Virginia driving lesson · Dangerous Driving Behaviors
Traffic Crashes & Deer Hazards
A 3-minute lesson from the Virginia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
If you're in a crash, the law spells out what you must do at the scene and afterward. Crashes with deer, elk and bears are also common in Virginia, with tens of thousands each year, and the right reaction is the opposite of instinct: don't swerve.
If you're involved in a crash, you must:
Stop at or as close to the scene as possible without blocking traffic
Move vehicles off the road if drivable, no one is hurt and you can do it safely
Exit carefully, keeping your vehicle between you and moving traffic if possible
If you damage an unattended vehicle or property, try to find the owner. If you can't, leave an easy-to-find note with your name, phone number, date and time, and a damage description, and report to police within 24 hours.
Backing out, you dent a parked car and can't find its owner. Leave a note with your name, phone number, the date and time, and a description of the damage, then report it to police within 24 hours.
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 you are involved in a crash, where should you stop?
Only after driving to the nearest police station
At the next exit or parking lot
At the scene or nearby, not blocking traffic
Only if another vehicle was damaged
Answer: At the scene or nearby, not blocking traffic
You must stop at the scene of the crash or as close as possible without blocking traffic.