Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

When traveling through a multi-lane intersection on a green light, if a high-sided commercial vehicle in the adjacent lane decelerates without applying its turn signal, a defensive driver should maintain speed and proceed past the truck since your lane has an active right-of-way.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Defensive driving principles dictate that when a vehicle ahead or adjacent decelerates at an intersection without an obvious cause, drivers must anticipate obscured hazards—such as pedestrians or turning vehicles—and ease off the accelerator or cover the brake rather than maintaining speed.
The correct evaluation is false because a defensive driver anticipates potential hidden hazards. When an adjacent high-profile vehicle slows down at an intersection, it frequently conceals pedestrians or turning traffic. Continuing at speed through an obscured corridor creates an extreme collision risk.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the driving environment and identified hazard condition.
Recognized that a high-sided adjacent vehicle creates a blind zone at an intersection.
Large vehicles block the forward field of view, preventing drivers from seeing crossing pedestrians, bicycles, or turning traffic.
2
Evaluate the behavior of the adjacent vehicle.
The unexpected deceleration of the adjacent vehicle indicates a likely hazard in or near the roadway ahead.
Drivers often slow down for vulnerable road users or obstructions before those hazards enter neighboring lanes.
3
Determine the appropriate defensive driving reaction.
Ease off the gas, cover the brake, and prepare to stop instead of asserting right-of-way at posted speeds.
Asserting right-of-way without visual verification increases crash severity and eliminates reaction time.

Key Concept

Defensive Hazard Anticipation and Visual Obstruction Management
Rate this question

Topics

Defensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

More questions from this topic