If you are a new driver, especially a teen, or have moved to New York, make sure you have familiarised yourself with all the NY driving rules before you hit the road.
No matter how much you sacrificed most of your time in driving lessons and qualifications, looking at the NY driving rules is an excellent idea.
Failure to be well-versed in the NY driving laws may promote dangerous driving scenarios that will make you face unexpected penalties, fines, and suspension of your new driver’s license.
This article will cover the top driving rules for beginners in NY.
Let’s explore.
Best Driving Rules for Beginners
1. Adhere to Speed limits
Speed limit posts are always posted on every roadway in NY. Exceeding the NY road speed limit is directly against the law.
You are safe from getting a NY speeding ticket by just looking at the posted speed limit on the roadside and adhering to it. If there are no speed limits at the roadside, you can apply the general NY speed limit of around 55 mph.
2. Always Drive on the Right
It is a NY long-standing rule to be strictly obeyed by every driver. Motorists should adhere to the law of driving on the right side.
Driving on the left only applies when a driver overtakes other cars, avoids a barrier, drives along a one-way road, or travels along a multi-lane highway.
3. Slower Drivers Should Keep Right on a Multi-Lane Road
Multiple-lane highways have a rule that should be obeyed. It is a “keep right” rule where the slower vehicles should occupy the right lane to avoid inconvenience.
If you find yourself driving slowly on a multiple-lane traffic road, it is recommended that you drive to the far right-hand lane because it is set for the slowest vehicles.
4. Obey Traffic Signals, Pavement Markings and Road Signs
NY traffic control devices should be bow upon when you are behind the wheel. These control devices inform, guide, and direct you by offering tactile and visual indicators.
The traffic control devices command attention, fulfill your need, give enough time to respond appropriately, and convey a straightforward meaning. The primary purpose is to ensure the safety of those in and around the road traffic.
5. Signal When You Are Making Your Intentions
When you want to change lanes, turn, or pull your car out of any parking space, you should signal your incoming intentions to alert every driver that you are about to make something involving them moving away, stopping, or slowing down.
Signaling an intention is both a legal requirement and a safe practice for all drivers. The NY driver’s handbooks elaborate that drivers should signal their awaited intention and deactivate the car signal once the maneuver is done.
6. Ensure the Following Distance is Safe
The following distance should be safe to avoid a collision. It varies depending on the traffic and roadway conditions in that an appropriate distance in a situation may be considered unsafe to another road situation.
NY drivers should strictly maintain a safe distance from the car ahead without unexpectedly ruining the traffic flow.
The space depends on the traffic, your speed, weather condition, and the condition of the road surface.
7. Always Make Maneuvers Safely
NY drivers should consider making descent maneuvers without a due cation. Maneuvers are always permitted in NY but can still be illegal when misused by endangering other road users.
To be a professional driver, you should wait for a safe opportunity before executing a maneuver. Consider signaling first to show your maneuver intention.
8. Follow Reverse Rules
Baking up needs you to turn your body and head to the right to have a view through the car’s back window and beyond the headrest.
NY motorists are restricted from backing up their cars on highways with limited access or on roadway shoulders. Never reverse when in a search situation; otherwise, you may endanger other NY road drivers.
9. Avoid Distractions
Distractions are dangerous in that they can pull your attention away from the traffic. To avoid putting other drivers in danger, you should know how to avoid those distractions.
Some of the distractions most drivers endure include using mobile phones, interacting with someone in the car, eating, and sending text messages
10. Ensure Your Vehicle is Well Maintained
You should be responsible for making your car presentable in good condition. This will involve you pumping enough air in the tires, parking in the shade, driving carefully, topping up the fluid when needed, and making sure that the car’s exterior and interior lights are functioning well.
As the car’s owner, you should swap out some overused and worn parts, like window blades, spark plugs, timing belts, brake pads, and fluid and air filters.
11. Use Headlights Properly
Headlights aren’t only needed at night. You can also use them when it’s snowing. Hailing, sleeting, and raining where your visibility is low and you can’t see anything 500 feet ahead.
Turning the headlights on will make people see you and will play an essential role in ensuring you and those drivers around you are safe
12. Avoid Being Drunk While Driving
The results of mixing alcohol and driving are unspelt. Some drivers are relevant for the mishaps alcohol has caused nowadays, but they still misuse it.
A drunk driver can be weighed equal to a murderer because he has no control over the car and is likely to endanger himself and the lives of those around him. As a qualified driver, you should abstain from drunk driving to avoid inconveniences.
In NY, drunk drivers are killing machines in that they cause approximately 17000 deaths every year. Alcohol-related cases bring more than 30% of NY fatal crashes.
13. Ensure You Take a Look at the Cyclists, Motorcycles, and Pedestrians
Don’t underestimate the small-sized cyclists and motorcycles around you. Ensure you keep a good eye on the rear mirrors and your sides to check if there is any motorcycle before changing lanes or passing.
Also, ensure you keep a look at the pedestrians and cyclists when you are backing out, crossing through the streets, or turning.
Conclusion
It’s fun for new drivers to start driving on their own. But before they hit the road, they must familiarize themselves with the NY driving rules.
Following the driving rules described in the article above, everything will be simple for every new driver.
Once you have all the rules in your fingerprints, nothing will stop you from being a well-qualified NY driver.