Which of the following are factors commonly contributing to traffic crashes?
- Exceeding the posted speed limit and driving too fast for conditions or circumstances. ✓
- Getting adequate rest and staying alert.
- Scanning the environment and staying focused on the driving task.
Answer: A. Exceeding the posted speed limit and driving too fast for conditions or circumstances.
Exceeding the posted speed limit and driving too fast for conditions or circumstances is a factor that commonly contributes to traffic crashes.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's Basic Speed Law says you may never drive faster than is safe for the road conditions, and that speed should drop with traffic, road surface, bicyclists or pedestrians, weather, and congestion. It also notes that slippery roads are more likely to cause a skid if you are driving too fast, and that a locked wheel skid usually comes from braking too hard while going too fast. Speed that is too high for the limit or the conditions is therefore tied directly to losing control.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Getting adequate rest and staying alert. — Getting adequate rest and staying alert is a safe driving habit, not something the handbook lists as a cause of crashes.
- C. Scanning the environment and staying focused on the driving task. — Scanning the environment and staying focused on the driving task describes careful driving, so it does not contribute to crashes.
Remember it
Ask yourself what the road and traffic are telling you right now, and set your speed to that answer rather than to the posted number.