Accidents and Emergency Situations: Legal Duties After an Accident, When to Move the Vehicle, Reasonable Assistance, Certificates of Compliance, Stopping, Turning or Speeding Up to Avoid a Collision, Choosing What to Hit, Driving Off the Pavement, Plunging Into Water, Impaired Driving and How to Spot an Impaired Driver, Roadside Emergency Triangles at 200 and 500 Feet, Blowouts, Brake Failure and Ignition Locking, Preventing Theft, Traffic Stops by Law Enforcement, Carbon Monoxide, Teen Risk Factors and Off-Road Vehicle Helmets
Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Indiana driver's knowledge exam. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.
Source: Indiana Driver's Manual (Indiana BMV, July 2026), Chapter 8 "Accidents and Emergency Situations" (pages 58–62) and Appendix B "Teens Behind the Wheel" (pages 71–72).
After an accident
Failure to yield the right-of-way is the most common factor in Indiana collisions. A driver involved in an accident must stop immediately or as close to the scene as possible without obstructing traffic more than necessary; if it happened on the traveled part of a highway, move the vehicle off the road as near the scene as possible, unless the accident involves hazardous materials or causes injury, death or entrapment. Stay at the scene, give your name, address and registration number to everyone involved and show your license. If someone is injured or killed, give reasonable assistance as directed by police, medical staff or the 911 operator, and make sure law enforcement is notified. If you hit an unattended vehicle or other property, stop, take reasonable steps to find the owner, and if you cannot, call a law enforcement agency. On request the BMV requires proof of financial responsibility, which your insurer files electronically as a Certificate of Compliance showing the minimum liability coverage was in force.
Avoiding collisions
When a hit looks likely you can stop quickly, turn quickly away from the collision, or speed up when accelerating is the only escape. Turn away from oncoming traffic even if it means leaving the road, drive rather than skid off, choose something that gives way such as brush over something hard, hit something moving your direction rather than something stopped, but prefer something stopped to a head-on crash, and remember a sideswipe can slow you. If your wheels drift onto the shoulder, do not jerk back onto the pavement; drive along the shoulder, ease off the gas, and turn back gradually once slowed. A car that plunges into water usually floats several minutes: never open a door (the water pressure holds it and flooding follows), remove your belt, open a window (power windows usually still work unless the electrical system is damaged), free children from belts and seats with older ones helping, move everyone forward, climb out onto the roof, call 911 and find dry land, swim for shore only as a last resort, and never go back for possessions.
Impaired driving
Alcohol clouds thinking, coordination and reaction time; BAC depends on the amount consumed, how quickly, and body weight, and prescription, over-the-counter and recreational drugs impair too, so read labels and ask a physician or pharmacist. Signs of an impaired driver: wide turns, straddling the center line or weaving, speeding or crawling, near misses, swerving, drifting or tailgating, stopping for no reason, abrupt or illegal turns, inconsistent signals, and driving at night without headlights.
Roadside emergencies and equipment failures
Pull onto the shoulder if you can, turn on the hazard flashers, keep a flashlight within reach, and carry a reflective vest and a red reflective triangle, placed 200 feet behind the vehicle or 500 feet on a hill or curve; in winter pack blankets, gloves and hats; and if you must get out on a shoulder, exit on the passenger side after checking for traffic, obstructions and drop-offs. In a blowout, hold the wheel firmly, keep straight, ease off the gas without braking, let the car slow, pull off and brake only when nearly stopped. When conventional brakes fail, shift to a lower gear and pump the pedal fast and hard to build pressure, try the parking brake while holding its release so you can ease off if the rear wheels lock, find a place to stop off the road, and call for help rather than driving on. Never turn the ignition to lock while moving on a vehicle with a steering wheel interlock, or the steering will lock. To deter theft, remove the keys, lock the doors, hide no spare key, park with the front wheels turned sharply right and the emergency brake set, never leave the engine running unattended, consider an anti-theft device and park in lit, patrolled areas.
Traffic stops
Acknowledge the officer with your right turn signal, since not signaling can suggest evasion or impairment. Move to the right shoulder, never the center median or the opposite side of a two-lane road, and if the shoulder is too narrow, pull over at the next safe spot, preferably well lit; at night turn on the interior light, and if you cannot stop right away, slow and use the hazard lights. End phone calls and turn off the radio, stay inside unless directed out, keep your hands on the wheel and passengers' hands visible, roll down tinted windows before the officer arrives, and tell the officer where your license, registration and insurance are (even on a phone) before reaching for them. If ticketed or arrested, do not debate or argue, do not refuse to sign the ticket (signing only acknowledges receipt), cooperate at the scene since refusing breath, urine, blood or performance tests when suspected of drunk driving costs your privileges, contest the ticket in traffic court, and never resist arrest. Officers must give their names and badge numbers on request, complaints go to their superiors or a civilian board, and officers must document every stop with the driver's name and address.
Carbon monoxide and teens
Carbon monoxide, invisible, odorless and tasteless, leaks in most when the heater runs, the exhaust is faulty or heavy traffic fumes enter, even into the back seat; symptoms are drowsiness, dizziness, bluish skin or lips, headache and light sensitivity. Have the exhaust checked, listen for roars under the car, never run the engine in a closed garage, close the fresh-air vent in congested traffic, and open it on cold-weather highways. Teen crash factors: errant and risky driving, inattention, excessive speed in single-vehicle crashes, passengers (the crash chance doubles with each one), unbelted riders, inattention at intersections where most multi-vehicle teen crashes happen, and alcohol or drugs. Teens should belt up, set seats and mirrors first, leave the radio and phone alone, keep music low, never ride with an impaired driver, clear intersections before entering, be ready to stop on green in case it changes, and obey limits; parents should model good driving, practice in varied conditions, choose safe vehicles and grant privileges progressively. Anyone under 18 on an off-road vehicle must wear a DOT helmet, and owners may not let unhelmeted minors ride.
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The three credential types and the Real ID star, residency and the 60-day rule, new residents with expired or foreign licenses, ID cards and the motor driven cycle endorsement at 15, learner's permits at 15 with driver education or 16 without, who may supervise practice, the two-year permit, vision and knowledge exams and the 80 percent rule, the driving skills exam with its deductions, automatic failures and 7-day and 2-month waits, financial liability signers, the 16 and 16 years 270 days license ages, the 180-day permit and 50-hour log, six-, three- and two-year validity, probationary passenger and curfew rules, school suspensions, restriction codes, motorcycle permits, MDC rules, autocycles, the for-hire endorsement, organ donation, military indicators, watercraft, parking placards, and renewing, amending and replacing.
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The seven sign colors and seven shapes, warning, construction, railroad and school zone signs, the 25 mph slow-moving emblem, speed advisories, regulatory and guidance signs, plaques such as Cross Traffic Does Not Stop and Stop Here on Red, green, yellow and red lights, green and flashing yellow arrows, right and left turns on red, flashing yellow and red lights and who yields at an all-way flashing red, rapid flashing beacons, bicycle and transit signals, the two-minute rule for bicycles and motorcycles at a stuck red light, stop lines, yield signs, dead signals, alleys and driveways, pedestrian signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons, with pictures of the signs.
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