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Kentucky driving lesson · Emergencies & Crashes

Avoiding a crash: brake, steer, accelerate

A 3-minute lesson from the Kentucky 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
Emergencies & Crashes
Checkpoint questions
4
Source pages
60

Every driver eventually faces an emergency, and every driver is responsible for preventing crashes. You have three options to avoid a crash or reduce its impact: braking, steering or accelerating. Knowing how your brakes work and how to swerve correctly can make the difference.

ABS (anti-lock braking system)

Standard on most new vehicles, ABS lets you stop without skidding while keeping steering control. Read your owner's manual on how to use it.

Handbook p. 60 ↗

Braking with ABS:

  • Press the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep applying pressure
  • ABS works only while you keep pressure on the pedal
  • A vibrating pedal or clicking noise is normal
  • You can still steer
Handbook p. 60 ↗

Know the rule

If your vehicle doesn't have ABS, check your owner's manual for the proper braking procedure.

Handbook p. 60 ↗

Steering around a problem ('swerving'):

  • Get a good grip with both hands on the wheel
  • Steer in the direction you want to go, avoiding other traffic
  • Once clear, steer the opposite way to straighten out, regain control and start slowing
  • Keep both hands on the wheel except when one is needed for another driving task
Handbook p. 60 ↗

Know the rule

Braking and steering together is a good way to avoid obstacles like animals. If an animal runs in front of you, brake and steer to miss it.

Handbook p. 60 ↗

Know the rule

Sometimes accelerating is the way out—for example, when another vehicle is about to hit you from behind or the side.

Handbook p. 60 ↗

Put it into practice

A deer leaps out on a dark rural road. In a car with ABS, press the brake hard and hold it—even when the pedal vibrates and clicks—while you steer around the deer if there's a clear path.

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.

When using ABS to avoid a crash, you should:
  1. Release the brake as soon as you feel vibration
  2. Press hard and keep pressing
  3. Pump the brake pedal rapidly
  4. Steer only, never brake

Answer: Press hard and keep pressing

With ABS, press the brake pedal hard and keep applying pressure; vibration and clicking noises are normal.

Handbook p. 60 ↗
You have three main options to avoid a crash or reduce its impact:
  1. Braking, steering, or accelerating
  2. Steering, honking, or stopping
  3. Braking, honking, or flashing lights
  4. Braking, steering, or using flashers

Answer: Braking, steering, or accelerating

The manual lists braking, steering, and accelerating as the three main crash-avoidance options.

Handbook p. 60 ↗
If an animal runs in front of your vehicle, the manual recommends that you:
  1. Stop immediately regardless of traffic behind you
  2. Accelerate to pass before it crosses
  3. Brake and steer to miss the animal
  4. Swerve sharply without braking

Answer: Brake and steer to miss the animal

Using both braking and steering together is recommended to avoid hitting an animal in the roadway.

Handbook p. 60 ↗
If your vehicle does not have ABS, where should you look for the correct braking procedure?
  1. A certified mechanic
  2. There is no correct procedure without ABS
  3. Your vehicle owner's manual
  4. The Kentucky driver's handbook only

Answer: Your vehicle owner's manual

If your vehicle is not equipped with ABS, refer to the vehicle owner's manual for proper braking procedure.

Handbook p. 60 ↗
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