Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving
Defensive driving assumes other drivers will make mistakes and positions you to avoid the consequences. The core habit is the three-second following rule: pick a fixed object ahead, and when the car in front passes it, count until you pass it - you should reach at least three. Increase to four or more in rain, at night, behind large trucks, or when following motorcycles.
Space and scanning matter as much as speed. Keep your eyes moving, check mirrors every few seconds, and look well ahead of the car in front so you see hazards early. Maintain a space cushion on all sides and avoid riding in another driver's blind spot. When someone tailgates, do not brake-check - increase your following distance ahead and let them pass.
Impairment and distraction are frequent test topics. Alcohol, drugs (including some prescriptions), and fatigue all degrade judgment and reaction time. Connecticut law treats driving as implied consent to chemical testing, and refusal carries license consequences. Texting and handheld phone use are prohibited while driving. Emotions - anger, stress - are themselves a distraction.
Weather and visibility: slow down in rain, snow, and fog, turn on headlights when wipers are needed, and remember that fog calls for low beams, not high beams, because high beams reflect back and worsen glare. Hydroplaning happens when tires ride on a film of water; ease off the accelerator and avoid hard braking.
Trap to watch: questions that offer "honk and proceed" or "speed up to merge" as answers - the safe answer is almost always to slow, increase space, and yield.
Worked example: A car cuts closely in front of you on the highway. The defensive response is to lift off the accelerator, re-establish a three-second gap, and avoid sudden braking that could cause a rear-end collision behind you.