NC DMV Weather and Hazardous Conditions 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You approach a flooded section of road where water covers the pavement and you cannot judge its depth. What should you do?
- Turn around and find another route (Correct answer)
- Drive through quickly to avoid stalling
- Cross slowly while riding the brakes
- Follow a larger vehicle through the water
Correct answer: Turn around and find another route
You should never drive into water of unknown depth; as little as 12 inches of moving water can carry a car away.
Question 2: After driving through a large puddle, your brakes feel weak. How can you dry them out?
- Apply the brakes gently while driving slowly until braking power returns (Correct answer)
- Shift into neutral and coast
- Pump the accelerator several times
- Stop and wait 30 minutes before driving
Correct answer: Apply the brakes gently while driving slowly until braking power returns
Lightly applying the brakes at low speed creates friction heat that dries the brake surfaces and restores stopping power.
Question 3: What is 'black ice' and why is it especially dangerous?
- A thin, nearly invisible layer of ice that makes the road look merely wet (Correct answer)
- Ice mixed with asphalt that improves traction
- Dark-colored slush that only forms on gravel roads
- Frozen oil deposits found only in parking lots
Correct answer: A thin, nearly invisible layer of ice that makes the road look merely wet
Black ice is a thin, transparent ice layer that looks like wet pavement, so drivers often fail to slow down for it.
Question 4: You are driving on ice and need to stop, but your car has conventional (non-ABS) brakes. What is the correct technique?
- Gently pump the brakes to avoid locking the wheels (Correct answer)
- Press the brake pedal down hard and hold it
- Pull the parking brake gradually
- Shift to reverse to slow the vehicle
Correct answer: Gently pump the brakes to avoid locking the wheels
With non-ABS brakes, gentle pumping prevents wheel lockup and helps maintain steering control on ice.
Question 5: Strong crosswinds are most likely to affect your vehicle when:
- Crossing bridges, driving through open areas, or passing large trucks (Correct answer)
- Driving in a city with tall buildings on both sides
- Traveling downhill in a valley
- Driving in a tunnel
Correct answer: Crossing bridges, driving through open areas, or passing large trucks
Open stretches, bridges, and gaps around large vehicles expose your car to sudden gusts that can push it off course.
Question 6: When snow is falling at night, why should you use low-beam headlights instead of high beams?
- High beams reflect off the falling snow and reduce your visibility (Correct answer)
- Low beams melt snow on the road ahead
- High beams are illegal at night in winter
- Low beams use less battery power in cold weather
Correct answer: High beams reflect off the falling snow and reduce your visibility
High-beam light bounces off falling snow or fog back into your eyes, so low beams actually let you see farther.
Question 7: Before starting a trip in freezing weather, you should clear snow and ice from:
- All windows, mirrors, lights, and the roof of the vehicle (Correct answer)
- Only the driver's side of the windshield
- Just the front windshield and rear window
- Only the headlights and taillights
Correct answer: All windows, mirrors, lights, and the roof of the vehicle
All glass, mirrors, and lights must be clear for full visibility, and roof snow must be removed so it cannot slide onto your windshield or other vehicles.
NC DMV Weather and Hazardous Conditions 3
You approach a flooded section of road where water covers the pavement and you cannot judge its depth.
What should you do?