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Difficulty: Very hardSpeed Control and Following Distance

You are driving down a steep incline on a wet, slick road while towing a trailer. A vehicle ahead of you is moving at the posted speed limit of 45 mph45\text{ mph}. Based on safe driving practices and the Basic Speed Law, which of the following actions should you take?

  1. Increase your following distance to at least 55 to 66 seconds and reduce your speed below 45 mph45\text{ mph} as necessary to maintain complete control.Answer
  2. B
    Maintain the posted speed limit of 45 mph45\text{ mph} and the standard 33-second following distance, because traveling below the posted limit creates an illegal hazard.
  3. C
    Maintain a 33-second following distance while applying constant brake pressure down the hill to counteract the weight of the trailer.
  4. D
    Reduce your following distance to 22 seconds to maintain continuous visual contact with the pavement directly behind the lead vehicle.

Answer

Increase your following distance to at least 5 to 6 seconds and reduce your speed below the posted speed limit as necessary to maintain control.
When facing compounded hazards such as slick roads, steep downgrades, and towing additional weight, stopping distances increase dramatically. The Basic Speed Law requires drivers to adjust speed below posted limits if conditions demand it, while defensive driving standards call for expanding following distance to 5 to 6 seconds or more to ensure a sufficient safety margin.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify compounding hazards in the scenario
Recognize three major risk factors: wet pavement (reduced traction), steep downgrade (gravity increasing acceleration), and towing a trailer (increased momentum and stopping distance).
Safe vehicle speed and following distance must be dynamically adjusted for environmental and vehicle load conditions.
2
Apply the Basic Speed Law
Determine that driving at the maximum posted limit of 45 mph may be unsafe given the combined hazards.
The Basic Speed Law dictates that a driver must never travel faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of posted speed limits.
3
Calculate the expanded following distance cushion
Expand the standard 3-second dry-road following distance to at least 5 to 6 seconds.
Additional weight combined with low friction requires substantially more time and distance to bring the vehicle combination to a safe stop.

Key Concept

Speed Control and Following Distance under Multi-Hazard Conditions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Speed Control and Following Distance

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