How should you prepare for potential obstacles in urban driving?

Preparing for potential obstacles in urban driving involves being highly aware of your surroundings, which is why searching left, center, right, and left again is critical. This technique ensures that you are visually scanning all areas around your vehicle before making any maneuvers, particularly at intersections or when changing lanes.

By looking left first, you check for oncoming traffic from your immediate left side, which could include pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicles. The central look helps you gauge the distance and movement of vehicles in your lane and ahead, allowing you to identify potential hazards like stopped cars or obstacles in the road. Checking right gives you visibility into a neighboring lane, ensuring that you are clear of any hazards coming from that direction. Finally, looking left again provides another confirmation of any opposing traffic that may have approached while you were evaluating the center and right areas.

This systematic scanning process is essential in urban environments, where the potential for sudden obstacles—such as pedestrians, cyclists, or parked vehicles—is significantly higher compared to rural areas. Relying solely on navigation systems or adjusting speed without properly scanning can be risky and may lead to dangerous situations, such as collisions or near misses. Concentration on the road ahead and simply adjusting speed does not cover the comprehensive awareness