CDT Vehicle Control & Handling Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When teaching a student to execute a left turn, what is the correct hand position on the steering wheel throughout the turn?
- Shuffle steering with hands never crossing (Correct answer)
- Hand-over-hand until the wheel is turned fully, then reverse
- Keep both hands fixed at 9 and 3 o'clock throughout
- Use one hand at 12 o'clock for maximum leverage
Correct answer: Shuffle steering with hands never crossing
Shuffle steering (push-pull) keeps hands below 12 o'clock and avoids the risk of hand-over-hand airbag interference during deployment.
Question 2: A student is approaching a curve too fast and begins to understeer. What corrective action should the trainer instruct?
- Brake hard and steer sharply into the curve
- Ease off the accelerator smoothly and maintain steady steering input (Correct answer)
- Accelerate briefly to regain traction then steer
- Turn the wheel rapidly toward the outside of the curve
Correct answer: Ease off the accelerator smoothly and maintain steady steering input
Lifting off the accelerator transfers weight forward, restoring front-wheel traction and allowing the vehicle to respond to steering input.
Question 3: Which braking technique provides the shortest stopping distance on a vehicle equipped with ABS?
- Cadence braking with rhythmic pumping
- Threshold braking just below lockup
- Firm continuous pressure allowing ABS to modulate (Correct answer)
- Gradual progressive pressure increasing over 3 seconds
Correct answer: Firm continuous pressure allowing ABS to modulate
On ABS-equipped vehicles, firm steady pedal pressure lets the ABS computer modulate braking faster than a driver can pump, achieving maximum deceleration.
Question 4: When instructing a student on downhill grade driving, which gear selection principle applies to manual transmission vehicles?
- Use a higher gear to reduce engine braking and save fuel
- Select the same gear that would be used to climb the grade (Correct answer)
- Stay in top gear and ride the service brake continuously
- Shift to neutral to allow free-rolling descent
Correct answer: Select the same gear that would be used to climb the grade
Selecting the gear appropriate for climbing a similar grade uses engine braking to control speed and prevents brake fade on long descents.
Question 5: A student's vehicle begins to skid on a slippery surface. What is the first corrective action to teach?
- Apply the parking brake to lock the rear wheels
- Steer in the direction the rear of the vehicle is sliding (Correct answer)
- Steer away from the skid and brake firmly
- Shift to a lower gear immediately
Correct answer: Steer in the direction the rear of the vehicle is sliding
Steering into the skid (in the direction the rear slides) realigns the vehicle's direction of travel and restores directional control.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of teaching students to use reference points during parking maneuvers?
- To replace the use of mirrors entirely
- To provide consistent visual cues that relate vehicle position to surroundings (Correct answer)
- To increase parking speed and efficiency
- To eliminate the need for backing maneuvers
Correct answer: To provide consistent visual cues that relate vehicle position to surroundings
Reference points are specific parts of the vehicle that align with external landmarks, giving students repeatable, objective cues for precise vehicle placement.
Question 7: During a lane change, how should a CDT instructor teach students to use mirrors and blind-spot checks?
- Check the rearview mirror only, then signal and move
- Signal first, check rearview, side mirror, then physically check the blind spot before moving (Correct answer)
- Check the blind spot first, then signal simultaneously with the lane change
- Use mirrors alone since modern vehicles have eliminated blind spots
Correct answer: Signal first, check rearview, side mirror, then physically check the blind spot before moving
Signaling before checking communicates intent to other drivers, and the sequence — rearview, side mirror, blind-spot glance — ensures a comprehensive assessment before moving.
CDT Vehicle Control & Handling Skills 2
When teaching a student to execute a left turn, what is the correct hand position on the steering wheel throughout the turn?