Which of the following happens when you have bad traction?

1. You are not going the speed limit
2. You don't start fast enough
3. Your tires do not grip the road ✓
4. You don't stop fast enough

Answer: C. Your tires do not grip the road

When you have bad traction, your tires do not grip the road.

Why this is the answer

Bad traction means your tires are not holding the road well. The handbook explains traction as the grip your tires have on the surface, and it lists slippery or sandy surfaces and worn or improperly inflated tires as things that reduce traction. It also says abrupt accelerating, braking or turning can use up the traction you have. So the choice about tires not gripping the road matches the handbook's meaning. The others describe speed or starting and stopping performance, which the passage does not define as bad traction.

Why the other answers are wrong

• A. You are not going the speed limit — Not going the speed limit is a speed choice, while the handbook ties bad traction to reduced tire grip on the road.
• B. You don't start fast enough — Not starting fast enough is about acceleration, but the handbook says abrupt accelerating can exceed traction, not that bad traction means starting too slowly.
• D. You don't stop fast enough — Not stopping fast enough is about braking performance, while the passage describes traction as tire grip and says abrupt braking can exceed the available traction.

Remember it

Think of traction as the rubber meeting the road: less grip means bad traction.