California DMV Permit Test (Class C)Safe Driving PracticesMedium
You are driving on a freeway and notice the vehicle in front of you is tailgating another car. What is the best defensive driving action you should take?
- AMaintain your speed and observe the situation closely.
- BIncrease your following distance from the vehicle in front of you.
- CChange lanes immediately without signaling to avoid the situation.
- DIncrease your speed to get away from the tailgater.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Increase your following distance from the vehicle in front of you.
If the vehicle in front of you is tailgating, it increases the risk of a chain-reaction collision if they have to stop suddenly. By increasing your following distance, you create a larger cushion of safety for yourself, allowing more time to react if an incident occurs ahead.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Maintaining speed is not enough; you need to actively create more space for safety.
- C. Changing lanes abruptly and without signaling is dangerous and could cause another collision.
- D. Increasing speed might put you in a worse situation if the tailgater also speeds up or if you encounter another hazard.
Managing Tailgaters
When the car ahead is tailgating, increase your following distance to create a larger safety cushion for yourself.
- Creates more reaction time.
- Reduces risk of multi-car pile-up.
- Allows more space to slow down gradually.
Memory trick: When the car ahead is too close, you need more space below.