The car ahead brakes hard
Look at the picture, read the situation, and mark each of the three statements true (○) or false (✕). All three right scores 2 points.
You are driving at 50 km/h when the brake lights of the vehicle ahead come on red and it slows down sharply. The road has one lane in each direction, and there is oncoming traffic. Answer true or false for each of the following.
- (1)Your following distance is short, so you steer left and escape onto the shoulder.
- (2)You brake and secure enough following distance to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
- (3)To overtake the sharply slowing vehicle ahead, you cross into the oncoming lane.
Show the answers and explanation
- (1) ✕ FalseYour following distance is short, so you steer left and escape onto the shoulder.
- (2) ○ TrueYou brake and secure enough following distance to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
- (3) ✕ FalseTo overtake the sharply slowing vehicle ahead, you cross into the oncoming lane.
Explanation
When the vehicle ahead slows sharply, the rule is to brake and keep your following distance (Rules of the Road (kyōsoku), Ch. 5, Sec. 4, 3). Swerving onto the shoulder risks a rollover or hitting a pedestrian. Crossing a solid yellow line or into the oncoming lane is a violation and risks a head-on collision. The way to prevent this is to keep a sufficient following distance at all times (Rules of the Road, Ch. 5, Sec. 4, 2(4)).
Source: Rules of the Road (kyōsoku), Ch. 5, Sec. 4, 2(4) (following distance) / Ch. 5, Sec. 4, 3 (what to do when the vehicle ahead slows sharply)
