A 3-minute lesson from the Maryland course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
A flat tire or sick passenger can turn dangerous fast, because people are hurt or killed every year on the roadside while waiting for help. Get as far from traffic as you can, then decide whether to stay in the car.
When there is a roadside emergency:
Assess the situation
Use good judgment in deciding how to respond
Watch for other vehicles; roadside emergencies can change in an instant
If your vehicle becomes disabled, do your best to move it to the shoulder. If you can reach an off-ramp or parking lot, consider it, even if it means driving on a flat tire or damaging a rim.
You get a flat on the highway with an exit just ahead. Rather than stopping on a narrow shoulder, consider limping to the exit and a parking lot, even if the rim gets damaged.
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.
If your vehicle becomes disabled, where should you try to move it?
Directly into the nearest travel lane
The shoulder, an off-ramp, or a lot
Onto the grass median only
Nowhere; stay exactly where it stopped
Answer: The shoulder, an off-ramp, or a lot
Try to move a disabled vehicle to the shoulder, and consider reaching an off-ramp or parking lot even if it means driving on a flat tire.