Question

Difficulty: MediumDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

When driving in urban or highway traffic, defensive driving principles require scanning the road 10 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle, rather than focusing only on the vehicle directly in front of you.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True. Defensive driving requires scanning 10 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle to detect hazards early and maintain a safe visual lead.
Maintaining a visual lead of 10 to 15 seconds ahead—roughly one city block in town or a quarter-mile on highways—gives drivers time to identify potential conflicts early and make smooth speed or lane adjustments.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the standard visual scanning distance recommended for defensive driving.
Defensive driving guidelines specify maintaining a visual lead of 10 to 15 seconds ahead of the vehicle.
Looking far ahead helps drivers anticipate changes in traffic flow and hazards before they necessitate sudden braking or sharp steering changes.

Key Concept

Visual lead distance and hazard anticipation
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