Running off the pavement and blowouts — Massachusetts Permit Test
Running off the pavement and blowouts on the Massachusetts permit test — 4 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
If you drive off the pavement onto the shoulder, hold the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal.
Jerking the wheel back onto the road at speed is what turns a wander onto the shoulder into a rollover.
Hold the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal.
After running onto the shoulder, gently apply the brake, check for traffic behind you, then steer gently back onto the road.
Gently is the operative word in all three steps. The road edge is a small step that the tire has to climb.
Check for traffic behind you, then steer gently back onto the road.
If a tire blows out, grip the steering wheel tightly, slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal, and gently apply the brakes.
A blowout pulls the car hard to one side. The grip on the wheel is what keeps it in a lane.
Grip the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal.
After a blowout do not use the brake until you have the vehicle under control, then pull off the road as soon as it is safe.
Control comes before stopping. Braking a car that is already pulling sideways finishes the job the tire started.
Don’t use the brake until you have the vehicle under control.
On the test
What is the first thing to do after running onto the shoulder?
Hold the wheel tightly and ease off the gas. Jerking the wheel back onto the road at speed is what turns a wander onto the shoulder into a rollover. Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.124: “Hold the steering wheel tightly and slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal.”
How this works
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against Massachusetts Driver's Manual, published by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-16.
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/MA.pdf (Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Revised April 2026, Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, retrieved 2026-09-14 from mass.gov)
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/MA.pages.txt (pdftotext -layout over that PDF; sha256 pinned in SOURCES.json)
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/SOURCES.json (sha256, folio offset 8, folioMarker, nonLawPages, signGalleryPages and the extraction flag, each with its measured basis)