You back into a parked, unattended car and cannot find the owner. What information must you leave on the car, and who must you notify?
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A.
Leave your name, address, phone number, and license plate number on the car and notify police Correct
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B.
Drive on if the damage looks minor and there is no witness watching
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C.
Wait one hour at the scene to see if the owner shows up
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D.
Photograph the damage carefully and file with your insurance only
The answer is "Leave your name, address, phone number, and license plate number on the car and notify police"
For a crash with an unattended vehicle whose owner is not around, leave your name, address, phone number, and license plate number on the car, then notify police. You must also complete any required crash reports; the point tested here is the note plus police notification when the owner cannot be found. Drivers who pick the drive-on option are carrying a private parking-lot habit, where a small scrape rarely gets reported, and Illinois sets no minimum-damage exception for unattended-vehicle crashes.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Drive on if the damage looks minor and there is no witness watching
The manual sets no minimum-damage exception for unattended-vehicle crashes; the note-plus-police duty holds whatever the visible damage. This answer carries a private parking-lot habit, where a scrape rarely gets reported, onto a rule that turns on the damage caused, not on who happens to be watching.
C. Wait one hour at the scene to see if the owner shows up
The manual lists four steps for unattended vehicles: stop away from traffic, leave the written note, notify police, and complete required crash reports. A waiting period is not among them. This answer imports a good-neighbor instinct that staying at the scene in person is more responsible than the written note and police call the manual actually requires.
D. Photograph the damage carefully and file with your insurance only
The manual requires both leaving a written note on the vehicle and notifying police; an insurance filing does not satisfy either duty. This answer treats an insurance claim as if it replaced the driver's own duty to leave contact information and call police, a shortcut carried over from routine minor-claim handling.
This question tests your knowledge of Crash Procedures in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Chapter 7: Traffic Violations/Crashes, Unattended Vehicles," p.55..
Related Illinois questions
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- After a crash, which information must you ask from all others involved? →
- How long does a driver have to report a reportable crash after it occurs? →
- Regardless of fault, a crash in Illinois where every driver is insured has to be reported to police once property damage passes what amount? →
- The driver is unconscious after a crash and cannot make the required report. Who must make it? →
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