Pennsylvania 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. What does Pennsylvania's Move Over law require?

    1. A. Sound the horn as a warning and continue at the posted limit
    2. B. Move into a lane not adjacent to the scene, or slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit
    3. C. Stop completely and wait where you are until the scene has been fully cleared away by responders

    Answer: B — Move into a lane not adjacent to the scene, or slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit

    Pennsylvania's law is called the Move Over Law, and it covers disabled vehicles as well as emergency scenes.

19. 19. Which vehicles does Pennsylvania's Move Over law protect besides emergency scenes?

    1. A. Disabled vehicles marked by signal lamps, flares, caution signs, or other devices
    2. B. Only police vehicles, and then only while their lights are actually flashing
    3. C. Only tow trucks, and only while they are actively recovering

    Answer: A — Disabled vehicles marked by signal lamps, flares, caution signs, or other devices

    The marking requirement is what brings a disabled vehicle within the law.

20. 20. What is the fine for a first Pennsylvania Move Over violation?

    1. A. $100, doubled inside a work zone
    2. B. $250, doubled inside a work zone
    3. C. $500, doubled in a work zone

    Answer: C — $500, doubled in a work zone

    It rises to $1,000 for a second and $2,000 for a third, and carries 2 points.

21. 21. How many points does a Pennsylvania Move Over violation add?

    1. A. Three
    2. B. Two
    3. C. Five

    Answer: B — Two

    All four Move Over offences carry the same two points.

22. 22. What damage threshold requires a Pennsylvania crash report?

    1. A. Pennsylvania uses no dollar threshold
    2. B. Damage of $1,000 or more in total
    3. C. Damage of $500 or more in total

    Answer: A — Pennsylvania uses no dollar threshold

    The trigger is injury, death, or a vehicle having to be towed, where police did not investigate.

23. 23. How long does a Pennsylvania driver have to file a crash report when police did not investigate?

    1. A. Ten days
    2. B. Thirty days
    3. C. Five days

    Answer: C — Five days

    The report is due when someone was injured or killed, or a vehicle had to be towed.

24. 24. What must a Pennsylvania driver do after striking a parked vehicle they cannot find the owner of?

    1. A. Report the matter to the police within the next 30 days
    2. B. Leave a note with the date, time, name, and phone number, and call the police
    3. C. Leave the scene without taking any further action of any kind at all

    Answer: B — Leave a note with the date, time, name, and phone number, and call the police

    Both the note and the police call are required.

25. 25. What penalty applies to driving around a Pennsylvania barricade warning of hazardous conditions?

    1. A. Two points and up to $250, or up to $500 plus response costs if responders are dispatched
    2. B. A written warning only, with no fine at all and no points added to the driving record
    3. C. A $50 fine, with no points and no charge for any response

    Answer: A — Two points and up to $250, or up to $500 plus response costs if responders are dispatched

    The higher figure applies where emergency responders have to be sent.