Vehicles transporting dangerous loads are marked with diamond shaped placards. Some of the placards have code numbers to let CHP and firefighters know what to do if the load is accidentally spilled.

These vehicles are required to stop before passing railroad tracks.

Poorly maintained vehicles may break down on the road and cause traffic congestion.

Aggressive drivers often tailgate, drive slowly in the fast lane, “cut off” other vehicles and gesture to other drivers.

New California traffic law (effective January 1, 2019) requires the driver of a vehicle, on a public street or highway, that is approaching or overtaking a stopped waste service vehicle, to pass at a safe distance without interfering with the operation of the waste service vehicle and with due regard to safety and traffic conditions.

In heavy rain at high speed the tires lose contact with the road and your vehicle will be riding on water ( hydroplaning). A slight change of direction or a gust of wind may cause skidding and loss of control over the vehicle.

If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you should NOT apply the brakes but allow the vehicle to slow down gradually.

When it just starts to rain, after a long dry spell, roads are the most slippery because the oil and dust have not yet washed away.

Roads in the shade freeze first and dry out last, therefore they are more slippery than roads in the sun.

On a hot day, the heat causes the oil in the asphalt pavement to rise to the surface and when it starts to rain, the wet surface becomes very slippery because the oil floats on the water.

Do NOT use cruise control in high wind areas because it does not allow you to reduce your speed rapidly should a sudden gust of wing occur.

When driving in fog you should use the LOW-BEAM headlights, not the high-beam headlights.

You must turn on your headlights if visibility is less than 1000 feet.

You must turn on your headlights from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

When approaching a hill or a curve and the view beyond it is blocked, you should slow down to a speed that will allow you to stop for any hazard.

A traffic break is created by Highway Patrol cars with their emergency back lights on. Traffic breaks are used to slow or stop traffic in order to remove hazards from the road, prevent collisions in very heavy traffic or fog and to conduct emergency operations.

You are not allowed to pass a patrol car that is conducting a Traffic Break as long as the emergency lights are on and as long as it is driving in a zigzag manner.