General Knowledge · Controlling Speed

Under 49 CFR 392.14, what must a driver do when snow, ice, or heavy rain reduces the traction between the tires and the road?

1.Reduce speed below the posted limit if needed, and discontinue driving entirely if conditions become too dangerous to continue safelyCorrect answer

2.Maintain the posted speed limit exactly, since traction loss is already fully accounted for in how speed limits are legally set

3.Keep the same speed but increase following distance somewhat, so as not to disrupt the overall flow of surrounding traffic

4.Shift down to a lower gear and rely mainly on engine braking, rather than actually reducing the vehicle's road speed at all

Explanation

When hazardous conditions such as snow, ice, or heavy rain reduce traction, 49 CFR 392.14 requires a driver to reduce speed, and to stop driving altogether if conditions become too dangerous to continue safely. This is a genuine, directly codified federal rule, not just a required-knowledge topic heading, because 392.14 explicitly names traction-reducing conditions and states that speed shall be reduced when they exist; exactly how much to slow down on a given wet, snowy, or icy road is driver-training guidance rather than something federal regulation quantifies, but the underlying duty to slow down, and to stop if needed, is federal law. The other options fail for a shared reason: each substitutes something else, an unchanged posted limit, more following distance, or engine braking, for the reduction in road speed the regulation actually requires.

Source: 49 CFR 392.14

Drill Controlling Speed questions

Under 49 CFR 392.14, what must a driver do when snow, ice, or heavy rain reduces the traction between the tires and the road?

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