DE DMV Safe Driving Practices 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended following distance for safe driving in normal conditions?
- 1-second rule
- 2-second rule
- 3-second rule (Correct answer)
- 5-second rule
Correct answer: 3-second rule
The 3-second rule is the minimum recommended following distance under normal conditions, giving you time to react to sudden stops.
Question 2: When should you increase your following distance beyond the standard rule?
- When driving in clear weather
- When driving behind a motorcycle, truck, or in poor conditions (Correct answer)
- Only at night
- Only on highways
Correct answer: When driving behind a motorcycle, truck, or in poor conditions
You should increase following distance when driving behind motorcycles, large trucks, in bad weather, or on slippery roads to allow more reaction time.
Question 3: What is the safest action when you feel drowsy while driving?
- Open the window and turn up the radio
- Pull off the road safely and rest (Correct answer)
- Drink coffee and continue driving
- Speed up to reach your destination faster
Correct answer: Pull off the road safely and rest
Drowsy driving is extremely dangerous — the only safe remedy is to pull off the road and sleep or rest until alert.
Question 4: In Delaware, when must headlights be turned on?
- Only at night after midnight
- From sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet (Correct answer)
- Only in rain or fog
- Whenever the wipers are in use
Correct answer: From sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet
Delaware requires headlights to be on from sunset to sunrise and anytime visibility is reduced to less than 1,000 feet due to weather.
Question 5: What does 'overdriving your headlights' mean?
- Using high beams when low beams are appropriate
- Driving faster than you can stop within the distance illuminated by your headlights (Correct answer)
- Using headlights in daytime
- Leaving headlights on when parked
Correct answer: Driving faster than you can stop within the distance illuminated by your headlights
Overdriving your headlights means driving at a speed where you cannot stop within the distance your headlights illuminate, a common cause of nighttime crashes.
Question 6: When approaching a curve on a Delaware roadway, what should you do?
- Brake hard in the middle of the curve
- Slow down before the curve and accelerate gently through it (Correct answer)
- Maintain your current speed throughout
- Accelerate before the curve for better control
Correct answer: Slow down before the curve and accelerate gently through it
You should reduce speed before entering a curve and gently accelerate through it, as braking mid-curve can cause a loss of control.
DE DMV Safe Driving Practices 1
What is the recommended following distance for safe driving in normal conditions?