DGT Defensive Driving Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When navigating a curve on a highway, the safest defensive approach is to:
- Accelerate through the curve to maintain momentum
- Brake firmly mid-curve to control speed
- Reduce speed before entering the curve and gradually accelerate as you exit (Correct answer)
- Steer toward the center line to maximize your lane width
Correct answer: Reduce speed before entering the curve and gradually accelerate as you exit
Slowing before a curve and accelerating out gives the tires maximum grip during the turn when lateral forces are highest.
Question 2: A truck driver's large blind spots — often called 'No-Zones' — are primarily located:
- Directly in front, directly behind, and on both sides near the cab and rear (Correct answer)
- Only directly behind the trailer
- Exclusively on the passenger side of the truck
- Only when the truck is reversing or changing lanes
Correct answer: Directly in front, directly behind, and on both sides near the cab and rear
Trucks have significant blind spots directly in front, directly behind, along the left side near the cab, and along the entire right side.
Question 3: What is the correct procedure when your vehicle begins to skid on a slippery road?
- Steer opposite to the direction of the skid and brake hard
- Ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go (Correct answer)
- Accelerate to pull the car straight with engine power
- Shift into neutral and wait for the car to straighten on its own
Correct answer: Ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go
For a rear-wheel skid, steering into the skid (toward where the rear is sliding) and reducing acceleration helps realign the vehicle.
Question 4: A pedestrian is jaywalking across a multi-lane road. As a defensive driver you should:
- Honk and maintain speed to signal the pedestrian to move faster
- Slow down and be prepared to stop, watching for the pedestrian's full path across all lanes (Correct answer)
- Swerve into the adjacent lane immediately to avoid the pedestrian's lane
- Flash high beams to alert the pedestrian and other drivers
Correct answer: Slow down and be prepared to stop, watching for the pedestrian's full path across all lanes
Pedestrians may stop, reverse direction, or be obscured by other vehicles, so slowing and scanning their full intended path is essential.
Question 5: When merging onto a highway from an on-ramp, a defensive driver should:
- Stop at the end of the ramp and wait for a large gap in traffic
- Accelerate to match highway traffic speed within the acceleration lane before merging (Correct answer)
- Merge at a slow speed so other vehicles have time to react
- Yield to all traffic then cross all lanes immediately to reach the far left
Correct answer: Accelerate to match highway traffic speed within the acceleration lane before merging
Matching highway speed in the acceleration lane reduces speed differentials that cause rear-end collisions during merging.
Question 6: Which of the following is a key principle of 'space management' in defensive driving?
- Staying as close as possible to the vehicle ahead to block others from cutting in
- Maintaining adequate space cushions on all sides of your vehicle (Correct answer)
- Keeping pace with traffic regardless of following distance
- Using the left lane exclusively to avoid vehicles entering from on-ramps
Correct answer: Maintaining adequate space cushions on all sides of your vehicle
Space management means maintaining buffer zones around your vehicle in all directions so you have time and room to respond to hazards.
Question 7: What should you do if your accelerator pedal gets stuck while driving?
- Shift to reverse to counteract the engine power
- Shift to neutral, apply the brakes firmly, and steer to a safe stop (Correct answer)
- Turn off the ignition immediately while driving at full speed
- Pump the accelerator rapidly to dislodge whatever is stuck
Correct answer: Shift to neutral, apply the brakes firmly, and steer to a safe stop
Shifting to neutral disengages engine power from the wheels, allowing braking to slow the vehicle while you maintain steering control.
DGT Defensive Driving Techniques 3
When navigating a curve on a highway, the safest defensive approach is to: