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. How should you position your vehicle to help stop it after total brake failure on a downgrade with no escape ramp?

   Correct answer: Take the least hazardous route, like an open field or an uphill side road

   Without an escape ramp, pick the safest available path, perhaps an open field or a side street that levels off or climbs, and commit to it the instant you realize the brakes are gone.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Brake Failure on Downgrades)

2. 2. What is the 'stab braking' method?

   Correct answer: Apply fully, release when wheels lock, reapply when they roll again

   Stab braking means applying the brakes fully, releasing them when the wheels lock, and reapplying fully once the wheels start rolling again — allowing time for them to roll.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (How to Stop Quickly and Safely)

3. 3. After a tire failure, why should you stay off the brake until the vehicle slows down?

   Correct answer: Braking then could cause loss of control

   Hitting the brakes just after a tire lets go can make you lose control; unless a crash is imminent, let the vehicle slow first, then brake softly and ease off the road.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Respond to Tire Failure)

4. 4. If your hydraulic brakes lose pressure and the pedal goes to the floor, what is one thing you can do to slow down?

   Correct answer: Downshift into a lower gear to help slow down

   You can downshift into a lower gear, pump the pedal to build pressure, or use the parking brake to help slow the vehicle while looking for an escape route.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Brake Failure)

5. 5. Why should you avoid using the brake while making a quick emergency turn?

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

   It is very easy to lock the wheels while turning, which can send you into a skid; braking during the turn increases the chance of losing control.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (How to Turn Quickly and Safely)

6. 6. If a front tire suddenly blows out, what should you do first?

   Correct answer: Keep a firm two-handed grip on the steering wheel

   Grip the wheel firmly using both hands, since a front blowout can wrench it from your hold; keep off the brake until the vehicle slows.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Respond to Tire Failure)

7. 7. When using a fire extinguisher on a vehicle fire, where should you aim it?

   Correct answer: At the base or source of the fire

   Direct the extinguisher toward the base, or source, of the fire rather than into the flames, staying as far back as possible and keeping the wind at your back.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Extinguish the Fire)

8. 8. When you don't have room to stop in an emergency, which action can usually be done more quickly?

   Correct answer: Turning to miss the obstacle

   You can almost always steer around an obstacle faster than you can stop, though top-heavy vehicles and multi-trailer rigs risk flipping.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Steering to Avoid a Crash)

9. 9. What are the three basic steps to take at any accident scene where 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 three basic steps at any accident.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Accident Procedures)

10. 10. What is the 'controlled braking' method for an emergency stop?

    Correct answer: Brake as hard as possible without locking the wheels

    With controlled braking you press the brakes firmly, just short of locking any wheel, hold your steering inputs small, and ease off if a wheel does lock.

    Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (How to Stop Quickly and Safely)

11. 11. In a cargo fire inside a van or box trailer, why should you keep the doors shut?

    Correct answer: Opening them supplies oxygen and makes the fire burn faster

    Opening the doors feeds the fire oxygen and can make it burn much faster, which is especially dangerous if the cargo includes hazardous materials.

    Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Keep the Fire from Spreading)

12. 12. If you must leave the road to avoid a collision, when should you brake?

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

    Hold off braking until you have slowed to roughly 20 mph, then apply the brakes softly so you don't skid on the loose surface, and try to leave one pair of wheels on the paved edge.

    Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Leaving the Road)