California · Rules
Fog, rain, ice, a blown tire: emergencies are rare, so the right moves have to be learned before you need them. These rules give you the order of actions, not just a warning.
Roadfeel’s road-sense principles
Tags show the kind of rule and whether it’s a written-test point or matters on the drive test (our tagging). Each rule links to its official source.
If your car has trouble, turn on emergency flashers and get off the road if you can. Never stop just over a hill or around a curve where others can’t see you.
If oncoming headlights blind you, shift your gaze to the right edge of your lane and track the other car with peripheral vision; don’t respond by leaving your own high beams on.
New York differs: If an oncoming driver won’t dim, flick to high beam for a second and back to low. To escape the glare, shift your eyes right and follow the road’s edge until the car passes. New York rule
Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycles are much harder to see at night. Slow down in nighttime work zones, and drive slowly after leaving bright areas while your eyes adjust.
To manage sun glare, keep the windshield clean inside and out, wear polarized sunglasses, use the visor, leave extra space, and watch closely for pedestrians.
If your car begins to skid on a slippery surface, ease your foot off the gas, stay off the brake, steer the way the skid is going, and try to get one tire on dry pavement.
A locked-wheel skid comes from braking too hard at speed. With four-wheel ABS, keep firm pressure on the brake; without ABS, pump the brakes until you’re at a safe speed.
If the brake pedal sinks to the floor, pump it quickly. If that doesn’t work, shift to a lower gear to slow down, then try the parking brake.
On slippery roads, cut your speed: 5 to 10 mph slower when wet, about half speed on packed snow, and no more than 5 mph on ice.
Expect ice first in shaded spots and on bridges and overpasses, and expect the pavement to be very slippery when rain first starts, especially after a long dry spell.
When heavy rain or snow cuts visibility to 100 feet or less, going over 30 mph is unsafe.
Hydroplaning means your tires are riding on water. Prevent it by slowing down and steering around standing water; if it happens, slow gradually and don’t brake.
Stuck in snow or mud? Use low gear with wheels straight, accelerate gently without spinning, and rock forward and back; put boards or branches under the tires only while stopped.
Avoid flooded roads: you can’t judge depth by looking, and water can sweep cars away or hide hazards. If you must cross, go slowly and test your brakes afterward.
In high winds, slow down, keep a firm grip on the wheel, skip cruise control, watch for debris, and consider pulling over until the storm passes.
Avoid heavy fog or smoke if you can; otherwise drive slowly on low beams (never just parking or fog lights), add following distance, and pull off with flashers if it thickens.
During a police traffic break, turn on your flashers, slow gradually to the officer’s speed, and don’t pass the patrol car until its emergency lights go off.
After a tire blowout, hold the wheel firmly with both hands, don’t slam on the brakes, ease off the gas gradually, steer to stay straight, and pull off once stable.
When your wheels run off the pavement, hold the steering wheel firmly, lift off the gas, brake gently, check traffic behind, and steer back on carefully, never with a sharp jerk.
If your car breaks down on the freeway, pull onto the right shoulder, exit away from traffic, call 511 or use a call box, and wait inside with your seat belt on.
If your car stalls on tracks with a train coming, get out at once and run away from the tracks at an angle toward the oncoming train, then call 911.
Carbon monoxide from exhaust is odorless and deadly. Never run the engine in a closed garage, and have the exhaust checked if you feel drowsy, dizzy, nauseous, or headachy.
If your car stalls on the tracks with no train in sight and no warning lights flashing, get out, call the number posted on the crossing post or the metal control box near the tracks, give the crossing number if one is posted, report that a car is on the tracks, and then call 911.
3 of our 47 practice questions for this chapter, with explanations. The rest are in the app.
Answer: B. 30 mph
When you can see only 100 feet or less ahead, driving faster than 30 mph is unsafe. That’s because you need to be able to stop within the distance you can see. Use your wipers, low-beam headlights and defroster.
Answer: D. Answer with your own high beams
Fighting glare with glare just leaves both drivers half-blind. Keep your eyes out of the beams, aim them at the right side of your lane, and follow the other car with your side vision.
Answer: D. No more than 5 mph
On ice, keep your speed to 5 mph or less, because ice can easily make your vehicle skid. For comparison, slow down 5 to 10 mph on wet roads and cut your speed in half on packed snow.
44 more practice questions for this chapterKeep practicing in Roadfeel
Restated in our own words from the California Driver Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025) and dmv.ca.gov. The handbook is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0, which bars commercial reuse, so we don’t reproduce it; we quote short phrases and link to it.