Video lessons · Unit 12: Emergencies and crashes

After a Crash

You crashed. Now what? Grandpa explains it in one minute.

What you'll learn

• If you crash, you STOP. Always. Leaving is a crime.
• Anyone hurt? Nine-one-one. Nobody hurt and it still runs? Move it out of traffic.
• Then swap info: name, license, insurance and plates.
• And depending on your state, report it to the police or the DMV. Check your handbook.

Test yourself: 5 exam-style questions

1. 1. If you crash and drive away without stopping, that is…

   1. Legal if nobody got hurt
   2. Fine if you're in a hurry
   3. A crime, even if the damage is small
   4. Just a small ticket
   Show answer

   Answer: A crime, even if the damage is small

   Leaving the scene is called hit-and-run, and it's a serious crime. Even for a little scratch, you stop.

2. 2. You crash and the other driver has no insurance. What do you do?

   1. Take the plates off their car as payback
   2. Let them go, there's nothing to collect anyway
   3. Still get their info, photos, and witnesses
   4. Settle it all in cash and skip the report
   Show answer

   Answer: Still get their info, photos, and witnesses

   Info, photos, witnesses, and a report. Your uninsured motorist coverage can save you.

3. 3. You have a tire blowout on the highway. What do you do first?

   1. Slam on the brakes right away to stop
   2. Speed up hard to keep control of the car
   3. Steer hard onto the shoulder right away
   4. Hold the wheel firmly and ease off the gas
   Show answer

   Answer: Hold the wheel firmly and ease off the gas

   Firm grip, foot off the gas. Brake gently once the car is going straight.

4. 4. Your brake pedal sinks to the floor and won't stop the car. What do you try first?

   1. Open the door and drag your foot
   2. Turn off the engine and pull the key
   3. Pump the brake pedal fast
   4. Shift into reverse to slow down
   Show answer

   Answer: Pump the brake pedal fast

   Pump it, kiddo. Sometimes that builds pressure back up.

5. 5. Pumping didn't work and you still have no brakes. What else helps you stop?

   1. Downshift and ease on the parking brake
   2. Shift into neutral and let the car coast
   3. Yank the parking brake hard at full speed
   4. Turn the engine off while still moving
   Show answer

   Answer: Downshift and ease on the parking brake

   Lower gear and a slow, steady parking brake. Yank it and you might spin.