Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumAdjusting Margins in Ice and Snow

You are driving behind another vehicle on a road covered in compacted snow and ice. In normal dry conditions, you would leave a two-second time gap. How should you adjust your following distance to maintain a safe separation margin in these conditions?

  1. A
    Double your following distance to leave a four-second gap
  2. Increase your following distance up to ten times the normal gapAnswer
  3. C
    Maintain the normal two-second gap but apply the brakes firmly if the vehicle ahead slows down
  4. D
    Triple your following distance to compensate for increased thinking distance

Answer

Increase your following distance up to ten times the normal gap (allowing up to 20 seconds).
According to The Highway Code, stopping distances on icy and snowy roads can be up to ten times greater than on dry tarmac. Drivers must therefore increase their following distance up to ten times the normal amount (up to twenty seconds) to maintain a safe separation margin.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the baseline safety margin in dry weather
In normal dry conditions, drivers should maintain a minimum two-second following gap.
The two-second rule provides adequate thinking and braking distance under standard tyre grip.
2
Apply the Highway Code multiplier for icy and snowy road conditions
Overall stopping distances can increase by up to ten times on ice and packed snow compared to dry roads.
Severely reduced friction between the tyres and the icy surface significantly lengthens braking distance.
3
Calculate the adjusted time gap requirement
Multiply the standard 2-second gap by 10 to establish a safe margin of up to 20 seconds.
Increasing the separation gap up to ten times ensures you have sufficient space to react and stop safely without harsh braking.

Key Concept

Safety margin and stopping distance multipliers in ice and snow
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Adjusting Margins in Ice and Snow

More questions from this topic