UNIT G

• Three-second rule

  1. Look at the vehicle in front

  2. When the back of that vehicle passes a fixed object, start counting "one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three"

  3. If the front of your vehicle reaches the fixed object before you finish counting, you're too close and need to slow down and repeat the process
• When weather and road conditions are poor

  You'll need to double your following distance
• If you're pulling a trailer or driving a larger vehicle such as an RV


  You'll need to maintain a longer following distance, as it will take longer to stop
• Passing another vehicle safely

  1. Scan far ahead using SIPDE to make sure you have enough time

  2. Keep aware of your danger zones - the areas in front of and behind your vehicle, where you or the driver following you won't be able to stop safely in an emergency
• Margin of safety


  The length of the space between your vehicle and a potential hazard
• It's safest and best practice to drive centred in your lane so you have a margin of safety on all sides of your vehicle
• Passing a cyclist safely

  1. Assess if the action is safe, legal and necessary

  2. Check your mirrors, shoulder check, signal your intention, shoulder check again and position your vehicle to allow enough space to pass

  3. When you can see the cyclist in your rear-view mirror, check your mirrors, shoulder check, signal your intention and shoulder check again before returning to the correct side of the road
• Handling a construction zone in an urban area

  1. Check your mirrors so you're aware of the position of traffic following you

  2. Maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead to allow space for the vehicle to your left to change lanes

  3. Continue to check your mirrors for other vehicles that may want to change lanes and consider your escape route

  4. Watch for a reduced speed limit and for construction workers
• Distance gives you time to react. It provides a margin of safety
• The greater the distance, the better. It's never a good idea to follow a vehicle too closely
• Maintaining a 3 to 4 second following distance

  1. Count out loud using roadway landmarks as your guide

  2. If you reach the landmark before you count to 3 or 4 it means you are too close and need to drop back
• When driving in adverse conditions

  Add 1 additional second following distance
• When stopping behind another stationary vehicle

  Stop far enough back so you can see the rear tires of the vehicle ahead touch the roadway as well as a couple metres of pavement
• It's just as important to keep a margin of safety on at least one side of the vehicle as it is to maintain a margin to the front
• Oncoming traffic to the left can pose serious risk if you're driving in the left lane
• Handling a cyclist on your side of the road with an approaching car

  Slow down and move as far left on the road as legally possible
• Danger zone


  The length of space requiring a minimum following distance of three seconds
• Under adverse conditions, or when following large trucks, you'll need to increase your following distance to four to ten seconds
• Reducing potential risks

  1. Scanning further ahead

  2. Reducing your speed

  3. Increasing your space cushion

  4. Changing lanes

  5. Communicating your presence to other road users with your horn or signal lights
• When a number of hazards cannot be separated, assess the relative danger of each and leave more space for the most dangerous hazard without unnecessarily increasing risk from the other hazards
• Compensating when another driver follows too closely

  1. Create a larger space cushion in front of you in case an emergency manoeuvre is required

  2. Encourage the driver following too closely to pass where it's safe by slowing down slightly and moving to the right in your lane

  3. Avoid braking if possible

  4. Don't gesture to the driver, as this could provoke aggressive behaviour

  5. Check your rear-view mirror frequently
• There's a higher risk of being involved in a collision in an urban area because of the amount of traffic.
• If you're involved in a collision in a rural area, there's a higher risk of a fatality because of higher speeds.
• Following distance in adverse conditions or following large vehicles

  4 to 10 seconds
• Rural driving

  • Vehicles travelling at higher speeds
  • Slow moving vehicles such as farm equipment
  • Wildlife crossing the road
• In Alberta three-quarters of all fatal collisions occur in rural areas.
• Reducing risks in rural driving

  1. Extend your visual lead time to 20 to 30 seconds

  2. Maintain your safe following distance according to road conditions
• Rural road surfaces

  • Asphalt, gravel, crushed stone or dirt
  • Less traction, especially in bad weather
• Speed limits in rural areas

  • Often higher than in urban areas, so longer stopping distances
• Driving safely in rural areas

  1. Adjust speed according to environmental and road conditions

  2. Reduce speed on gravel and loose surface roads

  3. Scan the road ahead and adjust speed for signs, curves, hills and other conditions

  4. Watch for wildlife crossings

  5. Reduce speed when approaching rural communities

  6. Watch for oncoming vehicles, slow moving vehicles, and wildlife/pedestrians

  7. Reduce speed when approaching hidden intersections

  8. Reduce speed before entering curves and maintain it through the curve

  9. Be extremely careful when travelling through hills and mountains
• Urban driving challenges

  • Traffic congestion
  • Road construction
  • Aggressive/road rage behaviour
  • More pedestrians with unpredictable actions
  • Speed limits in school/playground zones
  • Dealing with emergency vehicles
  • Variety of lanes and intersections
• Dealing with pedestrians

  1. Always yield to pedestrians with right-of-way

  2. Stop when other drivers stop to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks

  3. Check for and yield to pedestrians at intersections before entering, turning or proceeding

  4. Take extra caution around children in residential areas and school/playground zones
• When approaching a hidden intersection in a rural area, you should reduce your speed, watch for vehicles that may suddenly appear, and be prepared to brake.
• In Alberta, there are more fatal collisions in June, August and October than in any other months.
• Collisions are most likely to occur on a Friday, and the second most common day is Thursday.
• Young and inexperienced drivers are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision after 10p.m.
• In 2018, the highest number of collisions in Alberta occurred during the Christmas season, followed by the Remembrance Day long weekend and Family Day long weekend.
• Approximately three quarters of fatal collisions happen in rural areas, and more than half of these involve an animal.
• Fatal collisions are much less frequent in urban areas, but urban areas are where you'll see 75 out of 100 injury collisions, and 85 out of 100 property damage collisions.
• Turning left is risky because you need to drive across a lane of oncoming traffic. It's the third most common driver error collision leading to injury in Alberta after following too closely and running off the road.