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8 | LIFE IN SOLERA | AUGUST 2024 | One of the many great aspects of Solera is providing residents the opportunity to lead a healthy, active, and peaceful lifestyle. This includes ensuring safe driving in the community so that drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others can enjoy being out on our beautiful streets. To help encourage safe driving in our community, Solera hosted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) "Age Well, Drive Smart" course in May. If you couldn't attend and/or you want to check your knowledge of safe driving habits, take the following quiz that covers some of the key points made at the class. 1. True or false? Since Solera has private roads, we do not need to adhere to California traffic laws. Answer: False. All traffic laws apply to anyone driving in the Solera community. Anyone reported to HOA management violating traffic laws are subject to enforcement including warnings, then fines for multiple violations. 2. What side of the street should pedestrians travel on streets without sidewalks? a. Right hand side (same direction of motor vehicle traffic). b. Left hand side (opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic). Answer: b. Left hand side. CA Vehicle Code 21956 states that pedestrians are required to walk on the left-hand side of a street. This allows them to see oncoming traffic. 3. What side of the street should bicyclists travel? a. Right hand side (same direction of motor vehicle traffic). b. Left hand side (opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic). Answer: a. Right hand side. Additionally, bicyclists should obey traffic laws, including stopping at stop signs, and using hand signals to indicate turns. 4. True or false? Using a turn signal to indicate a turn or a lane change only needs to be done if other cars are present. Answer: False. Some of the most common accidents among seniors occur at intersections and/or when making turns. Using a turn signal before turning or making lane changes is not just a courtesy, but it's the law (CA Vehicle Code 22108). This applies even if you don't see anyone else around. Additionally, you should always look in all directions before turning, and watch for other vehicles as well as people on foot, bikes, scooters, etc. 5. You are approaching a stop sign in Solera, and don't see anyone else around. What should you do? a. Slow down to at least 10 mph, and proceed with caution through the intersection. b. Honk your horn lightly to ensure anyone around knows you are going through the intersection, just in case there's someone there you don't see. c. Come to a full stop. Also, use your turn signal if you intend to make a turn. Answer: c. Come to a full stop. CA Vehicle Code 22450 states that all drivers must come to a complete stop at stop signs. This applies even if you don't see anyone else around. Again, many of the accidents that seniors are involved in occur at intersections because of not stopping or turning properly. 6. What is the best way to determine how much distance to put between you and the car in front of you when driving on streets and highways? a. Use the three second rule. b. Be at least two to three cars length away. c. Be at least 50 feet away. Answer: a. Use the three second rule. This involves allowing three seconds of space between your vehicle and the vehicle driving in front of you. To do this, choose any stationary object that is on the side of the road in front of the car you are behind. When the car in front of you passes the object, start counting to three (one one- thousand, two one-thousand, three one thousand, and so on). If your car passes the object before you get to three, then slow down and allow more space. In wet or poor visibility conditions, add even more time/space between you and the next car. Safe Driving Test