Michigan DMV Permit Test Safe Driving, Sharing the Road, and Emergencies Summary

Keep a 3- to 4-second following distance. When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count "one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three." If you reach the point first, you are too close. Increase to 6 seconds or more at higher speeds or in bad conditions.

Wrong choices

• Half a second, as long as you are paying attention: That leaves almost no time to react.
• 1 to 2 seconds: That is too close to stop safely.
• 10 seconds in all conditions: The rule is 3 to 4 seconds, increased in bad conditions.

Michigan law requires at least 3 feet between your vehicle and a bicyclist when passing. If that is not practical, pass at a safe distance and speed, which may mean waiting. Do not return to your lane until well clear of the bike.

Wrong choices

• At least 18 inches: That is far too close; the law says 3 feet.
• At least 2 feet: Michigan law requires at least 3 feet.
• At least 1 foot: That is far too close.

If a deer crash cannot be avoided: do not veer; stay in your lane, brake firmly, hold the steering wheel with both hands, and come to a controlled stop. Then steer well off the road.

Wrong choices

• Flash your high beams and honk to scare it off: Gimmicks like flashing lights and horns do not keep deer away.
• Speed up to get past the deer: Speeding up makes the crash worse.
• Swerve hard to miss the deer: Swerving can send you into other traffic or off the road. Do not veer for deer.

In fog, drive slowly, use low-beam headlights, and be ready to stop quickly. If fog gets so thick you cannot see, pull off the road, turn on your four-way flashers, and wait.

Wrong choices

• High-beam headlights: High beams reflect off fog and make it harder to see.
• Parking lights only: It is illegal to use only parking lights when headlights are needed.
• No lights, so you are not blinded by glare: Lights help other drivers see you.

It is illegal to use or even flash high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. Also dim your lights for pedestrians and cyclists, and do not use high beams behind other vehicles.

Wrong choices

• 200 feet: The legal distance is 500 feet.
• 1,000 feet: The law sets 500 feet.
• 100 feet: That is far too close; dim at 500 feet.

Be especially alert for deer at dawn and dusk, and especially in fall and spring, though crashes can happen at any time of year. If you see one deer, slow down; others are probably nearby.

Wrong choices

• Only late at night: Dawn and dusk are the times to be most alert.
• Midday: Deer are most often on the move at dawn and dusk.
• Only during rush hour: Deer activity does not follow traffic patterns.

When it begins to rain, roads are most slippery during the first half hour, because oil from vehicles has not yet washed away. Slow down and allow at least twice the normal following distance.

Wrong choices

• Only after several hours of rain: Roads are most slippery early, while oil is still on the surface.
• Only after the rain stops: The first half hour of rain is the most dangerous.
• Only when puddles form: The danger comes from oil on the road early in the rain, not from puddles.

If your vehicle skids, take your foot off the accelerator and turn the front wheels only enough to point them where you want to go. Be ready for a second skid the other way, then straighten the wheels.

Wrong choices

• Press the accelerator to regain traction: Take your foot off the accelerator.
• Slam on the brakes: Hard braking can make a skid worse.
• Turn the wheel sharply the opposite way: Turn only as much as needed to point where you want to go.

With anti-lock brakes, apply the brake with hard, firm pressure from the start and keep it until you stop, while you steer. You may feel or hear pulsing, which is normal. Without ABS, brake just hard enough not to lock the wheels.

Wrong choices

• Let up on the brake when you feel vibration: Vibration or pulsing is normal; keep pressing.
• Brake gently so the wheels do not lock: With anti-lock brakes, use hard, firm pressure from the start.
• Pump the brake pedal quickly: Pumping is not how anti-lock brakes are used; hold firm pressure.

A passenger vehicle at 55 mph can stop in about 130 feet, but a commercial vehicle takes about 400 feet. Never cut in front of a truck or force it to stop suddenly.

Wrong choices

• About 130 feet, the same as a car: Trucks are heavier and need much more distance.
• About 200 feet: A truck needs about 400 feet.
• About 1,000 feet: About 400 feet is the figure for a truck at 55 mph.