When you drive through an area where children are playing, you should expect them:
- To know when it is safe to cross the street.
- To stop at the curb before crossing the street.
- To run out in front of you without looking. ✓
- Not to cross the street unless they are with an adult.
Answer: C. To run out in front of you without looking.
Expect children in a play area to run out in front of you without looking, so be ready to stop suddenly.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook warns you that when you are near a school you should slow down, watch for children, and be ready to stop suddenly if you need to. It also tells drivers to watch for children in residential areas, since children often play between parked cars. Being ready for a sudden stop only makes sense if you accept that a child may move into your path without checking for traffic first. So the safe assumption is that a child may dash out without looking, and you drive slowly enough to react.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. To know when it is safe to cross the street. — The handbook never says children judge traffic well; it tells you to watch for them and be ready to stop, which assumes they may not know when it is safe.
- B. To stop at the curb before crossing the street. — Nothing in the passages says children stop at the curb before crossing, and the warning to prepare for a sudden stop points the other way.
- D. Not to cross the street unless they are with an adult. — The handbook gives no rule that children only cross with an adult, so you cannot rely on an adult being there to keep them out of the road.
Remember it
Near schools and play areas, lift off the gas and cover the brake, because a child can appear in your path faster than you can think.