Ontario G1: Special situations on the road

Emergency vehicles and the move-over law, construction zones, animals on the road, drowsy and distracted driving, aggressive driving, road rage and street racing.

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Special situations on the road · Question 1Score 0/0

You want to stop and watch a moose near the highway. Where should you park?

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Study reference: MTO Driver's Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 2 Driving safely and responsibly — Dealing with particular situations

All 34 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

You want to stop and watch a moose near the highway. Where should you park?
1. Completely off the road in a safe spot
2. On the gravel shoulder near the moose
3. In your lane with hazard lights
4. On the paved shoulder with flashers on
How may you program your GPS while driving?
1. By typing at a red light
2. By typing at low speed
3. Only with one hand
4. Only by voice commands
What increased crash risk does the research summarized in the MTO handbook associate with texting or browsing on a phone?
1. 10 times
2. 20 times
3. 5 times
4. 2 times
How many demerit points do you get for a first offence of failing to stop for an emergency vehicle?
1. 4
2. 2
3. 3
4. 6
You are driving on a one-way street with three lanes and a fire truck approaches with siren on. Where should you stop?
1. Wherever you are in your lane
2. In the centre lane
3. Always at the right-hand curb
4. At the closest curb or edge
You are in an intersection waiting to turn left when an ambulance approaches. What should you do?
1. Back out of the intersection
2. Complete the left turn quickly
3. Go straight instead, then pull over
4. Stop where you are in the intersection
At what time of day are wild animals most active, according to the handbook?
1. From noon to mid-afternoon
2. Only during early morning
3. From dusk to dawn
4. Only in the late afternoon
An emergency vehicle approaches with siren on. Why should you avoid stopping on the shoulder?
1. Shoulders are always closed to traffic
2. Your car may get stuck in gravel
3. It earns you an automatic fine
4. Emergency vehicles may use the shoulder
Another driver cuts you off and you feel your anger rising. What is the best response?
1. Pass them and slow down in front of them
2. Honk repeatedly until they acknowledge you
3. Follow closely so they know they made a mistake
4. Let it go and keep your distance from that driver
What happens to speeding fines in a construction zone when workers are present?
1. They are reduced by half
2. They stay the same
3. They are doubled
4. They are tripled
How closely may you follow a fire truck responding to an alarm?
1. Not within 300 metres
2. Not within 150 metres
3. Not within 100 metres
4. Not within 50 metres
When may you use a hand-held phone to make a call while driving?
1. To call your employer
2. When traffic is moving slowly
3. To call 911 in an emergency
4. When you are in the right lane
Under what law can street racers be charged, according to the handbook?
1. The Ontario Insurance Act
2. The Criminal Code of Canada
3. The Motor Vehicle Safety Act
4. Only the municipal bylaws
What colour of flashing light on a stopped tow truck requires you to slow down and move over?
1. Blue
2. Green
3. Amber
4. White
You are eating a burger while driving and weave across a lane. What could happen?
1. You can only receive a warning
2. Nothing, since eating is not illegal
3. You could be charged with careless driving
4. You get an automatic licence suspension
At night you see shining eyes at the side of the road. What should you do?
1. Switch off your headlights
2. Swerve toward the centre line
3. Speed up to pass quickly
4. Slow down and be ready to stop
Your lane is blocked by road work and nobody is directing traffic. What should you do?
1. Drive onto the shoulder to get by
2. Go first because your lane is blocked
3. Sound your horn and proceed
4. Yield to traffic coming the other way
Between 1999 and 2008, by about how much did wild animal–vehicle collisions increase?
1. 10 per cent
2. 43 per cent
3. 60 per cent
4. 25 per cent
In the study summarized in the MTO handbook, how much farther did drivers texting or changing music travel before reacting to a hazard?
1. 28 metres
2. 50 metres
3. 8 metres
4. 15 metres
Which of these is permitted under Ontario's distracted-driving law?
1. Watching a video on a mounted tablet
2. Playing a hand-held game at a stop
3. Talking on a Bluetooth hands-free device
4. Typing a text while stopped in traffic
What approximate annual death figure from distracted driving is quoted in the MTO handbook?
1. About 100
2. About 500
3. About 10
4. About 1,000
A police car signals you to pull over. Where should you stop if possible?
1. On a highway on-ramp
2. In your lane at the right edge
3. In the middle of the nearest intersection
4. On the shoulder, out of traffic lanes
An ambulance with its siren on is coming toward you from behind on a two-lane road. What must you do?
1. Move left to let it pass on the right
2. Pull to the right edge and stop
3. Stop immediately in your lane
4. Speed up to stay ahead of it
During which late-night period do drowsiness-related collisions tend to happen most?
1. Between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
2. Between 10 p.m. and midnight
3. Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
4. Between midnight and 2 a.m.
A private car behind you shows a flashing green light. What does this mean?
1. A firefighter or medic is responding
2. A funeral procession is passing
3. A tow truck is about to stop
4. An unmarked police car wants you to pull over
In a construction zone, with no instruction to merge or change lanes, which action should you avoid?
1. Obeying lower speed limits
2. Changing lanes
3. Watching for workers
4. Being ready for sudden stops
You are stopped at a red light. Can you text on your hand-held phone?
1. Yes, because the car is not moving
2. Yes, if the light is long
3. Yes, if you keep one hand on the wheel
4. No, the law applies at red lights too
You notice you can't remember the last few kilometres you drove. What should you do?
1. Pull off and rest in a safe place
2. Turn the radio up louder
3. Drink a coffee and keep driving
4. Open the window and keep going
You believe an angry driver is following you. Where should you go?
1. Straight to your home
2. To a quiet side street to let them pass
3. To an empty parking lot to talk it out
4. To a police station or busy public place
On a two-lane highway in your direction, you see a stopped police car with flashing lights on the shoulder. What must you do?
1. Stop beside the police car
2. Slow down and move over a lane if safe
3. Keep your speed and stay in your lane
4. Speed up to pass quickly
Besides the early morning, what other time of day is linked to drowsy-driving collisions?
1. Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
2. Between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
3. Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
4. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
You hit a deer with your car. Who should you report it to?
1. No one, unless your car is damaged
2. Your municipal animal shelter only
3. Police or the Ministry of Natural Resources
4. Only the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
For repeat offences of failing to respond to an emergency vehicle, what is the maximum jail time?
1. Up to one year
2. Up to six months
3. Up to two years
4. Up to 30 days
Which age group is most likely to drive distracted, according to the handbook?
1. Drivers over 65
2. Drivers aged 26 to 35
3. Drivers aged 36 to 50
4. Drivers aged 16 to 25

Special situations on the road: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Aggressive driving and road rage

Aggressive behaviours named: tailgating, speeding, failing to yield, cutting in too closely; these can provoke road rage and retaliation.
Managing stress: fresh air, slow deep breathing, relaxing music; leave personal problems behind; on long trips, break every few hours.
Don't compete, retaliate or try to "teach" another driver; enforcement is the police's job; don't take others' mistakes personally.
Horn: avoid unless absolutely necessary; a light tap is usually enough.
Plan your route ahead (lost drivers drive erratically); be courteous; let signalling drivers in; apologise for your own mistakes.
Don't return aggression: no eye contact, no gestures back, stay away from erratic drivers.
If threatened by another driver: stay in the vehicle with doors locked; call police if you have a phone; use horn and signals to draw attention.
If you think you are being followed: do not drive home; go to a police station or busy public place.

Street racing

Street racing is among the most serious forms of aggressive driving; racers risk charges under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Drowsy driving

Tired drivers can be as impaired as drunk drivers: slower reactions, less alert.
Drowsiness collisions cluster between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Higher-risk groups: shift workers, people with undiagnosed/untreated sleep disorders, commercial-vehicle operators.
You can fall asleep without being aware of it.
Eight warning signs: trouble keeping eyes open; head tilting forward; wandering mind; frequent yawning; can't recall last few kilometres; missing lights/signals; drifting into next lane and jerking back; drifting off the road and nearly crashing.
Any one sign: pull off, park in a safe secure place (well-lit rest stops/truck stops on busy roads), lock doors, close windows, nap.
Caffeine, loud radio, open window are not substitutes for sleep; effects wear off quickly if sleep deprived.

Workers on the road

Construction zone: obey signs, people and devices directing traffic; lower posted limits are common.
In the zone: adjust to conditions, do not change lanes, be ready for sudden stops, watch for workers and equipment.
Other roadside hazards (roadside assistance, disabled vehicles, surveyors, maintenance/utility workers): slow down, pass with caution; move over a lane if safe.
Follow traffic-control persons' instructions day or night.
Lane blocked and no one directing traffic: yield to the driver coming from the opposite direction, then go around slowly.
Speeding fines are doubled in a construction zone when workers are present.
Disobeying STOP/SLOW signs shown by a traffic-control person or firefighter is an offence.

Animals on the road

Wild-animal collisions (mainly moose and deer) rose from 8,964 in 1999 to 12,791 in 2008, a 43% increase; many go unreported.
Scan shoulder to shoulder; animals may bolt; be most cautious dusk to dawn (wild animals most active).
Reduce speed in darkness, rain, fog; inattention and speed are common factors.
Watch for shining eyes at roadside: slow down, be ready to stop.
Keep windshield clean, headlights adjusted; use high beams when possible and safe.
If you see an animal: slow down and sound horn; expect others with it; don't try to drive around it (unpredictable).
To watch an animal, pull completely off the road and park; do not park on the shoulder.
Stay in your vehicle.
If you hit a deer or moose: report to local police or Ministry of Natural Resources; don't move an injured animal.

Distracted driving

Rules apply while driving, including when stopped in traffic or at a red light.
Illegal: texting/dialling on a hand-held phone or wireless device (except calling 911 in an emergency); hand-held entertainment devices (tablet, gaming console); viewing screens unrelated to driving (e.g., video); programming a GPS except by voice.
Allowed: hands-free devices with earpiece, lapel button or Bluetooth; viewing a GPS screen built into the dashboard or securely mounted.
Eating, drinking, grooming, smoking, reading, reaching are not covered by the distracted-driving law, but can lead to careless/dangerous driving charges.
Careless driving charge possible for any distraction that endangers others, including hands-free devices.
Dangerous driving is a criminal offence with heavier penalties including long jail terms.
Tips: phone off/silent, in glove box or back-seat bag; outgoing message; blocking/auto-reply apps; passenger handles calls; pull over to a safe area to call/text; silence notifications.
Ontario yearly: about 100 killed and 16,000 injured by distracted drivers; about 1 in 4 deaths are vulnerable road users.
Ages 16–25 most likely to drive distracted and most likely to be killed/injured in such crashes.
Texting/browsing raises crash risk 10 times.
Texting or changing music: 28 metres further travelled before reacting to a hazard (nearly half a hockey rink).
Each 10-year increase in driver age: 44% less likely to text, 38% less likely to use hand-held phone, 28% less likely to use hands-free phone.

Emergency vehicles

Emergency vehicles: police, fire, ambulance, special public-utility vehicles; identified by flashing red or blue lights, siren or bell, or alternating white flashes from high beams; can be bicycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles, buses, trucks.
Approaching from any direction with flashing red (or red and blue) lights or siren/bell: required to stop immediately.
Stop as near as practical to the right-hand curb/edge; on a one-way road or divided highway with more than two lanes, move to the closest curb/edge.
Stop parallel to the road, clear of intersections and on/off ramps; do not move onto or stop on the shoulder (emergency vehicles may use it).
Look front, sides, rear; signal well in advance; brake gradually; avoid sudden direction changes or hard braking.
If in an intersection preparing to turn: abandon the turn, go straight through when safe, then pull right and stop.
After it passes: check, signal, merge back; watch for more emergency vehicles.
Illegal to follow within 150 metres of a fire vehicle responding to an alarm.
Flashing green light: some firefighters/volunteer medical responders in their own vehicles; yield the right-of-way.
Pulled over by police: same procedure but stop off the traffic lanes on the shoulder where possible, or turn onto a quieter side street nearby; follow officer's directions.
Freeways: don't drive on or block the shoulder; emergency vehicles use it if lanes are blocked.

Reacting to a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck

Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with red (or red and blue) flashing lights, or a tow truck with amber flashing lights, on your side: slow down and proceed with caution; consider surrounding traffic and road conditions; brake early and gradually.
Manual transmission: use brakes rather than downshifting so brake lights warn others.
Two or more lanes in your direction: also move into a lane away from the vehicle if safe; signal, mirror and shoulder check, change lanes well in advance.

Failing to respond to an emergency vehicle

First offence: fine and 3 demerit points.
Further offences: higher fines and possible jail up to six months.
Same law and penalties apply to a stopped tow truck with flashing amber lights.

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