Roadwise States Nebraska Driving lessons Defensive driving: scan, communicate, isolate Nebraska driving lesson · Special Driving Conditions
Defensive driving: scan, communicate, isolate A 3-minute lesson from the Nebraska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Special Driving Conditions
Checkpoint questions 5
Source pages 74, 75 Defensive driving simply means driving alertly to prevent crashes. Three habits do most of the work: scan the road, communicate with others, and keep a cushion of space around you.
Scan: Look ahead: take in the road at least 10-15 seconds ahead Look to both sides wherever cars, people or animals may cross Don't rely on lights: check left and right after a light changes; someone may run it Check behind at least every 10 seconds, and when changing lanes, backing, slowing or on steep hills Handbook p. 74 ↗ Blind spot The area to the side of a vehicle that can't be seen in the mirrors. Glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ Communicate: Signal when changing lanes, turning, entering freeways, pulling from curbs or off roads Signal at least 100 feet before changing direction Use headlights whenever it's hard to see other vehicles and whenever wipers are on A sharp horn blast warns another driver of immediate collision danger Tap your brakes several times when slowing, to warn drivers behind you Handbook p. 74 ↗ The three-second rule: Watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed point, such as an overpass, sign, fence or corner Count the seconds until you reach the same spot Reaching it before three seconds pass means you're following too closely Slow down and increase your following distance Handbook p. 74 ↗ Know the rule
Three seconds is a minimum. Add one second for each adversity factor, such as rain or heavy traffic.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Know the rule
Isolate: keep a cushion of space. Stay in the middle of your lane with enough room ahead and behind to pass or stop safely.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ Know the rule
Keep space on both sides. On two-way streets, leave room between oncoming traffic and parked cars.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Know the rule
Keep space behind by holding a steady speed and signaling well before slowing or stopping.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Put it into practice
It's raining and traffic is heavy. That's two adversity factors, so stretch your following distance from three seconds to at least five.
A useful reminder Three seconds, plus one for each adversity factor.
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.
The three-second rule is used to determine: The legal following distance for trucks only A safe following distance How long to signal before turning How long to wait at a stop sign Answer: A safe following distance
The three-second rule sets a safe following distance.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ In adverse conditions like rain or heavy traffic, the three-second following rule should be: Cut in half for safety Left unchanged, since it already accounts for weather Increased by one second per adversity factor Replaced with a fixed 10-second rule Answer: Increased by one second per adversity factor
Add at least one second per adversity factor to the three-second rule.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Defensive driving recommends scanning how far ahead on the road? 2-3 seconds ahead 30-45 seconds ahead One full minute ahead 10-15 seconds ahead Answer: 10-15 seconds ahead
Scan 10-15 seconds ahead as part of defensive driving.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ How often does the handbook say to check the traffic behind you while driving? At least every 10 seconds Only before changing lanes At least every 30 seconds Only when you hear another vehicle Answer: At least every 10 seconds
Look behind at least every 10 seconds, and also when changing lanes, backing up, slowing or driving down steep hills.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ On two-way streets, it is equally important to leave room between oncoming traffic and parked cars. True False Answer: True
Maintain space on both sides: on two-way streets, leave room between oncoming traffic and parked cars.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Previous lesson Snow, ice, blizzards and pavement drop-offs Next lesson Motorcycles More in Special Driving Conditions About the source Roadwise’s Nebraska course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 74, 75. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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