CT Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. At fifty-five a Connecticut pass needs what total clear roadway, roughly?

   1. About 800 feet end to end
   2. Exactly one half mile of clear road in every case
   3. About 600 feet at most
   4. Over 1,600 feet, a third of a mile
   Show answer

   Over 1,600 feet, a third of a mile. Your vehicle covers over eight hundred feet during a ten-second pass at fifty-five, and an oncoming vehicle covers a like distance toward you. The safe total therefore exceeds sixteen hundred feet, about a third of a mile. Eight hundred counts only one side of the closing equation, and six hundred strands you alongside. That means you need over 1,600 feet, about one-third of a mile, to pass safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Changing Lanes and Passing

2. 2. The traffic light at your Connecticut intersection is completely dark and dead. How do you treat the crossing?

   1. Stop as if a stop sign controlled it
   2. Treat it as a yield in all directions
   3. Proceed; dead lights free everyone
   4. Follow the largest vehicle through
   Show answer

   Stop as if a stop sign controlled it. State law requires drivers at an inoperative stop light to stop exactly as though a stop sign controlled the intersection. Yield-only rolling, free-for-all proceeding, and following the biggest vehicle all gamble on strangers inventing the same order. Treat every approach as stopped traffic, take turns by arrival and the right-hand rule, and watch for pedestrians whom the dead signal also strands.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings and Work Zones

3. 3. Sirens rise behind you while you sit mid-intersection at a Connecticut red light. What comes first?

   1. Stop dead where you sit
   2. Reverse toward the curb gap
   3. Drive through, then pull over and stop
   4. Turn left across the junction
   Show answer

   Drive through, then pull over and stop. An emergency vehicle needs the intersection cleared, not blocked harder. Drive through to the far side first, then pull right and stop until it passes. Freezing mid-box, reversing blindly, or turning across paths all obstruct the response and endanger cross traffic. Once clear of the junction, keep right-side discipline until the vehicle and any followers pass. Emergency vehicles use a siren, air horn, or red or blue flashing light to claim the right-of-way.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

4. 4. A downpour whites out your Connecticut windshield despite wipers at full speed. What should you do?

   1. Follow the taillights closely ahead of you
   2. Pull off and wait until it clears
   3. Speed up to exit the storm cell
   4. Honk steadily to warn others
   Show answer

   Pull off and wait until it clears. When rain erases the view, continuing means driving blind at speed. Pull off the road in a safe place and wait for visibility to return. Taillight following outsources your seeing to a stranger, speed deepens the blindness, and honking locates nobody. Slow down at the first sign of rain, snow, or sleet, because all three make the roadway slippery. Turn on your headlights when rain makes it hard to see.

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

5. 5. A tire explodes at highway speed on a Connecticut interstate. How do you control the car?

   1. Grip tight, hold straight, slow gently, pull off
   2. Brake as hard as possible to stop quickly
   3. Swerve hard toward the shoulder at once
   4. Accelerate to keep the rim stable
   Show answer

   Grip tight, hold straight, slow gently, pull off. A blowout yanks the vehicle toward the flat, so a tight grip and straight hold prevent a spin while gradual slowing bleeds speed. Light braking and a gentle pull-off follow once control firms up. Hard braking, instant swerves, and acceleration all feed the instability the flat created. Hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the vehicle going straight. Slow down gradually, take your foot off the gas pedal, and use the brakes lightly.

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

6. 6. A black-and-white arrow sign points right along the street you are entering in Connecticut. What movement is legal?

   1. Turn right, then reverse direction
   2. Travel either way below twenty miles per hour
   3. Travel only to the right, with the arrow
   4. Park facing the arrow direction only
   Show answer

   Travel only to the right, with the arrow. One Way signs on streets and driveways fix a single lawful direction, shown by the arrow. Every vehicle must go only that way, with no slow-speed or after-turn exceptions. Parking direction is a separate matter from travel direction. If your route needs the opposite heading, continue to a legal turn rather than opposing the signed flow. You must always go only in the direction of the arrow.

   Study this in the handbook: Sign Shapes and Regulatory Signs

7. 7. You like music through earphones that cover both ears while driving. What is the problem?

   1. Earphones drain the vehicle battery
   2. They block emergency horns and sirens you must hear
   3. Music tempo always sets driving speed
   4. Only one earphone is banned in Connecticut
   Show answer

   They block emergency horns and sirens you must hear. Hearing is a driving sense: horns, sirens, and warning sounds arrive through the ears before the eyes confirm them. Earphones covering or entering both ears shut out those alerts and are illegal in many states. Battery drain and tempo effects are not the issue, and single-ear use is not the stated ban. Distractions inside a moving vehicle include dialing numbers or talking on a cell phone, using GPS or navigation systems, and attending to children or pets.

8. 8. Which driver is most likely to enter your path without knowing you are there?

   1. A driver stopped with clear windows and mirrors
   2. A driver with snow or ice on the windows
   3. A driver waiting with the headlights on
   4. A driver parked with the engine off
   Show answer

   A driver with snow or ice on the windows. Anyone who cannot see you may enter your path without knowing you are there. That includes a driver whose windows are covered with snow or ice or are steamed up, as well as drivers whose view is blocked by buildings, trees, or other vehicles. A driver with clear windows and mirrors can see you, so expect the blinded driver to make mistakes and leave extra room.

9. 9. You nearly turn into a square sign with a white bar inside a red ball at a freeway ramp in Connecticut. What is it telling you?

   1. You cannot enter that roadway opening
   2. That lane ends within one mile
   3. Trucks must exit at that ramp
   4. Parking is banned along the whole ramp edge
   Show answer

   You cannot enter that roadway opening. The white horizontal line inside a red ball marks Do Not Enter. Such signs guard roadway openings that must not be entered, including exit ramps carrying traffic toward you, crossovers on divided roadways, and spots on one-way streets. Entering against it puts you head-on with lawful flow. Lane ends, truck exits, and parking carry different signs and meanings. Do not enter at road openings marked with this sign.

   Study this in the handbook: Sign Shapes and Regulatory Signs

10. 10. A lane runs one way in the morning and the opposite way in the evening. How is it usually marked?

    1. With a solid white edge line
    2. With rumble strips down its center
    3. With blue reflectors on both sides
    4. With double-dashed yellow lines
    Show answer

    With double-dashed yellow lines. Reversible lanes change direction by time of day and usually carry double-dashed yellow lines. Signs beside the road or overhead lights add control: a green arrow opens the lane, a red X closes it, a flashing yellow X allows turning only, and a steady yellow X warns to move out. Confirm the lane is open before entering. These lanes carry traffic one way at certain times and the opposite way at other times.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings and Special Lanes

11. 11. Under Connecticut law, who in a moving car is required to wear a seat safety belt?

    1. Only the driver and front-seat passenger
    2. The driver and every passenger
    3. Only passengers under 16
    4. Only the driver
    Show answer

    The driver and every passenger. Connecticut has a mandatory seat belt law that covers everyone in the vehicle: all drivers and each of their passengers are required to wear a seat safety belt. If the driver or a passenger fails to buckle up, each person could be cited for a violation. Drivers are also responsible for making sure any passenger between 7 and 16 years old is wearing a belt, but that extra duty does not exempt older passengers. Before you drive away, make sure everyone is using a belt or child restraint.

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

12. 12. A train has just passed at a Connecticut crossing with more than one track. When should you start across?

    1. As soon as the train clears your lane
    2. Only after the crossing gates have flashed a second time
    3. Wait until the passing train is well down the track
    4. When the driver behind you honks to go
    Show answer

    Wait until the passing train is well down the track. A train that just passed can hide a second train coming on another track. Waiting until the first train is well down the track opens your view in both directions before you commit to the rails. Clearing only your lane is not enough, because the danger may sit behind the moving cars. A honk from behind also tells you nothing about the far track.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings and Work Zones

13. 13. Traffic is moving past a roadside crash in Connecticut. What should you do as you pass it?

    1. Slow to a crawl so you can see exactly what happened
    2. Move into the lane nearest the scene for a better view
    3. Keep your eyes on the road and get past safely
    4. Honk to tell the drivers ahead to speed up
    Show answer

    Keep your eyes on the road and get past safely. Do not slow down just to look at a crash or other roadside activity. This is called rubbernecking, and it can cause a crash because you could run into a vehicle ahead that has slowed or stopped. Rubbernecking also adds to congestion. When you pass roadside activity, keep your eyes on the road and get past it as quickly and safely as you can.

14. 14. A green arrow glows above one lane of a Connecticut reversible roadway. What does it permit?

    1. Parking beneath it for ten minutes
    2. Use of the lane beneath the arrow
    3. Turns only from that lane
    4. Entry from either roadway end
    Show answer

    Use of the lane beneath the arrow. Overhead green arrows open the lane directly below them for travel in the displayed direction. Red X indications close lanes, flashing yellow X reserves turning, and steady yellow X orders a safe exit. Parking, turning-only use, and entry from the closed end all invert the display. Double-dashed yellow paint and roadside signs reinforce which lanes are live. A red X means you cannot use that lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings and Special Lanes

15. 15. A Connecticut driver stops from thirty on dry pavement with sound equipment. The distance was about:

    1. 400 feet, a full city block
    2. 80 feet, two car lengths
    3. 200 feet, near half a block
    4. 320 feet on dry roads
    Show answer

    200 feet, near half a block. Reaction plus braking from thirty miles per hour totals roughly two hundred feet, nearly half a city block. The four-hundred-foot figure belongs to fifty miles per hour, eighty feet flatters even excellent brakes, and three-twenty invents a dry-road number. At 30 mph it can take about 200 feet to stop, which is almost half a city block in length. Doubling your speed makes the stop far longer, so judge your following distance and approach speed with that in mind.

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

16. 16. You turn left across a Connecticut road as a car approaches straight through. Who yields?

    1. You; left turners yield
    2. The driver going straight yields
    3. Whoever signals the longest
    4. The driver with a passenger
    Show answer

    You; left turners yield. Left turns cross the oncoming path, so the turning driver yields to vehicles going straight, including bicycles in that stream. Waiting for a genuine gap, or for the stream to end, keeps you from stranding across lanes. Signal duration and passenger presence weigh nothing. A steady green light permits the turn only when the way through is actually safe and clear.

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

17. 17. You pass a driver who seems distracted. What is the main risk?

    1. The driver must yield the left lane to you
    2. The driver will always speed up beside you
    3. Your vehicle becomes invisible to the driver at all speeds
    4. The driver may drift into your path, unaware of you
    Show answer

    The driver may drift into your path, unaware of you. A distracted driver may not register your vehicle beside them and can drift across the lane line into your path. Pass with care, avoid lingering alongside, and keep an escape route. No yielding rule, invisibility effect, or certain speed increase describes the danger. The hazard is inattention, so finish the pass promptly and leave room ahead. Give the driver extra room and do not assume you have been seen.

    Study this in the handbook: Space Cushion and Following Distance

18. 18. Why can you not trust your own feeling of having had too much to drink?

    1. Only breath tests can measure any impairment
    2. A full stomach hides every sign of drinking
    3. Coffee restores judgment while feelings catch up
    4. Judgment is hurt before you notice it
    Show answer

    Judgment is hurt before you notice it. Alcohol damages judgment itself, so the tool you would use to notice impairment is already compromised. By the time the feeling arrives, too much has often been consumed. Food and coffee do not restore judgment, and impairment exists whether or not a test measures it. Plan the ride before drinking starts. You cannot rely on how you feel to decide whether you are fit to drive.

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

19. 19. Another driver breaks a yield rule and enters your path. What is still required of you?

    1. Do everything you can to avoid hitting anyone
    2. Proceed, because the law says the other driver must yield
    3. Honk and hold your speed steady
    4. Report the driver and keep your lane
    Show answer

    Do everything you can to avoid hitting anyone. Yield rules never license a collision. Every driver must do everything possible to avoid striking a pedestrian or another vehicle, whatever the circumstances and whoever erred. Holding speed behind a horn or keeping lane for a report both surrender the chance to prevent injury. Brake, steer, or yield beyond your duty when that avoids impact. This duty applies regardless of the circumstances or who made the mistake.

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

20. 20. Why should you avoid swinging wide left just before a right turn?

    1. Wide swings are banned on all Connecticut roads
    2. Oncoming drivers may copy the same wide path and collide
    3. It uses more fuel than a direct turn path
    4. A driver behind may misread it and try passing on your right
    Show answer

    A driver behind may misread it and try passing on your right. A wide swing left reads like a lane change or the start of a left turn to the driver behind you. That driver may then try to pass on your right just as you cut back across that space. Fuel use and copying play no role here. Stay in a direct path so your right turn signal tells a consistent story.