Another vehicle is coming straight at you in your lane. What does the manual say to do?
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A.
Slow down, pull to the right, and sound the horn Correct
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B.
Steer left across the center line and pass
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C.
Stop in your lane and flash the headlights
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D.
Speed up to reach the shoulder ahead of the vehicle
The answer is "Slow down, pull to the right, and sound the horn"
Slow down, pull over to the right, and sound the horn. Choice B is the trap because the other driver's lane looks open and safe. That lane is the one the other driver is most likely to swing back into at the last moment, and steering left turns a near miss into a worse impact.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Steer left across the center line and pass
Steering left crosses the center line into oncoming traffic, the very lane the other driver is most likely to swing back into if they catch their mistake. This answer applies the standard passing move, reading the oncoming vehicle's lane as an empty escape route.
C. Stop in your lane and flash the headlights
Stopping in your lane keeps you on the collision path, and a headlight flash cannot steer the oncoming driver back into their own lane. This answer applies a disabled-vehicle habit of stopping and signaling to a scenario the manual routes off the traveled lane.
D. Speed up to reach the shoulder ahead of the vehicle
Speeding up shortens your reaction window and does not open a lane on your right. This answer reads the pull-over instruction as a race to reach the shoulder before impact rather than a controlled move to the right.
This question tests your knowledge of Emergencies in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Head-on Approaches," p.87..
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