Chapter 1
Lesson
2
THE HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
As a licensed driver, you must use the vast network of
highways, streets, and roads that crisscross the US.
Each day, millions of drivers share these roadways. As
you prepare to join the other drivers on the road, road,
remember that your goal is not just to learn to drive. It
is to learn to navigate roads and highways safely and
responsibly.
WHAT IS THE HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM?
Motor vehicles, streets and highways, and people are the components of the highway
transportation system (HTS). The main goal of this complex system is to enable people and
goods to move from place to place as safely and efficiently as possible whether they are cyclists,
pedestrians, or drivers.
Nearly 4 million miles of different kinds of roadways link the
towns, cities, counties, and states of the US. These roadways
include twisting country roads, vehicle-choked city streets,
and multilane superhighways. Some roadways are smooth
and well maintained, while others are riddled with cracks.,
bumps, and potholes. Driving the very different roads within
the HTS can be a challenge, especially at night or in poor
weather.
HISTORY OF THE HTS
Human beings have been walking, running, pushing, riding,
paddling, and sailing for many centuries. With the invention of
the wheel in 3500 B.C., humans began developing carts and
wagons that made it possible to move people and goods more
easily. Continuing improvements of goods and people ultimately
lead to today’s highway transportation system.
It’s hard to believe, but in the US ,
the HTS is only about 200 years
old. Originally, horses outnumbered cars. In 1902, only 23,000
motor vehicles and more than 17 million horses used a highway
system that had 150 miles of paved roadway. Today, over 230
million registered motor vehicles travel a total or 42 trillion miles
a year on 4+ million miles of paved roadways. It is rare to see a
horse on the roadway. but it certainly is not rare to see another
motor vehicle when you are out for a ride.
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Motor vehicles are no longer a novelty, they are a basic necessity. Today, motor vehicles move a
majority of people and goods. If motor-vehicle traffic stopped tomorrow, 60 percent of freight
would not arrive at its destination and 690 % of
personal trips would not occur. In the last ten years
alone, personal trips by motor vehicle increase 11%
(including 2% alone in the year after 8/11). Since the
numbers of motor vehicles actually exceed s the
number of licensed drivers, motor vehicles are the first
choice for moving goods and people.
DESIGNING GOOD HIGHWAYS
Early American roads were built along the routes of existing trails. Many were constructed with
little or no thought to the future. Nowadays, an army of engineers designs highways that are
more complex.
Engineers must determine the best route, taking into consideration all the people who will use the
road. They also plan the construction of bridges
along the route, exit and entrance ramps, the
location of traffic signs, and anything else pertaining
to the highway. Curves must be planned carefully
to make sure they are banked, or tilted, properly so
that vehicles won’t run off the roadway.
VEHICLES
More than 230 million registered vehicles travel the
HTS. These range from large vehicles, such as
tractor-trailers and buses, to small vehicles, such as motorcycles and mopeds. Along the HTS,
you see vehicles of every imaginable description, from flashy new luxury cars to battered old
pickup trucks.
Vehicles also vary in how difficult they are to handle and drive. A heavy truck for instance, does
not accelerate, steer, or brake the same way that a lightweight sports car does. Motor vehicles
vary, too, in safety features and intheir ability to provide protection to drivers and passengers in
case of collision, or crash. For example, drivers of solidly built vehicles equipped with air bags
are far less vulnerable to inury than are drivers of subcompact cars or motorcycles. how well an
owner cares for his or her vehicle also affects if performance and safety.
DRIVERS
The highway transportation system is often crowded. More than 194 million licensed drivers
and 55 million pedestrians and bicyclist use the HTS—in other words, just about everyone!
Most of these drivers, riders, and walkers act responsibly when using the roads. Unfortunately,
some people behave an unsafe or irresponsible manner. They drive recklessly, cross streets
without looking, or weave their motorcycles or bikes through heavy traffic. Such people pose a
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Chapter 1
serious danger to other roadway users. As a driver, you must anticipate and learn to cope with
these unsafe practices.
How is the HTS Regulated?
Federal, state, and local governments work together to regulate the highway
transportation system. For example, federal law established a maximum speed
limit of 55 miles per hour on all US roadways in 1974. This law as changed in
1995 to allow individual states to set their own highway speed limits. State and
local police enforce speed limits and all other traffic laws.
FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS
To set uniform standards for vehicle and driver safety, the federal government made two
important laws.
The national Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act requires automakers to build certain safety
features into their vehicles, such as safety belts and shatterproof windows. this law also requires
manufactures to correct vehicle defects discovered after vehicle models are sold.
The national Highway Safety Act establishes specific guidelines for State motor vehicle safety
programs. Each state must follow these federal guidelines. Guidelines govern vehicle
registration and inspection, driver licensing, traffic laws and traffic courts, and highway
construction and maintenance. The National Highway Safety Act also allows each state to make
its own laws concerning highway safety. Many of these state laws are specific interest to
teenage drivers. In 38 states, for example, teens under certain age—usually 17 or 18—are not
allowed to drive at night. In some states, teenagers must be enrolled in high school before they
can get and keep their driver’s licenses.
Cities and towns, too, pass driving regulations that affect drivers within their city limits. In
many cities, for instance, drivers must turn right at red lights except where expressly prohibited.
Review
1. What are the three parts of the highway transportation system?
2. Who regulates the highway transportation system? Give examples.
3. Summarize what the HTS is and how it is regulated.
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