To prepare for anything coming up on the road ahead, you should:
- Continually scan the entire road and all roadsides. ✓
- Stare straight ahead at all times.
- Drive with your left foot resting lightly on the brake pedal.
- Maintain focus toward the middle of the road.
Answer: A. Continually scan the entire road and all roadsides.
You should continually scan the entire road and all roadsides so you are ready for anything ahead.
Why this is the answer
The defensive driving chapter tells you to sit upright with both hands on the wheel and to always scan the road ahead. It warns that traffic changes continuously and says the road or the vehicle in front should not be your only focus. Keep your eyes moving, watch what is happening at the sides of the road, and check your mirrors every few seconds. Looking ahead helps you prevent or reduce possible problems, and watching the roadsides helps you anticipate mistakes by drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. That is why a continual full scan fits the handbook better than a fixed stare.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Stare straight ahead at all times. — Staring straight ahead at all times is wrong because the handbook says not to use the road or the vehicle ahead as your only focus and tells you to keep your eyes moving.
- C. Drive with your left foot resting lightly on the brake pedal. — Nothing in the handbook supports driving with your left foot resting on the brake; it emphasizes scanning, keeping both hands on the wheel, and staying in control.
- D. Maintain focus toward the middle of the road. — Keeping your focus toward the middle of the road is too narrow, because the handbook says to notice what is happening at the sides of the road and to check your mirrors.
Remember it
Keep your eyes moving like a slow sweep: road, roadsides, then mirrors.