Heavy rain has flooded a stretch of the road ahead of you. What does the manual say to do?
-
A.
Drive slowly through the middle where flow appears calmest.
-
B.
Turn around and find another route. Correct
-
C.
Follow another vehicle across at the speed they used.
-
D.
Wade in first to check the depth, then drive across.
The answer is "Turn around and find another route."
The manual gives one instruction for a flooded road: turn the vehicle around and find another route, because there is no way to judge depth or current from the driver's seat. Choice A is the trap, because a driver picks the middle when they cannot see the bottom, borrowing a rule of thumb from wading a shallow stream.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Drive slowly through the middle where flow appears calmest.
You cannot see the depth or current from the driver's seat, so slow speed does not make the crossing safe. This answer assumes the middle of any crossing is safest, importing a rule of thumb from wading a shallow stream on foot.
C. Follow another vehicle across at the speed they used.
Someone else making it across is not proof the depth or current is safe. This answer treats a stranger's successful crossing as evidence, though a rising current can change the road in a minute.
D. Wade in first to check the depth, then drive across.
The manual does not endorse walking a flooded road; it says to leave and find another way. This answer reaches for an off-road practice from crossing a river ford, where a moving current can still sweep a person off their feet.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Chapter 11: Safe Driving Tips, Weather Conditions, Rain," p.85..
Related Illinois questions
- According to the manual, what is the cause of most rear-end crashes? →
- You are using the three-second rule to check your following distance. After the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object, your vehicle should not reach that object before which count? →
- What kind of reference point does the manual say to pick when using the three-second following-distance rule? →
- The road is wet and visibility is poor. How should you adjust your three-second following distance? →
- Another driver is tailgating you. What does the manual instruct you to do? →
You just took one Illinois question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The Illinois book unlocks a free companion: an adaptive study plan, progress synced across your devices, a denser laminate cheat sheet, and a test-day walkthrough. Verify your copy once, usually in seconds; there's nothing extra to buy.
$18.99 paperback, free companion included.