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Question

Difficulty: MediumEvasive Steering and Avoiding Collisions

During an emergency collision-avoidance maneuver, your right wheels drop off the paved roadway onto a soft, lower shoulder. What is the correct chronological sequence of actions to safely recover and return the commercial motor vehicle to the travel lane?

  1. 1Hold the steering wheel firmly and stay on the shoulder while easing off the throttle without applying hard service braking.
  2. 2Check mirrors and signal to verify that the adjacent travel lane is clear of surrounding traffic.
  3. 3Turn the steering wheel sharply toward the road surface so the front tire climbs the pavement lip.
  4. 4Counter-steer immediately in the opposite direction the moment the tires mount the pavement to center the vehicle in the lane.

Answer

First, hold the wheel firmly and stay straight on the shoulder to bleed off speed without hard braking; second, check mirrors to ensure traffic is clear; third, turn sharply toward the road to climb the pavement lip; fourth, counter-steer immediately upon mounting the pavement to remain centered within the lane.
The proper protocol according to standard CDL emergency evasion and off-road recovery procedures requires maintaining control and easing off the throttle first, scanning mirrors for traffic, executing a deliberate sharp turn to climb the pavement lip, and counter-steering immediately to stabilize the vehicle within the designated lane.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Maintain directional control along the shoulder and decelerate gradually without hard braking.
The commercial vehicle stabilizes at a safer recovery speed without skidding or rolling over.
Hard braking on uneven traction surfaces often induces a severe jackknife or uncontrolled skid.
2
Check mirrors to evaluate traffic conditions in the travel lane.
The driver confirms an open gap in traffic before re-entering the roadway.
Re-entering blindly creates an immediate risk of a sideswipe or rear-end collision with overtaking traffic.
3
Turn the wheel sharply enough (about one-quarter turn) toward the roadway.
The front steering tire mounts the pavement edge cleanly.
A gradual angle causes the tire sidewall to scrub along the pavement drop-off, which can rip the wheel from the driver's grip.
4
Counter-steer immediately in the opposite direction once the tires grip the paved surface.
The vehicle straightens out and remains centered within its travel lane.
Failing to counter-steer instantly results in the vehicle shooting across the roadway into opposing traffic lanes.

Key Concept

Off-Road Recovery and Counter-Steering Procedure
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Evasive Steering and Avoiding Collisions

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