FL DMV FL DMV Defensive Driving Techniques 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended following distance for most driving conditions in Florida?
- One car length
- Two seconds
- Three seconds (Correct answer)
- Five seconds
Correct answer: Three seconds
Florida's driver handbook recommends maintaining at least a three-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead under normal conditions.
Question 2: In defensive driving, what does 'scanning the road' mean?
- Using your phone's GPS to check for hazards
- Continuously moving your eyes to monitor traffic in all directions (Correct answer)
- Staring at the road immediately in front of your bumper
- Watching only the car directly ahead of you
Correct answer: Continuously moving your eyes to monitor traffic in all directions
Scanning means actively moving your eyes to check mirrors, the road ahead, and your surroundings to anticipate hazards before they become emergencies.
Question 3: What should you do if another driver becomes aggressive toward you on a Florida road?
- Match their speed to show confidence
- Make eye contact and gesture back
- Avoid eye contact and do not engage (Correct answer)
- Exit the highway and call 511
Correct answer: Avoid eye contact and do not engage
When confronted with an aggressive driver, avoid eye contact, do not respond to gestures, and put distance between your vehicles.
Question 4: Which lane position is considered safest when preparing to make a left turn in Florida?
- The rightmost through lane
- The far-left lane or left turn lane (Correct answer)
- The center two-way left turn lane for all maneuvers
- Any lane as long as you signal
Correct answer: The far-left lane or left turn lane
Before turning left, you should be in the far-left lane or designated left-turn lane to position yourself correctly and safely.
Question 5: What is the 'two-second rule' in Florida driving?
- Wait 2 seconds after a light turns green before moving
- Allow 2 seconds for pedestrians to clear an intersection
- Maintain a gap of at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead (Correct answer)
- Check your mirrors every 2 seconds while driving
Correct answer: Maintain a gap of at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead
The two-second rule is a method of maintaining safe following distance by ensuring at least two seconds of travel time separates you from the vehicle ahead.
Question 6: When driving at night in Florida, what is the safest speed to travel?
- The posted speed limit always
- A speed that allows you to stop within the distance lit by your headlights (Correct answer)
- 10 mph below the posted limit at all times
- The speed of surrounding traffic regardless of visibility
Correct answer: A speed that allows you to stop within the distance lit by your headlights
At night, you should drive at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance illuminated by your headlights — this is called 'overdriving' avoidance.
FL DMV FL DMV Defensive Driving Techniques 1
What is the recommended following distance for most driving conditions in Florida?