Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Emergencies

You spot a collision ahead. Which action does the manual list as a way to warn drivers behind you?

  1. A.
    Sound your horn in short bursts until you pass the scene
  2. B.
    Lightly tap your brake pedal three or four times Correct
  3. C.
    Roll down your window and wave your left arm out
The Why

The answer is "Lightly tap your brake pedal three or four times"

The manual lists three ways to warn drivers behind you when you see a collision or hazard ahead: turn on your emergency flashers, tap your brake pedal three or four times, and use a hand signal when slowing and stopping. Choice A is the parking-lot habit of a quick horn burst as a hazard flag; the manual reserves the horn for avoiding collisions and alerting oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads, and never lists it among the warnings for traffic behind you.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Sound your horn in short bursts until you pass the scene

The horn is not on the manual's three-item list for warning drivers behind you; the manual reserves the horn for avoiding collisions and alerting oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads. This answer carries over the parking-lot habit of a quick horn tap as a hazard alert, which the manual never authorizes for warning trailing drivers.

C. Roll down your window and wave your left arm out

The manual pairs the hand signal with slowing and stopping, not as a stand-alone way to warn following drivers about a collision ahead. This answer grabs at the hand signal because the manual mentions one, missing that the manual attaches it only to slowing and stopping.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Emergencies in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Using Your Emergency Flashers," p.12..

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