HI Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Hawaii 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. Another vehicle is passing you on a Hawaii road. What does the law say about your speed?

   1. You must speed up so the pass finishes sooner
   2. You must match the passing vehicle's speed
   3. It is unlawful to increase your speed while being passed
   4. You must stop on the shoulder until it has passed
   Show answer

   It is unlawful to increase your speed while being passed. Hawaii makes it unlawful to increase your speed while you are being passed. Speeding up or matching the other vehicle's speed makes the pass longer and can trap the passing driver in the opposing lane. Stopping on the shoulder is not required and can create a new hazard. Keep your speed steady and let the other driver complete the pass.

2. 2. What must a driver do when a yellow X lane-control signal is displayed?

   1. Enter the lane and maintain speed
   2. Move out because the lane will be used for opposite-direction traffic
   3. Use the lane for passing only
   4. Stop in the lane and wait for a red X
   Show answer

   Move out because the lane will be used for opposite-direction traffic. A yellow X warns that the lane is being changed for traffic moving in the opposite direction, so the driver must move out of that lane. It is not permission to enter, pass, or remain there until a red X appears. The manual gives a limited exception when the yellow X is flashing: the lane may be used only while preparing for a left turn. Read the display over your lane, signal, and leave it before opposing traffic is released.

3. 3. How far before a turn or lane change must a driver generally signal?

   1. Only after beginning the maneuver
   2. At least 10 feet
   3. At least 100 feet
   4. Only when another vehicle is nearby
   Show answer

   At least 100 feet. Hawaii requires a turn signal for at least 100 feet before every turn or lane change. Signaling after the maneuver begins gives other road users too little time to understand the plan, and waiting for another vehicle is not the rule. The signal communicates intent but does not grant the right to move, so the driver must still check and yield as needed. Activate it early, maintain it through the maneuver, and confirm the path is clear before changing direction.

4. 4. A person with a white cane or a guide dog is in the roadway ahead. When must you stop?

   1. Always, regardless of the traffic signal or traffic situation
   2. Only when your signal is red
   3. Only when the person is in a marked crosswalk
   4. Only if the person raises the cane toward traffic
   Show answer

   Always, regardless of the traffic signal or traffic situation. Hawaii drivers must stop for all blind persons in the roadway, identified by a white cane or a guide dog, regardless of the traffic signal indication or traffic situation. A green light for you does not remove the duty, so the red signal choice is wrong. The rule is not limited to marked crosswalks. No special gesture with the cane is required before you stop.

5. 5. The vehicle ahead of you has stopped to let a pedestrian cross the street. What does Hawaii law say?

   1. Do not pass the stopped vehicle
   2. Pass on the left if the lane is clear
   3. Pass slowly while sounding your horn
   4. Pass on the right if the pedestrian is on the left side
   Show answer

   Do not pass the stopped vehicle. The manual lists passing a vehicle stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross as prohibited by law. The stopped vehicle can hide the pedestrian from your view, so passing on either side is dangerous. A clear adjacent lane does not create an exception, and sounding the horn does not make passing lawful. Stop and wait until the pedestrian has finished crossing.

6. 6. What rule does Hawaii apply to an opened alcoholic beverage container in a vehicle on a public road?

   1. It may be stored anywhere if the driver has not been drinking
   2. It may not be stored in the area normally occupied by the driver or passengers
   3. It may be stored in the back seat
   4. It may be held by a passenger who is 21 or older
   Show answer

   It may not be stored in the area normally occupied by the driver or passengers. Storing an opened alcoholic beverage container in the area of a vehicle normally occupied by the driver or passengers is prohibited on any public road. Whether the driver has been drinking does not matter. The back seat is part of the passenger area, so it is not a lawful place for an opened container. A passenger's age creates no exception, and consuming or possessing alcohol on a public highway is itself against the law.

7. 7. Which speed principle applies even when no reduced speed sign is posted?

   1. Choose a safe speed based on the area, road, traffic, pedestrians, weather, and light
   2. Drive faster whenever the road is empty
   3. Always drive exactly at the posted maximum
   4. Use the same speed in daylight and darkness
   Show answer

   Choose a safe speed based on the area, road, traffic, pedestrians, weather, and light. Hawaii's basic speed rule requires a safe, appropriate speed for the setting and conditions. The posted maximum is an upper limit, not a target that overrides rain, darkness, pedestrians, traffic, or a difficult road surface. The choice “Drive faster whenever the road is empty” mistakes an empty roadway for permission to disregard conditions, and the choice “Always drive exactly at the posted maximum” treats the sign as a required speed. Before relying on the limit, scan the environment and adjust your pace so the vehicle remains controllable and stopping space remains available.

8. 8. Which vehicle is included in Hawaii's manual definition of an emergency vehicle?

   1. A tow truck with no designated warning system
   2. Any private car carrying a first-aid kit
   3. A delivery van using its hazard lights in traffic
   4. A county ambulance properly equipped with warning equipment
   Show answer

   A county ambulance properly equipped with warning equipment. The manual includes county ambulances among emergency vehicles when they are properly equipped with a blue or red flashing light and a warning sound system. Carrying medical supplies or switching on ordinary hazard lamps does not give every private or delivery vehicle that status. A tow truck also needs the required designation and equipment to fit the definition. When the recognized warning signals appear, make space and follow the emergency-vehicle rules promptly.

9. 9. What should a driver prepare for after seeing this traffic signal warning sign?

   
   1. A police checkpoint ahead
   2. A broken streetlight that requires a detour
   3. A traffic signal ahead
   4. A railroad crossing with no signal
   Show answer

   A traffic signal ahead. This warning sign announces a traffic signal ahead. It does not mean a streetlight is broken, identify a police checkpoint, or substitute for a railroad warning. Warning devices point to hazardous or changing conditions, so the driver should reduce speed enough to read the upcoming signal and respond smoothly. Scan for pedestrians and vehicles near the intersection, cover the brake if needed, and obey the signal when reached. The signal symbol itself is the cue to expect controlled traffic movement soon.

10. 10. If a vehicle begins to skid, what does the Hawaii manual recommend?

    
    1. Accelerate until the tires regain traction
    2. Apply the brakes sharply and turn hard
    3. Take immediate smooth corrective action
    4. Make a sudden steering change away from the skid
    Show answer

    Take immediate smooth corrective action. When a vehicle begins to skid, the manual calls for immediate smooth corrective action before control is lost. It later advises avoiding the brakes, easing off the accelerator, and steering in the direction the rear of the vehicle is skidding. Sharp braking, acceleration, or a sudden turn can increase the slide or produce an opposite skid. Keep the steering input firm but gentle, reduce the action that started the problem, and wait for the vehicle to respond. Smoothness is the key cue because abrupt inputs make a traction problem worse.

11. 11. What does the yellow pennant-shaped sign identify?

    
    1. The end of a no-passing zone
    2. The beginning of a no-passing zone
    3. A place where passing is required
    4. A roadside recreation area
    Show answer

    The beginning of a no-passing zone. The pennant is placed on the left side of the road and points to the beginning of a no-passing zone. The driver should stay behind the vehicle ahead and obey the restriction rather than treating the sign as an invitation to overtake. The end of a zone uses different information, and neither passing nor recreation is required by this warning. Even after the restriction ends, visibility and traffic conditions still determine whether a pass is safe.

12. 12. What vehicles does a Hawaii Category 3 license cover?

    1. Cars and light trucks of 18,000 pounds GVWR or less and buses carrying 15 or fewer occupants
    2. Motorcycles only
    3. Trucks over 18,001 pounds
    4. Any vehicle up to 26,000 pounds
    Show answer

    Cars and light trucks of 18,000 pounds GVWR or less and buses carrying 15 or fewer occupants. The Category 3 driver's license covers cars and lightweight trucks of 18,000 pounds GVWR or less and buses designed to carry 15 or fewer occupants, and the road test requires starting the vehicle and driving through business and residential areas, turns, parking and backing. Single vehicles of 18,001 to 26,000 pounds need a higher class, and 26,001 pounds or more needs a commercial class.

13. 13. What must a Hawaii permit holder do before operating on a highway with an instruction permit?

    1. Wait until age 16 even if the permit was properly issued
    2. Drive alone only during daylight hours
    3. Carry a school identification card instead of a supervising driver
    4. Drive only when accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old
    Show answer

    Drive only when accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old. The permit is a supervised learning authorization, not an unrestricted license. The manual requires a licensed driver at least 21 years old to accompany the permit holder on any highway. Daylight does not create a solo-driving exception, and a school card cannot perform the supervising role. The age 16 option skips the actual condition because a properly issued permit may be used before that birthday. The practical cue is simple: before starting, identify the qualified adult who will be riding with the learner and confirm that the adult is licensed for that vehicle.

14. 14. During Hawaii’s provisional-license nighttime hours, what passenger condition applies even when the driver is traveling under an exception?

    1. The driver may carry two people under 18 without any supervisor
    2. The driver may transport any number of passengers under 18
    3. The driver may transport only household members and no one else
    4. The driver may not transport more than one person under 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
    Show answer

    The driver may not transport more than one person under 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The nighttime passenger condition limits the driver to no more than one person under 18 unless a parent or guardian is accompanying the driver. That condition is easy to miss because the employment and school-authorized travel exceptions concern the reason for driving, not unlimited passenger capacity. The choices allowing any number or two unsupervised young passengers expand the rule beyond its stated limit. Before leaving late, check both the trip purpose and the age and number of passengers, then verify whether the parent or guardian exception applies.

15. 15. At what age may a person first obtain a Hawaii instruction permit?

    1. 15 1/2 years
    2. 14 years
    3. 18 years
    4. 19 years
    Show answer

    15 1/2 years. Hawaii sets the starting point for an instruction permit at 15 1/2 years. That is younger than the 16 year minimum for a provisional license and the 17 year minimum for a regular class 3 license. A 14 year old therefore cannot qualify yet, while waiting until 16 or 17 would skip the earliest available licensing stage rather than state the minimum. Picture the permit as the supervised entry step: age 15 1/2 opens eligibility, but it does not allow unsupervised driving.

16. 16. What is the lowest BAC threshold for Hawaii's under-21 alcohol driving rule?

    1. .10 percent or more
    2. .08 percent or more
    3. .02 percent or more
    4. Only a BAC above .15 percent
    Show answer

    .02 percent or more. For a driver under 21, Hawaii's Zero Tolerance law prohibits a BAC of .02 percent or more. The adult .08 threshold cannot be substituted because the age condition changes the rule. The .10 and .15 choices set levels even farther above the under 21 standard. Treat .02 as a very low threshold: any measurable drinking that reaches it can create a legal problem for a young driver, so the safe decision is not to drink and drive.

17. 17. Where should an applicant confirm current driver licensing office information before visiting?

    1. A federal airport information desk
    2. The appropriate county licensing office or its listed website
    3. Any private driving school without checking the county
    4. A vehicle manufacturer's customer service line
    Show answer

    The appropriate county licensing office or its listed website. The manual lists separate licensing offices and websites for Honolulu, Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui counties. Because the offices administer their own services and hours, the applicant should confirm details with the appropriate county source before traveling. An airport desk, vehicle manufacturer, or unchecked private school is not the authority listed for this purpose. Start with the county where the service will be handled, then use its official contact information to verify appointment and testing details.

18. 18. Hawaii prohibits driving on the left half of the roadway when you are within what distance of an intersection or railroad crossing?

    1. 50 feet
    2. 100 feet
    3. 200 feet
    4. 500 feet
    Show answer

    100 feet. You must not drive on the left half of the roadway when approaching within 100 feet of, or passing through, an intersection or railroad crossing. The same 100 foot distance applies near a bridge or tunnel when you cannot see oncoming vehicles. Fifty feet is too short, while 200 and 500 feet are not the distances the manual gives. Cross traffic and trains can appear suddenly at these places, so passing there is dangerous.

19. 19. A new vehicle is inspected on the date it is first sold in Hawaii. When is its next safety inspection due?

    1. Six months after that initial inspection
    2. One year after that initial inspection
    3. Five years after that initial inspection
    4. Two years after that initial inspection
    Show answer

    Two years after that initial inspection. New vehicles do not need to be inspected again until two years after their initial inspection on the date they are first sold. Six months is the inspection interval for ambulances. One year is the normal interval for other vehicles once the new vehicle period is over. Five years is not a figure in the manual. After the first two years, the yearly inspection rule applies.

20. 20. At what speed in heavy rain may tires lose all contact with the pavement, according to the Hawaii manual?

    1. 20 miles per hour
    2. 100 miles per hour
    3. Tires never fully lose contact
    4. 55 miles per hour
    Show answer

    55 miles per hour. Up to about 35 mph good tread wipes the road like a windshield wiper, partial hydroplaning may start at 35 mph, and at 55 mph in a heavy rain the tires may lose all contact with the pavement, leaving you unable to brake, accelerate or turn. Prevent it with good tread depth, proper inflation and reduced speed on wet roads.