Part V traffic rules

It is interesting to know

 Reading

Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

Highways

The highways in the United States are reasonably good, and it is not complicated to drive on them. They are numbered to show the direction of the highway. Highways with a number ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 - for example, Hwy 72 - go in an east-west direction. Highways numbered with 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9-for example, Hwy 79 - go north and south. Three numbers, such as 495, show that the highway circles a city so that motorists can avoid the downtown area or heavy city traffic.

Most highway exits are very clear, with the exit name and number on a sign above the road. Exits may lead to a town or onto another highway. On some ways, the exit lane is also the entrance lane for cars coming onto the highways. For this reason, motorists must be careful to use turn signals when exiting so that they don’t cause an accident with entering vehicles.

The speed limit on many large highways is 65 miles, or about 106 kilometers an hour. The speed is always lower on exits and entrances and is frequently lower when a highway passes through a heavily populated area. It is the law that motorists stay at or below the speed limit, pay attention to all traffic signals and wear safety belts. Motorists must also never throw anything out of the car windows. There are many laws against leaving paper and garbage on the highways.

If motorists remember how highways are numbered, drive within the speed limit, and pay attention to other rules of the road, they should have no problems driving on US highways.

* Hwy - the abbreviation for highway

a) 1. How do motorists know which direction they are travelling?

2. Why do some roads have three numbers?

3. How do motorists know which exit is the next?

4. What is unusual about highway exits in some parts of the US?

5. What must motorists be sure to do when exiting (for changing lanes)?

6. What is the speed limit on most highways in the US? When is it different?

7. What are several laws that motorists should remember?

b) 1. What reasons should a motorist have for driving backwards?

2. What are some typical loads that trucks carry?

3. What are some typical signals used to control traffic?

4. What traffic laws must motorists pay attention to in your country?

5. What are some problems large trucks can cause for car drivers?

6. Where is vehicular or motorised traffic usually not permitted? Why?

7. Describe the longest journey you have ever made.

8. How old must a person be to drive a motorized vehicle in your country?

Exercise 1

The answers in the dialogue below have several variants, and the dialogue is not finished. Choose your variant of the dialogue. Decide what could be added to complete the dialogue.

Ashley: What’s the matter? You look upset.

Sam: Wow, I really had a close call today.

Ashley : What happened?

Sam : I was driving south/turning a corner/parking/speeding/coming down the hill on Highway 163 when I had a blowout/flat tire.

Ashley : What did you do?

Sam : I took my foot off the brake and tried to steer to the side of the road, but the car began to skid.

Ashley : You are lucky no one hit you.

Sam : I sure am. Fortunately, I pulled over before anything happened/the car started to skid. I lost control of the car.

Ashley : After you stopped/pulled over/got out of the car what did you do?

Exercise 2

1.Marco was driving to work. He was going to drop his aunt, Adela, off at her friend’s house, but they didn’t get to their destinations. Why did it happen? To find out what happened put the story in order.