Practice breakdowns, emergency vehicles and railroad crossings, with questions based on the Connecticut Driver's Manual.
They work, but need hard pressure
Keep a firm grip on the wheel and pull off the road.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Equipment Failure, Power Failure, p. 40
Turn away
In most cases turning is quicker than stopping, so consider steering away.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Avoiding Collisions, Turning Quickly, p. 40
Running off the road
Leaving the road is usually less dangerous than hitting another vehicle head-on.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Avoiding Collisions, Turning Quickly, p. 40
Shift to neutral, then pull off
Keep your eyes on the road, get off the road when it is safe and turn off the engine.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Equipment Failure, Gas Pedal Sticks, p. 40
No, never stand in the roadway
Get the car off the road if at all possible, and let the authorities know it has broken down.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Vehicle Emergencies, p. 39
Slow down and pull off the road
Then try the headlight switch a few times.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Equipment Failure, Headlight Failure, p. 40
Use flashers and stop driving the car
Turn on signals or fog lights too if you have them, but do not operate the vehicle.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Equipment Failure, Headlight Failure, p. 40
Stay off them until the car slows
Braking during a skid can make it worse. Steer where you want the car to go.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Dealing with Skids, p. 40
Let up, then brake again once the skid stops
Brake as hard as you can without locking the wheels, and repeat until you stop.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Avoiding Collisions, Stopping Quickly, p. 40
Pull it slowly so the wheels don't lock
Be ready to release it if the car starts to skid.
Source: Connecticut Driver's Manual, Chapter 4, Road Safety, Equipment Failure, Brake Failure, p. 39
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Connecticut Driver's Manual (Revised March 2023 (manual p. 1; the DMV's manuals page, https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/licenses-permits-ids/ct-drivers-manuals, lists the English PDF as 'Revised 3/2023'), read 2026-11-09. Page numbers cited are the manual's printed numbers (PDF page = printed page + 2). The manual says (p. 1) it is not a precise statement of the Connecticut General Statutes, so every rule of law used here was checked against the General Statutes on cga.ct.gov (revision of January 1, 2025, and the 2026 Supplement with the 2025 session's changes, read 2026-11-09). Where the manual is silent, the statutes and two DMV pages ('Take the knowledge and vision tests' and 'Teen driver's license information', read 2026-11-09) are the source. Manual passages that current law no longer matches are not used; questions follow the statute: parking near a stop sign (25 feet, p. 37) is 30 feet under § 14-251(b)(3) as amended effective October 1, 2025, which also bars parking within 30 feet of an intersection or marked crosswalk approach unless a curb extension (20 feet) or a marked space allows it; bicycle helmets 'under 16' (p. 17) are required through age 17 by § 14-286d(b); work zone fines 'of up to $1,000' (p. 15) do not match § 14-212a (fines doubled) and § 14-212d (endangerment of a highway worker: up to $500, or $1,000 with injury); the seat belt fine of $75 (p. 12) is $50 for occupants 18 or older and $75 under 18 under § 14-100a(c)(5), and the duty to belt passengers 'between 7 and 16' (p. 13) is 8 to under 16 in § 14-100a(c)(1)(B) (neither used in a question); the Move Over passage (p. 16: slow down and move over for any vehicle pulled over) is narrower in § 14-283b, which requires slowing below the limit and moving over for emergency, maintenance and tow vehicles with flashing lights and only moving over for other stopped vehicles, on highways with two or more lanes in one direction; operator retraining that drivers 'must complete' (p. 35) is one the DMV 'may require' under § 14-111g(a), which also makes it mandatory after a conviction for driving over 75 mph. The DMV knowledge test page adds the Work Zone Safety Course required for permit applicants from January 1, 2026 (also § 14-36(d)), which the 2023 manual predates. The suspension table for 16- and 17-year-olds (p. 34) is ambiguous in the extracted text and is used only where § 14-111(b)(2) (2026 Supplement) states the periods: phone violations 30 days, 90 days and six months; driving more than 20 mph over a limit below 65 mph 60 days, 90 days and six months. The manual's sentence above the table says the DMV suspends a teen for 'any' speeding conviction, but § 14-111(b)(2) covers only speeding more than 20 mph over the limit (§ 14-219(a)(4)); questions follow the statute. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.
DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.