CDE CDE Emergency Procedures & First Aid 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the first action a driver should take after a vehicle breakdown on a highway?
- Move the vehicle to the right shoulder if possible (Correct answer)
- Stay in the travel lane and call for help
- Exit the vehicle immediately on the traffic side
- Turn on the hazard lights and wait in the left lane
Correct answer: Move the vehicle to the right shoulder if possible
Moving to the right shoulder removes the vehicle from traffic flow and reduces the risk of a secondary collision.
Question 2: When a tire blows out at highway speed, the correct response is to:
- Brake hard and immediately steer toward the shoulder
- Grip the steering wheel firmly, ease off the gas, and steer straight (Correct answer)
- Swerve quickly to the opposite lane to avoid hazards
- Accelerate briefly to stabilize the vehicle before braking
Correct answer: Grip the steering wheel firmly, ease off the gas, and steer straight
Gripping the wheel and gradually decelerating prevents loss of control that can result from sudden braking during a blowout.
Question 3: What does the Good Samaritan Law generally protect in most U.S. states?
- Bystanders who provide reasonable emergency assistance at crash scenes (Correct answer)
- Drivers who flee the scene before emergency services arrive
- Insurance companies from paying out large accident claims
- Police officers who direct traffic at accident scenes
Correct answer: Bystanders who provide reasonable emergency assistance at crash scenes
Good Samaritan laws protect well-intentioned bystanders from civil liability when they render emergency aid at an accident scene.
Question 4: If a driver witnesses a crash and stops to help, what should be done FIRST?
- Move injured persons from their vehicles immediately
- Call 911 and secure the scene from additional traffic hazards (Correct answer)
- Administer CPR to all injured parties
- Exchange insurance information with involved drivers
Correct answer: Call 911 and secure the scene from additional traffic hazards
Calling 911 and securing the scene ensures professional help is on the way and prevents additional crashes from occurring.
Question 5: Which warning device is recommended to place around a disabled vehicle on a highway?
- Only the vehicle's interior dome light
- Reflective triangles or flares placed 200–300 feet behind the vehicle (Correct answer)
- A bystander standing in the roadway waving traffic
- Headlights set to high beam pointing into oncoming traffic
Correct answer: Reflective triangles or flares placed 200–300 feet behind the vehicle
Reflective triangles or flares placed at a distance give approaching drivers adequate warning to slow down or change lanes.
Question 6: When should a driver NOT move an injured crash victim?
- When the victim is conscious and talking
- When there is a risk of fire or submersion in water
- When the victim is unconscious and not breathing
- When there is no immediate threat to life and a spinal injury is suspected (Correct answer)
Correct answer: When there is no immediate threat to life and a spinal injury is suspected
Moving a victim with a suspected spinal injury can worsen the injury unless an immediate life threat (fire, flooding) makes staying in place more dangerous.
CDE CDE Emergency Procedures & First Aid 1
What is the first action a driver should take after a vehicle breakdown on a highway?