One of your tires blows out at highway speed. What are the manual's first two actions?
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A.
Brake firmly and steer straight ahead
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B.
Turn on your hazard lights and coast to a stop
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C.
Shift to a lower gear and steer onto the shoulder
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D.
Take your foot off the gas and do not use the brakes Correct
The answer is "Take your foot off the gas and do not use the brakes"
The manual says to take your foot off the gas and do not use the brakes; you slow down gradually and brake softly only after the car is under control. Choice A is the trap because braking is the reflex most drivers reach for in any emergency, and it is the one action the manual explicitly bans at the start of a blowout.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Brake firmly and steer straight ahead
The manual says do not use the brakes at first; braking on a blown tire can pull the car sideways. This answer reaches for the brake pedal on reflex, the way you would for any other roadway hazard.
B. Turn on your hazard lights and coast to a stop
Hazard lights are useful once you are pulled over, but the manual's first steps are about controlling the vehicle. This answer confuses the breakdown checklist, where hazard lights come early, with the blowout checklist, where control comes first.
C. Shift to a lower gear and steer onto the shoulder
The manual does not tell you to downshift during a blowout; you concentrate on steering after letting off the gas. This answer borrows the wet-brake advice about low gear and applies it to a blowout, where the concern is control, not braking power.
This question tests your knowledge of Emergencies in Florida. Source: Florida Driver Manual, "Handling Emergencies - Tire Blowout," p.80..
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