While riding, you should observe as far as
- just a few feet further than your front wheel.
- the upcoming traffic lights.
- the vehicle directly in front of you.
- one to two blocks or 12 seconds ahead of you. ✓
Answer: D. one to two blocks or 12 seconds ahead of you.
You should scan at least 12 seconds ahead, which works out to one to two blocks ahead in city riding.
Why this is the answer
The handbook tells riders to know what is coming up by scanning at least 12 seconds ahead. In city riding that means looking one to two blocks down the road, and on the highway about half a kilometre ahead. The point the guide gives is that this lead time lets you get ready for a hazard instead of being caught by surprise. It also says to scan left and right as you look ahead, so you notice things along the sides of the road.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. just a few feet further than your front wheel. — Looking only a few feet past your front wheel gives you almost no time to react, which is the opposite of the 12-second scan the guide describes.
- B. the upcoming traffic lights. — Watching only the upcoming traffic lights is too narrow; the guide asks you to scan one to two blocks ahead and also check the road sides.
- C. the vehicle directly in front of you. — Fixing on the vehicle directly in front of you keeps your eyes too close and misses hazards farther down the road that the 12-second scan is meant to catch.
Remember it
Count it out: if you can say about twelve seconds before you reach what you are looking at, you are looking far enough ahead.
Official handbook: ICBC Learn to Ride Smart, Chapter 6: see-think-do – see, p. 68