They say, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will do." Having really good directions to your destination will keep you from desperately looking for street and highway signs with resulting distraction and possible loss of control of your car. Here are some hints:

1. Get the name and number of roads, the name and number of your exit, and the name of the exit just before the one you want.

2. Find out the approximate time and distance from entering to exiting the road.

3. Look at a map before you leave to find the general directions and nearby roads in case of a detour due to construction or an accident.

4. In residential or business areas get some landmarks. "Turn right at the gas station at the bottom of a long hill."

5. Get parking instructions.

6. Before you leave your destination, ask for directions back home. One-way streets, curved roads, parks to go around, may make the return trip different.

Did you know:

1. On Interstate highways: even numbers run east-west, with the lower numbers beginning in the south, and odd numbers run north-south with the lower number beginning in the west; so, that route 20 is in the south, and route 40 is in our area. Route 1 is in California and route 95 is in the east.

2. On the Interstate a 3-digit number that begins with an even number e.g. 295, will take you around a city and rejoin the main road (in this case route 95), but a 3-digit number beginning with an odd number will not.

3. Exit signs with the small top portion on the left mean the exit is on the left.

4. In some areas exit signs are not consecutive, e.g. exit number 9 follows exit number 4, which means that exit 9 is 5 miles after exit 4.

5. We all know speed limit signs are black on white on rectangular signs, but exit ramp signs are black on yellow. Signs on white are mandatory, signs on yellow are advisory.

6. Signs that give warning e.g. Curve Ahead, Steep Hill, Hidden Driveway, are on diamond-shaped signs.

Sight obstructions are not only annoying but can be dangerous:

1. Tall bushes at corners making you inch out to see.

2. Tall vehicles parked at corners.

3. SUVs in parking lots. If you can, always move into an empty parking space so that you can exit forward. Backing up is always difficult - make sure to not use your mirrors alone. Turn around and look back with one hand on the wheel.

4. Cars with tinted windows prevent you from seeing through them to see traffic ahead, and do not allow eye contact with the other driver for communicating with hand signals about who should proceed first.

5. Watch for drivers of parked trucks or bus passengers crossing the street by going around the front of the vehicle into your path.

6. Low blinding sun early in the morning or late evening - sunglasses and sun visors only help somewhat, slowing down or driving at other times are the only solutions.

Other hazards:

1. Drivers opening their door into traffic.

2. Cars about to make a right turning swinging to the left before turning.

3. Drivers about to make a right-on-red turn not looking to the right for pedestrians.

Driving is a full-time job. The more knowledge and concentration you apply, the safer you will be.