2/16/25

Question 1

What is a ramp?

What are on-ramps?

What are off-ramps?

Answer 1

A ramp is a road that connects a highway (or freeway) to another road, allowing vehicles to enter or exit smoothly.

Ramps are also called on-ramps (for entering a highway) and

off-ramps (for exiting a highway).

They help manage traffic flow and improve safety by providing dedicated lanes for merging or exiting.

Question 2

What is the purpose of the “Three-Second Rule” when driving?

A) To determine how fast you should drive
B) To maintain a safe following distance
C) To measure how long a traffic light stays green
D) To decide when to merge into traffic

How does three-second rule works?

What if the weather is bad?

Why 3 seconds?

What about the speed?

Answer 2

B

How It Works:
1️⃣ Pick a fixed object ahead (like a sign or tree).
2️⃣ When the car in front of you passes that object, start counting (“one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three”).
3️⃣ If you pass the object before reaching three seconds, you are too close and should increase your distance.

💡 Bonus:

In bad weather (rain, fog, ice), increase to 4-6 seconds for extra safety.
At higher speeds, the stopping distance increases, so the rule helps even more.

Why exactly 3 seconds?
🚗 Reaction Time (1.5 seconds) – Most drivers take about 1.5 seconds to recognize a hazard and start braking.
🚗 Braking Time (1.5 seconds) – After reacting, it takes about 1.5 seconds for the car to slow down and stop safely.
✅ Total = 3 seconds, which allows most drivers to stop in time at normal speeds.

What about speed?
The distance between cars changes based on speed, but the time remains the same:

At 30 mph, you travel about 44 feet per second → 3 seconds = 132 feet gap
At 60 mph, you travel about 88 feet per second → 3 seconds = 264 feet gap