CT Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

Every question below comes from the Connecticut question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. How does alcohol change what a driver can do?

   1. It speeds up reflexes but weakens the sense of smell
   2. It slows reflexes and cuts alertness and clear vision
   3. It dulls memory of addresses but leaves vision intact
   4. It affects only the feel of the pedals under your feet
   Show answer

   It slows reflexes and cuts alertness and clear vision. Alcohol travels from the stomach into the blood and then to the brain, where judgment and skill are controlled. It slows your reflexes and reaction time, reduces your ability to see clearly, and makes you less alert. Judging distance, speed, and other vehicles becomes harder with each drink, and these effects begin before a driver feels obviously drunk. All of these abilities are needed to drive safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, Testing and DUI Suspensions

2. 2. How should pets ride when you drive in Connecticut?

   1. Secured in a pet carrier or portable kennel before moving
   2. Loose in the back seat with the windows cracked open
   3. On the driver's lap for short local trips
   4. In the trunk with the lid partly raised
   Show answer

   Secured in a pet carrier or portable kennel before moving. An unsecured pet can move underfoot, block controls, or become a projectile in a sudden stop. Placing the animal in a carrier or portable kennel before the vehicle moves removes that distraction and protects the pet. A loose back seat ride, lap riding, or a partly open trunk all leave the animal free to interfere or be injured. Properly securing pets also keeps them from becoming a distraction.

   Study this in the handbook: Space Cushion and Following Distance

3. 3. A flashing yellow X hangs over the center lane you want in Connecticut. What is that lane for now?

   1. Through travel in your direction
   2. Parking while shops are open
   3. Left turns only from that lane
   4. Emergency vehicles exclusively
   Show answer

   Left turns only from that lane. In reversible lane control, a flashing yellow X reserves the lane for turning movements rather than through travel. Use it to position for a left turn where the system allows, then complete the turn without cruising in it. Steady yellow warns the lane is changing, and red closes it outright. Misreading flashing as through permission places you against future opposing flow.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings and Special Lanes

4. 4. You are driving at night and the signal ahead flashes red at a Connecticut crossroad. How must you treat it?

   1. Stop fully, then go when safe
   2. Slow and roll through if empty
   3. Stop only for crossing traffic
   4. Treat it as a caution light
   Show answer

   Stop fully, then go when safe. A flashing red light carries the same force as a stop sign. Come to a full stop first, scan the crossroad, and proceed only when the way is safe. Rolling through on emptiness, stopping only for visible traffic, or reading it as caution all downgrade a stop command into advice. Darkness makes the full stop more important, not less. When a traffic light is out of order, treat the intersection as if a stop sign controlled it.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

5. 5. You stopped fully at a four-way stop three seconds before any other car arrived in Connecticut. Who proceeds?

   1. The largest vehicle present
   2. Nobody until all four stop
   3. The vehicle on the far left
   4. You; the first to arrive goes first
   Show answer

   You; the first to arrive goes first. At a four-way stop, arrival order after complete stops sets the sequence, so the driver who reached and stopped first proceeds first. Size and left position matter only when arrivals tie, where the right-side vehicle wins. Waiting for every approach to fill wastes the junction. Roll only after your stop truly completes, since rolling arrivals rank behind stopped ones. The driver reaching the intersection first goes first.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

6. 6. A round yellow RXR sign appears beside your road in Connecticut. What should you expect and do?

   1. A roundabout ahead; speed up to enter it
   2. Railroad ahead; slow, look, and listen
   3. A sharp curve; brake inside it
   4. A school zone; watch for the crossing guards
   Show answer

   Railroad ahead; slow, look, and listen. The circular shape and RXR letters warn that a railroad crossing lies ahead. Begin slowing, look along the tracks, and listen for trains while you still have room to stop. Roundabouts, curves, and school zones wear different shapes and messages. Crossings demand the look in both directions, since trains approach fast and cannot swerve or stop quickly for road vehicles.

   Study this in the handbook: Sign Shapes and Regulatory Signs

7. 7. Your vehicle has airbags in front and side panels. Are seat belts still required?

   1. Yes, belts are required even with airbags fitted
   2. No, airbags replace belts entirely
   3. Only the driver must belt up then
   4. Belts matter only above forty miles per hour
   Show answer

   Yes, belts are required even with airbags fitted. State law requires safety belts even in vehicles equipped with airbags. Bags cushion frontal impacts against wheel, dash, and windshield but do little in side or rear hits or rollovers, and they cannot keep you positioned behind the wheel. Every occupant belting up covers the crash types bags miss. If your vehicle is hit from the side, front airbags will not help, and your lap and shoulder belts keep you behind the wheel.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat Belts, Child Seats and Phone Laws

8. 8. You are an adult driving on a Connecticut highway and need to make a call. What phone use is allowed?

   1. Hand-held calls under one minute
   2. Texting on straight road stretches
   3. Any phone use at red lights
   4. Hands-free accessories only
   Show answer

   Hands-free accessories only. Adult drivers may use only hands-free mobile telephone accessories on public highways, apart from emergency and certain responder exceptions. Hand-held calls of any length, red-light use, and texting remain banned, and the prohibition even covers temporary stops for traffic or signals. Park safely on a shoulder or side area for anything the hands-free system cannot handle. Mental activities that take your mind away from driving are just as dangerous as taking your eyes off the road.

   Study this in the handbook: Teen Suspensions and Operator Retraining

9. 9. What is a rectangular rapid flashing beacon designed to help pedestrians do?

   1. Cross quiet side streets with no traffic
   2. Cross busy streets without a signal
   3. Find the nearest bus stop or transit lane
   4. Switch the traffic signal to green faster
   Show answer

   Cross busy streets without a signal. A rectangular rapid flashing beacon is designed to allow pedestrians to safely cross streets with high volumes of traffic at uncontrolled approaches to unsignalized intersections or mid-block pedestrian crossings. It works as a flashing warning to drivers where there is no traffic light. When the beacon is flashing, slow down, watch for people, and be ready to stop for anyone in the crosswalk.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, School and Guide Signs

10. 10. Hard braking with ABS makes the pedal pulse and push back in Connecticut. What does that tell you?

    1. The brakes are failing; release them
    2. ABS is working; keep pressing firmly
    3. Pump the pedal to help the system
    4. Steer with one hand to balance
    Show answer

    ABS is working; keep pressing firmly. A pushing, pulsing pedal is the antilock system cycling pressure to keep wheels rolling and steering alive. Maintain firm pressure and let the system work; releasing or pumping defeats its rhythm. Steering remains possible during the stop, which is precisely the advantage ABS buys you over locked wheels. You might feel the brake pedal pushing back when the ABS is working. Do not let up on the brake pedal.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle Emergencies and Equipment Failure

11. 11. You plan to pass on a two-lane road and an oncoming vehicle looks far away and almost still. What should you assume?

    1. It may be closing fast and be too near to pass
    2. It is moving slowly, so you have plenty of time
    3. Its speed is easy to judge from a long way off
    4. Its headlights will show how fast it is coming
    Show answer

    It may be closing fast and be too near to pass. It is hard to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles at long distances. They do not seem to be coming as fast as they really are, and a vehicle that is far away generally appears to be standing still. If you can actually see that it is coming closer, it may already be too close for you to pass. If you are not sure, wait until you are sure there is enough space.

    Study this in the handbook: Changing Lanes and Passing

12. 12. Why must you never turn the ignition to lock while the vehicle still moves?

    1. The engine restarts itself at highway speed
    2. The headlights switch to high beam
    3. The steering will lock and you lose control
    4. The fuel pump floods the engine
    Show answer

    The steering will lock and you lose control. The lock position engages the steering lock, freezing the wheel while the vehicle still rolls. Control vanishes at the exact moment an emergency demands steering. No restart, beam change, or flooding follows from that switch position. Keep the key away from lock until the vehicle has fully stopped and parked. Locking the steering at speed leaves you unable to steer around a hazard.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle Emergencies and Equipment Failure

13. 13. An oncoming driver fails to dim bright headlights after your flash. Where should you look?

    1. Directly at the oncoming headlights
    2. Down at your dashboard lights
    3. At the center line for guidance
    4. Toward the right side of the road
    Show answer

    Toward the right side of the road. Staring into undimmed beams blinds you for seconds after the vehicle passes. Glancing toward the right edge preserves enough roadside reference to hold your course until vision recovers. The center line pulls you toward the glare source, and dashboard gazing abandons the road. Never answer glare by keeping your own bright lights on, since two blinded drivers double the danger.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, Horn and Turn Signals

14. 14. You back out of a driveway onto a moving Connecticut street. Who must yield to whom?

    1. Street traffic yields to you here
    2. The nearest driver decides
    3. You yield to traffic on the main road
    4. Nobody yields at driveways
    Show answer

    You yield to traffic on the main road. Entering a road from a driveway, alley, or roadside places the yielding duty on the entering driver. Main road traffic keeps its flow while you wait for a gap that fits your whole entry. No nearby driver can waive the rule, and driveway exits suspend nothing. At an intersection with no stop sign, yield sign, or signal, drivers must yield to vehicles coming from the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

15. 15. You meet the flag person pictured by the warning sign in a Connecticut work zone. What gear will the flagger use?

    1. A whistle and a flashlight only
    2. STOP/SLOW paddles and red flags
    3. Orange cones carried by hand
    4. A megaphone from the roadside
    Show answer

    STOP/SLOW paddles and red flags. Flaggers guide traffic with STOP/SLOW paddles and red flags, wearing orange or yellow vests or yellow-green shirts and jackets for visibility. Their directions control your movement through the zone and across worker or equipment crossings. Whistles, carried cones, and megaphones are not the described equipment. Watch the paddle face turned toward you and obey it over any conflicting habit. Flaggers also wear bright vests or shirts so drivers can see them.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, School and Guide Signs

16. 16. A head-on crash cannot be fully avoided. What steering goal reduces harm?

    1. Aim squarely to equalize the impact on both cars
    2. Close your eyes at the final second
    3. Try for a glancing blow instead of a direct hit
    4. Steer into the other vehicle early
    Show answer

    Try for a glancing blow instead of a direct hit. A glancing angle sheds energy that a square head-on impact delivers all at once. Turn to clip past rather than meet bumper to bumper, accepting that even the attempt may miss entirely. Squaring up, early steering into the vehicle, or closing your eyes all maximize harm. Airbags inflate then deflate, so stay belted and ready for a second event. Try to have a glancing blow rather than being struck head-on.

    Study this in the handbook: Avoiding Collisions and After a Crash

17. 17. Why should you check your mirrors while going down a long hill in Connecticut?

    1. Your mirrors move out of position on slopes
    2. Brake lights are harder to see downhill
    3. Vehicles behind often build up speed
    4. Oncoming drivers may drift into your lane
    Show answer

    Vehicles behind often build up speed. Vehicles often build up speed going down a steep grade, so check your mirrors when you are going down hills or mountains. Be alert for large trucks and buses that may be going too fast, because they need much more room to stop than a car. A quick look behind lets you leave space and move aside before a fast vehicle closes in.

18. 18. Dry road, good tires and brakes, fifty miles per hour in Connecticut. Total distance to perceive, react, and stop?

    1. About 200 feet from first sight to full stop
    2. About 100 feet with care
    3. About 600 feet every time
    4. About 400 feet, a city block
    Show answer

    About 400 feet, a city block. Seeing, reacting, and braking from fifty miles per hour consumes about four hundred feet, roughly a full city block. Thirty miles per hour still eats about half that. Two hundred belongs to the slower speed, six hundred overstates the dry-road figure, and care cannot compress physics into one hundred feet. Wet or icy roads, poor visibility, and heavy traffic all mean you must slow down.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights, Arrows and HAWK Signals

19. 19. When does leaving a Connecticut crash scene become a crime under the stated rule?

    1. Leaving any scratch without a note
    2. Leaving a hurt or fatal scene early
    3. Leaving after exchanging phone numbers
    4. Leaving a scene you only witnessed
    Show answer

    Leaving a hurt or fatal scene early. The crime attaches when someone was injured or killed and an involved driver leaves before police have talked with them and gathered the information the crash requires. Property scenes run on owner-finding and notes instead, and witnesses who stop to help follow different duties. Injury status therefore controls your first decision at every scene: stay, summon help, and account for yourself to responders.

    Study this in the handbook: Avoiding Collisions and After a Crash

20. 20. You need to check a map while driving in Connecticut. What should you do?

    1. Pull safely off the road first
    2. Glance at it only at red lights
    3. Hold it up near the windshield
    4. Ask a passenger to steer for you
    Show answer

    Pull safely off the road first. Do not take your eyes off the road for more than a few seconds at any one time. If you need to look at a map, pull safely off the road before you try to look at it, and do not try to read a map while you are driving. In many crashes with motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians, drivers reported that they looked but did not see them.