Emergencies: steering to avoid a crash

Review questions with answers

1. In an emergency, you can almost always ________ to miss an obstacle more quickly than you can stop.
   1. Turn
   2. Downshift
   3. Honk
   4. Use the parking brake
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   Turn

   Stopping is not always safest. You can usually steer around an object faster than you can stop.

2. Which vehicles may roll over if steered sharply in an emergency?
   1. Empty straight trucks only
   2. Small buses only
   3. Cars
   4. Top-heavy vehicles and tractors with multiple trailers
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   Top-heavy vehicles and tractors with multiple trailers

   Top-heavy vehicles and tractors pulling multiple trailers may flip over in a quick, sharp turn.

3. During a quick emergency turn, you should:
   1. Brake hard while turning
   2. Not brake while turning
   3. Pump the brakes while turning
   4. Pull the parking brake
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   Not brake while turning

   Braking while turning can easily lock the wheels and cause a skid. Brake before or after, not during, the turn.

4. "Counter-steering" means:
   1. Turning on the four-way flashers
   2. Steering toward oncoming traffic
   3. Turning the wheel back the other way after you pass an obstacle
   4. Holding the wheel straight while braking
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   Turning the wheel back the other way after you pass an obstacle

   After swerving past an object, you turn the wheel back the other way. Plan emergency steering and counter-steering as one action.

5. An oncoming driver drifts into your lane. The best move usually is to steer:
   1. To your right
   2. To your left
   3. Straight ahead and brake hard
   4. Into the center line
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   To your right

   Move right. When the other driver notices, the natural reaction is to return to their own lane.

6. If you are blocked on both sides, steering to the right may be best because:
   1. The right side has fewer potholes
   2. Trucks have better mirrors on the right
   3. Turning right is always faster
   4. You will not force anyone into oncoming traffic and a head-on crash
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   You will not force anyone into oncoming traffic and a head-on crash

   Moving right at least avoids pushing another driver into the opposing lane.

7. If you must leave the road in an emergency, you should avoid braking until your speed drops to about:
   1. 40 mph
   2. 20 mph
   3. 5 mph
   4. 50 mph
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   20 mph

   Avoid braking until about 20 mph, then brake very gently to avoid skidding on the loose surface.

8. When you drive onto the shoulder to escape a crash, it helps to:
   1. Put all wheels on the shoulder right away
   2. Brake hard at once
   3. Keep one set of wheels on the pavement if possible
   4. Turn off the engine
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   Keep one set of wheels on the pavement if possible

   Keeping one set of wheels on the pavement helps you maintain control.

9. You swerved onto the shoulder to avoid a crash, but you must get back on the road before you can stop. You should:
   1. Hold the wheel tightly, turn sharply enough to get right back on, then counter-steer when both front tires are on the pavement
   2. Ease back onto the road very gradually
   3. Brake hard while turning back
   4. Turn as little as possible and let the tires climb the edge slowly
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   Hold the wheel tightly, turn sharply enough to get right back on, then counter-steer when both front tires are on the pavement

   Do not edge back gradually; tires may grab and you can lose control. Turn sharply, then counter-steer at once when both front tires are on the pavement.

10. Most road shoulders are too weak to support a large vehicle, so you should never use them to escape.
    1. True
    2. False
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    False

    False. Most shoulders are strong enough to hold a large vehicle and are an available escape route.

11. The best way to make sure both hands are on the wheel during an emergency is to:
    1. Practice grabbing it quickly
    2. Use a steering knob
    3. Keep both hands on it all the time
    4. Steer with your knees until needed
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    Keep both hands on it all the time

    Keep both hands on the wheel at all times so you are ready to turn quickly.

12. When steering around an obstacle, how much should you turn?
    1. As sharply as possible
    2. Enough to reach the far shoulder
    3. Twice what seems needed
    4. No more than needed to clear the obstacle
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    No more than needed to clear the obstacle

    The sharper the turn, the greater the risk of a skid or rollover. Turn only as much as needed.

13. If the shoulder is clear and something blocks your lane, going right may be best because:
    1. Traffic rarely uses the shoulder, while a vehicle may be overtaking you on the left
    2. The left lane is always slower
    3. Trucks may not use the left lane
    4. Right turns do not need counter-steering
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    Traffic rarely uses the shoulder, while a vehicle may be overtaking you on the left

    Traffic is unlikely on the shoulder, while a vehicle could be passing you on the left. Your mirrors tell you which way is open.

14. A "traffic emergency" happens when:
    1. A tire blows out
    2. The brakes fail
    3. Two vehicles are about to collide
    4. The engine overheats
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    Two vehicles are about to collide

    A traffic emergency is when two vehicles are about to crash into each other. A vehicle emergency is a failure of tires, brakes or other parts.