Driver's License Test Prep
New York Practice Emergencies

Your car has driven into deep water. Why does the manual say to escape through a window instead of a door?

  1. A.
    The doors on most cars automatically lock once you hit water.
  2. B.
    An electric door lock will not work once the wiring is wet.
  3. C.
    Airbags may deploy if a door opens after impact.
  4. D.
    Water would rush in and the car could turn over on top of you. Correct
The Why

The answer is "Water would rush in and the car could turn over on top of you."

The manual singles out the door as the hazard: opening it would let water rush in, and the car could turn over on top of you, so you escape through a window. Choice A catches drivers who have heard the popular claim that car doors lock in water automatically, a rumor the passage never repeats.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. The doors on most cars automatically lock once you hit water.

The passage describes water pressure and rollover, not any automatic locking behavior. This answer repeats a popular auto-locking myth in place of what the passage actually warns about.

B. An electric door lock will not work once the wiring is wet.

The manual's objection to the door is water pressure and rollover, not electronics. This answer reaches for an electrical-failure explanation because drivers assume every modern-car problem traces back to wiring.

C. Airbags may deploy if a door opens after impact.

Airbags are not part of the water-escape passage; no such link is drawn there. This answer carries a caution about airbags from crash procedures over to a passage where the manual never raises it.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Emergencies in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Driving Emergencies: Going Into Water," p.66..

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