Topic 4 · Defensive Driving and Safe Driving Practices
The three-second rule is used to:
- Time how long you may stay in a blind spot
- Measure how long a yellow light lasts
- Estimate whether you are following at a safe distance — correct answer
Why
When the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point you count three seconds; if you reach the point first, you are too close. (Section 14, Glossary.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
More from Defensive Driving and Safe Driving Practices
- If someone waves you ahead at a stop sign but you are unsure, you should:
- If rain causes your windshield to fog up, you should:
- When sharing the road with pedestrians, you must:
- If your vehicle begins to hydroplane, you should:
- When driving near large trucks, you should:
- In a heavy rainstorm you cannot see more than 100 feet ahead. Your speed should not exceed: