Texas Car / Permit practice question · Handling Emergencies
Water across the road stalls your engine and the car is sitting in it. You should:
Answer choices
- Climb out at once and head for higher ground— Correct answer
- Stay inside and keep trying the starter
- Shift to neutral and let the current move the car
- Wait in the car until the water drops
Why this is the answer
If your vehicle stalls in floodwater, officials say to get out quickly and move to higher ground. Twelve inches of water will float many cars, and two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles. The handbook's advice is to turn around when water covers a road. Staying inside or trying to restart the engine keeps you in danger.
Source: Texas Driver Handbook — Floods
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
More Handling Emergencies questions
- You find someone who has been overcome by carbon monoxide from a running engine. What should you do?
- Someone is hurt in a crash you have stopped at. Unless there is truly no other choice, you should:
- Your right tires drift off the pavement onto a lower shoulder. The best response is to:
- If your brakes suddenly fail, one recommended action is to:
- A car is stuck on the tracks at a railroad crossing. The blue-and-white sign posted at the crossing is there so that you can: