Kansas driving lesson · Visual Search, Speed & Space Management
Special situations, risk and decision making
A 4-minute lesson from the Kansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Some road users may not see you or may act unpredictably. Give them extra room, deal with hazards one at a time, and use a simple 'What if' habit to decide what to do before trouble starts.
Give extra space to people who may not see you:
Drivers at intersections or driveways whose view is blocked by buildings, trees or vehicles
Drivers backing into the road or into or out of parking spaces
Drivers whose windows are covered with snow or ice or steamed up
Pedestrians with umbrellas in front of their faces or hats pulled down
If another driver makes a mistake, don't make it worse. If someone passes without enough room, slow down so they can get back in; if a driver must change lanes suddenly, slow and let them merge.
Take hazards one at a time. Overtaking a pedestrian while an oncoming vehicle approaches, slow down and let the vehicle pass first so you pass only one road user at a time.
Your choices in any situation come down to changing direction (left or right), changing speed (slow, stop or speed up) or communicating (signal or horn).
You're about to pass a jogger on a narrow road as a car approaches from the other way. Slow down, let the oncoming car pass first, then give the jogger room, so you deal with one hazard at a time.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
You are about to overtake a pedestrian walking along the road while an oncoming vehicle approaches. You should:
Speed up to pass the pedestrian first
Slow down and let the vehicle pass first
Tap your horn so the pedestrian moves over
Keep your speed; the oncoming car must stop
Answer: Slow down and let the vehicle pass first
Page 67: take hazards one at a time; slow down and let the oncoming vehicle pass so you pass only one roadway user at a time.