Drivers exercise due care — Alaska Permit Test

Every driver must exercise care to avoid crashes with pedestrians, animals or other vehicles, must be able to stop if necessary, and shall slow down when circumstances require.

The law expects a driver to see trouble coming and slow for it, not only to react after it appears.

You must be able to stop if necessary and shall slow down when circumstances require.

For the due-care rule, pedestrians include people walking or riding a bicycle.

A cyclist is as unprotected as a walker, so a driver owes them the same care.

Every driver of a vehicle must exercise care to avoid crashes with pedestrians (people walking or riding a bicycle), an animal or another vehicle.

A railroad crossing, intersection, bridge, sharp turn, curve or steep downgrade is a circumstance where a driver must watch, slow down and be able to stop.

These are places where the road hides what is ahead or leaves less room, so speed must drop before you reach them.

A railroad crossing, intersection, bridge, sharp turn, curve, or steep downgrade.

Red reflectors, red flags or flares are a circumstance where a driver must watch, slow down and be ready to stop.

Flares and red flags usually mean a crash or a stalled car ahead, and people may be standing in the road.

Red reflectors, red flags, or flares.

Orange flags and signs indicate a high hazard area, such as maintenance and construction.

Work zones put people and equipment close to traffic, and the orange warning gives time to slow before reaching them.

Orange flags and signs indicate “high hazard area” (maintenance and construction.)

Under the duty of due care, what must a driver do when circumstances require?

Slow down. The law expects a driver to see trouble coming and slow for it, not only to react after it appears. Alaska Driver Manual, p.30: “You must be able to stop if necessary and shall slow down when circumstances require.”