Chapter 4 — Your Driving 61 potential exists for a crash between the bicyclist who is moving straight ahead  through the intersection and the motorist who is turning right. Driving in cities and towns can pose problems for some drivers. Traffic is  often heavy in urban areas. Watch for approaching traffic at side streets. When  driving in heavy traffic, be alert for drivers who make quick stops. To avoid a  rear-end crash by another vehicle, check your rear-view mirror often and stay  aware of dangerous situations that might exist behind you. If you intend to  make a turn and find that you are not in the proper lane, continue to the next  intersection and turn there. Rural highways can be narrow two-lane roads or multi-lane highways.  A paved secondary road is not always designed for heavy traffic or regular  highway speed. Most secondary roads are built for local transportation, and not  as main highways. On these roads, hills are likely to be steeper and curves are  likely to be sharper than on primary roads. Sight distances are often very short.  Secondary roads cannot be traveled safely at speeds that would be proper for  primary highways. Secondary Roads Driving on rural roads is often more dangerous than driving in heavy city  traffic because: Open Roads Other rules to follow when driving in cities: City Driving • Give yourself plenty of space to make decisions — leave a “margin of safety”  around your vehicle; • Communicate your intended movements to other drivers; • Watch the road far enough ahead of you to detect possibly dangerous  situations earlier and to take proper defensive actions; • Avoid driving side-by-side, especially in another driver’s blind spot — if you  cannot see the inside rear-view mirror of the car ahead, you are probably in  the driver’s blind spot; • Never “weave” in and out of traffic — stay in one lane if you can and plan  lane changes ahead of time; • Give proper signal in advance before changing lanes; • Be prepared to apply the brakes; • Watch for parked vehicles that might be pulling out and pedestrians who  might dart onto the street from between parked vehicles. Parked vehicles can  also block your view of intersecting traffic, driveways and alleys; and • On a one-way street, use the center lane(s) for through-travel and the outside  lanes for turning. • The road may not be as wide; • The lighting is often not as good; and/or • The travel speeds may be higher. • Stay alert for drivers who might be driving slower than the posted speed limit.