Why should you tap your brakes lightly well before a planned stop when traffic is following you?

• A.It flashes your brake lights early, warning following drivers that you are about to slow down
• B.It warms the brake drums so they will grab harder
• C.It is the correct way to test the trailer ABS at highway speed
• D.It pumps extra air into the trailer tanks for the stop

Why

A light early application is communication, not stopping power. It tells drivers behind a long vehicle that a stop is coming, giving them time to slow smoothly instead of braking hard at your trailer's rear.

Manual topic: Combination Vehicles - Skids and Jackknifing · From the Combination Vehicles practice bank (CV-130).

Practice this subject as a full test

More Combination Braking, Skids & Jackknife Prevention questions

• Why is an empty trailer more likely to jackknife under hard braking than a loaded trailer?
• What is usually the first visible sign that your trailer is starting to jackknife?
• Your trailer wheels have locked and the trailer is skidding sideways because you braked too hard. What should you do to help it recover?
• What is the difference between a tractor jackknife and a trailer jackknife?
• Why is using only the trailer hand valve for routine slowing and stopping a bad practice?