Safe Driving Rules

Safe Driving Rules

In order to drive tank vehicles safely, you must remember to follow all the safe driving rules. A few of these rules include the following:

Drive Smoothly

Because of the high center of gravity and the surge of the liquid, you must start, slow down, and stop very smoothly. You must also make smooth turns and lane changes.

Controlling Surge

Keep a steady pressure on the brakes and do not release them too soon when coming to a stop. Brake far in advance of a stop and increase your following distance.

If you must make a quick stop to avoid a crash, use controlled or stab braking. If you do not remember how to stop the vehicle by using these braking methods, review lesson 2. Also, remember that if you steer quickly while braking, your vehicle may roll over.

Curves

Slow down before curves, then accelerate slightly though the curve. The posted speed for a curve may be too fast for a tank vehicle.

Stopping Distance

Keep in mind how much space you need to stop your vehicle. Remember that wet roads double the normal stopping distance. Empty tank vehicles may take longer to stop than full ones.

Skids

Don’t over-steer, over-accelerate, or over-brake. If you do, your vehicle may skid. On tank trailers, if your drive wheels or trailer wheels begin to skid, your vehicle may jackknife. When any vehicle starts to skid, you must take immediate action to restore traction to the wheels.