62 Chapter 4 — Your Driving Interstate Highways When driving on an interstate, follow these rules: Remember these tips when you drive: Interstate highways are safer roads because they have separate traffic lanes for  vehicles moving in opposite directions and fewer places where traffic can enter  and exit. Also, interstates do not have railroad crossings, sharp curves, stop signs  or traffic signals. For information about North Carolina’s toll roads, call the N.C. Quick Pass office  at 1-877-769-7277 or visit  www.myncquickpass.com . • Keep aware of vehicles in the lanes next to you. • Always have a possible “escape route” to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle. • If you see a line of vehicles approaching, watch for drivers who might be trying to pass. • Be especially alert to oncoming vehicles because they are only a few feet  away on some two-lane, undivided highways. • Use the vehicle's headlights when visibility becomes poor. • Maintain a safe following distance. • Watch for other vehicles, especially oversized and slow-moving ones. • Watch for warning signs that signal changes in the road. • Give particular attention to hidden intersections and driveways. • As your speed increases, look farther ahead. • When leaving the highway, signal your turn well in advance, and without  slowing down, enter the deceleration lane. Proceed at the posted exit speed limit. • If a vehicle breakdown forces you to stop, move far off the road. Tie a  white cloth on the radio aerial or left-door handle and raise the hood. If the  breakdown occurs at night, engage the vehicle’s emergency flashers or parking  lights. If you are a driver who spots a vehicle breakdown, immediately contact  the N.C. State Highway Patrol or local law enforcement; and • Never stop in the travel lane; • Stop at indicated rest areas frequently, preferably at least once every 100 miles; • Remember that faster speeds require greater stopping distances and times; • Do not tailgate. Keep a safe following distance for the speed you are traveling —  one of the most frequent types of crashes on an interstate highway is the rear– end crash — use the “two-second rule”; • Keep to the right, use the left lane(s) for passing; • When entering the interstate, use the acceleration lane until your vehicle’s speed  matches that of the other traffic and then merge safely; • Decide in advance where you must enter and exit the highway; • Be sure to check the vehicle’s water, oil, tires and gas before leaving on your trip; • Plan your trip in advance;