Question

Vehicle tail swing must be at the forefront of the driver's mindWhen conducting which of the following maneuvers?

a) Accelerating on a straight road
b) Making a sharp turn
c) Braking suddenly
d) Changing lanes

Answer 1

Vehicle tail swing is a concern when making a sharp turn, which can cause the vehicle's rear to swing outward. Acceleration includes speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction. The application of the accelerator and brakes influences the direction of acceleration vectors.

Step-by-step explanation:

Vehicle tail swing should be particularly considered when a driver is making a sharp turn. During such a maneuver, the rear end of the vehicle swings outwards, which can unexpectedly widen the turn radius if not taken into account. Other maneuvers, such as accelerating on a straight road, braking suddenly, or changing lanes typically do not involve tail swing to the same degree as it is the rotation of the vehicle during the turn that emphasizes this phenomenon.

Check Your Understanding:

Three ways an object can accelerate are by speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction. Acceleration is not only about changes in speed but also changes in the direction of motion, which occurs during turning maneuvers.

Critical Thinking Items:

• A driver can represent acceleration by pushing down on the accelerator (velocity and acceleration vectors both to the right) and then represent deceleration by pushing down on the brakes (velocity vector remains to the right, acceleration vector to the left).