yout Car

Many times some littlething happens to a car along theroad that can be fixed, if thedriver has some simple tool orsome little thing like a piece oftape or piece of wire. Thesethings can happen to you. andthey can happen to a new car justas well as to an older car. For you.it is even more important to beable to fix little things that happenalong the road, because you can'tgo to a phone and call for help.

You don't have to be a goodmechanic to fix many of the littlethings that can go wrong. Yourfan belt may become loosebecause the bolt holding youralternator in position came loose.A hanger on your muffler maybreak, causing it to drag alongthe ground. One of your hosesmay spring a leak. A wire maybecome disconnected. You canfix many of these things yourself,and sometimes a little thing like apiece of tape or a spare fuse cankeep you from being stranded ona highway and save you theexpeqse of calling a tow truck.FIR:64 a list of some things youcan''àarry in your trunk or glovecompartment which you may finduseful from time to time:

4 1

Necessary ItemsGlove Compartment:

An envelope containing theregistration card for your car.an identification card from yourinsurance company. and thename and address of someoneto call in an emergency.Spare fuses for your car'selectrical system.A good flashlight.An ice scraper for winterdriving.A pocket knife.

Trunk:Spare tire (with air in it).Fire extinguisher.Jack and lug wrench forchanging tires.First aid kit.Flares or reflective day/n ghtwarning devices.

Very Useful ItemsAn empty can to carry

gasoline if you run out of gas.This can also be used to carrywater if your engine boils over ora hose leaks and you lose yourcoolant. Note: Never, never carrygasoline in this can in your trunk.This is very dangerous.

A box, tucked into the co ner ofyour trunk containing:

Pliersuseful in tighteningclamps, small nuts that may getloose, twisting wires.

Screwdriversseveral sizes.Make sure one is a -Phillips- type.

35

Adjustable wrench (or a small set'-'of open-end wrenches if you

prefer)to tighten nuts and bolts-that-,may have worked looSe.

-.'Tapeto repair broken or frayed..,Wires,:and,to temporarily stop

in a hose until you can. ge,t-to a,garcge or service station

-toeget a new one.

Wireoften useful to temporarily.hold a muffler or tailpipe in place.if one of the 'hangers breaks orfalls-off.

Ragsnice to have to dry up yourdistributor cap or wet wires ifyour motor is drowned out in aheavy rain.

Battery cablesvery handy tohelp get your car started if yourbattery is weak or run down.especially in-winter.

Piece of sandpaperuseful incleaning dirty battery terminalswhen the car won't start.

Nuts and bolts of various sizesasmall quantity of these can beuseful from time to time.

Spare tan beltyou may neverneed it, but it is handy if yourcar's fan belt breaks when you'refar from home or out on the openroad.

Can of engine oilnice to havewhen the oil light comes on andyou're far from a service station.

Can of transmission fluidif yourautomatic transmission startsacting up on the road becaus&ofa low fluid level.

Other Useful ItemsTire pumpwhen one of yourtires develops a slow leak andyou'd rather drive to a servicestation to :---;/,e it changed than doit yourself. Can also be used todry out a distributor that is wet.

Plastic sheetif you have tochange a tire in the rain or haveto get under the car to checksomething.

For Winter DrivingTire chainsif you don't havesnow tires.

A small shovel to help you get outof ruts and snowbanks.

A small bag of sand to give yousomething to throw under yourwheels for better traction if youget stuck.

An ice scraper to keep yourwindow glass clean.

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