California: Emergencies and special situations
Breakdowns, hazardous conditions, and other special driving situations. Split into 2 shorter tests so you're not stuck in one long quiz.
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All 34 Emergencies and special situations questions with answers
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You can see a collision or hazard ahead. How do you warn drivers behind you?
- Turn on your emergency flashers, lightly tap the brake pedal three or four times, and use a hand signal.
- Speed up and pull over to one side so that every driver behind you gets an unobstructed view of the problem.
- Hold the horn down until traffic slows.
- Flash your high beams at the oncoming lane.
Show answer
Correct answer: Turn on your emergency flashers, lightly tap the brake pedal three or four times, and use a hand signal.
Warn following traffic with your emergency flashers, three or four light taps on the brake pedal, and a hand signal as you slow or stop.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 12 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 12)
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Your car must stop for mechanical trouble but has no emergency flashers. What can you use?
- Your turn signals.
- The parking brake warning light.
- Nothing; you simply wait.
- Short repeated bursts on the horn until someone stops to help you out.
Show answer
Correct answer: Your turn signals.
If your vehicle has no emergency flashers, use your turn signals to warn other drivers.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 12 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 12)
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Where should you stop when your vehicle has trouble?
- In the lane closest to the center divider.
- Off the road away from traffic if you can; otherwise where drivers behind can see you.
- Anywhere at all, as long as your emergency flashers are working and you switch them on right away.
- Only where there is a streetlight overhead.
Show answer
Correct answer: Off the road away from traffic if you can; otherwise where drivers behind can see you.
Pull completely off the road away from traffic if possible; if you cannot, stop where you and your vehicle are visible to traffic coming from behind.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 12 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 12)
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Which spots must you avoid when stopping a disabled vehicle?
- Long, flat, open stretches of road.
- Wide shoulders close to an exit.
- Just over a hill or just around a curve.
- Any place within one mile of an intersection.
Show answer
Correct answer: Just over a hill or just around a curve.
Never stop just over a hill or just around a curve, because drivers may not see your vehicle in time to avoid it.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 12 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 12)
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After calling for roadside assistance, what does the handbook tell you to do?
- Walk to the nearest exit to look for help.
- Stand behind the vehicle to warn traffic.
- Stay in your vehicle until help arrives.
- Wait on the center divider where approaching drivers can see you most clearly.
Show answer
Correct answer: Stay in your vehicle until help arrives.
Call for emergency roadside assistance and remain inside your vehicle until help arrives.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 12 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 12)
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If you must stop on a freeway, what should you do?
- Stand well behind the vehicle and wave your arms to warn approaching traffic
- Park with two wheels on the shoulder and walk along the roadway to find help
- Park completely off the pavement and stay inside with the doors locked
- Leave the vehicle and wait on the median
Show answer
Correct answer: Park completely off the pavement and stay inside with the doors locked
Get fully off the pavement, then remain inside the locked vehicle until help comes.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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An officer signals you to pull over. What should you do first to show you have seen them?
- Wave your arm out the window
- Flash your high beams twice
- Switch on your right turn signal
- Turn on your hazard lights and stop immediately
Show answer
Correct answer: Switch on your right turn signal
The right turn signal tells the officer that you have noticed them and are preparing to pull over.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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You are in the carpool/HOV lane when an officer pulls you over. Where should you stop?
- On the left shoulder, since it is closer
- Completely onto the right shoulder, in a well-lit area when possible
- Wherever you are, stopping in the lane
- At the next exit ramp or off-ramp, no matter how far away it happens to be
Show answer
Correct answer: Completely onto the right shoulder, in a well-lit area when possible
Always move all the way onto the right shoulder, even from the carpool lane, and pick a well-lit spot if you can.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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During a law enforcement stop, what should you do with your radio?
- Leave it playing so the officer knows you are calm
- Turn it off
- Turn it up so you can hear the officer over it
- Switch it to a traffic information station
Show answer
Correct answer: Turn it off
During a law enforcement stop, turn off your radio.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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After stopping for an officer, should you get out of your vehicle?
- Yes, get out right away to show cooperation
- Yes, if the stop is at night
- Yes, so that you can retrieve your documents from the trunk
- No, stay inside unless the officer directs you to get out
Show answer
Correct answer: No, stay inside unless the officer directs you to get out
Remain in the vehicle unless the officer tells you otherwise.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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When should you roll down your window during a law enforcement stop?
- After you stop and before the officer makes contact with you
- Only if the officer knocks on the glass and asks you to open it
- While you are still slowing down
- Only after you have been asked for your license
Show answer
Correct answer: After you stop and before the officer makes contact with you
Roll down your window after you stop your vehicle and before the officer makes contact with you.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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Where should the driver and passengers place their hands during a traffic stop?
- In their laps, under a coat or a bag, to stay comfortable
- In clear view before the officer makes contact
- Anywhere comfortable until asked
- Out of the windows
Show answer
Correct answer: In clear view before the officer makes contact
Everyone in the vehicle should have their hands visible before the officer reaches the car.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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Before questioning you about a traffic violation, a California officer must:
- Read you your rights
- Offer you a written warning
- State the reason for the stop
- Ask for the names of all passengers
Show answer
Correct answer: State the reason for the stop
Officers must give the reason for the stop before questioning, unless withholding it is needed to protect life or property from an imminent threat. The reason is also documented on the citation or report.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 29 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 29)
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An officer asks permission to search your vehicle. What are your rights?
- You must consent to any search request
- You may say no, but you may not resist if the officer searches anyway
- You may physically block the officer from opening the doors
- An officer can never search the vehicle unless you give written consent first
Show answer
Correct answer: You may say no, but you may not resist if the officer searches anyway
Clearly state that you do not give permission, but the officer may still have legal authority to search, and you must not interfere.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 30 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 30)
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What must the driver of a stopped vehicle produce for law enforcement?
- A driver's license only
- A driver license, plus either a Social Security card or a passport
- Driver's license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration
- Nothing until a citation is written
Show answer
Correct answer: Driver's license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration
All three documents must be produced. If they are not, officers may conduct a limited search to find them.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 30 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 30)
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During a traffic stop, can an officer order the driver and passengers to get out of or stay inside the vehicle?
- Yes, and you must comply
- Only the driver can be ordered out
- No, that decision is always yours
- Only if a citation is being issued
Show answer
Correct answer: Yes, and you must comply
An officer can legally require the driver and every passenger to exit or remain in the vehicle, and those orders must be followed.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 30 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 30)
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In California, who may ask you about your immigration status during a traffic stop?
- Any peace officer
- City police officers only
- Only federal law enforcement officers
- County sheriffs and the Highway Patrol
Show answer
Correct answer: Only federal law enforcement officers
State and local officers are prohibited from asking about immigration status, and you may decline to answer if they do.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 30 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 30)
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You are recording an officer during a stop and it is not interfering with their duties. The officer:
- May confiscate your device for evidence
- May delete the recording before returning the device
- May order you to stop recording at any point during the enforcement stop itself
- Cannot take your device or erase the recording just because you are recording
Show answer
Correct answer: Cannot take your device or erase the recording just because you are recording
Recording in public is generally protected. Say right away that you are recording, and do not reach into concealed areas for your device without permission.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 31 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 31)
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Your vehicle begins to skid on a slippery surface. What is the correct response?
- Brake hard and hold the wheel straight
- Ease off the accelerator and steer into the skid
- Accelerate to pull the vehicle straight
- Pull the parking brake until the wheels grip
Show answer
Correct answer: Ease off the accelerator and steer into the skid
Take your foot off the gas gradually, avoid the brakes, steer into the skid, and try to get a wheel onto dry pavement.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 60 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 60)
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What usually causes a locked wheel skid?
- Under-inflated tires on a dry road
- Turning the steering wheel too gently
- Braking too hard while traveling too fast
- Driving with the parking brake partly engaged
Show answer
Correct answer: Braking too hard while traveling too fast
Braking too hard at too high a speed locks the wheels, and the vehicle keeps skidding no matter how you turn the steering wheel.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 60 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 60)
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Your vehicle has a four-wheel antilock braking system (ABS) and goes into a locked wheel skid. What should you do?
- Apply firm pressure to the brake pedal
- Pump the brake pedal rapidly
- Take your foot completely off the brake
- Shift into neutral and coast
Show answer
Correct answer: Apply firm pressure to the brake pedal
With four-wheel ABS, apply firm pressure on the brake pedal. Check the vehicle owner's manual to learn whether your vehicle has ABS.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 60 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 60)
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Your vehicle has no antilock braking system and starts to skid. What does the handbook recommend?
- Hold the brake pedal down firmly until you stop
- Quickly pump the brakes until you reach a safe speed
- Use the parking brake immediately
- Shift into a higher gear
Show answer
Correct answer: Quickly pump the brakes until you reach a safe speed
Without ABS, pump the brakes quickly to slow down. If the pedal sinks to the floor, pump it gently, then downshift and try the emergency brake.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 61 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 61)
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On a cold, wet day, which part of the road is most likely to be icy?
- Long straight stretches in full sunlight
- Freshly paved asphalt
- Bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas
- Gravel shoulders
Show answer
Correct answer: Bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas
Bridges and overpasses freeze before the rest of the road, and shaded spots freeze first and dry out last.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 61 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 61)
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Why is the pavement especially slippery when it first starts to rain after a long dry, hot spell?
- Oil and dust have not been washed away
- Hot asphalt melts and becomes soft
- Tires expand in heat and lose their tread
- Rain washes gravel onto the lanes
Show answer
Correct answer: Oil and dust have not been washed away
Built-up oil and dust mix with the first rain and make the road very slick, so slow down at the first sign of rain, drizzle, or snow.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 61 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 61)
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What is hydroplaning?
- When the engine stalls because water enters the exhaust
- When the tires lose all contact with the road and ride on water
- When the brakes get wet and squeal
- When the windshield fogs over in rain
Show answer
Correct answer: When the tires lose all contact with the road and ride on water
In wet conditions the tires can lose all contact with the pavement and ride on a film of water; a small steering input or gust can then start a skid.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 62 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 62)
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If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you should:
- Brake firmly to regain traction
- Turn the wheel sharply toward the shoulder
- Accelerate briefly to push the water away
- Slow down gradually and stay off the brakes
Show answer
Correct answer: Slow down gradually and stay off the brakes
Ease off gradually; sudden braking during hydroplaning can make you lose control. Steering around standing water helps prevent it.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 62 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 62)
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You reach a flooded stretch of road and cannot judge how deep the water is. What is the best course of action?
- Find another route; if you must cross, go slowly, then test your brakes
- Drive through quickly so the water has less time to enter the vehicle
- Follow the tire tracks of the vehicle ahead at the same speed
- Stop in the water and wait for the level to drop
Show answer
Correct answer: Find another route; if you must cross, go slowly, then test your brakes
Depth is hard to judge by sight, and flooding brings risks such as being swept away, hidden debris, road collapse, and downed power lines. Another route is safest.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 63 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 63)
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Which of these is recommended when driving in high winds?
- Use cruise control to hold a steady speed
- Hold the wheel loosely so gusts can pass through
- Slow down, grip the wheel firmly, and avoid cruise control
- Increase speed to get out of the windy area sooner
Show answer
Correct answer: Slow down, grip the wheel firmly, and avoid cruise control
Slower speed and a firm grip keep you in control when a gust hits, and cruise control takes away accelerator control. Pulling over to wait out the storm can be safest.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 63 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 63)
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Which headlights should you use in heavy fog or smoke, and why?
- High beams, because they reach farther
- Low beams, because high beams reflect and cause glare
- Fog lights alone, because they sit lower
- Parking lights, because they draw less attention
Show answer
Correct answer: Low beams, because high beams reflect and cause glare
Fog reflects high-beam light straight back at you. Use low beams, increase your following distance, and never drive on parking or fog lights alone. If the fog gets too thick, pull off the road and turn on your emergency flashers.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 64 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 64)
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A tire blows out while you are driving. What should you do first?
- Brake hard to bring the vehicle to a stop as quickly as possible
- Lift your foot off the accelerator abruptly to slow the vehicle
- Hold the wheel with both hands and keep your speed if it is safe
- Steer immediately onto the shoulder and stop there
Show answer
Correct answer: Hold the wheel with both hands and keep your speed if it is safe
Grip the wheel with both hands, keep your speed if safe, then release the accelerator gradually, steer to stabilize, and pull off the road once the vehicle is under control.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 68 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 68)
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Your right wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder. What should you do?
- Grip the wheel firmly, ease off the gas, brake gently, check traffic, steer back
- Turn the wheel sharply to get back onto the pavement right away
- Brake hard and come to a full stop on the shoulder at once
- Accelerate firmly to regain traction and climb back onto the pavement
Show answer
Correct answer: Grip the wheel firmly, ease off the gas, brake gently, check traffic, steer back
Pulling the wheel with too much force can throw you into oncoming traffic; slow gently and ease back onto the pavement.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 68 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 68)
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Your vehicle breaks down on the freeway and you have pulled onto the right shoulder. What does the handbook tell you to do?
- Stand behind the vehicle and wave down passing drivers for help
- Walk along the shoulder to the nearest exit and call for help there
- Raise the hood, then cross the lanes to wait at the center divider
- Call 511 or use a call box, then wait inside with your seat belt on
Show answer
Correct answer: Call 511 or use a call box, then wait inside with your seat belt on
Use the right side away from traffic, dial 511 or use a call box, and stay belted inside until help arrives. Use your emergency flashers at your discretion.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 69 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 69)
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Which service does the CHP Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) provide free of charge?
- Changing a flat tire or jump starting a dead battery
- Towing your vehicle to the repair shop you choose
- Recommending a body shop near your home
- Towing motorcycles off the freeway
Show answer
Correct answer: Changing a flat tire or jump starting a dead battery
During commute hours FSP can change a flat, jump start you, add a gallon of gas, refill a radiator, and report collisions. It does not tow motorcycles or tow to a private shop or home.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 69 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 69)
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Which statement about carbon monoxide is true?
- It has a strong smell that warns you early of a leak
- It is a deadly odorless gas released from the exhaust pipe
- Only diesel engines produce it, not gas-powered vehicles
- It is harmless in small amounts and causes no symptoms
Show answer
Correct answer: It is a deadly odorless gas released from the exhaust pipe
All gas-powered vehicles release this deadly odorless gas from the exhaust pipe. Tiredness, yawning, dizziness, nausea, headache, or ringing ears are warning signs to have the exhaust system checked.
Source: California Driver Handbook (2025), page 71 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 71)