AZDOT Desert Driving Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When driving through the Arizona desert in summer, what is the safest time of day to travel long distances?
- Midday when visibility is best
- Early morning or late evening to avoid peak heat (Correct answer)
- Noon when the sun is directly overhead
- Afternoon when roads are less busy
Correct answer: Early morning or late evening to avoid peak heat
Early morning or late evening travel avoids peak temperatures that can exceed 120°F, reducing the risk of overheating and heat-related illness.
Question 2: If you see a dust storm approaching while driving in Arizona, you should:
- Speed up to drive through it quickly
- Pull completely off the road, turn off lights, and keep your foot off the brake (Correct answer)
- Slow down but continue driving with hazard lights on
- Turn on your high beams and continue at normal speed
Correct answer: Pull completely off the road, turn off lights, and keep your foot off the brake
Arizona's 'Pull Aside, Stay Alive' law recommends pulling completely off the road and turning off all lights so other vehicles don't follow your taillights into the storm.
Question 3: What is a 'haboob' in the context of Arizona driving hazards?
- A flash flood warning zone
- A large intense dust storm that can reduce visibility to near zero (Correct answer)
- A type of desert mirage on the highway
- A high-wind advisory for mountain passes
Correct answer: A large intense dust storm that can reduce visibility to near zero
A haboob is a massive wall of dust that can be thousands of feet high and miles wide, capable of reducing visibility to zero in seconds.
Question 4: When your vehicle overheats in the Arizona desert, what should you NOT do?
- Pull over safely and turn off the engine
- Remove the radiator cap immediately while the engine is hot (Correct answer)
- Turn on the heater to draw heat away from the engine
- Call for roadside assistance
Correct answer: Remove the radiator cap immediately while the engine is hot
Removing a hot radiator cap releases scalding steam and coolant under pressure, which can cause severe burns.
Question 5: Arizona law requires drivers to yield to emergency vehicles. In the desert where there is no shoulder, you should:
- Stop in your lane and put it in park
- Slow down, pull as far right as safely possible, and stop (Correct answer)
- Speed up to clear the road faster
- Continue driving at the same speed to maintain traffic flow
Correct answer: Slow down, pull as far right as safely possible, and stop
Even without a formal shoulder, you must pull as far right as possible and stop to allow emergency vehicles to pass safely.
Question 6: What is the recommended minimum amount of extra water to carry per person when driving through remote Arizona desert?
- One 8-oz bottle
- At least one gallon per person per day (Correct answer)
- Two cups per person
- A half-liter sports bottle
Correct answer: At least one gallon per person per day
Emergency management experts recommend at least one gallon of water per person per day when traveling through remote desert areas in case of breakdown.
Question 7: When driving on a two-lane desert highway and a flash flood covers the road ahead, you should:
- Drive through slowly if the water looks less than a foot deep
- Turn around and find an alternate route (Correct answer)
- Wait a few minutes and then proceed through
- Follow the vehicle ahead through the water
Correct answer: Turn around and find an alternate route
Arizona's 'Turn Around Don't Drown' campaign emphasizes never driving through flooded roadways — just 6 inches of fast-moving water can sweep a vehicle off the road.
AZDOT Desert Driving Safety 2
When driving through the Arizona desert in summer, what is the safest time of day to travel long distances?