Final answer:
If your vehicle goes off the road, gradually reduce your speed and carefully steer back onto the road before gently accelerating. Abrupt actions such as slamming on the brakes or quickly steering onto the road can cause loss of control and increase the risk of an accident.
Step-by-step explanation:
If your vehicle goes off the paved road, the correct steps to take are: C) Gradually reduce speed, steer in the direction you want to go, and gently accelerate back onto the road. This avoids the potential loss of control that can come from more abrupt actions, such as slamming on the brakes (which can cause skidding) or steering sharply (which can lead to rolling the vehicle or crossing into oncoming traffic).
When leaving the pavement, first remain calm and gradually release the accelerator to reduce speed safely. Then, slowly steer back toward the road when it's safe to do so. Look where you want to go and gently steer in that direction. Once your tires are securely back on the pavement, gently accelerate to rejoin traffic at a safe speed.
Meanwhile, actions like quickly steering onto the road, slamming on the brakes, shifting to a lower gear and accelerating quickly are not advised as they can lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of an accident.