Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumTire Failure and Blowouts

A commercial driver operating a loaded vehicle at highway speed suddenly hears a loud bang and feels the steering wheel pulling forcefully to one side due to a front tire blowout. Which action should the driver take to maintain vehicle control and safely bring the vehicle to a stop?

  1. A
    Apply hard, immediate pressure to the service brakes while making rapid steering adjustments to stop before the wheel rim contacts the pavement.
  2. Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands, stay off the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to coast down, and brake gently only after speed has dropped significantly.Answer
  3. C
    Engage the retarder or auxiliary engine brake immediately to stabilize the vehicle before applying heavy service braking.
  4. D
    Immediately shift into neutral, pump the service brake pedal rapidly, and steer sharply in the opposite direction of the pull.

Answer

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands, stay off the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to coast down, and brake gently only after speed has dropped significantly.
According to commercial driving safety procedures, the two critical actions during a tire failure are holding the steering wheel firmly with both hands to maintain steering control and staying completely off the brake until the vehicle has slowed down substantially. This allows the vehicle to decelerate safely without risking a catastrophic skid.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Maintain directional control by firmly gripping the steering wheel with both hands.
Prevents the severe pull caused by the blown tire from dragging the vehicle off the road or into opposing lanes.
A front tire blowout produces immediate, heavy steering resistance toward the side of the failed tire.
2
Keep off the service brake pedal and allow the vehicle to coast.
Natural rolling resistance and engine compression gradually decelerate the commercial motor vehicle without inducing wheel lockup.
Braking immediately during a blowout destabilizes the vehicle and can cause an irrecoverable skid.
3
Steer smoothly toward a safe stopping location off the traveled roadway and apply gentle braking once speed has reduced.
The vehicle safely exits traffic flow and comes to a controlled stop.
Gentle braking is safe only after kinetic energy and steering forces have sufficiently decreased.

Key Concept

Steering wheel control and non-braking deceleration during a tire blowout
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Tire Failure and Blowouts

More questions from this topic