Handling Emergencies — Wisconsin Driver's License Practice Test

This section covers how to handle emergencies, from avoiding a crash to dealing with mechanical failures and reporting a crash afterward. First, call 911 if you or someone else is hurt. Most crashes are avoidable with close attention, and the chance of a crash doubles if a teen driver has another teen in the vehicle. When you have to react, you have three options to try to avoid a crash: stop, turn, or speed up.

The proper way to use ABS in an emergency is to apply firm, continuous pressure to the brake pedal until the vehicle stops or the danger passes, because ABS keeps the wheels from locking up. To turn away from a crash, grip the wheel with both hands and steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go, never into oncoming traffic. Speeding up may help when a vehicle is about to hit you from the side or behind, and you should slow down once the danger passes. Different mechanical failures each have their own response: for brakes that stop working, pump the pedal several times and pull the parking brake; in a tire blowout, hold the wheel straight and lift your foot off the gas; if the gas pedal sticks, shift to neutral and pull off when safe.

If someone is injured or killed in a crash, call 911, stay on the scene, do not move the vehicles, stay in the vehicle if safe, and remember it is a crime to leave the scene. If there are no injuries and you can move, move off the road when safe without blocking traffic, exchange driver license, vehicle, and insurance information, record damages and facts, and get witness information. You must report a crash to police if there is an injury or death, property damage of $1,000 or more, government property damage of $200 or more, you cannot move your vehicle, or a driver appears to be under the influence.