Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasySpace Behind and Tailgaters

A driver in an urban freight corridor notices that a passenger car is tailgating closely behind the commercial vehicle. According to standard commercial vehicle safety guidelines, which defensive driving action should the commercial driver take?

  1. A
    Accelerate briskly to widen the gap between both vehicles.
  2. Add more space ahead of the commercial vehicle to allow for gradual braking.Answer
  3. C
    Tap the service brakes sharply to warn the tailgater to back away.
  4. D
    Drive along the road shoulder until the tailgating vehicle passes.

Answer

Add more space ahead of the commercial vehicle to allow for gradual braking.
The correct action is to add more space ahead of the commercial vehicle. Because a driver cannot control the tailgater's actions directly, increasing the forward space cushion ensures that any deceleration can be gentle and gradual, protecting both vehicles from an abrupt stop.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the hazard created by the tailgating vehicle behind the commercial unit.
Recognized that the following driver has inadequate stopping distance if an abrupt stop occurs.
Tailgaters cannot stop safely during sudden decelerations due to reduced reaction distance.
2
Determine the defensive action within the driver's direct control to mitigate this risk.
Select the strategy of opening up additional following distance ahead of the truck.
A larger forward space cushion provides the time and distance needed to slow down slowly and avoid abrupt braking.

Key Concept

Managing space behind by increasing forward following distance and avoiding sudden maneuvers.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Space Behind and Tailgaters

More questions from this topic