You exit the freeway on a ramp that curves downhill. You should:
- Slow to a safe speed before the curve. ✓
- Slow to the posted speed limit for the freeway.
- Wait until you have entered the curve to begin braking.
Answer: A. Slow to a safe speed before the curve.
You should slow to a safe speed before the curve, choosing a speed that lets you enter it under control rather than braking once you are already in it.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's exit procedure includes making sure you are at a safe speed to exit, and its skid section says to slow down as you approach intersections and curves, and for sharp curves to slow as you approach and move through. Downhill travel makes skidding more likely when you are going too fast. Braking after you are already turning puts the two demands together, so getting your speed set first is the safer habit.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Slow to the posted speed limit for the freeway. — The freeway's posted speed limit is the speed for traveling along the freeway, not a target for leaving it on a curving downhill ramp.
- C. Wait until you have entered the curve to begin braking. — Waiting until you are inside the curve means you brake while turning, and the handbook says to slow down as you approach curves, not after you are in them.
Remember it
Get your speed right before the ramp bends: brake first, then steer through.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 6: Navigating the Roads, p. 23