Stuck accelerator pedal — Rhode Island Permit Test

Stuck accelerator pedal on the Rhode Island permit test — 4 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

If the accelerator pedal sticks, kick the side of it once or twice to try to jar it free.

A floor mat or bent linkage can hold the pedal down, and a sharp kick is often all it takes to free it.

Kick the side of the accelerator once or twice to try to jar it free.

Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.44

With a stuck accelerator, shift to neutral at the same time you apply the brake.

Brakes alone are fighting a racing engine; neutral takes the engine's push away from the wheels.

Shift the car to NEUTRAL at the same time you apply the brake.

Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.44

In neutral, a stuck engine will race, but power is removed from the drive wheels; you might damage the engine, but you may avoid a collision.

Drivers who hear the engine scream often shift back into gear, and the car leaps forward again.

The engine will race, but power is removed from the drive wheels.

Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.44

With a stuck accelerator, turn off the ignition once you are off the roadway.

Turning the key off while still moving can lock the steering and take away your power steering on a busy road.

Turn off the ignition once you are off the roadway.

Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.44

On the test

Your gas pedal is stuck to the floor. What can you try to free it?

Kick the side of the pedal. A floor mat or bent linkage can hold the pedal down, and a sharp kick is often all it takes to free it. Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.44: “Kick the side of the accelerator once or twice to try to jar it free.”

How this works

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, published by the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-04.