Prior to entering a curve:
Activate your turn signal.
Reduce your speed.
Brake hard.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is “Reduce your speed.”
Explanation:
When driving, especially when approaching a curve, it is crucial to adjust your speed to ensure safety. Reducing your speed before entering a curve is important for several reasons:
- Maintaining Control:
A curve forces your vehicle to change direction, and the force of this change is known as centripetal force. If you’re going too fast, this force can cause your car to lose traction and skid, leading to a potential accident. By reducing speed before the curve, you allow your vehicle to better maintain traction on the road. - Understanding the Curve’s Radius:
The sharper the curve, the more speed you should reduce. For example, a tight, sharp curve requires significantly slower speeds compared to a gentle bend in the road. Reducing speed before entering the curve allows you to safely navigate it without oversteering or understeering (which can cause the vehicle to veer off the road or into oncoming traffic). - Avoiding Sudden Braking:
If you wait until you’re already in the curve to brake, the sudden deceleration could cause loss of control, especially if the road is slippery or wet. Braking too hard while turning can make the tires lose grip on the road, which may result in skidding. It’s better to reduce your speed before the curve and apply gentle braking if necessary. - Safety for Other Drivers:
Reducing speed before entering the curve not only ensures your safety but also the safety of other drivers around you. If you’re driving too fast, you might cause confusion for other road users or block their view of the road ahead.
In contrast, activating your turn signal is important, but it’s typically done when preparing to change lanes or make a turn, not specifically for reducing speed in a curve. Hard braking is never recommended unless it’s an emergency situation.