OH DMV Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is hydroplaning and what is the correct action if it occurs while driving?
- The engine overheats; turn on the air conditioning
- Tires lose contact with the road surface on water; ease off the gas and steer straight (Correct answer)
- The brakes lock up; pump the brakes rapidly
- The steering wheel locks; shift to neutral immediately
Correct answer: Tires lose contact with the road surface on water; ease off the gas and steer straight
Hydroplaning occurs when tires ride on a film of water and lose traction; gently ease off the accelerator and keep the wheel straight until grip is restored.
Question 2: If your vehicle begins to skid on ice, what is the correct corrective action?
- Brake hard to stop the skid as quickly as possible
- Accelerate sharply to regain traction
- Steer in the direction you want to go and ease off the accelerator (Correct answer)
- Steer sharply away from the direction of the skid
Correct answer: Steer in the direction you want to go and ease off the accelerator
To correct a skid, steer toward where you want the vehicle to go and gently ease off the gas to help the tires regain grip on the surface.
Question 3: Under Ohio law, when may you legally pass another vehicle on the right?
- Never; passing on the right is always illegal in Ohio
- When the vehicle ahead is making a left turn and a clear usable lane exists to the right (Correct answer)
- Whenever you are in a hurry on any multi-lane road
- Only on one-way streets at any time
Correct answer: When the vehicle ahead is making a left turn and a clear usable lane exists to the right
Ohio permits passing on the right when the vehicle ahead is turning left and there is a clear lane available, or on roadways with two or more lanes moving in the same direction.
Question 4: What is the safest action to take if you become drowsy while driving in Ohio?
- Roll down the window for fresh air and continue
- Drink coffee or an energy drink and push through
- Pull over to a safe location and rest or sleep (Correct answer)
- Turn the radio up loudly to stay alert
Correct answer: Pull over to a safe location and rest or sleep
The only truly effective remedy for drowsy driving is to stop and rest; temporary measures like caffeine or fresh air only briefly mask fatigue.
Question 5: How should you adjust your driving when operating in heavy rain?
- Drive at the posted speed limit since rain is a common condition
- Reduce speed, increase following distance, and turn on headlights (Correct answer)
- Activate hazard lights and maintain your normal speed
- Drive only in the center lane to avoid road edge water pooling
Correct answer: Reduce speed, increase following distance, and turn on headlights
Rain reduces both visibility and tire traction, so reducing speed, increasing following distance, and using headlights are all necessary safety adjustments.
Question 6: What does the defensive driving technique called 'covering the brake' involve?
- Lightly applying the brake pedal at all times while driving
- Positioning your foot over the brake pedal without pressing it to reduce reaction time (Correct answer)
- Using the emergency brake while moving to slow down quickly
- Holding the brake pedal at constant low pressure
Correct answer: Positioning your foot over the brake pedal without pressing it to reduce reaction time
Covering the brake means hovering your foot above the pedal without depressing it so you can respond to a hazard faster than if your foot were resting on the floor.
Question 7: What is a vehicle's 'blind spot' as it relates to safe driving?
- Areas where the road curves and visibility ahead is obstructed
- Areas around your vehicle that cannot be seen through your mirrors (Correct answer)
- Areas hidden by weather conditions such as fog or heavy rain
- The area directly in front of the vehicle's hood
Correct answer: Areas around your vehicle that cannot be seen through your mirrors
Blind spots are zones around your vehicle that fall outside the field of view of all mirrors, requiring a physical head-check before lane changes.
OH DMV Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving 2
What is hydroplaning and what is the correct action if it occurs while driving?