A 3-minute lesson from the Washington course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time, so where you put your attention matters. Good drivers keep their mind and eyes on the task, use all three kinds of vision, and keep shifting focus between where they are and where they want to be.
Be mindful:
Be mentally present: turn off distractions like your phone and in-car entertainment
Be prepared: anticipate hazards by scanning ahead
Be proactive: adjust speed and behavior for road, weather, and traffic
Distractions, even for a few seconds, can have devastating consequences. Align your mental attention and visual focus; your attention is your most valuable asset on the road.
You plan to move into the left lane to pass a bus. Your target area is the open space beside the bus. Glance along your line of sight to that spot, back to your current path, then to your mirror, switching quickly until the move is safe.
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.
Which type of vision lets you see fine detail straight ahead, like reading a sign?
Fringe vision
Peripheral vision
Night vision
Central vision
Answer: Central vision
Central vision allows you to see detail straight in front of you.
