Which scenario best describes defensive driving practice?

• A. Texting while driving
• B. Not wearing seat belt
• C. Honking at every car
• D. Scanning the road for hazards and maintaining safe following distance

Answer: (D)

Defensive driving is about actively reducing risk by looking ahead, recognizing hazards early, and keeping enough space to react. Scanning the road for hazards means your eyes and attention are continually moving—watching for vehicles changing lanes, pedestrians, debris, slick surfaces, or sudden stops. Maintaining a safe following distance gives you a cushion to brake or steer away if something unexpected happens. This combination—proactive hazard recognition and adequate space—embodies defensive driving.

That’s why this scenario is the best description: it shows you actively looking for problems and leaving room to handle them, rather than reacting after a danger has already developed. The other options depict unsafe behaviors that raise risk: texting while driving slows reaction time and diverts attention; not wearing a seat belt increases injury in a crash; honking at every car is aggressive and does not reduce the likelihood of a collision.