Alabama Crashes, Emergencies, and Traffic Stops Practice Questions

Crashes, Emergencies, and Traffic Stops questions

1. 1. What should you do first at the scene of a crash you are involved in?

   1. A. Stop and check for injuries
   2. B. Move the vehicles before recording anything
   3. C. Leave to find a telephone

   Answer: A — Stop and check for injuries

   Preventing a secondary collision and attending to injuries come before anything else.

2. 2. What is the most common cause of rear-end collisions?

   1. A. Sudden mechanical failure
   2. B. Poor road surfaces
   3. C. Following too closely

   Answer: C — Following too closely

   Insufficient following distance leaves no room to absorb the reaction time a sudden stop demands.

3. 3. When is steering around an obstacle better than braking?

   1. A. Only on wet roads
   2. B. At higher speeds
   3. C. At all speeds without exception

   Answer: B — At higher speeds

   Above about 25 mph a vehicle can usually change direction in less distance than it can stop.

4. 4. If a collision is unavoidable, what should you try to hit?

   1. A. Something that gives way
   2. B. The largest available object
   3. C. Whatever is directly ahead

   Answer: A — Something that gives way

   Glancing off a yielding object spreads the impact over more time than a square hit on something solid.

5. 5. What should you do when a police vehicle signals you to pull over?

   1. A. Stop immediately in the travel lane
   2. B. Continue to the nearest car park several miles away
   3. C. Signal, pull right when safe, and stay inside

   Answer: C — Signal, pull right when safe, and stay inside

   Pulling right promptly and safely, then remaining in the vehicle, is what the officer expects.

6. 6. What information must drivers exchange after a crash?

   1. A. Only insurance company names
   2. B. Name, address, registration, insurer
   3. C. Only names

   Answer: B — Name, address, registration, insurer

   Complete identification and insurance details are what allow a claim to be settled.

7. 7. What should you do if you are involved in a crash with an unattended parked vehicle?

   1. A. Leave a note or report it
   2. B. Continue if the damage is minor
   3. C. Wait indefinitely for the owner

   Answer: A — Leave a note or report it

   Leaving without providing details is treated as leaving the scene, regardless of how minor the damage is.

8. 8. Why should you move a vehicle out of the travel lane after a minor crash if it is drivable?

   1. A. To avoid a citation for obstruction
   2. B. To preserve the road surface
   3. C. To prevent a secondary collision

   Answer: C — To prevent a secondary collision

   Secondary crashes at a scene are a major source of injury, so clearing the lane comes first when it is safe.

9. 9. What should you avoid doing at the scene of a crash?

   1. A. Taking photographs of the damage
   2. B. Admitting fault or arguing
   3. C. Exchanging insurance details

   Answer: B — Admitting fault or arguing

   Fault is determined by the evidence and the insurers, not by statements at the roadside.

10. 10. What is the first duty of a driver involved in a crash?

    1. A. Stop at the scene
    2. B. Notify their insurer
    3. C. Photograph the vehicles

    Answer: A — Stop at the scene

    Stopping is the fundamental legal duty; everything else follows from being present at the scene.

11. 11. What is the safest way to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle in your lane?

    1. A. Brake hard and steer left across the line
    2. B. Accelerate and pass them on the left side
    3. C. Brake, sound the horn, and steer to the right

    Answer: C — Brake, sound the horn, and steer to the right

    Steering right moves you away from the other driver's likely correction back into their own lane.

12. 12. How can you reduce the risk of being struck from behind?

    1. A. Drive faster than following traffic
    2. B. Brake gradually and early
    3. C. Brake late and firmly

    Answer: B — Brake gradually and early

    Early, gentle braking gives the driver behind the warning and the distance they need.

13. 13. What should you do if a vehicle is about to strike you from the rear and you cannot move?

    1. A. Brace and hold the brake down
    2. B. Turn your head to look back
    3. C. Release the brake and relax

    Answer: A — Brace and hold the brake down

    A correctly positioned headrest and a held brake reduce whiplash and prevent being pushed into traffic ahead.

14. 14. What is the value of an escape route when driving in traffic?

    1. A. It shortens the journey
    2. B. It is only relevant on freeways
    3. C. A place to go if braking is not enough

    Answer: C — A place to go if braking is not enough

    Keeping one side open converts an unavoidable impact into an avoidable one.

15. 15. Where should you stop when signalled by a police vehicle on a busy road?

    1. A. On a bridge or in a tunnel
    2. B. As far right as is safely possible
    3. C. In the left lane

    Answer: B — As far right as is safely possible

    A safe stopping place keeps both you and the officer out of live traffic.

16. 16. What should you do with your hands during a traffic stop?

    1. A. Keep them visible on the steering wheel
    2. B. Reach immediately for the glovebox
    3. C. Keep them out of sight

    Answer: A — Keep them visible on the steering wheel

    Visible hands avoid ambiguity while the officer approaches.

17. 17. What should you do at night when stopped by police?

    1. A. Switch off all lights
    2. B. Get out and walk back to the police vehicle
    3. C. Turn on the interior light

    Answer: C — Turn on the interior light

    An illuminated interior and staying in the vehicle are both about making the stop predictable.

18. 18. Within what period must an Alabama written crash report be filed when required?

    1. A. Within 90 days
    2. B. Within 30 days
    3. C. Within 10 days

    Answer: B — Within 30 days

    Form SR-31 must be filed within 30 days when the reporting requirement applies.

19. 19. What level of property damage triggers Alabama's written crash-report requirement?

    1. A. $500 or more
    2. B. $1,000 or more
    3. C. $250 or more

    Answer: A — $500 or more

    Damage of $500 or more, or any injury or fatality, triggers the written report requirement.

20. 20. Which crashes must be reported immediately to police in Alabama?

    1. A. Those with any damage at all
    2. B. Only those on interstate highways
    3. C. Those involving injury or a fatality

    Answer: C — Those involving injury or a fatality

    Injury and fatal crashes must be reported immediately to local police or State Troopers.

21. 21. What three documents should you be prepared to produce at an Alabama traffic stop?

    1. A. Registration, a utility bill, and a recent photograph
    2. B. Driver licence, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration
    3. C. Driver licence, birth certificate, and proof of address

    Answer: B — Driver licence, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration

    The manual lists licence, proof of insurance, and registration as the documents required at a traffic stop.

22. 22. What is the purpose of Alabama's Move Over law?

    1. A. To protect people working at the roadside beside stopped emergency vehicles
    2. B. To speed up the flow of traffic passing near the scene of an incident
    3. C. To reserve one lane for wreckers and recovery vehicles

    Answer: A — To protect people working at the roadside beside stopped emergency vehicles

    The law creates a buffer of space or reduced speed around people working next to live traffic.

23. 23. Which vehicles trigger Alabama's Move Over duty?

    1. A. Any vehicle at all that has stopped on the shoulder of the road for any reason whatsoever
    2. B. Only police vehicles, and only while their lights are flashing
    3. C. Emergency vehicles with flashing emergency lights and wreckers with flashing amber lights

    Answer: C — Emergency vehicles with flashing emergency lights and wreckers with flashing amber lights

    The law names emergency vehicles displaying flashing emergency lights and wreckers displaying flashing amber lights.

24. 24. On a two-lane road with a 45 mph limit, what speed does the Move Over law require past a stopped emergency vehicle?

    1. A. 45 mph, since the posted limit still applies
    2. B. 30 mph, which is 15 mph below the posted limit
    3. C. 10 mph, which is the figure for slow-limit roads

    Answer: B — 30 mph, which is 15 mph below the posted limit

    Where the limit is 25 mph or more, the requirement is 15 mph below it.