When driving by stopped or parked vehicles, what should you do with your foot?

When driving by stopped or parked vehicles, covering the brake is crucial for maintaining safety. This action means hovering your foot over the brake pedal, ready to apply pressure if necessary. It prepares you to respond quickly to unexpected situations, such as a pedestrian suddenly stepping into the street, a vehicle door unexpectedly opening, or any other hazards that could arise.

Covering the brake helps you decrease your stopping time, allowing for safer navigation around parked cars. Motorists can easily overlook pedestrians or objects when driving too fast, making this precaution critical.

The other options do not directly contribute to the immediate safety needed when passing stopped or parked vehicles. Accelerating could increase the risk of an accident, shifting gears isn't relevant in this context, and turning on the indicator is typically used for indicating a turn or lane change, not for managing hazards near stationary vehicles. Thus, covering the brake is the most effective strategy in this scenario.