TX DMV Weather and Hazardous Conditions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When driving in dense fog in Texas, which light setting is most effective at improving your visibility?
- High-beam headlights
- Low-beam headlights (Correct answer)
- Hazard flashers only
- No lights to avoid glare
Correct answer: Low-beam headlights
Low-beam headlights direct light downward and reduce the blinding glare that high beams cause when reflecting off fog.
Question 2: In Texas, a flooded roadway with water of unknown depth should be treated as:
- Safe if moving slowly
- Impassable until depth is confirmed (Correct answer)
- Fine to cross if other cars passed
- A minor obstacle to drive through quickly
Correct answer: Impassable until depth is confirmed
Texas's 'Turn Around, Don't Drown' law and safety guidelines require treating unknown flood depths as impassable to prevent vehicles from being swept away.
Question 3: Which condition causes most weather-related traffic deaths in Texas each year?
- Ice and snow
- High winds
- Rain and wet roads (Correct answer)
- Dust storms
Correct answer: Rain and wet roads
Rain and wet roads account for more traffic fatalities in Texas than any other weather hazard because of how frequently they occur and the reduced traction they cause.
Question 4: You are driving when a dust storm (haboob) suddenly reduces visibility to near zero. What should you do?
- Slow down but keep driving to escape the storm
- Pull completely off the road, turn off lights, and keep foot off the brake (Correct answer)
- Turn on emergency flashers and stop in your lane
- Speed up to get through the storm faster
Correct answer: Pull completely off the road, turn off lights, and keep foot off the brake
Texas DPS advises pulling well off the roadway, turning off all lights so following drivers don't steer toward them, and keeping your foot off the brake.
Question 5: After heavy rain stops, roads remain dangerous primarily because of:
- Reduced speed limits that stay in effect
- Oil and debris washed onto the road surface (Correct answer)
- Mandatory detours around flooded zones
- Increased law enforcement patrols
Correct answer: Oil and debris washed onto the road surface
Rain washes accumulated oil, tire rubber, and debris onto the road, creating a slippery film even after the rain has ended.
Question 6: When driving in strong crosswinds on a Texas highway, which vehicle type requires the most steering correction?
- Low-profile sports cars
- Compact sedans
- High-profile vehicles like SUVs and trucks (Correct answer)
- Motorcycles only
Correct answer: High-profile vehicles like SUVs and trucks
High-profile vehicles have larger surface areas exposed to wind, making them most susceptible to lateral wind forces that require active steering correction.
Question 7: Texas law requires headlights to be used when visibility is less than:
- 500 feet (Correct answer)
- 1,000 feet
- 1,500 feet
- 2,000 feet
Correct answer: 500 feet
Texas Transportation Code requires headlights when you cannot clearly see a person or vehicle at 500 feet.
TX DMV Weather and Hazardous Conditions 2
When driving in dense fog in Texas, which light setting is most effective at improving your visibility?