On snowy or icy roads, how much stopping distance should you allow compared with dry pavement?
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A.
Double what you would need on dry pavement.
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B.
The same distance if your tires are new.
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C.
Roughly half again as much room.
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D.
At least three times your normal stopping distance. Correct
The answer is "At least three times your normal stopping distance."
Snow and ice cut traction hard, so the state sets at least three times the normal stopping distance. Drivers pick choice A because the two-times rule of thumb is what many learned for wet roads, and they extend it to snow and ice without noticing the manual raises the multiplier.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Double what you would need on dry pavement.
Two times is the rule of thumb many drivers learned for wet roads, not the number the manual uses for snow and ice. This answer extends a wet-road doubling rule to snow and ice without noticing the manual raises the multiplier.
B. The same distance if your tires are new.
Tire age does not remove the ice from under them. This answer substitutes equipment for physics: fresh tires do not restore the grip a frozen surface takes away.
C. Roughly half again as much room.
A fifty-percent buffer falls well short of what the manual calls for. This answer picks a modest buffer that feels prudent but sits below the figure the manual actually sets.
This question tests your knowledge of Adverse Conditions in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Chapter 4 - Snow and Ice," p.73..
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