It is illegal to leave a child age ____ or younger alone in a vehicle.
- Eight
- Seven
- Six ✓
Answer: C. Six
The legal cutoff is six years old: it is illegal to leave a child age six or younger alone in a vehicle.
Why this is the answer
The handbook states the rule plainly: a child who is six years old or younger cannot be left unattended in a vehicle. It also says a child may be left under the supervision of someone at least 12 years old. So the age line in the question is six, not seven or eight. The same passage explains why this matters: heat inside a parked vehicle can rise quickly and lead to dehydration, heat stroke, and death, even with a window slightly open.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Eight — Eight is too high; the handbook sets the unattended-child cutoff at six years old or younger, not eight.
- B. Seven — Seven is above the legal cutoff; the handbook says six years old or younger, not seven.
Remember it
Picture a six-year-old as the line: at six or younger, do not leave the child alone in the car.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 67