You are 17 and driving in Texas. When may you legally use a cell phone?
-
A.
Only when the car is stopped at a light.
-
B.
Only for calls to a parent or guardian.
-
C.
Only on hands-free calls.
-
D.
During an emergency. Correct
The answer is "During an emergency."
Under 18, using a cell phone while driving is illegal even hands-free, except for emergencies. Drivers reaching for C lift the adult hands-free carve-out onto a driver the rule specifically excludes from it.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Only when the car is stopped at a light.
Being stopped at a signal does not lift the ban; the rule attaches to driving, not to whether the wheels are moving. This answer confuses stopped-at-a-light with parked, a habit drivers pick up at long red lights.
B. Only for calls to a parent or guardian.
The manual does not create a family-contact carve-out; the exception is emergencies, not who is on the other end of the call. This answer confuses the phone rule with graduated-license passenger carve-outs that treat immediate family differently.
C. Only on hands-free calls.
Hands-free use is still illegal for drivers under 18; the exception the manual lists is emergencies, not the equipment used. This answer lifts the adult hands-free carve-out onto a driver the rule specifically excludes from it.
This question tests your knowledge of Distracted Driving in Texas. Source: Texas Driver Manual, "Highway Safety Tips," p.48..
Related Texas questions
- What does Texas law say about reading, writing, or sending messages on a cell phone while driving? →
- Which activity does the manual specifically list as one that can distract a driver's attention? →
- Your cell phone rings while you are driving. What does the manual tell you to do? →
- The manual says that if you must make a cell phone call while driving, what should you do? →
- Which practice does the manual recommend before you begin driving to help avoid distraction? →
You just took one Texas question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The Texas 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.