A very important aspect of responsible driving is being an informed driver. It is essential to the safety of yourself and of other drivers that you take your driving education seriously. You are expected to know the driving laws of anywhere you drive through, and you are expected to know how to operate all of the basic components of your vehicle. You can be held legally responsible for this information by law enforcement, which should indicate to you how critical it is that you know it.

Basic driving laws are the same throughout North America. Driving laws in Mexico are somewhat less regulated, but operate under the same basic principles as the rest of North America. The United States and Canada have driving laws that are almost identical, but different states and provinces are still free to have variations on those laws. The law enforcement agencies of different jurisdictions are not out to ensnare anyone with oddball driving laws, but they do expect every driver to abide by the driving laws of all jurisdictions.

Understanding your vehicle’s basic components is also very important to being an informed driver. There are features in your vehicle that are meant to assist you in almost any situation you can encounter on the road. It is important to your abilities as a driver that you understand how to use these features. For example, you should know what situations call for hazard lights and how to switch them on. You should know when to change gears to make the best use of your vehicles’s transmission. This includes knowledge of what to do in emergency situations, such as knowing to turn your wheel into a slide rather than turning against it.