Sharing the Road

Study questions with answers

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

1. 1. Strong winds create the most difficulty for which type of vehicle, and where is the effect often worst?

   Correct answer: Lighter vehicles, worst coming out of tunnels

   Lighter vehicles are affected most by strong winds, and the problem can be especially bad as you come out of a tunnel.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Space to the Sides)

2. 2. What should you do when you spot a driver who appears to be distracted?

   Correct answer: Give them plenty of room and pass with extra care

   Give a distracted driver plenty of room, keep your safe following distance, and be very careful if you pass, since they may drift into you.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Watch Out for Other Distracted Drivers)

3. 3. How should you drive when passing through or near a roadway work zone?

   Correct answer: Slow down and drive carefully

   Slow down and use caution, since work zones have narrower lanes, distracted drivers, and workers who may enter your path.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Hazardous Roads)

4. 4. Why should you watch pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists especially carefully?

   Correct answer: They may not see or hear you approaching

   They may be traveling with their backs to traffic or wearing headsets, so they may neither see nor hear your vehicle approaching.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

5. 5. Why is a driver whose vision is blocked, such as in a van loaded to the roof, a serious hazard?

   Correct answer: They cannot see you and may move into your path

   People who cannot see out well cannot see you either, so they may pull out or change lanes into your path without warning.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

6. 6. Clues such as roof luggage and out-of-state license plates suggest which kind of potentially hazardous driver?

   Correct answer: A confused tourist unfamiliar with the area

   Those clues point to tourists unfamiliar with the area, who may change direction suddenly, hesitate, or stop without warning.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

7. 7. Why should you be especially cautious around a driver who is changing a tire or fixing an engine at the roadside?

   Correct answer: They may not notice the danger of passing traffic

   Disabled-vehicle drivers often focus on their repair and pay little attention to passing traffic, so treat jacked-up wheels or a raised hood as a hazard clue.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

8. 8. Why should rental-truck drivers be watched carefully by other road users?

   Correct answer: They are often unfamiliar with the truck's limited visibility

   Rental-truck drivers are often not used to the limited vision they have to the sides and rear, making sudden unsafe moves more likely.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

9. 9. A stopped bus at the roadside is a hazard clue mainly because of what?

   Correct answer: Passengers may cross the road and not see you

   Passengers may cross in front of or behind the bus, and they often cannot see your vehicle, so approach a stopped bus carefully.

   Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)

10. 10. What is a good way to deal with a driver who is tailgating your commercial vehicle?

    Correct answer: Increase your following distance and avoid sudden moves

    Do not speed up; instead increase your following distance and avoid quick changes, since it is safer to be tailgated at a lower speed.

    Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Space Behind)

11. 11. Why does hanging meat in a refrigerated trailer require extra caution on curves and ramps?

    Correct answer: It is unstable with a high center of gravity

    Suspended meat is an unstable load with a high center of gravity, so you must slow down for sharp curves such as on-ramps and off-ramps.

    Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 3 (Hanging Meat)

12. 12. To keep safe clearance on both sides in a wide commercial vehicle, what should you do within your lane?

    Correct answer: Keep the vehicle centered in the lane

    Keep your vehicle centered in the lane so you maintain as much space as possible on either side.

    Source: Indiana CDL Manual, Section 2 (Space to the Sides)