You see a driver showing signs of road rage (shouting, gesturing, driving aggressively). What should you do?
-
A.
Make eye contact and shake your head to signal disapproval.
-
B.
Stay out of the way; do not challenge them. Correct
-
C.
Match their speed to assert your right to the lane.
-
D.
Honk and gesture to let them know you saw them.
The answer is "Stay out of the way; do not challenge them."
Stay out of the way. Don't challenge an aggressive driver by going faster or trying to out-drive them; give them room and let them pass. A driver drawn to A reads the rule as leaving room for a quiet nonverbal correction, but the manual treats any challenge, including a disapproving look, as the behavior to avoid.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Make eye contact and shake your head to signal disapproval.
Eye contact and disapproval gestures challenge the aggressive driver; the manual says stay out of the way. This answer reads the rule as permitting nonverbal correction, but the manual's directive is to avoid challenging the driver in any form.
C. Match their speed to assert your right to the lane.
Matching speed challenges the aggressive driver; the manual says stay out of the way. This answer treats holding your position as safe, but the manual specifically warns against going faster or trying to out-drive an aggressive driver.
D. Honk and gesture to let them know you saw them.
Honking and gesturing challenge the aggressive driver instead of staying out of the way. This answer confuses defensive awareness with engagement; the manual directs you to disengage, not to signal that you noticed the behavior.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Road Rage," p.81..
Related Oregon questions
- Another driver is following you too closely (tailgating) on an Oregon road. What's the recommended response? →
- What does Oregon's handbook define as a safe following distance under most conditions? →
- How can you measure your following distance in seconds while driving in Oregon? →
- When stopping behind another vehicle in traffic, what visual rule does the Oregon handbook give for how close to stop? →
- Which of these conditions does NOT increase the following distance you should keep, according to the Oregon handbook? →
You just took one Oregon question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The Oregon 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.