At speeds above 25 mph, the manual says which action is usually better for avoiding a collision?
-
A.
Sound your horn and hold your speed through the hazard
-
B.
Shift into a lower gear to slow the vehicle
-
C.
Steer around the hazard rather than braking Correct
-
D.
Brake hard to stop before reaching the hazard
The answer is "Steer around the hazard rather than braking"
The Steering Your Way Out of an Emergency section says that above 25 mph, steering around a hazard usually beats braking, because your reaction time to swerve is faster than your reaction time to brake. Option D is the trap: braking is the default emergency response drivers learn first, and the manual is specifically overturning that instinct once your speed climbs past 25 mph.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Sound your horn and hold your speed through the hazard
The horn does not remove the hazard from your path; the manual calls for steering around it above 25 mph. This answer treats horn-honking as an evasive maneuver, echoing the habit of using the horn to warn other drivers of trouble.
B. Shift into a lower gear to slow the vehicle
Downshifting is not fast enough to avoid an emergency at speed. This answer borrows from the brake-failure procedure, which addresses a different emergency altogether.
D. Brake hard to stop before reaching the hazard
Above 25 mph the manual gives the edge to steering, not braking, because you can swerve faster than you can brake. This answer falls back on the parking-lot instinct that stopping short is the usual answer at low speeds.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Steering Your Way Out of an Emergency," p.60..
Related Pennsylvania questions
- How many areas of space around your vehicle does the manual say you must be able to manage? →
- How far ahead does the manual say you should be able to identify problem situations? →
- At what speed does the manual say a vehicle can begin to hydroplane on a wet roadway? →
- When does the manual tell you to avoid using cruise control? →
- A driver is following you too closely. What does the manual say to do first? →
You just took one Pennsylvania question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The Pennsylvania 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.