What is the recommended reaction time when you encounter a hazard at 100 feet?

• A. 2 seconds to react
• B. 1 second to react
• C. 0.5 seconds to react
• D. 3 seconds to react

Answer: (A)

Reaction time is the period between spotting a hazard and beginning your response, such as braking or steering. When a hazard is only 100 feet away, you need enough time to notice it, decide on a safe action, and start applying brakes. About two seconds provides a practical buffer for this process, giving you the needed margin to choose the safest action and begin braking promptly. Shorter times, like one second or half a second, don’t leave enough room to react safely in many conditions, while waiting about three seconds leaves too little time to avoid the hazard at that distance. So, two seconds is the safer and recommended reaction window for a hazard at 100 feet.