Defensive driving is:
- Identifying dangerous driving situations and taking action to avoid accidents. ✓
- Defending yourself against poor drivers by getting ahead of them in traffic.
- Following the vehicle ahead of you at a close distance.
- Quickly changing lanes and shifting in and out of traffic congestion.
Answer: A. Identifying dangerous driving situations and taking action to avoid accidents.
Defensive driving is identifying dangerous driving situations and taking action to avoid accidents.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook's defensive driving section says that to avoid crashes, a defensive driver stays alert with eyes moving, keeps track of what is happening, looks for trouble spots developing all around, and has a plan of action. That adds up to spotting hazards early and doing something about them, which is exactly what the correct choice describes.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Defending yourself against poor drivers by getting ahead of them in traffic. — Getting ahead of other drivers in traffic is a contest for position, while the handbook's defensive driver stays alert, watches for trouble spots, and has a plan of action.
- C. Following the vehicle ahead of you at a close distance. — Following the vehicle ahead at a close distance removes the room and time you need to see and react to trouble, which works against the handbook's advice to look for developing trouble spots.
- D. Quickly changing lanes and shifting in and out of traffic congestion. — Quick lane changes and weaving through congestion are aggressive moves, not the alert watching and planned action the handbook assigns to a defensive driver.
Remember it
Picture the handbook's checklist: eyes moving, scanning for trouble spots, a plan ready before you need it.
Official handbook: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Chapter 13: Bicycle Laws and Safety , p. 64