Topic 4 · Defensive Driving and Safe Driving Practices
Before driving down a steep, slippery hill you should:
- Shift to neutral to save the brakes
- Increase speed so momentum carries you down
- Shift to low gear — correct answer
Why
The handbook lists shifting to low gear before a steep downhill among the ways to prevent skidding, along with slowing before curves and avoiding fast turns and quick stops. (Section 8, Slippery Surface Skids.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
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