Alabama Driver License: Night, Winter, Skids, Hydroplaning and Emergencies

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Night, Winter, Skids, Hydroplaning and Emergencies. Free, no account needed.

1. Roughly what share of fatal crashes happen after dark, even though traffic is lighter at night?

About half
About three-quarters
About a third
About a quarter

Answer: A — About half

Fatal crashes at night run about half the total despite lighter traffic, because most night hazards involve vision.

2. A driver's high beams reveal the road for about 350 feet. To avoid overdriving the headlights, what should govern the driver's speed?

Match the speed of the car ahead
Never exceed the posted daytime speed limit
Drive slow enough to stop within the distance the lights show
Stay under 55 mph regardless of conditions

Answer: C — Drive slow enough to stop within the distance the lights show

Overdriving headlights means going faster than you could stop within the illuminated distance, so speed must be limited to a safe stopping distance within that range.

3. A driver is following another car at night. At what distance from the car ahead must headlights be dimmed?

200 feet
100 feet
500 feet
350 feet

Answer: A — 200 feet

Dimming is required within 200 feet when following another vehicle, versus 500 feet for an oncoming vehicle.

4. An oncoming driver at night fails to dim their high beams. What is the correct response?

Keep your own headlights dimmed anyway
Flash your high beams back until they dim
Switch your headlights off briefly
Match their high beams so you can see equally well

Answer: A — Keep your own headlights dimmed anyway

Even if the other driver won't dim, keeping your own lights dimmed avoids blinding them, which would endanger you both.

5. A driver's headlights fail and the car is stopped along the right edge of a dark highway at night. Where should flares or reflectors be placed?

Directly behind the rear bumper
50 feet in front and 50 feet behind the car
200 to 300 feet ahead of the car
100 to 500 feet behind the car on the right edge

Answer: D — 100 to 500 feet behind the car on the right edge

Warning devices should be set 100 to 500 feet behind the car on the right edge so approaching traffic has time to react.

6. On a very cold morning, a driver starts the car to warm it up before clearing snow off the windows. What should the driver do with the engine while scraping ice from the hood and windows?

Turn it off between scraping sessions
Rev it briefly then shut it off
Let it idle at a fast idle
Keep it idling at the lowest possible idle

Answer: C — Let it idle at a fast idle

The engine should be left running at a fast idle while clearing snow and ice, until the heater and defroster warm up.

7. A driver has snow tires on the drive wheels and is heading onto a road with extreme ice. What should the driver keep in mind?

Snow tires improve traction but don't grip ice; chains are best for extreme ice
Snow tires grip ice as well as chains do
Snow tires only help with stopping, not starting
Snow tires eliminate the need for reduced speed

Answer: A — Snow tires improve traction but don't grip ice; chains are best for extreme ice

Snow treads improve traction and stopping but don't grip ice, so reinforced chains are best for extreme ice or deep, hard-packed snow.

8. A driver turns the wipers on because of falling snow. What does the law require regarding headlights?

Headlights are only required if using intermittent wipers
Headlights must be turned on
Only parking lights are required
Headlights are optional if visibility exceeds 500 feet

Answer: B — Headlights must be turned on

Alabama law requires headlights on whenever wipers are in use for rain, sleet, or snow, though intermittent wiping is exempt.

9. Compared to a dry road, how much longer can stopping take on snow or ice?

Five to twenty times
About twice as long
Three to twelve times
Two to four times

Answer: C — Three to twelve times

Stopping on snow or ice can take three to twelve times the dry-pavement distance, so extra following room is essential.

10. A driver needs to make a sudden stop on packed snow. What braking technique does the manual recommend?

Press the brake pedal firmly and hold it down
Apply the parking brake first, then the foot brake
Depress the clutch and coast to a stop
Pump the brakes, releasing when the wheels lock and squeezing again

Answer: D — Pump the brakes, releasing when the wheels lock and squeezing again

On packed snow or ice, pumping the brakes—releasing when the wheels lock and reapplying—helps maintain control during a sudden stop.

11. A car begins to skid and the driver's instinct is to slam on the brakes. Why is this the wrong move?

It only speeds the skid and locks the front wheels
It causes the engine to stall
It disables the power steering
It has no effect either way during a skid

Answer: A — It only speeds the skid and locks the front wheels

Braking during a skid speeds up the skid and locks the front wheels, so the driver should not brake until forward control is regained.

12. A rear-wheel-drive car begins to skid. What action helps the engine brake the rear wheels so the car straightens out?

Pressing the clutch to neutral
Stepping lightly on the gas
Easing off the gas
Applying the parking brake

Answer: C — Easing off the gas

In a rear-wheel-drive car, easing off the gas lets the engine brake the rear wheels while steering straightens the car.

13. A front-wheel-drive car goes into a skid. What should the driver do to help the front wheels catch up with the sliding rear?

Step lightly on the gas
Brake gently and steadily
Shift into neutral immediately
Ease off the gas completely

Answer: A — Step lightly on the gas

In a front-wheel-drive skid, stepping lightly on the gas speeds the front wheels so they catch up with the sliding rear.

14. A driver is skidding and there is no room to safely accelerate. Besides steering in the direction the rear is skidding, what is the next best action?

Pump the foot brake repeatedly
Disengage the transmission by pushing in the clutch or shifting to neutral
Apply the parking brake firmly
Turn off the engine

Answer: B — Disengage the transmission by pushing in the clutch or shifting to neutral

With no room to accelerate, disengaging the transmission (clutch in or shift to neutral) while steering into the skid direction is the recommended action.

15. On a wet road, up to about what speed do most tires still wipe the water off the road like a windshield wiper, keeping normal contact?

45 mph
15 mph
35 mph
55 mph

Answer: C — 35 mph

Below about 35 mph, most tires wipe water off the road similar to a windshield wiper, maintaining contact.

16. A car's speed on a wet road climbs from 35 to 55 mph. What is happening to the tires' contact with the road?

Hydroplaning only begins at exactly 55 mph
The tires grip better because of increased downforce
Traction steadily improves as speed increases
Partial hydroplaning increases, with tires potentially entirely on water by 55 mph

Answer: D — Partial hydroplaning increases, with tires potentially entirely on water by 55 mph

Between about 35 and 55 mph, partial hydroplaning increases, and by 55 mph the tires may be riding entirely on a film of water.

17. A car totally hydroplanes in a severe storm at highway speed, losing all contact with the road. What should the driver do?

Take the foot off the accelerator and ride it out
Accelerate slightly to regain contact with the road
Brake firmly to slow down quickly
Turn sharply into the direction of the skid

Answer: A — Take the foot off the accelerator and ride it out

During total hydroplaning there is no friction to brake, accelerate, or corner, so the driver should release the accelerator and ride it out.

18. Water on the road is deeper than a tire's tread depth. Above roughly what speed should a driver expect complete hydroplaning?

50 mph
65 mph
40 mph
35 mph

Answer: A — 50 mph

When water is deeper than the tread, complete hydroplaning can be expected above 50 mph, even with good tires.

19. Visibility drops sharply while driving through fog. What should be done with the headlights?

Use only the parking lights
Turn them off to reduce reflected glare
Switch to high beams for maximum range
Keep them on low beam to cut the glare off the fog

Answer: D — Keep them on low beam to cut the glare off the fog

Low beams cut the glare that fog or snow reflects back, unlike high beams which worsen it.

20. A driver's eyes become exhausted and visibility disappears in a snowstorm. What is the recommended response?

Pull completely off the road, leave the lights on, and wait
Stop in the travel lane with hazard lights on
Follow another vehicle's taillights closely
Continue slowly with hazard lights flashing

Answer: A — Pull completely off the road, leave the lights on, and wait

If a driver can't see or is too exhausted to continue safely, the right move is to pull completely off the road, leave the lights on, and wait it out.

21. A driver on a narrow, hilly road sounds the horn on the blind curves and then starts down a long grade. What does the law forbid on the way down?

Coasting downhill in neutral
Pumping the brakes to make a sudden stop
Sounding the horn where brush and woods block the view
Shifting into a lower gear so the engine slows the car

Answer: A — Coasting downhill in neutral

The law forbids coasting downhill in neutral. Shifting to a lower gear, sounding the horn on hazardous curves and pumping the brakes for a sudden stop are all things the manual tells drivers to do.

22. A driver who warmed the car up in winter with the windows shut feels sudden weariness, yawning, dizziness and nausea. What is the only cure?

Running the air conditioner with the windows closed
Resting in the car until the symptoms pass
Fresh air
Turning the heater up to burn off the fumes

Answer: C — Fresh air

Those are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, the fumes are odorless and deadly, and the manual says the only cure is fresh air.

23. A tire suddenly deflates and a thumping was felt just before, pulling the car to one side. What should the driver do first?

Steer sharply away from the pull to compensate
Shift to neutral and coast to the shoulder
Brake hard immediately to stop before losing control
Hold the wheel tightly, steer straight, and ease off the accelerator

Answer: D — Hold the wheel tightly, steer straight, and ease off the accelerator

For a blowout, the driver should hold the wheel tightly, steer straight, ease off the accelerator, and avoid braking until under control.

24. The brake pedal feels spongy and sinks to the floor, then the brakes fail completely. After pumping the pedal fails, what should the driver try next?

Shift straight to neutral
Swerve onto the shoulder and let the car coast to a stop
Apply the parking brake gently so the wheels do not lock
Turn off the engine immediately while still in gear

Answer: C — Apply the parking brake gently so the wheels do not lock

After pumping fails to restore brake pressure, gently applying the parking brake is the next step, followed by downshifting or turning off the engine if still needed.

25. A car drifts off the pavement onto the shoulder. What should the driver avoid doing, and what should they do instead?

Avoid slowing down; maintain speed while turning back onto the road
Avoid braking at all; accelerate until back on the pavement
Avoid swerving back onto the pavement; stay on the shoulder, slow down, then turn gently back
Avoid staying on the shoulder; steer back onto the pavement immediately

Answer: C — Avoid swerving back onto the pavement; stay on the shoulder, slow down, then turn gently back

Swerving back onto the pavement can unbalance the car, so the driver should stay on the shoulder, slow down, and turn gently back onto the road.

26. A car is approaching head-on in the driver's own lane. What should the driver do?

Speed up to pass the oncoming car quickly
Pull right, slow down, sound the horn, and flash lights at night
Move into the left lane to get out of the way
Stop in place and wait for the other driver to correct

Answer: B — Pull right, slow down, sound the horn, and flash lights at night

The correct response is to pull right, slow, sound the horn, and flash lights at night, never moving left since the other driver may swing back that way.

27. A car stalls on railroad tracks and a train is coming, but the car cannot be moved off the tracks in time. What should the occupants do?

Abandon the car and walk alongside the tracks toward the train
Abandon the car and run directly away from the tracks at a right angle
Abandon the car and walk alongside the tracks away from the train
Stay in the car with seatbelts fastened

Answer: A — Abandon the car and walk alongside the tracks toward the train

If the tracks can't be cleared in time, occupants should abandon the car and walk toward the oncoming train alongside the tracks so debris from the collision doesn't strike them.

28. A car goes into water and remains floating. What is the correct way to escape?

Break the windshield with a tool first
Escape through a window at once, since opening a door lets water rush in
Open a door and swim out immediately
Wait for the car to sink before doing anything

Answer: B — Escape through a window at once, since opening a door lets water rush in

While the car still floats, escaping through a window is correct because opening a door lets water rush in and speeds sinking.

29. A car catches fire on the road and there is no fire extinguisher available. What should the driver use to smother it, and what must never be used?

Use a jacket; never use sand
Use a blanket; never use dirt
Use dirt or sand; never use water
Use water; never use dirt

Answer: C — Use dirt or sand; never use water

Dirt or sand smothers a gasoline fire, while water must never be used because burning gasoline floats on it and spreads.

30. A car's engine begins to overheat while stuck in slow traffic. What can help speed the fan and water pump at stops, and what must never be opened if steam appears?

Shift to neutral and race the engine briefly; never open the radiator cap
Idle in drive with the brake held; never open the oil cap
Shift to park and rev the engine; never open the gas cap
Turn off the engine at each stop; never open the hood

Answer: A — Shift to neutral and race the engine briefly; never open the radiator cap

Shifting to neutral and racing the engine briefly at stops speeds the fan and water pump, but the radiator cap should never be opened if steam appears.