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Difficulty: MediumDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

You are driving in the right lane of a multi-lane roadway and notice traffic coming to a stop far ahead. A vehicle directly behind you is tailgating closely. Which of the following actions demonstrates proper defensive driving to minimize collision risk?

  1. Tap your brakes lightly and ease off the accelerator early to decelerate gradually, expanding your front space cushion and giving the tailgater more time to stop.Answer
  2. B
    Brake hard immediately to force the tailgating driver to increase their following distance.
  3. C
    Swerve quickly into the left lane without making a shoulder head check to bypass the stopping traffic.
  4. D
    Maintain your speed until the last possible moment before braking hard so the tailgater stays behind you at a constant distance.

Answer

Tap your brakes lightly and ease off the accelerator early to decelerate gradually, expanding your front space cushion and giving the tailgater more time to stop.
The correct action is to decelerate early and gradually by releasing the gas pedal and applying light brake pressure. This flashes brake lights to alert the driver behind early, extends their available stopping distance, and allows a larger cushion to be built in front of the vehicle to avoid sudden stops.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the multi-vehicle hazard context
Recognize that stopping traffic ahead paired with a tailgating vehicle behind creates a high-risk sandwich scenario.
Defensive driving requires anticipating hazards both ahead of and behind your vehicle simultaneously.
2
Adjust speed gradually and expand front buffer space
Lightly tapping the brake pedal illuminates brake lights early to alert the tailgater while easing off the accelerator smooths out deceleration.
Gradual braking extends the available stopping distance for the vehicle behind, while additional space in front allows a smoother, safer stop.

Key Concept

Hazard anticipation and space cushion management with tailgaters
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Topics

Defensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

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