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Emergencies
District of Columbia Permit Test: Emergencies Practice Questions
Skids, breakdowns, brake failure and what to do after a problem.
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Question 1
Your brakes fail (non-ABS). What should you try first?
Turn off the engine
Pump the brake pedal
Jump out
Shift straight into park
Correct answer: Pump the brake pedal
Try pumping the brake pedal; if that fails, use the parking brake, shift lower, and rub the tires against the curb if needed.
Source: Emergencies
Question 2
How should you brake with ABS in an emergency?
Pump the pedal quickly, as with older brakes
Tap the pedal lightly to avoid locking the wheels
Release the brake and coast to a slow stop
Press hard, hold, and steer
Correct answer: Press hard, hold, and steer
With ABS, press down hard on the brake, hold it, and steer; pumping or releasing disengages the ABS.
Source: Emergencies
Question 3
After driving through deep water, how often should you test your brakes while drying them?
Every 200 feet
Once every mile or so
Every 10 feet
Only once
Correct answer: Every 200 feet
Put the car in low gear, drive slowly, apply brakes lightly, and test every 200 feet until braking returns to normal.
Source: Emergencies
Question 4
Your windshield wipers fail in bad weather. What should you do?
Keep going at the same speed
Turn on high beams
Stop in your lane
Put your head out the window, pull off and stop
Correct answer: Put your head out the window, pull off and stop
If wipers fail, open the window, put your head out, drive off the roadway and stop.
Source: Emergencies
Question 5
Your accelerator sticks. What should you do?
Turn the key to the lock position while still moving fast
Pump the gas pedal several times until it springs back up
Slap the pedal, shift to neutral, brake, pull off
Open the door and jump out before the car speeds up more
Correct answer: Slap the pedal, shift to neutral, brake, pull off
Slap the pedal hard, shift to neutral, apply the brakes, and pull off the road and stop.
Source: Emergencies
Question 6
On a dark highway all your lights fail. What should you do?
Pull off the road immediately, without slowing down first
Stop right in your lane and wait there for help to arrive
Stay on the road and slow enough to pull off safely
Speed up so you reach the next exit before anyone hits you
Correct answer: Stay on the road and slow enough to pull off safely
If all lights fail on a dark road, stay on the roadway and slow down enough to pull off safely.
Source: Emergencies
Question 7
If your vehicle catches fire, where should you avoid pulling in?
An open area
A service station
Away from trees
Away from buildings
Correct answer: A service station
Park in an open area away from buildings, trees and vehicles; do not pull into a service station.
Source: Emergencies
Question 8
When using a fire extinguisher on a vehicle fire, where should you aim?
Up into the flames
At the smoke
At the base of the fire
At the tires only
Correct answer: At the base of the fire
Aim at the source or base of the fire, not up in the flames, and position yourself upwind.
Source: Emergencies
Question 9
A vehicle is coming at you in your lane. What should you avoid doing?
Turning into the lane it left
Pulling to the right
Slowing down
Sounding your horn
Correct answer: Turning into the lane it left
Pull right, slow, sound your horn and flash lights; do not turn into the lane the vehicle left, as it may return.
Source: Emergencies
Question 10
Your car stalls on railroad tracks and a train is coming. Which way should you run?
Away from the train along the tracks
Along the tracks toward the train
Across to the other side
Stay in the car
Correct answer: Along the tracks toward the train
Get out and run along the side of the tracks toward the train to avoid being struck by debris.
Source: Emergencies
Question 11
After running off the road, at what speed should you return to the roadway?
At highway speed
As fast as possible
15 mph or less, under control
Only after stopping fully
Correct answer: 15 mph or less, under control
Don’t try to get back on until the vehicle is completely under control (15 mph or less) and you have checked traffic.
Source: Emergencies
Question 12
If a tire blows out, what should you do?
Brake hard immediately to stop the car as fast as possible
Don’t brake; grip the wheel and pull off safely
Swerve sharply to the left, away from the side of the flat tire
Speed up so the car pulls itself straight again
Correct answer: Don’t brake; grip the wheel and pull off safely
Do not apply the brakes; grip the wheel tightly, signal right, slow down and pull safely onto the shoulder.
Source: Emergencies
Question 13
How do you start a flooded engine, per the DC manual?
Pump the gas pedal quickly several times while cranking
Turn the key off and on as fast as you can, over and over
Push the car down the street and pop the clutch to start it
Hold the gas to the floor and crank in short intervals
Correct answer: Hold the gas to the floor and crank in short intervals
Press the gas to the floor and hold it, turn the key for short 10–15 second intervals; do not pump the gas.
Source: Emergencies
Question 14
In a skid, if your rear wheels go right, which way do you turn the front wheels?
To the left
To the right
Straight
Brake instead
Correct answer: To the right
Don’t panic or brake; steer in the direction of the skid — rear goes right, turn front wheels right — and ease off the gas.
Source: Skids, Curves & Fog
Question 15
How much water reaching the bottom of a vehicle may cause loss of control?
Two feet
Six inches
One inch
Three feet
Correct answer: Six inches
Six inches of water reaching the bottom of a vehicle may cause loss of control or stalling; two feet of moving water can carry it away.
Source: Driving Conditions – Speed, Wet Pavement, Following Distance
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