Delaware Car / Permit practice
Delaware Car / Permit: Handling Emergencies practice test
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
13 questions · pass with 10 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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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.
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1. Your brake pedal sinks to the floor while you are driving. What does the manual say to try first?
Correct answer: Pump the pedal several times to build pressure back up
Pumping often restores enough pressure to stop the vehicle. If it does not, ease the parking brake on gradually, then shift down and look for a safe place off the road to come to rest.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Brake Failure
2. Your right wheels drop off the pavement onto the shoulder. What should you do first?
Correct answer: Hold the wheel firmly, lift off the accelerator, and avoid slamming the brakes
Stay calm, brake gently or not at all, and grip the wheel tightly, since the stress can wrench it out of your hands. Come back only once you have the vehicle under control.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Running Off The Pavement
3. The Delaware manual says to slow to what speed before steering back onto the pavement?
Correct answer: 15 mph or less
Once you have control, are down to that speed and have checked for traffic behind, steer the front wheels firmly back onto the road surface while staying off the center line.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Running Off The Pavement
4. Smoke is coming from under the hood and you have no extinguisher. What does Delaware advise?
Correct answer: Smother the flames with dirt or sand rather than water
Burning fuel floats on water and the fire simply spreads. Get off the roadway first, and if the flames get beyond you, move at least a hundred feet away because the tank may explode.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Fire
5. How do you dry your brakes after driving through deep water?
Correct answer: Move slowly in low gear while tapping the brakes lightly, testing again every 200 feet
Wet brakes may pull to one side or fail to hold at all, so test them first, then dry them with light applications in low gear until braking feels normal again.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Brake Failure
6. The accelerator sticks and the engine keeps revving up. What is the recommended response?
Correct answer: Shift quickly into neutral and keep your eyes on the road
Neutral comes first, then leave the road when it is safe to do so, and only after that switch the engine off.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Gas Pedal Sticks
7. Why does the Delaware manual warn against turning the ignition to lock while the vehicle is moving?
Correct answer: The steering can seize, leaving you without control
Turning the key to the locked position while under way locks the steering the moment you try to turn the wheel, and control of the vehicle is lost.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Steering Wheel Locking Device
8. Your car stalls on a railroad crossing and a train is approaching. What should you do?
Correct answer: Leave the car and move well clear of the rails, heading toward the side the train is coming from
Abandon the vehicle and get as far away as you can, moving toward the train's approach side so that wreckage from the impact is flung away from you rather than toward you.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Stalling On Railroad Tracks
9. A tire suddenly goes flat at speed. What should you do?
Correct answer: Hold the wheel tightly, keep the vehicle straight, and slow down gradually
Take your foot off the gas and use the brakes lightly while keeping the car pointed straight. Stopping in a lane is the thing to avoid; find a safe place clear of the road.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Tire Blowout
10. Your headlights go out on a dark road. What does the manual suggest?
Correct answer: Work the switch a few times, then use the flashers, turn signals or fog lights and pull off
If working the switch does not bring them back, use whatever lighting you still have to stay visible and get off the roadway as soon as you can.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Headlight Failure
11. Your vehicle begins to skid. What does the Delaware manual tell you to do?
Correct answer: Stay off the brake and steer where you want the vehicle to end up
Braking will not work until the vehicle slows and can deepen the slide. Steer in the intended direction, then correct back the other way as the car straightens so you do not begin a second skid.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Dealing With Skids
12. The engine dies while you are driving. What should you expect to happen?
Correct answer: Steering becomes much harder and the brake pedal needs far more effort, but both still work
Keep a strong grip on the wheel and get clear of the traveled surface. Braking still works, though the pedal may need a very hard shove.
Source: Delaware Driver Manual — Power Failure
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