Emergencies & HazardsQuestion 83 of 120
A car pulls out directly in front of you and there is not enough distance to stop. What is generally the best response?
a.Brake as hard as possible and hold the pedal down
b.Sound the horn and maintain speed
c.Downshift and hope the gap clears
d.Steer around the hazard if there is an escape path, because a vehicle can change direction faster than it can stop
Explanation
Stopping distance grows with the square of speed, but the time needed to steer around an obstacle changes very little, so an evasive steer is often the only option that works. Locking the brakes destroys steering control, the horn does not shorten the closing distance, and downshifting is far too slow to help.
Practice all 120 questions free — no signup required.
Related questions on this topic
- You are traveling at highway speed when a front tire blows out. What should you do first?
- How can you tell that a tire has failed if you did not hear the blowout?
- Your right wheels drop off the pavement onto a soft shoulder at 55 mph. What is the correct recovery?
- Your air brakes fail on a downgrade and the low-pressure warning is on. What is your best course of action?
- Which type of fire extinguisher should you use on an electrical fire in the cab?
- A grease or fuel fire starts near the engine. Why must you never use water on it?
Last reviewed: · editorial process
PrepPass Editorial Team · Verified against Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Test · How we review