Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

While driving through a residential area, you notice a ball roll into the street from between two parked vehicles ahead. Which of the following is the most appropriate defensive driving response?

  1. Ease off the accelerator and cover the brake pedal in anticipation of a child running into the street.Answer
  2. B
    Maintain your posted speed while continuously sounding the horn to warn nearby pedestrians.
  3. C
    Swerve immediately into the oncoming traffic lane without slowing down to bypass the ball.
  4. D
    Rely solely on your side mirrors to monitor the curb without altering your forward foot position.

Answer

The driver should ease off the accelerator and cover the brake pedal in anticipation of a child running into the street.
The correct action is to ease off the accelerator and cover the brake pedal. Defensive drivers recognize visual clues—such as a ball bouncing into the street—as signs that a pedestrian or child may follow, requiring a reduced reaction time.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify early warning cues of a hazard.
Recognize that a rolling object like a ball indicates a child or pedestrian may follow into the roadway.
Defensive driving requires identifying potential hazards before they fully materialize.
2
Prepare the vehicle for immediate stopping.
Release the accelerator and hover your right foot over the brake pedal without slamming the brakes unnecessarily.
Covering the brake eliminates reaction delay, enabling a faster complete stop if the hazard enters your path.

Key Concept

Hazard Anticipation and Covering the Brake
Rate this question

Topics

Defensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

More questions from this topic