When driving on roads that may be slippery:
- Always drive at the maximum speed limit.
- Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed.
- Reduce your following distance.
- Do not make any sudden changes in speed or direction. ✓
Answer: D. Do not make any sudden changes in speed or direction.
When roads may be slippery, do not make any sudden changes in speed or direction.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's slippery surface sign warns you to drive slowly in wet weather, to avoid speeding up or braking quickly, and to make turns at slow speeds. The emergency section adds that you should avoid sudden stops and slow down gradually and smoothly. All of these point to the same habit: keep your speed and steering smooth and gradual so the tires are not asked to do too much at once on a surface with less grip.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Always drive at the maximum speed limit. — The handbook says on a slippery surface to drive slowly in wet weather, so treating the maximum speed limit as a target is the opposite of that advice.
- B. Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed. — A steady speed set by cruise control is not what the passages describe for slippery roads; they call for slowing down and avoiding quick speed changes made by the driver.
- C. Reduce your following distance. — The handbook says to increase your following distance in unfavorable weather, not shorten it.
Remember it
Think of a slippery road as a place where every input should be gentle: slow down, steer easy, brake early and lightly.