A vehicle suddenly cuts in front of you, creating a hazard. What should you do first?
- Honk and step on the brake firmly.
- Take your foot off the gas pedal. ✓
- Swerve into the lane next to you.
Answer: B. Take your foot off the gas pedal.
Take your foot off the gas pedal so a gap opens up between you and the vehicle that cut in.
Why this is the answer
The handbook addresses this exact situation: when a vehicle merges in front of you too closely, you lift off the accelerator. Doing that lets your car slow gradually and puts distance between you and the vehicle ahead, which gives you room and time to react if that driver brakes. The handbook ties following distance to reaction time — the closer you are, the less time you have. Removing your foot from the gas is the first, calm step toward rebuilding that space.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Honk and step on the brake firmly. — Honking and braking hard is not what the handbook recommends here; the guidance for a close merge is to ease off the accelerator, and the handbook warns that suddenly braking can cost you control of the vehicle.
- C. Swerve into the lane next to you. — Swerving into the next lane is never the first move in this situation, and the handbook's advice in tight traffic is to maintain your course and speed rather than change lanes abruptly.
Remember it
Think of the gas pedal as your space-maker: when someone crowds in front of you, lift off first and let the gap grow.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 57