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Difficulty: HardAdjusting Margins in Fog and High Winds

When driving in dense fog, closing the distance to keep the tail lights of a leading vehicle continuously in view is a safe technique for maintaining your safety margin.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The statement is false because relying on the tail lights of a leading vehicle leads to following too closely and causes target fixation. In dense fog, visibility is severely impaired and depth perception is distorted; drivers must increase their following distance well beyond normal conditions and drop their speed so they can stop comfortably within the clear distance visible ahead.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyse the hazard and perceptual distortions caused by dense fog.
Fog scatters light and obscures visual reference points, making objects appear further away and moving slower than they actually are.
Recognising that human perception is compromised is vital for calculating safe safety margins.
2
Evaluate the safety impact of tracking a lead vehicle's tail lights.
Drivers who focus on tracking tail lights invariably move closer than normal, eroding the separation distance required to stop safely.
This habit induces target fixation and leads to dangerous bunching of traffic at high risk of multi-vehicle pile-ups.
3
Determine the correct following margin adjustment required by The Highway Code.
Drivers must substantially increase their following distance, reduce speed, and rely on road markings and the speedometer rather than shadowing another vehicle.
The statement asserts that closing up to track tail lights is safe, which directly contradicts road safety rules.

Key Concept

Following Distance and Visual Perception in Dense Fog
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Topics

Adjusting Margins in Fog and High Winds

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