Safe driving and emergencies
On a cold, wet day, which part of the road tends to freeze before the rest?
- Bridges and overpasses. Correct answer
- Stretches in full sun.
- Pavement that has been dry and hot for a long time.
Why
Bridges and overpasses tend to freeze ahead of the road around them and can hold icy patches. Shaded spots under trees or next to buildings behave the same way, freezing first and drying last, which is the opposite of a sunny stretch. The dry-and-hot answer mixes up two hazards. A long hot, dry spell matters when rain first starts to fall, because oil and dust that have built up on the surface make the pavement very slippery; that is about slickness, not freezing. On ice itself, the handbook wants you at no more than 5 mph.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Bridges and overpasses.
The rule behind this one
Safe driving and emergencies in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on safe driving and emergencies
- A patrol car ahead turns on its emergency lights and starts weaving slowly across all the lanes. What should you do?
- Your 6-year-old normally rides in a child passenger restraint system in the back seat. In which situation may the child ride in front, still in that restraint system?
- Your car runs out of gas on a freeway during the morning commute, in an area covered by the CHP Freeway Service Patrol (FSP). What can FSP do for you?
- Which method does the California Driver's Handbook recommend for keeping a safe following distance behind the vehicle ahead?