Fresh out of the Idaho Driver's Manual (2017).. Good to know traffic laws

Using Your Turn Signals

Always give a turn signal when you:

• Change lanes or pass another vehicle.

• Turn at an intersection or into a driveway.

• Enter or leave a freeway or interstate highway.

• Pull away from a parked position along a road or street to enter the

traffic lane.

• Pull over to the side of the road.

Speed Limits

Following are important aspects of Idaho law concerning speed limits.

• Idaho’s “basic rule” law: Idaho law has a basic rule requiring you to drive at a speed that is “reasonable and prudent” at all times.

This applies to all streets and highways where maximum speed limits are set by law or posted. Whenever you are driving, you need to think about how your speed

affects other traffic (including pedestrians and bicycle riders). You also need to think about the road surface (the presence of ice, snow, rain, or rough pavement),

hazards at intersections, visibility, oncoming traffic, curves, and any other conditions that may affect safety. If you drive too fast for 2-3 existing conditions—even if

you are driving under the posted speed limit—you are violating the “basic rule” law.

Other Laws You Need to Know

• Lights: Headlamps and tail lamps must be lighted from sunset to sunrise and when poor visibility makes them necessary for safety. Headlamps must be dimmed

500 feet before meeting and 200 feet before overtaking another vehicle. When lights are needed for driving, use headlamps, not parking lights.

• Median Strip: It’s illegal to drive across a barrier or unpaved strip that separates two halves of a roadway except at an authorized opening or crossover. This is

not allowed on Interstate highways (freeways)—crossovers are for emergency vehicles only.

Keep Windows and Windshield Clear (Especially good to know in the winter) : Windows and windshields must be kept clean of signs, posters, and

stickers except those required by law. You must also clean windows of ice, snow, or dirt before driving to ensure that you have maximum visibility in all directions.