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Florida driving lesson · Your Vehicle

Brakes, bumpers and emissions

A 3-minute lesson from the Florida course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Your Vehicle
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
48, 49

How you brake hard in an emergency depends on whether your car has anti-lock brakes (ABS). Get it wrong and you can lose steering or stopping power. Florida also limits how high bumpers can sit and bans tampering with pollution controls.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)

Prevents skidding and lets you steer during emergency braking by automatically pumping the brakes faster than a driver could.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

With ABS: press down hard on the brake pedal, hold it, and steer out of danger.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

With ABS, taking steady pressure off the pedal or pumping the brakes disengages, or "turns off," the ABS.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

With conventional brakes: pump the brakes to stop in an emergency where traction is lost and the vehicle slides.

Handbook p. 49 ↗

To find out if your car has ABS:

  • Look for a lighted ABS symbol on the dashboard after starting the engine
  • Check the owner's manual
  • Ask the dealer
Handbook p. 49 ↗

Know the rule

Cars and pickup trucks must have front and rear bumpers within set heights, based on the vehicle's net shipping weight, not its modified weight.

Handbook p. 49 ↗

Maximum bumper height (pavement to bottom of bumper)

Maximum bumper height (pavement to bottom of bumper)
VehicleFrontRear
Cars under 2,500 lbs22 in.22 in.
Cars 2,500–3,499 lbs24 in.26 in.
Cars 3,500 lbs or more27 in.29 in.
Trucks under 2,000 lbs24 in.26 in.
Trucks 2,000–3,000 lbs27 in.29 in.
Trucks 3,000–5,000 lbs28 in.30 in.
Handbook p. 49 ↗

Know the rule

It's illegal to tamper with, remove or disable any pollution control device on your vehicle.

Handbook p. 49 ↗

Tampering with emissions controls can cause:

  • Damage to your vehicle
  • More air pollution
  • Lower gas mileage
  • Less vehicle efficiency
  • Breathing difficulties
Handbook p. 49 ↗

Put it into practice

A deer jumps out and you slam the brakes in a car with ABS. You feel the pedal pulse. Keep pressing hard and steer around the hazard. Don't pump. Pumping turns the ABS off.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What does the anti-lock brake system (ABS) allow a driver to do during emergency braking?
  1. Steer while braking hard
  2. Pump the pedal for faster stops
  3. Lock the wheels to stop sooner
  4. Brake without holding the pedal down

Answer: Steer while braking hard

ABS prevents skidding and allows drivers to steer during an emergency braking situation.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
If a driver with ABS pumps the brakes during an emergency stop, what happens?
  1. Nothing changes, ABS still works normally
  2. The ABS system disengages or turns off
  3. The parking brake automatically engages
  4. The car stops faster

Answer: The ABS system disengages or turns off

Removing steady pressure from the brake pedal or pumping the brakes will disengage or turn off the ABS.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
A driver with conventional (non-ABS) brakes should do what in an emergency where traction is lost?
  1. Press down hard and hold the pedal
  2. Use only the parking brake
  3. Pump the brakes
  4. Take their foot off the brake entirely

Answer: Pump the brakes

Drivers with conventional brakes must pump the brakes to stop in an emergency where the vehicle slides.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
What is the maximum allowable front bumper height for a car weighing less than 2,500 pounds?
  1. 24 inches
  2. 27 inches
  3. 20 inches
  4. 22 inches

Answer: 22 inches

Cars under 2,500 lbs have a maximum front bumper height of 22 inches.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
A car weighs 3,600 pounds. What is its maximum allowable rear bumper height?
  1. 29 inches
  2. 30 inches
  3. 22 inches
  4. 26 inches

Answer: 29 inches

Cars 3,500 lbs or more have a maximum rear bumper height of 29 inches (27 inches front).

Handbook p. 49 ↗
You can determine if your vehicle has ABS by looking for a lighted ABS symbol on the dashboard after starting the engine.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

You can determine if the vehicle has ABS by looking for a lighted ABS symbol on the dashboard, checking the owner's manual, or asking the dealer.

Handbook p. 49 ↗
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