Explain requirements for obtaining an Alabama Learner License and an Alabama Driver License, including any restrictions.
Identifying individuals who may not be licensed
Listing costs for obtaining and requirements for renewing various types of licenses
Explaining the Alabama Graduated Driver License law
Identifying the difference between suspension, revocation, and cancellation of driving privileges
Explaining the difference between driving as a privilege versus driving as a right
Describe Alabama’s basic speed law.
Comparing statutory, posted, and advisory speed limits
List situations that require drivers to bring vehicles to a complete stop.
Examples: approaching a school bus displaying red flashing lights and stop signal arm, exiting private property or parking lots, turning right on red, approaching a flagman directing traffic
Describing legal requirements and safe driving practices concerning school and church buses
Name situations that require drivers to yield right-of-way.
Examples: approaching and entering intersections, making left turns, entering highways, approaching railroad grade crossings, encountering emergency vehicles
Describe traffic signs and pavement markings that regulate various passing situations.
Identify traffic signs, traffic signals, and pavement markings as basic types of traffic controls.
Interpret Alabama’s Safety Belt and Child Restraint laws.
Explain requirements mandated by the Alabama Department of Public Safety regarding motor vehicle registration and the Mandatory Liability Insurance Act.
Example: storing vehicle tag receipt and proof of vehicle liability insurance in the driving compartment
Identify responsibilities of owning and operating a vehicle, including factors involved in purchasing a vehicle, purchasing insurance, and maintaining a vehicle.
Examples: purchasing vehicle–fuel economy, financing purchasing vehicle; insurance–costs, types of coverage; vehicle maintenance–checking fluid levels, tire pressure, tire tread depth, and condition of belts
Describe proper procedures for pre-starting, starting, and stopping a vehicle.
Explain basic maneuvers of driving, including steering, braking, passing, lane changing, merging, parking, signaling, and turning.
Examples: steering–hand-over-hand, push-pull-feed; braking–antilock brakes versus conventional brakes; parking–uphill with or without a curb, downhill with or without a curb, angle, perpendicular, parallel; turning–right, left, three-point
Explain defensive driving techniques, including the Smith System and the search, identify, predict, decide, and execute (SIPDE) process.
Analyze data regarding inexperienced drivers and traffic collisions.
Evaluating the negative impact of peer influence on youthful drivers
Explaining the relationship between speed and traffic fatalities
Identifying distractions that result in inattention while driving
Example: using cellular telephones while driving
Explain how alcohol and other drugs affect driving ability.
Identifying prescription and nonprescription drugs as two general types of drugs
Explaining the synergistic effect of alcohol and other drugs
Explaining Alabama’s driving under the influence (DUI) law, including levels of influence, consequences, implied consent, actual physical control, and zero tolerance
Describing effects of emotional and physical short-term impairments on driving
Examples: emotional–anger causing aggressive driving or road rage, extreme sadness causing lack of attention to driving; physical–suffering from illness, injury, fatigue
Describe driver responsibilities toward other highway users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and drivers of commercial vehicles and buses.
Examples: recognizing locations where other highway users may appear, recognizing rights of other highway users, anticipating actions of other highway users, locating no zone“ areas of large vehicles analyzing stopping distances for large vehicles“
Identify dangerous driving situations that may occur on rural roads and urban streets.
Examples: rural roads–unfenced animals, slow-moving farm equipment, off-road vehicles; urban streets–parked cars, pedestrians, one-way thoroughfares
Describing correct procedures for entering and exiting limited and controlled access highways
Describing correct procedures to follow when confronted with road emergencies and collisions
Examples: emergencies–tire failure, engine overheating, engine failure, objects in roadway, hydroplaning; collisions–head-on, side-impact, rear-end
Explaining proper procedures for reporting traffic accidents
Examples: driver responsibilities, witness responsibilities
Explaining methods to minimize risks during ideal conditions, adverse road conditions, and periods of reduced visibility
Examples: increasing following distance, using headlights, cleaning windshield often, reducing speed
Explaining safe procedures for approaching and driving through various railroad grade crossings
