Avoiding collisions — South Carolina Permit Test

The three ways to avoid a collision or reduce its impact are braking, steering, or accelerating.

Knowing every option in advance means you can pick the right one in the second you have, instead of freezing on the brake.

You have three options to avoid a collision or to reduce its impact. These options are braking, steering, or accelerating.

With anti-lock brakes, press the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep constant pressure; do not pump the brakes.

Pumping the pedal switches the anti-lock system off, so the wheels can lock and the car can skid just when you need to stop straight.

Press on the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep applying constant pressure. Do not pump the brakes because this will deactivate ABS.

When anti-lock brakes are working, the pedal may vibrate and you may hear a clicking noise, which is normal.

Drivers who think the brakes are failing often lift off the pedal, and the ABS only works while the pressure stays on.

You may feel the pedal vibrate and you may hear a clicking noise. This is normal.

You can still steer your vehicle while the anti-lock brakes are activated.

Keeping steering control while braking is the point of ABS: you can brake and swerve around the hazard at once.

You can still steer you vehicle while ABS is activated.

When you steer quickly around a problem, once you have cleared it you steer in the opposite direction to straighten out.

A swerve that is never countersteered carries the car off the road or into the next lane after the hazard is passed.

When you have cleared the problem, steer in the opposite direction to straighten out your vehicle, gain control, and adjust to an appropriate driving speed.

Accelerating may be necessary to avoid a collision when another vehicle is about to hit you from behind or the side.

Braking in that moment only holds you in the other vehicle's path; moving forward can take you out of it.

It may be necessary to accelerate to avoid a collision. This may happen when another vehicle is about to hit you from behind or the side.

Before swerving around a problem, make sure you have a good grip with both hands on the steering wheel.

A sudden swerve with one hand on the wheel is easily overdone or lost, and the car spins or leaves the road.

Make sure you have a good grip with both hands on the steering wheel.

What three options does the manual give for avoiding a collision or reducing its impact?

Braking, steering, or accelerating. Knowing every option in advance means you can pick the right one in the second you have, instead of freezing on the brake. South Carolina Driver's Manual, p.104: “You have three options to avoid a collision or to reduce its impact. These options are braking, steering, or accelerating.”