Final answer:
While driving on open highways and expressways, you should search areas farther ahead than in the city to better anticipate hazards and changes in traffic, improving reaction times and overall safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
While driving on open highways and expressways, you should search areas farther ahead than in the city. Unlike urban driving, where vehicles, pedestrians, and complex traffic patterns require attention to the immediate surroundings, highways allow for, and indeed necessitate, longer-range scanning of the road. This approach aids in anticipating potential hazards, changes in traffic flow, and gives more time to react to situations that arise.
It is recommended to scan the road up to ¼ mile (or about 10 seconds) ahead on highways. This longer distance provides ample opportunity for drivers to see and prepare for events such as changes in road conditions, vehicles merging onto the highway, or changes in traffic speeds. On expressways, with higher speeds and fewer interruptions, this distance should be even greater. By looking farther ahead, drivers give themselves a strategic advantage in maintaining safety and smooth traffic flow.