If your wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder, you should:

Grip the wheel firmly, ease your foot off the gas pedal and brake gently.
Slow down immediately, pull over to the right and sound your horn.
Jerk your wheel to correct your steering.
Pump the brakes rapidly. This will build up enough pressure to stop your vehicle.
Explanation

If your wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder, remain calm, grip the wheel tightly and ease your foot off the gas pedal. This will help you maintain control of your vehicle. Brake gently to slow the vehicle down. Once you have checked for traffic behind you, you can gently steer the vehicle back onto the pavement. It is important to avoid jerking the wheel to correct the steering, as this can cause the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic.

Answer Statistics

🟡 This question is moderately difficult15.5% of our users answer it incorrectly.

Other questions in the same category: Handling Driving Emergencies
This question appears in the following DMV practice tests: