7.6 Before You Drive, Fatigue, and What to Do When Pulled Over
Key Takeaways
- The Mississippi Driver's Manual's pre-drive sequence is: have your license, adjust the seat, fasten your seat belt, then adjust the rearview and sideview mirrors.
- Mississippi teaches hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions; 2 and 10 o'clock is no longer recommended because it is dangerous in a vehicle equipped with airbags.
- Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to stay alert, and the manual directs drivers to stop about every 100 miles or 2 hours on long trips.
- When pulled over, signal and pull off as soon as it is safe, turn off the engine and audio, turn on the interior light at night, keep your hands visible on the wheel, and wait for the officer's instructions before reaching for documents.
- Signing a traffic ticket is not an admission of guilt; disagreements are contested in court, not argued at the roadside.
7.6 Before You Drive, Fatigue, and What to Do When Pulled Over
Quick Answer: Mississippi's pre-drive sequence is license, seat, seat belt, rearview mirror, sideview mirrors — in that order. Hold the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock; the old 2-and-10 position is no longer recommended because it is dangerous in an airbag-equipped vehicle. Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to stay alert, and on long trips you should stop about every 100 miles or 2 hours. If an officer stops you: signal, pull over as soon as it is safe, turn off the engine and audio, stay in the vehicle, turn on the interior light at night, keep your hands visible, and wait for instructions before reaching for your documents.
1. Safe Driving Basics
The manual opens this material with a sentence worth internalizing: “Driving is one of the riskiest tasks that you will do during your lifetime,” and the safety of many other people depends on your calm and responsible behavior.
Vision
Good vision is essential. If you cannot see clearly you will have trouble identifying traffic and roadway conditions, spotting potential trouble, and responding in time. If you are required to wear corrective lenses:
- always wear them when driving; and
- avoid dark or tinted corrective lenses at night.
Fatigue
Fatigue — physical or mental tiredness from strain, repetitive tasks, illness, or lack of sleep — affects your vision and increases the time it takes you to make decisions. Avoid driving when you are tired. The manual's countermeasures:
- Get adequate sleep: most people need 7 to 9 hours to maintain proper alertness during the day.
- Plan to stop about every 100 miles or 2 hours during long trips.
- Arrange for a travel companion.
- Check medication labels and be aware if they cause drowsiness.
- Do not use alcohol or other drugs when driving.
2. Before You Drive: The Checklist
To prepare to drive, you should:
- Make certain you have your driver's license. State law requires drivers to present a license upon request.
- Adjust your seat to a comfortable position so you can reach the wheel and pedals easily.
- Fasten your seat belt.
- Adjust the rearview mirror so you can see the roadway behind.
- Adjust your sideview mirrors as well.
The order is not decorative. Adjusting the seat changes your eye height, which changes what the mirrors show; belting in changes your seated posture again. Mirrors last.
3. While You Drive
Hand Position
Both hands should be placed on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions, to maintain control of the vehicle. Placing your hands at 2 and 10 o'clock is no longer recommended because it can be dangerous in a vehicle equipped with airbags. Your grip should be firm but gentle: use your fingers rather than the palms of your hands, and keep your thumbs up along the face of the wheel. Never turn the wheel while gripping it from the inside.
The airbag reasoning is concrete. A driver airbag deploys upward and outward from the hub at roughly 200 mph. Hands at 2 and 10 sit directly in that path; thumbs hooked through the spokes can be broken or worse when the wheel snaps under deployment.
What to Watch For
The manual asks for specific attention to:
- Children, who may act without thinking, especially when playing with or chasing a ball — slow down around schools, playgrounds, and residential areas.
- Bicyclists, because you cannot assume any cyclist has training in bicycle safety.
- Cars parked on the side of the street, whose doors might open into your lane.
- Signals that other vehicles may be pulling out into traffic.
- Sudden turns and stops by other drivers.
- Reckless drivers — get out of their way if possible.
Long Distances
- Take a break every one hundred miles.
- Do not follow the same vehicle or group of vehicles for long periods — you may become too relaxed and lose concentration.
- Keep your eyes moving to avoid going to sleep at the wheel.
- Keep the interior of your car as cool as possible.
4. What to Do and Expect When Pulled Over by Law Enforcement
Officers conduct traffic stops when they have reasonable suspicion of a traffic or criminal violation. A stop is stressful for the driver, the passengers, and the officer; knowing the script lowers the risk for everyone.
When You See Emergency Lights Behind You
- Activate your turn signal and pull off or to the side of the roadway as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Turn off the engine and any audio devices.
- Stay in your vehicle unless directed by the officer to exit.
- Turn on your interior lights if you are pulled over at night to assist with visibility. Officers may also use a spotlight.
- Keep your hands on the steering wheel or in a visible location.
- Follow all instructions the officer gives you or your passengers.
When the Officer Reaches the Vehicle
The officer may approach either side of the vehicle. Then:
- Lower the corresponding window so you and the officer can communicate.
- Let the officer know if you have a weapon in the vehicle upon first contact.
- Wait for the officer's instructions before reaching for your driver's license or vehicle documents.
What the Officer Will Typically Do
- Explain why you were stopped and ask about your trip.
- Ask for your driver's license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration. If the documents are out of reach, tell the officer where they are and wait for acknowledgment before retrieving them.
- Show law enforcement credentials if not in uniform. If they do not, you may ask to see them.
The officer may also ask you to exit the vehicle — keep your hands visible, exit, and stand where directed — and may issue a warning, issue a ticket, or make an arrest.
Disagreements
If you have questions, respectfully ask the officer to clarify. If you disagree with the officer's decision, do not prolong the contact by arguing — contest it in court through established legal channels. Your acceptance and signature on a traffic ticket is not an admission of guilt. If you believe the officer acted inappropriately, contact the officer's agency and ask to speak to a supervisor, as soon as possible after the stop.
5. Littering
It is unlawful to throw, scatter, spill, or place solid waste — or to cause it to be thrown, scattered, spilled, or placed:
- in or on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare, including any portion of the right of way, or any other public lands, except in containers or areas lawfully provided. When solid waste is thrown or discarded from a motor vehicle, the operator or owner of the motor vehicle, or both, shall be deemed in violation;
- in or on any waters of the state;
- in or on any private property, unless the owner has given prior written consent and the waste will not cause a public nuisance or violate other law; or
- raw human waste from any train, aircraft, motor vehicle, or vessel on public or private lands or waters.
Anyone found guilty of littering on Mississippi's roads, highways, interstates, or within their rights-of-way shall be fined. Keep a trash bag in the vehicle.
6. Worked Scenarios and Exam Traps
Scenario A: Reaching for the Glovebox
An officer approaches the passenger window at night. The driver immediately leans across to open the glovebox for the registration. Analysis: Wrong sequence. The manual instructs drivers to wait for the officer's instructions before reaching for the license or vehicle documents, and to keep hands visible. If the documents are out of reach, say where they are and wait for acknowledgment. The driver should also have turned on the interior light.
Scenario B: The Six-Hour Drive
A driver leaves Southaven for Biloxi, roughly six hours, on five hours of sleep and plans to drive straight through. Analysis: Two violations of the manual's fatigue guidance. Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep for daytime alertness, and long trips call for a stop about every 100 miles or 2 hours. Fatigue degrades vision and lengthens decision time — the same two faculties alcohol attacks.
Critical Exam Traps
- The Hand Position Trap: Mississippi teaches 3 and 9, and says 2 and 10 is no longer recommended because of airbags.
- The Order Trap: The pre-drive checklist fastens the seat belt before adjusting the mirrors, and adjusts the seat before the belt.
- The Signature Trap: Signing a ticket is not an admission of guilt, and arguing at the roadside is not the remedy — court is.
Where does the Mississippi Driver's Manual say your hands should be placed on the steering wheel, and why?
An officer has stopped you at night on a Mississippi highway. Which sequence matches the Driver's Manual guidance?
What does the Mississippi Driver's Manual recommend to manage fatigue on a long trip?
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