HI Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

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. Curves are slick with gravel and mud after a storm. What does the manual direct?

   1. Hold the posted speed and stay in lane
   2. Downshift and brake through the bend
   3. Hug the inside edge off the pavement
   4. Use extra caution through the curve
   Show answer

   Use extra caution through the curve. The manual says to use extra caution on curves and turns in poor weather conditions or when there is gravel, sand or mud on the road. Loose material and rain rob the tires of the grip a curve demands, so the posted speed no longer describes a safe pace and braking mid-bend is the hazard to avoid. Hugging an edge off the pavement removes margin rather than adding it. Slow before the bend, keep the speed steady through it, and leave extra room for the unexpected.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance, turns and freeways

2. 2. When the ignition is first turned on in a Hawaii vehicle, what should the instrument warning lamps do?

   1. Stay dark to save the battery
   2. All be illuminated for the computer check
   3. Only the oil and brake warning lamps come on
   4. Each lamp comes on alone as its system warms up
   Show answer

   All be illuminated for the computer check. The start up check in Hawaii lights the panel: equipment warning lamps on the instrument panel should all be illuminated when the ignition switch is turned on. That bulb check proves each warning system can speak before you rely on it. Dark lamps may hide a dead bulb that later conceals a real fault. Lighting only two lamps, or lighting lamps one by one during warm up, does not match the described check. Watch the panel at every start. Once the engine runs and the check ends, any lamp staying lit deserves prompt investigation.

3. 3. What does the manual say about a police officer's orders and directions?

   1. Obey all lawful orders and directions
   2. Obey only when the order is convenient
   3. Question every order before acting
   4. Follow orders only at crash scenes
   Show answer

   Obey all lawful orders and directions. Under the manual's traffic laws section, you must obey all lawful orders and directions of a police officer. An officer directing traffic at a broken signal, a crash or a special event replaces the normal controls, and the lawful order overrides signs and signals for the moment. Convenience, second-guessing and selective obedience are not options, and the duty is not limited to crash scenes. If an officer's signal conflicts with a light or sign, follow the officer.

   Study this in the handbook: Driving on the right and passing laws

4. 4. Hawaii paints a lane line white. Which vehicles does it separate?

   1. Vehicles headed opposite ways
   2. Vehicles headed the same way
   3. Parked cars from moving cars
   4. Bikes from cars
   Show answer

   Vehicles headed the same way. White lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, and you are required to drive between these lane lines. Yellow is the color that separates opposing flows, so a white-line reading of opposite directions reverses the whole scheme. Parking and bike lanes are marked with their own lines and symbols, not plain white lane lines. When you see white to your left and right, everyone in those lanes is headed the way you are.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings

5. 5. The car ahead is about to turn left. What does the manual allow you to do?

   1. Pass on the right, without leaving the pavement
   2. Pass on the right using the gravel shoulder
   3. Follow closely through the turn to keep the queue moving
   4. Sound the horn and hold your position
   Show answer

   Pass on the right, without leaving the pavement. You may pass to the right of another vehicle when it is about to make a left turn, but you may not drive off the pavement or main traveled portion of the roadway to do it. The travel lane itself is your passing space; the gravel shoulder is not. Tailgating through the turn multiplies the risk, and a horn does not clear the way. Ease right within the pavement, watch for pedestrians near the corner, and complete the pass with room to spare.

   Study this in the handbook: Driving on the right and passing laws

6. 6. The first rain after a dry spell has begun to fall. How should you adjust your driving?

   1. Hold your speed and just lengthen the gap behind you
   2. Slow down, use extra caution, and double the following distance
   3. Speed up to reach shelter sooner
   4. Brake early and hard at every light
   Show answer

   Slow down, use extra caution, and double the following distance. The manual treats the first drops of rain as a danger signal because oil dropped by passing cars has not yet washed away, and a road covered with oil and water can behave like ice. It directs you to reduce speed, use extra caution and allow at least twice the normal following distance. Holding your speed leaves no margin, accelerating shortens your reaction window, and hard early braking can trigger a skid on the slick film. Ease off, look farther ahead and double your gap.

   Study this in the handbook: Rain, fog and night driving

7. 7. What does a flagperson in a Hawaii work zone use to direct traffic?

   1. A white flashlight and a whistle
   2. A green vest and a hand signal only
   3. A blue flag and a car horn
   4. A red flag or a stop/slow paddle
   Show answer

   A red flag or a stop/slow paddle. Flagpersons wear orange vests, shirts or jackets and use red flags or stop/slow paddles to direct traffic through work zones. The paddle is the readable signal at a distance, and the red flag is the fallback. A whistle, a blue flag or a bare hand signal is not the equipment the manual describes. Slow down when you see the orange vest, watch the paddle rather than the workers' hand movements, and stay stopped until the flagperson turns the paddle or waves you through.

8. 8. After an administrative license revocation in Hawaii, what may the driver request?

   1. A new road test within 48 hours
   2. A refund of the license fee
   3. A jury trial before the revocation starts
   4. A hearing on the revocation
   Show answer

   A hearing on the revocation. Anyone whose license is revoked may request a hearing. The revocation is an administrative action, so the hearing is the driver's chance to challenge it; it is not a jury trial and it does not wait on a new road test. Asking for a fee refund is not the remedy the manual describes. Watch the notice for the deadline and follow the instructions it gives, because missing the window can leave the revocation in place even when the driver has a good argument.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and the law

9. 9. Besides a fine or jail time, what else can a Hawaii court order for an insurance violation?

   1. A permanent ban on buying or registering any car
   2. Cancellation of the driver road test and permit
   3. Suspension of the license or forfeiture of the registration
   4. A mandatory traffic school class and a written warning only
   Show answer

   Suspension of the license or forfeiture of the registration. The penalty for violating the insurance law can include a fine of up to $5,000, up to 30 days in prison, suspension of the operator's license, forfeiture of the vehicle registration, or a combination of these. A court does not cancel a road test or impose a lifetime ban on buying a car, and traffic school is not the substitute the manual lists. The breadth of the list is the point: an uninsured vehicle can cost the registration as well as the license. Keep proof of insurance current.

   Study this in the handbook: Crashes, reports and insurance

10. 10. What must a Hawaii driver be ready to do when approaching a yield sign?

    1. Speed up to merge first
    2. Sound the horn continuously
    3. Be ready to stop
    4. Change lanes without looking
    Show answer

    Be ready to stop. Approaching a Hawaii yield sign means being ready to stop, since cross traffic holds the right of way and gaps may close quickly. Racing to merge first treats yield as a challenge. Continuous honking warns nobody usefully and can mask other sounds. Lane changes without looking trade one hazard for another. Set up each yield like a stop you hope to avoid: foot hovering over the brake, eyes sweeping the protected road, speed falling. If a gap is truly open you roll on; if not, you are already prepared.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed rules

11. 11. Stopped in traffic, what should you be able to see behind the car ahead?

    1. Its license plate frame and holder
    2. The rear tires' contact point
    3. The top of its rear window
    4. Its exhaust pipe outlet
    Show answer

    The rear tires' contact point. When stopping in traffic, the manual says to stop far enough behind the vehicle ahead that you can see the point where its rear tires rest on the road. That sight line guarantees a maneuvering gap: if the car ahead stalls, you have room to pull around it instead of being pinned. A plate frame, a rear window or an exhaust tip do not mark the tire contact patch and leave the gap a guess. Keep the tires visible and the escape stays open.

12. 12. On which half of the roadway must Hawaii drivers drive?

    1. The left half
    2. The right half
    3. Either half on empty roads
    4. The half with less traffic
    Show answer

    The right half. The basic position rule in Hawaii places traffic on the right half of the roadway. The left half is reserved for lawful passing and turning movements, not general travel. Empty pavement does not suspend the rule, and picking the quieter half would put you head on with anyone lawfully overtaking. Treat the center of the road as a boundary you cross only for a specific maneuver. On unmarked rural roads, still claim the right portion and leave the remainder for opposing traffic to pass safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Driving on the right and passing laws

13. 13. After the engine starts and the computer check finishes, a yellow lamp stays lit. What does the manual say?

    1. It is normal and can be ignored
    2. It means the check failed completely
    3. It signals a bulb replacement only
    4. It is a warning
    Show answer

    It is a warning. After starting, the warning lamps should no longer be illuminated. If a yellow light remains lit, it is a warning; a red light indicates danger and should be checked immediately. So a lingering yellow is the car telling you something needs attention soon, not a quirk to ignore, not a total check failure and not merely a bulb issue. Read what the lamp says, address it promptly, and treat any red lamp as a stop-and-check signal rather than a suggestion.

14. 14. Your trailer blocks the view through your inside rear-view mirror. What does the manual require?

    1. Outside mirrors of proper size on both sides
    2. A mirror mounted on the trailer roof
    3. A rear-view camera in place of mirrors
    4. No mirrors if you use hand signals
    Show answer

    Outside mirrors of proper size on both sides. If a trailer blocks the inside rear-view mirror, the manual says you must have outside rear-view mirrors of proper size on both sides of the car. Both sides matter because traffic can approach from either lane, and a single mirror leaves a blind side when you change lanes or turn. A roof mirror, a camera or hand signals do not replace the required outside mirrors. Adjust them before you leave, and remember that the trailer's width cuts into what you can see.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and school buses

15. 15. Why should you avoid following a large truck too closely?

    1. Its mirrors show the entire area behind it at all times
    2. Its rear door may open at speed on the highway
    3. Its exhaust is cleaner than a passenger car's exhaust
    4. The area immediately behind it is not visible to the driver
    Show answer

    The area immediately behind it is not visible to the driver. The manual says visibility to the sides and rear of a large vehicle is severely limited, and the area immediately behind it is not visible to the driver at all. A car tucked in close disappears from the mirrors, so the truck driver cannot see it when braking or changing lanes. Mirrors do not cover the space directly behind the trailer, and a car's exhaust or a moving door is not the main risk. Stay back far enough to see the truck's mirrors and the road ahead.

16. 16. Your light turns green, but a car is still clearing the intersection ahead. What should you do?

    1. Wait and let the car clear the intersection
    2. Proceed, because green gives you the right of way
    3. Sound your horn until the car moves
    4. Drive around it on the shoulder
    Show answer

    Wait and let the car clear the intersection. A green light does not authorize you to drive into a car that is already in the intersection. The manual's right-of-way diagram says to yield to pedestrians and vehicles caught in the intersection when the light turns green. The other driver may have entered on a stale yellow or be waiting to turn left, and stopping short prevents a blocking-the-box collision. Honking does not clear the space, and a shoulder is not a bypass lane. Wait until the intersection is empty, then go.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way and roundabouts

17. 17. Once alcohol is in the blood, which organs does the Hawaii manual say remove it from the body?

    1. The stomach, pancreas, and spleen
    2. The heart, lungs, and thyroid
    3. The liver, kidneys, and lungs
    4. The brain, skin, and muscles
    Show answer

    The liver, kidneys, and lungs. The manual explains that the liver burns up alcohol and the kidneys and lungs eliminate it from the body, and that the process takes time. That is why coffee, food or a cold shower cannot speed recovery; they may make a person feel more alert but do not remove the alcohol. The stomach, heart and brain are affected by drinking but are not the elimination route the manual names. Give the body hours, not minutes, before driving, and plan a sober ride rather than waiting at the bar for a second wind.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and the law

18. 18. Where does the Hawaii manual tell you to park your vehicle?

    1. At a location clear of traffic and visible to approaching drivers
    2. Just beyond a curve where drivers have time to see it
    3. In a spot hidden from traffic so it will not be hit
    4. On the shoulder of a freeway entrance ramp
    Show answer

    At a location clear of traffic and visible to approaching drivers. The manual says to park at a location clear of traffic and readily visible to drivers of approaching vehicles. A hidden spot feels protected but gives approaching drivers less time to react, and a curve or hill crest is exactly where sight distance is shortest. Entrance ramps are for merging traffic, not storage. Choose a legal space with a clear view in both directions, then set the brake and secure the car before walking away.

    Study this in the handbook: Backing, entering traffic, lanes and parking

19. 19. A small gasoline fire starts under the hood of your car. What should you not use on it?

    1. Dirt or sand
    2. A blanket
    3. Water
    4. A fire extinguisher
    Show answer

    Water. The manual warns not to use water on gasoline, oil or electrical fires. Water can spread burning fuel and conduct current, making the fire larger or moving it toward you. Dirt, sand, a blanket or a fire extinguisher smother the flames by cutting off oxygen. If the fire is large, do not try to put it out; get everyone away and call for help. A small fire that grows while you search for water is far more dangerous than one handled at the first smell of smoke.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, brake failure, skids and fires

20. 20. A Hawaii road has three or more lanes in your direction. Which lanes does the manual recommend for ordinary travel?

    1. The far right lane
    2. The far left lane
    3. The center lanes
    4. Whichever lane is emptiest
    Show answer

    The center lanes. With three or more lanes in your direction, the manual recommends the center lanes because they have fewer traffic conflicts. It also says to leave the right and left lanes available for vehicles entering and leaving the roadway, and to use the right lane if you are moving slower than other traffic. An empty lane is not the deciding rule. The practical cue is to choose a center lane for ordinary flow, keep a steady speed, and minimize lane changes.

    Study this in the handbook: Backing, entering traffic, lanes and parking