BC Class 5&7
Scanning ahead, behind and at intersections
ICBC's driving guide: See-think-do
New drivers spend so much time looking at the road just in front of the vehicle that they miss what is further ahead. The fix is a number: scan at least 12 seconds ahead — one to two blocks in the city, half a kilometre on the highway. That is what turns a hazard into something you prepared for instead of something that surprised you.
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Practice questions on this card
- Q-0261How far ahead should you be scanning as you drive?
- Q-0262How often should you complete a full observation cycle — ahead, sides, mirrors?
- Q-0263What does it mean to overdrive your ability to see?
- Q-0264You are driving past a line of parked cars. What are you scanning for?
- Q-0265When should you check the rear-view mirror, and what are you asking?
- Q-0276Why does spotting a hazard early give you more than extra distance?
- Q-0277What is peripheral vision good for while driving?
- Q-0284You are approaching an intersection on a green light with a large truck stopped in the next lane waiting to turn. What should you consider?
- Q-0286Besides safety, what does scanning well ahead save you?
- Q-0290Twelve seconds ahead on a city street means roughly what distance?
- Q-0294Why does the manual describe observation as a cycle rather than a checklist?