5.4 Driving Situations: City, Highway, Work Zones & Road Hazards
Key Takeaways
- In city driving a motorist should look at least 12 seconds ahead — about one block at 25 mph — and reduce speed to buy reaction time in heavy traffic.
- Pedestrians and people using wheelchairs or mobility-assistance vehicles always have the right of way in a crosswalk, whether the crosswalk is marked or unmarked.
- A weave lane is both an entrance and an exit for an expressway, and the motorist entering from the entrance ramp must yield to the motorist leaving the expressway.
- Through cities, a motorist should use the left or centre lane during rush hour to avoid merge conflicts and should search for exits early.
- If a vehicle becomes disabled, pull as far onto the shoulder or median as possible, turn on emergency flashers, raise the hood, stay belted inside with the doors locked, and never get into a stranger's vehicle.
5.4 Driving Situations: City, Highway, Work Zones & Road Hazards
Quick Answer: In the city, look at least 12 seconds ahead — about one block at 25 mph — and slow down to buy reaction time. On highways, stay alert precisely because the road feels easy. In a weave lane, the entering driver yields to the exiting driver. In work zones, fines are doubled. If your vehicle becomes disabled, pull off, flashers on, hood up, stay belted inside with the doors locked.
City Driving
Heavier traffic and more pedestrians demand a different kind of attention than open road driving. The manual's instruction is to cooperate with other motorists, drive more slowly, and watch the movements of others — being especially careful about pedestrians and less-visible vehicles such as bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, motorized wheelchairs, and mobility-assistance vehicles.
Pedestrians and individuals in wheelchairs or mobility-assistance vehicles always have the right of way in a crosswalk, whether that crosswalk is marked or unmarked.
The 12-Second Rule
A motorist should be able to see an object far enough ahead that it takes at least 12 seconds to reach it. At 25 mph on a clear city road, that is about one block ahead. When traffic is heavy you need extra reaction time, which means driving more slowly — and here is the key insight: by reducing speed, a motorist gains time. The 12-second scan is not a fixed distance you strain to see; it is a speed you choose so the distance you can already see equals 12 seconds.
Intersections in the City
Many new motorists simply fail to see intersections at all. Build these habits:
- In the middle of a block, check intersections ahead for traffic controls.
- Approaching an intersection, reduce speed, glance left then right, and keep your foot on the brake.
- At a crosswalk, the vehicle should be at its lowest speed. Decide whether to stop or cross, take quick glances around, and proceed only if clear.
Watch especially for uncontrolled intersections with no lights or signs. Do not assume a roadway is protected because it is wide, smooth, or busy. If there are no traffic signals, there is no traffic control — avoiding the crash is entirely up to you. Look. Listen. Think.
Highway Driving
Crashes and deaths happen on highways in good weather on dry roads. Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions is among the most prevalent contributing factors.
Major highways are usually in good condition and often have four or more lanes. The danger is psychological: wide-open space invites you to relax your attention. Some highways have no signals at crossroads, so drive defensively, stay within the speed limit, and be ready to react to the unexpected.
Highways through cities are a distinct case: traffic volume can rise dramatically and speeds may slow to a crawl. During rush hour, drive in the left or centre lane to avoid merge conflicts, and search for exits early so you can adjust position in time.
Weave lanes. A weave lane is both an entrance and an exit for an expressway — traffic comes onto and leaves the expressway at the same location. This creates conflicts in both speed and space for the driver on the ramp, the driver on the expressway, and the driver exiting. The motorist entering from the entrance ramp must yield the right-of-way to the motorist leaving the expressway.
Toll booths. Stay alert for toll booth signs and begin reducing speed early, because traffic may be backed up. Green lights or signals mark open booths. Be aware of E-ZPass booths and lanes, including high-speed E-ZPass lanes. Leaving a toll plaza, search traffic on both sides for merging vehicles, accelerate smoothly, and adjust speed to the flow.
Hills, Bridges, Curves and Animal Country
Watch for signs warning of hills, dips, narrow bridges, bumps, and railroad tracks, and slow down in those areas. If you are moving too fast you may not be able to slow in time — and speeding then braking firmly can cause a skid or a spin.
Be cautious in farm country or open land where livestock or deer may cross. Slow down until the animal has passed. Animals make unexpected moves.
For curves specifically: slow down before entering and avoid drifting into another lane. Watch for vehicles drifting into your lane, and check for Curve Ahead warning signs and their recommended speeds.
Construction Zones and Work Zones
Traffic fines are doubled for motor vehicle violations committed in New Jersey roadway construction zones (N.J.S.A. 39:4-203.5). Work zones are identified by an advance warning sign or flashing lights on a vehicle up to one-half mile before the work area, and end at an End Road Work sign or the last temporary traffic control device.
You may encounter a detour onto another roadway or a diversion onto a temporary roadway such as a median crossover or lane shift. Flaggers may control traffic, and disobeying one is citable.
The work-zone driving checklist: stay alert, pay close attention to signs and flaggers, turn on headlights, do not tailgate, do not speed, minimize distractions — including hands-free conversations — expect the unexpected, and be patient.
Disabled Vehicles
Two situations, two protocols.
Seeing a disabled vehicle ahead: reduce speed and increase the space between you and the disabled vehicle, changing lanes if you can. Be alert for pedestrians, tow trucks, and police vehicles — and remember that New Jersey's Move Over law applies to disabled vehicles displaying hazard lights, flares, or reflective triangles, not just to emergency vehicles.
If your own vehicle becomes disabled:
- Pull off as far as possible onto the shoulder or median.
- Turn on emergency flashers.
- Raise the hood to signal for assistance.
- Stay in the vehicle, keep your seat belt on, and lock the doors.
- Use a cell phone to call for help if you have one.
- Ask anyone who stops to go to a phone and call for assistance.
- Do not get into a stranger's vehicle.
For an emergency stop on a highway with paved shoulders, signal and turn onto the shoulder at or near traffic speed, then begin to slow. Where the shoulder is unpaved, signal and slow to a safe speed before turning off. Once stopped, turn on parking or emergency lights, never block your taillights at night by standing behind the vehicle, put a flare or warning device just behind the vehicle and another at least 300 feet back (about 120 paces), and raise the hood.
Being Stopped by Police
The Attorney General's guidance printed in the Driver Manual is straightforward and occasionally tested: pull over in a safe place as soon as possible; be courteous; keep licence, insurance card, and registration somewhere easy to access; turn down the music; at night, turn on the dome or interior lights; roll down your window; keep your hands visible, preferably on the steering wheel; do not make sudden movements or reach into areas the officer cannot see without telling the officer first; and stay calm. Failing to comply with an officer's request to illuminate the driver's compartment carries a $50 fine (N.J.S.A. 39:4-57.1).
Key Exam Traps & Common Misconceptions
- Trap 1: 12 seconds is a speed decision. If you cannot see 12 seconds ahead, you are driving too fast for the environment.
- Trap 2: In a weave lane, the entering driver yields. The instinct to say "merging traffic has priority" is wrong here.
- Trap 3: Left or centre lane through a city. Counter-intuitive, but it avoids the constant entrance/exit merge conflicts of the right lane.
- Trap 4: Stay in the disabled vehicle. Belted, doors locked, hood up — not standing on the shoulder or behind the car.
In city driving, how far ahead should a motorist look, and what does that distance correspond to at 25 mph?
During rush hour on a highway that runs through a city, which lane does the New Jersey Driver Manual recommend?
Your vehicle breaks down on a busy highway shoulder at night. What does the New Jersey Driver Manual instruct you to do?
How far behind a disabled vehicle should a second warning device be placed during an emergency highway stop?