| Looking ahead
of your car helps you follow a steady path and spot potential
risks in time to take corrective measures. Use the center of
your intended travel path as a point of reference, taking in
details from side to side to detect potentially dangerous conditions.
Scanning ahead gives you more time to make decisions and
control your car - time to analyze activity and plan speed
or lane adjustments. This is called "lead time."
Under normal conditions, expert drivers scan 20 to 30 seconds
ahead, taking in the roadway and off-road areas. This gives
ample time to plan evasive movements.
How far is 20 to 30 seconds ahead? The distance is dictated
by your speed. Select a fixed object in the distance and count
the seconds until you reach it. In the city, for example,
driving 30 mph would give you a scanning zone of about one
block. At highway speeds, the zone would be one third to one
half mile.
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