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Difficulty: MediumDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

When stopped at an intersection waiting to make a left turn across oncoming traffic, keeping your front wheels pointed straight ahead until you are actually ready to turn is a critical defensive driving technique.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True. Drivers waiting to execute a left turn should keep their front wheels pointed straight ahead until initiating the turn to prevent being pushed into oncoming traffic if struck from behind.
Keeping the front wheels aligned straight ahead while waiting to turn left prevents the vehicle from being forced into the path of oncoming traffic if struck from behind by a rear-end collision.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary collision risk while stationary in a left-turn lane.
Recognize that a rear-end impact from trailing traffic is a major potential hazard.
Defensive drivers anticipate potential hazards caused by other road users.
2
Analyze vehicle trajectory upon impact based on front wheel position.
Wheels pointed straight direct force forward along the lane, while wheels turned left direct force diagonally into oncoming lanes.
Vehicle physics dictate that impact force pushes the vehicle in the direction the front wheels are aligned.
3
Evaluate the defensive driving recommendation.
Confirming that straight wheel positioning prevents secondary head-on collisions makes the statement true.
Minimizing severe collision exposure is a core goal of defensive driving.

Key Concept

Defensive Wheel Alignment and Impact Vector Mitigation
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Defensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

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