California Car / Permit practice question · Safe Driving Practices

What is the safest way to deal with a text message you receive while driving?

Answer choices

• Wait until you are safely parked to read or send it— Correct answer
• Read it only while stopped at red lights
• Have a passenger steer while you type
• Text only on straight, empty stretches of road

Why this is the answer

Do not read or send text messages or emails while driving. If you must make or return a call, pull safely off the road, and the same logic applies to texts. Reading one at a red light, typing on a straight road, or having a passenger steer still takes your attention off driving, so wait until you are parked.

Source: California Driver Handbook — Distracted Driving

Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026