Judging crash avoidance space
Most crashes can be avoided by having enough space in front of
the car to stop safely - a common term for this space is 'crash
avoidance space'.
This activity helps good drivers accurately judge crash
avoidance space at different speeds in different driving
conditions.
Activity: Judging crash avoidance space
- First, have your learner practice judging distance using a
stopwatch. They can now judge a space that is three seconds in
front of your car – in good driving conditions, that’s crash
avoidance space. (If driving conditions are not ideal, crash
avoidance space will be more.)
Keeping crash avoidance space free
- Ask your learner to imagine three seconds of crash avoidance
space in front of your car.
- Is the space free? At no stage should any other vehicle or
person be in it. The term we’ll be using for things that could
enter the crash avoidance space is “hazards”.
- Ask you learner to notice vehicles and pedestrians that could
move into your crash avoidance space from the sides. They could the
sentence “The next hazard that could enter my crash avoidance space
is…”
Our driving games will
help your learner practice protecting crash avoidance space.
Next activity: Detecting
hazards
