Avoiding collisions and keeping your vehicle safe

Key points

1. To avoid a collision you have three options: stop, turn or speed up.

   Source: Handbook p. 96

   “In avoiding a collision, drivers have three options: 1. Stop 2. Turn 3. Speed Up”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 96

2. With antilock brakes, press the pedal as hard as you can and keep pressing firmly.

   Source: Handbook p. 96

   “Press on the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep pressing on it firmly.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 96

3. Do not let up when the ABS pedal pushes back; it only works with the pedal pushed down firmly.

   Source: Handbook p. 96

   “Do NOT let up on the brake pedal. The ABS system will only work with the brake pedal pushed down firmly.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 96

4. Without antilock brakes, brake as hard as you can without locking the wheels, or you may skid.

   Source: Handbook p. 96

   “Apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking them. You can cause the vehicle to go into a skid if you brake too hard or continuously.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 96

5. In most cases you can turn the vehicle quicker than you can stop it.

   Source: Handbook p. 96

   “In most cases, you can turn the vehicle quicker than you can stop it.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 96

6. It is generally better to turn off the road than crash head on into another vehicle.

   Source: Handbook p. 97

   “Another consideration is that generally it is better to turn off the road than to crash head-on into another vehicle.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 97

7. Fall is the peak season for deer crashes.

   Source: Handbook p. 97

   “Fall is the peak season for deer-car crashes.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 97

8. If hitting an animal cannot be avoided, do not swerve; keep control and stay on the road.

   Source: Handbook p. 97

   “If a collision seems inevitable, don’t swerve to avoid the animal; your risk of personal injury may be greater if you do. Keep your vehicle under control and on the roadway when you hit the animal.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 97

9. A tire with tread less than 2/32 inch is illegal and unsafe.

   Source: Handbook p. 100

   “If the tread does not come at least to Lincoln’s head (2/32 inch), the tire is illegal and unsafe and you need it replaced.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 100

10. With epilepsy, you may drive in Tennessee under a doctor's care after at least 6 months without a seizure.

    Source: Handbook p. 99

    “In Tennessee, you may drive if you are under the care of a doctor and have been seizure free for a minimum of six months.”
    Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 99

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Tennessee practice test

1. 1. What should a driver do if a vehicle without anti-lock brakes starts to skid?

   1. Pump the brake rapidly while turning away from the skid
   2. Accelerate hard to force the tires straight
   3. Lock the steering wheel and keep the brake fully pressed
   4. Release the brake and steer in the direction of the skid when it can be done safely
   Show answer

   Release the brake and steer in the direction of the skid when it can be done safely. For a vehicle without anti-lock brakes, the manual recommends taking your foot off the brake and steering in the direction of the skid, provided that doing so will not run the vehicle off the road or into a hazard. Pumping the pedal or locking the steering can reduce control. Acceleration does not restore traction. The driver must also account for oncoming traffic and other obstacles before making the steering correction.

2. 2. If a vehicle begins to skid, which response is recommended?

   1. Stamp on the brake and lock the wheels
   2. Stay off the brake and steer where you want the car to go
   3. Turn the wheel opposite the desired path and accelerate hard
   4. Close your eyes and wait for the tires to regain grip
   Show answer

   Stay off the brake and steer where you want the car to go. During a skid, braking can make the loss of traction worse until the vehicle slows. Keep off the brake, steer in the direction you want the car to go, and continue correcting as the vehicle straightens. The opposite steering choice can send the vehicle into another slide, while hard acceleration adds another force the tires may not handle. Slow down for conditions before a skid develops and avoid abrupt inputs.

3. 3. What following-distance range does the manual describe as a safe distance for drivers to maintain?

   1. Exactly one second in every traffic situation
   2. One car length regardless of speed
   3. About two to four seconds, adjusted for conditions
   4. No time interval is useful for judging space
   Show answer

   About two to four seconds, adjusted for conditions. The manual describes a safe following distance as ranging from two to four seconds, with the driver increasing the interval when visibility, speed, weather, or nighttime conditions make reaction more difficult. A fixed car length changes meaning as speed changes, and one second leaves little room to respond. Use a stationary object to measure the gap, then slow slightly and repeat the check until the time cushion is adequate. The goal is time to see and react, not merely a visual number of feet.

Source: the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Chapter C-2: Special Driving Conditions and Your Vehicle. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.