Montana: Emergencies — Part 3 Practice Test
Questions in this part include: “If the engine dies while you are driving, what should you do with the steering wheel?” · “Where should you keep your eyes if your gas pedal sticks?”
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Questions are original and based on the official manual "Montana Driver Manual" (Revised April 2024), Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division.
All 18 questions in this practice test
Take the test above first, then use this list to study. Tap “Show answer” to see the correct answer and explanation.
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If pumping the pedal does not restore your brakes and you use the parking brake, how should you pull the handle?
- Quickly and hard, so the vehicle stops as fast as possible
- Slowly, so you will not lock the rear wheels and cause a skid
- Only once the vehicle has slowed to a walking pace
- In short, rapid pulls so that the front wheels never lock
Show answer
Correct answer: Slowly, so you will not lock the rear wheels and cause a skid
The parking brake handle should be pulled slowly so the rear wheels do not lock and cause a skid; be ready to release it if the vehicle skids.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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If pumping the brake pedal and using the parking brake both fail, what should you do?
- Shift into park and wait for the vehicle to stop rolling
- Keep driving slowly at a low speed to the nearest repair shop for help
- Turn the engine off and coast along the road until you stop
- Start shifting to lower gears and look for a safe place to slow to a stop
Show answer
Correct answer: Start shifting to lower gears and look for a safe place to slow to a stop
The manual says to start shifting to lower gears and find a safe place to slow to a stop, and never to drive the vehicle without brakes.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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A tire suddenly goes flat while you are driving. What should you do with the steering wheel?
- Steer toward the shoulder right away to get off the road
- Hold it loosely so the vehicle can settle into a straight path
- Turn it sharply in the direction the vehicle pulls
- Hold it tightly and keep the vehicle going straight
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Correct answer: Hold it tightly and keep the vehicle going straight
After a blowout you hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the vehicle going straight.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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After a tire suddenly goes flat, how should you slow down?
- Quickly, by pressing the brake pedal as hard as you can
- By shifting into neutral and letting the vehicle coast
- Gradually, with your foot off the gas and light braking
- By turning off the engine and applying the parking brake
Show answer
Correct answer: Gradually, with your foot off the gas and light braking
You slow down gradually: take your foot off the gas pedal and use the brakes lightly.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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If a tire suddenly goes flat, where should you stop if at all possible?
- In the lane you are driving in
- Off the road, in a safe place
- On the shoulder side of the center line
- Wherever you are, once you have slowed down
Show answer
Correct answer: Off the road, in a safe place
You should not stop on the road if at all possible; pull off the road in a safe place.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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If the engine dies while you are driving, what should you do with the steering wheel?
- Keep a strong grip on it
- Let it turn freely until the engine restarts
- Hold it loosely so you do not fight the steering
- Release it briefly so the vehicle settles
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Correct answer: Keep a strong grip on it
The steering may be difficult to turn, but you can do it, so you keep a strong grip on the wheel.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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The engine dies while you are driving. What is true about your brakes?
- They still work, but you may have to push very hard
- They stop working until the engine is started again
- They work only through the parking brake handle
- They work normally with no extra effort needed at all
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Correct answer: They still work, but you may have to push very hard
After a power failure the brakes will still work, but you may have to push very hard on the brake pedal.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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Your headlights suddenly go out. After taking your foot off the accelerator and beginning to brake, what should you try?
- Turn the engine off and back on to reset the lights
- Switch off every light and wait for your eyes to adjust
- Try the headlight switch a few times and turn on the high beams
- Flash the dome light at oncoming drivers to be seen
Show answer
Correct answer: Try the headlight switch a few times and turn on the high beams
The manual says to try the headlight switch a few times and turn on the high beams.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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If the headlight switch and high beams do not work, what does the manual say to turn on if you have them?
- The interior dome light and the dashboard lights
- Emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights
- The windshield wipers and the defroster
- The brake lights, by keeping a foot on the pedal
Show answer
Correct answer: Emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights
The manual lists the emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights as the next thing to use when headlights will not come on.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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When your headlights suddenly go out, how should you treat the accelerator?
- Press it harder to leave the dark section quickly
- Hold it steady so that your speed does not change
- Tap it lightly to keep the engine from stalling
- Take your foot off it and begin braking
Show answer
Correct answer: Take your foot off it and begin braking
You take your foot off the accelerator and begin braking.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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After you have tried the switch, the high beams, and the flashers, what does the manual say to do about a headlight failure?
- Keep driving slowly until the lights come back on
- Continue to the next exit before you stop
- Stop in your lane and wait for help to arrive
- Pull off the road as soon as it is safely possible
Show answer
Correct answer: Pull off the road as soon as it is safely possible
With no working headlights you pull off the road as soon as is safely possible.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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Your gas pedal sticks and the motor keeps going faster and faster. Which gear should you quickly shift to?
- Park
- Reverse
- Neutral
- A lower gear
Show answer
Correct answer: Neutral
For a stuck gas pedal the manual says to quickly shift to neutral.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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What kind of pressure should you apply to the brake when the gas pedal sticks?
- Steady pressure
- Rapid pumping
- Short, light taps only
- Hard stomping that locks the wheels
Show answer
Correct answer: Steady pressure
The manual says to apply steady pressure on the brake when the gas pedal sticks.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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Where should you keep your eyes if your gas pedal sticks?
- On the stuck pedal
- On the road
- On the speedometer
- On the rearview mirror
Show answer
Correct answer: On the road
The first step for a stuck gas pedal is to keep your eyes on the road.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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After you have shifted to neutral, braked, and pulled off the road when safe because of a stuck gas pedal, what is the last step listed?
- Shift into drive
- Restart the vehicle
- Pump the gas pedal
- Turn off the engine
Show answer
Correct answer: Turn off the engine
The last step for a stuck gas pedal is to turn off the engine once you are off the road.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 77
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Your vehicle’s right wheels drift off the pavement. What should you do with the accelerator and steering at first?
- Take your foot off the accelerator and steer parallel to the road
- Brake hard and steer sharply back onto the pavement
- Press the accelerator and steer straight back onto the road
- Steer toward the left lane at once and brake lightly
Show answer
Correct answer: Take your foot off the accelerator and steer parallel to the road
You take your foot off the accelerator and steer parallel to the road.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 78
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Once you have slowed down after your right wheels leave the pavement, how should you steer back into the road’s right lane?
- With a sharp full turn of the wheel to the left
- With a small left quarter turn of the steering wheel
- With a small right quarter turn of the wheel
- With a quick half turn of the wheel to the left
Show answer
Correct answer: With a small left quarter turn of the steering wheel
When it is safe, you steer into the road’s right lane with a small left quarter turn of the steering wheel, keeping both hands on it.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 78
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When should you brake after your right wheels have left the pavement?
- As soon as the wheels leave the pavement
- While the wheels are still on the shoulder
- When you are back on the pavement
- You should avoid braking and use only the parking brake
Show answer
Correct answer: When you are back on the pavement
The manual says to brake when you are back on pavement.
Source: Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024), page 78