According to the manual, what is the cause of most rear-end crashes?
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A.
Following too closely, called tailgating. Correct
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B.
Sudden lane changes without signaling.
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C.
Distracted driving from cell phone use.
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D.
Sudden braking by the vehicle ahead.
The answer is "Following too closely, called tailgating."
The manual pins the cause of most rear-end crashes on tailgating, meaning following a vehicle too closely. Choice C is the pull, because distracted-driving campaigns dominate public safety coverage, so a driver's first guess is the phone rather than the two-vehicle geometry the manual actually names.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Sudden lane changes without signaling.
Sudden lane changes are risky, but the manual does not name them as the cause of rear-end crashes here. This answer reaches for a single dramatic move because that reads as a more obvious crash cause than a steady gap that has closed.
C. Distracted driving from cell phone use.
Phone-related distraction is dangerous, but the manual names tailgating as the cause of most rear-end crashes. This answer answers with the crash cause that dominates public campaigns and dashboard warnings rather than the one the manual identifies.
D. Sudden braking by the vehicle ahead.
A hard stop by the lead vehicle can trigger the crash, but the manual assigns the cause to the driver following too closely. This answer places blame on the driver in front, since the lead vehicle's brake lights feel like where the incident begins.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Chapter 11: Safe Driving Tips, Following Distances," p.83..
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