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Question

Difficulty: MediumChildren

You are driving along a residential road lined with parked vehicles and notice an ice cream van stopped ahead on the left with children nearby. What should you do as you approach?

  1. A
    Sound your horn firmly to alert the children and maintain your speed so you pass the hazard promptly
  2. Reduce your speed, leave plenty of room when passing, and be prepared to stop if a child emerges from behind the vehicleAnswer
  3. C
    Maintain your normal speed while focusing exclusively on the road directly ahead of your bonnet
  4. D
    Drive past at the posted speed limit, assuming that children will check for approaching traffic before stepping off the pavement

Answer

Reduce your speed, leave plenty of room when passing, and be prepared to stop if a child emerges from behind the vehicle.
When approaching parked ice cream vans or school buses, drivers must expect children to appear unexpectedly. Slowing down, keeping a wide safety margin, and being prepared to stop is the safest and correct approach under the UK Highway Code.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the vulnerable road user hazard ahead
Recognise that an ice cream van is an indicator that children are present and likely to be distracted or excited.
Children often act impulsively and cannot accurately judge vehicle speed or distance.
2
Assess sightlines and potential blind spots
Determine that the ice cream van and adjacent parked cars create severe visual obstructions.
A child may emerge suddenly from behind the vehicle without looking.
3
Adjust speed and vehicle position accordingly
Slow down significantly, pass with wide clearance, and cover the brake pedal.
This reduces thinking and braking distance to ensure the vehicle can stop immediately if needed.

Key Concept

Anticipating unpredictable behaviour and visual obstructions around children near parked vehicles
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Children

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