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Difficulty: EasySpeed and Road Conditions

When operating a commercial motor vehicle on wet, icy, or snow-covered roadways, the driver should turn off the engine retarder to help prevent drive-wheel skids.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True. The engine retarder should always be turned off when driving on slippery surfaces (such as wet, snow-packed, or icy roads) to prevent the drive wheels from skidding.
Standard commercial driving safety rules require drivers to turn off engine retarders whenever road conditions are wet, icy, or snow-covered. Because retarders apply braking power only to the drive wheels when the accelerator is released, their use on slick roads can cause the drive wheels to lose traction, spin out, or trigger a jackknife.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the roadway condition and vehicle control mechanism in the statement.
The statement addresses driving on low-traction surfaces (wet, icy, or snow-covered) while managing the engine retarder.
Road traction dictates safe operating procedures for auxiliary braking devices.
2
Analyze the operational effect of an engine retarder on low-traction road surfaces.
Engine retarders exert mechanical braking force directly on the drive wheels whenever the driver lifts off the throttle, which can break tire grip and cause a drive-wheel skid on slick surfaces.
CDL safety regulations mandate turning off retarders whenever road surfaces are slippery to preserve vehicle stability.
3
Determine if the statement is true or false.
The statement correctly describes the required safety protocol.
Disabling the retarder prevents sudden drive-axle lockup and helps avoid jackknifing.

Key Concept

Engine retarder deactivation on slippery road surfaces
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Speed and Road Conditions

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