Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means anticipating hazards and leaving yourself room and time to react. The core habit is the two-second rule: pick a fixed point the vehicle ahead passes, then count 'one thousand and one, one thousand and two' - if you reach the point before finishing, you are too close. Double this in rain, at night, or when following a large vehicle that blocks your view.
Mirror–signal–manoeuvre should become automatic before every change of direction. Scan far ahead, check mirrors every few seconds, and keep an escape route in mind. Maintain a safe speed for the conditions: the posted limit is a maximum for ideal conditions, not a target. In Antigua & Barbuda, heavy rain, potholes and unlit roads at night are common hazards, so reduce speed and increase following distance.
Traps: questions offer an answer that is 'legally correct' but unsafe, such as proceeding at the speed limit in torrential rain. Choose the answer that avoids risk. Another trap is the driver who is 'in a hurry' - exam questions expect you to prioritise safety over convenience every time.
Rule of thumb: if you cannot stop within the distance you can see to be clear, you are driving too fast. Use the 'what if?' habit - what if that parked car pulls out, what if that child steps off the kerb - and adjust speed and position before the hazard develops.