Handling Emergencies

Study questions with answers

12 sample Handling Emergencies questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. Why should you avoid braking while making a quick emergency turn?

   Correct answer: It can lock the wheels and cause a skid

   Braking during a hard turn can easily lock the wheels and send you into a skid out of control.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

2. 2. Right after a tire fails, what should you do about the brakes?

   Correct answer: Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows

   Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows on its own, because braking on a failed tire can cause loss of control.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

3. 3. If cargo catches fire inside a van or box trailer, what should you do with the doors?

   Correct answer: Keep them shut

   Keep the doors shut, because opening them feeds the fire oxygen and can make it burn much faster.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

4. 4. What are the three basic steps to take at an accident scene when you are not seriously hurt?

   Correct answer: Protect the area, notify authorities, and care for the injured

   Protect the area, notify the authorities, and care for the injured are the basic steps at any accident.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

5. 5. If a front tire blows out, what is the first thing you must do?

   Correct answer: Grip the steering wheel tightly with both hands

   Grip the wheel tightly with both hands, because a front-tire blowout can otherwise wrench it away from you.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

6. 6. How do you stop a front-wheel skid?

   Correct answer: Let the vehicle slow down

   In a front-wheel skid the only cure is to let the vehicle slow down by easing off the steering or braking.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

7. 7. After steering quickly around an obstacle, what must you be ready to do?

   Correct answer: Countersteer back the other way

   Be prepared to countersteer, turning the wheel back the other way, so you do not keep veering after passing the obstacle.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

8. 8. If you must drive onto the shoulder to avoid a crash, when should you brake?

   Correct answer: Wait until speed drops to about 20 mph, then brake gently

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

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

9. 9. If your brakes fail on a long downgrade, what is your best hope for stopping?

   Correct answer: An escape ramp

   An escape ramp is your best chance; signs point them out, and using one can prevent a serious crash.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

10. 10. When you do not have room to stop, what is often the better option?

    Correct answer: Steer around the obstacle

    You can usually turn to miss an obstacle faster than you can stop, so steering away may be the safer choice.

    Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

11. 11. Which of these is a cause of skidding listed in the manual?

    Correct answer: Over-braking or over-steering

    Skids come from over-braking, over-steering, over-acceleration, and, most often, driving too fast for conditions.

    Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely

12. 12. If your hydraulic brakes lose pressure, which of these can help slow the vehicle?

    Correct answer: Downshifting and using the parking brake

    You can downshift, pump the pedal, and use the parking or emergency brake, while looking for an escape route.

    Source: Connecticut CDL Manual - Section 2: Driving Safely