Question

Difficulty: MediumDefensive Driving and Hazard Anticipation

When driving on a two-lane roadway, hovering your foot over the brake pedal without pressing it (covering the brake) as you approach the crest of a blind hill is a recommended defensive driving practice to reduce stopping distance if an unseen hazard exists beyond the crest.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True. Covering the brake when approaching a blind hill crest is a primary defensive driving technique that eliminates foot-transfer reaction time and significantly reduces stopping distance in areas with restricted line-of-sight.
Covering the brake pedal when approaching areas with limited visual lead time, such as blind hill crests or blind curves, prepares the driver to decelerate immediately, cutting down total reaction distance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the roadway environment and sightline constraints.
Identify that a blind hill crest limits visual lead distance and hides potential downstream hazards.
Defensive driving requires modifying control inputs whenever line-of-sight drops below safe stopping sight distance.
2
Evaluate the physical impact of covering the brake on driver reaction time.
Positioning the foot over the brake pedal eliminates the time required to move from the gas pedal to the brake pedal during an emergency.
At highway speeds, eliminating foot-transfer time reduces total stopping distance by tens of feet.
3
Determine statement accuracy based on defensive driving standards.
The statement accurately reflects standard DMV hazard anticipation guidelines.
Proactively preparing to brake without activating the brake lights avoids sudden panic braking while maximizing reaction readiness.

Key Concept

Brake Covering and Line-of-Sight Hazard Anticipation
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