Tom's Unsolicited Advice
My classic questions (or variants) are from many years driving cars and motorcycles where a slight mistake can turn into a big problem. I used this with my kids when they learned to drive.
1. You are travelling down a road and there is an intersection with a stop sign for intersecting traffic. There is a car on the left coming up to that stop sign. What can you assume?
Answer: Nothing. You expect the car to blow right on through the stop sign. If you are wrong and they actually stop, you may be rightfully amazed at your wrongness. If you are right and you didn't slow down or stop, weren't prepared to turn away to your way out (and you *always* keep your eyes open for a way out, right?), or didn't take other evasive action, you and/or your passengers are injured or die.
2. You are sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green. It turns green, but a car is approaching on the cross street. The other car has the red light. What can you assume?
Answer: Nothing. You expect the car to blow right on through the red light. If you are wrong and they actually stop, you may be rightfully amazed at your wrongness. If you are right and you didn't slow down or wait to go until after they stopped, weren't prepared to turn away to your way out (and you *always* keep your eyes open for a way out, right?), or didn't take other evasive action, you and/or your passengers are injured or die.
3. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to cross a street and an approaching car to your left has their turn signal on to turn onto the street you are on. They start to slow down to make the turn. What can you assume?
Answer: Nothing. You expect the car to blow right on by, accelerating as it does so. If you are wrong and they actually turn, you may be rightfully amazed at your wrongness. If you are right and you had turned out onto the road in front of them, you and/or your passengers are injured or die.
4. You are stopped at a stop sign behind another car waiting to cross a street or take a right turn. Traffic clears and they pull ahead or turn to the right. What can you assume?
Answer: Nothing. You expect the car to stop right in front of you for no apparent reason. If you are wrong and they actually continue, you may be rightfully amazed at your wrongness. If you are right and you had accelerated expecting them to continue with their progress, you would have rear-ended them; causing a chain reaction; you and/or your passengers are injured or die.
5. You are travelling behind another car on a street with no turn-offs, no obstructions, no kids jumping into the street, no other traffic. There is no reason at all why the driver should suddenly slam on their brakes for no apparent reason. What can you assume?
Answer: Nothing. You expect the driver ahead to suddenly slam on their brakes for no apparent reason. If you are wrong and they actually continue all the way down the street or highway in a sane and safe manner, you may be rightfully amazed at your wrongness. If you are right and you didn't slow down or fall back to be prepared, weren't prepared to turn away to your way out (and you *always* keep your eyes open for a way out, right?), or didn't take other evasive action, you and/or your passengers are injured or die.
Over-arching Rule of Survival: ALL other drivers, seen and unseen, are idiots, asleep, drunk, yelling at their kids, putting on makeup, shaving, ordering a pizza on their cell phone, texting pictures of their cat, just spilled hot coffee on their lap, don't know what a turn signal, red light or stop sign means, or are looking to get an insurance payment (they are out to get you).
Any other conclusion or not paying attention to that rule will get you and/or your passengers injured or killed.