Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Distracted Driving

Your cell phone rings while you are driving. What does the manual tell you to do?

  1. A.
    Answer using the speaker function.
  2. B.
    Let the call go to voicemail. Correct
  3. C.
    Answer briefly and hang up quickly.
The Why

The answer is "Let the call go to voicemail."

The manual says do not answer a ringing phone; let it go to voicemail. Drivers reach for the speaker-function choice because they equate tapping 'answer' quickly with hands-free operation, missing that the manual bans answering the call in the first place.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Answer using the speaker function.

Speaker mode still requires you to answer; the manual tells you not to answer at all. This answer equates a fast handoff to speaker with the hands-free rule.

C. Answer briefly and hang up quickly.

The manual sets no short-call carve-out; you skip the call entirely. This answer believes a short call is safe enough, treating danger as a function of length.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Distracted Driving in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Cell Phones and Texting," p.70..

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