A driver behind you on an Oregon road wants to pass. What does the Oregon Driver Manual tell you to do with your following distance?
-
A.
Maintain your current speed and following distance.
-
B.
Slow down to give the passer more room in front of you to merge back in. Correct
-
C.
Speed up to discourage the pass.
-
D.
Brake hard to send a clear signal that you saw them.
The answer is "Slow down to give the passer more room in front of you to merge back in."
When the driver behind you wants to pass, slow down to allow room in front of your vehicle for the passing vehicle to complete the pass. By increasing the gap ahead of you, the passer has room to return to the lane and complete the pass, or to cut back in early if oncoming traffic appears. Your job as the driver being passed is to make the pass easier and safer, not to defend your gap.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Maintain your current speed and following distance.
The manual directs you to slow down and increase the gap to make the pass safer. Misreading: Treats the situation as requiring no change, ignoring the manual's explicit instruction to slow down and open room ahead of you for the passer.
C. Speed up to discourage the pass.
Speeding up to block a pass is unsafe and contrary to the rule. Misreading: Reverses the rule by accelerating to block the pass instead of slowing to allow room for the passing vehicle to complete the pass.
D. Brake hard to send a clear signal that you saw them.
Hard braking is never the right response in this scenario; gentle slowing is. Misreading: Substitutes hard braking for the gentle slowing the manual prescribes; elsewhere the manual warns never to brake hard in response to following traffic.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Following Distance," p.27..
Related Oregon questions
- Another driver is following you too closely (tailgating) on an Oregon road. What's the recommended response? →
- What does Oregon's handbook define as a safe following distance under most conditions? →
- How can you measure your following distance in seconds while driving in Oregon? →
- When stopping behind another vehicle in traffic, what visual rule does the Oregon handbook give for how close to stop? →
- Which of these conditions does NOT increase the following distance you should keep, according to the Oregon handbook? →
The Oregon book is on the way
Drop your email and we'll send the free Oregon cheat sheet now, plus a note the moment the book is available.