Sample Emergencies questions
It is snowing and your car has broken down. What color cloth should you tie to the antenna or door handle?
Show the answer
Red
Use a white cloth normally and a red one when it is snowing.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Breakdowns, p. 126
Electrical wires have fallen on a crashed car with people inside. What should you tell them?
Stay inside until help arrives Jump out immediately Drive the car out from under the wires Pull the wires off with a coat Show the answer
Stay inside until help arrives
Stay away from the wires and the car yourself, and wait for emergency personnel.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, If You Witness a Crash, p. 131
You need help and see a police cruiser stopped on the shoulder. Where should you pull over?
Directly behind it Beside it in the travel lane Across the road from it In front of it Show the answer
In front of it
Pull in front of the cruiser, never behind it, and don't approach an officer busy with another motorist.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Stationary Emergency and Maintenance Vehicles, p. 120
Within what distance of a fire is it illegal to drive by or park?
1,000 feet 300 feet 800 feet 100 feet Show the answer
800 feet
The ban covers driving by or parking within 800 feet of a fire.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Stationary Emergency and Maintenance Vehicles, p. 121
How close may you follow an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm?
No closer than 500 feet No closer than 300 feet No closer than 100 feet No closer than 800 feet Show the answer
No closer than 300 feet
You must stay at least 300 feet behind it.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Moving Emergency Vehicle, p. 120
Your stalled car can't be moved from the tracks and no train is in sight. What should you call?
The nearest garage Your insurance agent The RMV Contact Center The number on the crossbuck or metal box Show the answer
The number on the crossbuck or metal box
Call the Emergency Notification System number and give the dispatcher the crossing locator number.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Stalling on Railroad Tracks, p. 125
You stop to help at a crash with no police present. How far from it should flares or reflectors go?
50 feet behind only 10 feet or more each way 200 feet or more each way 500 feet ahead only Show the answer
200 feet or more each way
They go at least 200 feet to each side of the crash.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, If You Witness a Crash, p. 131
You have moved your broken-down car to the highway's breakdown lane. Where should you wait?
In the breakdown lane, waving Beside the driver's door Inside the vehicle Behind the vehicle Show the answer
Inside the vehicle
Standing near traffic or in that lane has cost many people their lives.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Breakdowns, p. 125; Chapter 4, Driving on the Highway, p. 96
You are on a four-lane highway and pass a stopped police car with lights flashing. What does the move-over law require?
Leave an open lane beside it, if safe Stay in your lane at the same speed Drive onto the shoulder and go around Stop behind it until it leaves Show the answer
Leave an open lane beside it, if safe
Shift left or right as needed so that one lane stays empty next to the emergency vehicle.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Stationary Emergency and Maintenance Vehicles, p. 120
Traffic stops you from moving over for a parked ambulance with flashing lights. What must you still do?
Stop in your lane until it leaves Nothing else, since you tried Sound your horn as you pass Reduce to a reasonable, safe speed Show the answer
Reduce to a reasonable, safe speed
If you can't change lanes, you must still go carefully at a speed that suits the conditions.
Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026), Chapter 5, Stationary Emergency and Maintenance Vehicles, p. 120
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About these questions
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Massachusetts Driver's Manual (Revised April 2026 (cover letter), English PDF, text read in the built-in browser on 2026-11-08 because mass.gov refuses plain downloads; page numbers in sections are the manual's printed numbers (PDF page = printed page + 8) 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 Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.
