What is the best practice when approaching a crossroad?

When approaching a crossroad, the best practice is to slow down and look for traffic. This approach is crucial for several reasons. First, slowing down gives you the opportunity to assess the situation carefully, allowing you to check for any vehicles or pedestrians that may not be immediately visible. At crossroads, visibility can be obstructed by various factors, such as buildings, trees, or other vehicles, and reducing your speed enables you to better react to any potential hazards.

Furthermore, looking for traffic emphasizes the importance of being aware of both directions—ensuring that you are cautious about vehicles that may run a stop sign or signal. This vigilance can help prevent accidents by allowing you to gauge the actions of other drivers and make informed decisions about when to proceed through the intersection.

The other options are less advisable: speeding up might lead to missing important cues in traffic, blowing the horn does not ensure safety and might startle others, while only checking one side neglects the full panorama of potential traffic sources. All of these actions can lead to dangerous situations, making the careful and deliberate approach of slowing down and looking far more effective for safe navigation at crossroads.