Question

Difficulty: EasyDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

You are driving down a residential street lined with parked cars. Which of the following is the best defensive driving practice to anticipate potential hazards?

  1. Scan under and between parked vehicles for feet or wheels, and maintain extra space from parked cars.Answer
  2. B
    Drive at the maximum posted speed limit because you have the legal right-of-way over parked vehicles.
  3. C
    Depend solely on your side mirrors to monitor any activity along the parked vehicles.
  4. D
    Come to a complete stop beside every parked car to verify that no passengers are inside.

Answer

Scan under and between parked vehicles for feet or wheels, and maintain extra space from parked cars.
Defensive driving requires visual scanning techniques such as checking under and between parked cars for early warning signs of pedestrians or pets, accompanied by keeping a safe lateral distance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify potential hazard sources in the driving environment.
Recognize that parked cars block line-of-sight to pedestrians, children, and emerging vehicles.
Visual obstructions reduce response time if a hazard enters the roadway.
2
Apply targeted scanning techniques for early detection.
Look for low-level indicators such as shadows, feet, or turning wheels between and beneath vehicles.
Ground-level visual cues provide the earliest warning of moving hazards.
3
Create a safety margin of speed and space.
Adjust speed downward and shift your vehicle slightly away from parked cars if safe to do so.
Lower speeds and lateral buffer space increase total stopping distance buffer.

Key Concept

Defensive hazard anticipation involves looking ahead for early visual cues and creating a space cushion around potential hazards.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question