HI Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. What easy test does the manual suggest for checking tire tread?

   1. Measure the tread depth with a ruler at each corner of the car
   2. Listen for noise while cornering
   3. Compare tires side by side visually
   4. Use a penny upside down in the tread; a visible Lincoln head means replace
   Show answer

   Use a penny upside down in the tread; a visible Lincoln head means replace. The manual suggests the Lincoln penny test: place a penny upside down within the tread, and if the top of Lincoln's head is visible, the tire needs to be replaced. The coin is a quick gauge for the one-sixteenth-inch minimum without special tools. A ruler at every corner is more effort than the manual describes, noise in corners is not the tread test, and comparing tires by eye can miss uneven wear. Check the spare too, and watch for cuts, bulges and separation while you are at it.

   Study this in the handbook: Vehicle equipment, inspection and registration

2. 2. Yellow lines mark an obstruction in a Hawaii traffic lane. To which side may you pass it?

   1. To either side, like white markings
   2. Only to the left
   3. Only to the right
   4. Around either side at low speed
   Show answer

   Only to the right. Obstruction markings guide you around fixed hazards such as bridge supports in the roadway. The color sets the rule: you may pass to either side of white obstruction markings, but you must pass only to the right of yellow ones. Treating yellow like white puts your car on the wrong side of the hazard, where markings or the road layout may not permit travel. Approach the obstruction slowly, pick the permitted side, and signal so following drivers understand your move.

3. 3. What does the manual require for a vehicle's horn?

   1. Loud enough to hear two blocks away
   2. Air powered on every vehicle
   3. Good working condition to give audible warning
   4. Used only in emergencies
   Show answer

   Good working condition to give audible warning. Every vehicle is required to be equipped with a horn in good working condition to give audible warning. The horn is a communication tool: a short beep can tell a pedestrian, a cyclist or another driver that you are there. There is no two-block loudness standard, no air-power requirement for passenger cars, and the manual does not limit the horn to emergencies, though it should not be used to bully traffic. If your horn fails, get it repaired before the next trip.

4. 4. You are moving slower than other traffic on a Hawaii road. Which lane should you use?

   1. The right lane
   2. The left lane
   3. The center lane
   4. The lane with the fewest cars
   Show answer

   The right lane. A driver moving slower than the rest of the traffic should use the right lane. Slower traffic in the left or center lanes forces faster cars to pass on the right, where drivers do not expect it, and increases weaving. The lane with the fewest cars is not necessarily the correct one if it puts you in the path of faster traffic. Pick the right lane, keep a steady speed and let others pass safely on your left. If you cannot keep up even there, the manual says to pull off and let the traffic go by.

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

5. 5. On a barricade or vertical panel in a work zone, diagonal stripes slope downward to the right. What do they tell you?

   1. Bear to the left
   2. Stop before the stripes
   3. Change lanes immediately
   4. Bear to the right
   Show answer

   Bear to the right. Work zone stripes are read by their slope. Stripes that slope downward to the right mean the driver should bear to the right; stripes sloping downward to the left mean bear to the left. The markings are guiding traffic around the closed portion of the road, not asking for a stop or a sudden lane change. Slow down before you reach them and follow the path they mark. If a flagperson or a flashing arrow panel is also present, obey that direction and keep your speed low.

6. 6. Which set of conditions does the manual name as usual causes of a vehicle fire?

   1. Overheated engine, electrical short, fuel leak, oil leak
   2. Low tire pressure, worn wipers, dirty glass
   3. Cold weather, rain, and high altitude
   4. Worn brake pads, a weak battery, and low coolant
   Show answer

   Overheated engine, electrical short, fuel leak, oil leak. The manual says fires usually result from an overheated engine, an electrical short, a fuel leak or an oil leak. Any burning odor should be investigated immediately rather than left for later. Low tires and bad wipers are maintenance concerns, weather is a driving condition, and worn brakes, a weak battery or low coolant are faults to repair, but none of them are the fire causes the manual lists. Watch the temperature gauge, notice smoke or a hot smell, and pull off the road before a small problem becomes a fire.

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

7. 7. Why does the manual call drugs sold on the illegal market especially dangerous?

   1. They are always weaker than the label advertises
   2. Their strength and purity are uncertain
   3. They cannot be absorbed by the body
   4. They are sold only to experienced users
   Show answer

   Their strength and purity are uncertain. Illegal drugs are dangerous in part because there is no way to be certain of their strength or purity. A dose that one buyer tolerates may be far stronger in the next batch, and a substance may be cut with something the user did not expect. The problem is not that the drugs are always weak, limited to experienced users or unable to affect the body. That uncertainty makes any amount unpredictable. The safe choice is to refuse an unknown drug, and if a prescription is involved, use only the dose a doctor or pharmacist has approved.

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

8. 8. What does Hawaii law say about a race, speed contest, or speed exhibition on a public street?

   1. It is prohibited on a public street or highway
   2. It is allowed when no other cars are nearby
   3. It is allowed only between sunrise and sunset
   4. It is allowed with a police escort
   Show answer

   It is prohibited on a public street or highway. A race, speed contest or speed exhibition of any kind is prohibited on a public street or highway. The rule does not depend on how empty the road looks, the time of day or whether an escort is present; a public road is not a closed course, and a spectator, cyclist or car can enter the path without warning. Racing belongs on a track with barriers and emergency crews. If someone challenges you at a light, let them go and keep your own speed predictable.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed rules

9. 9. What does alcohol do to the body, as Hawaii classifies it?

   1. It is a stimulant that sharpens reflexes
   2. It has no effect below two drinks
   3. It improves night vision slightly
   4. It is a depressant, not a stimulant
   Show answer

   It is a depressant, not a stimulant. Hawaii classifies alcohol plainly: it is a depressant, not a stimulant. The lively feeling after a drink reflects lowered inhibition, while reaction and judgment slow down. Believing reflexes sharpen invites faster, bolder driving on dulled skills. No drink count makes impairment vanish, and night vision worsens rather than improving. Anyone who has been drinking should hand the keys to a sober driver or call a ride. The cheerful buzz is itself evidence that the brain systems driving depends on are already suppressed.

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

10. 10. Where Hawaii posts DO NOT PASS signs on two or three lane roads, what is forbidden?

    1. Turning left at the next intersection where turns are otherwise allowed
    2. Passing another vehicle where posted
    3. Driving below the limit
    4. Using the right lane
    Show answer

    Passing another vehicle where posted. DO NOT PASS signs in Hawaii mark locations where you must not pass another vehicle on two or three lane roads. Sight distance, intersections or other hazards make overtaking unsafe there even if paint alone might allow it. Left turns remain lawful where otherwise permitted, and driving below the limit is often wise in such zones. The right lane stays open for travel. When the sign appears, cancel any passing plan, settle behind the vehicle ahead, and wait for a signed and marked passing area farther along.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic device types, warning, guide and work zone signs

11. 11. What do special Hawaii speed limit signs sometimes add beyond a single number?

    1. Fine amounts for each mile per hour over the posted limit on Hawaii roads
    2. Directions to the nearest traffic court building for contested citations
    3. Limits for set times, conditions or vehicle kinds
    4. Fuel economy ratings for cars trucks and buses using the highway
    Show answer

    Limits for set times, conditions or vehicle kinds. Special speed limit signs in Hawaii may indicate limits that apply at certain times, under certain conditions, or to certain kinds of vehicles. A school hours limit or a truck limit binds only its named group or window, yet binds them fully. Fine schedules live in law books, not on the sign face. Court directions and fuel data have no place on a regulatory plaque. Read every line under the main number before choosing your speed. The small print decides whether the big number even applies to you right now.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed rules

12. 12. What does the manual say about driving while ill, injured or emotionally upset?

    1. Drive only on familiar streets
    2. Do not drive
    3. Drive if the trip is short
    4. Drive with the windows open for alertness
    Show answer

    Do not drive. Under the driver's condition heading, the manual says a poor physical or mental condition limits your capabilities as a driver, and directs that you do not drive if you are ill, injured, emotionally upset or under the influence of intoxicants. If you must make the trip, it says to seek assistance from friends or neighbors or use some form of public transportation. Familiar streets, short trips and fresh air do not restore a compromised driver. Hand the keys to someone fit, or take the bus.

13. 13. You are driving toward a rising or setting sun. What does the manual advise?

    1. Wear dark goggles instead of sunglasses
    2. Close one eye to cut the glare
    3. Speed up to pass the sun's angle quickly
    4. Use sun visors and sunglasses
    Show answer

    Use sun visors and sunglasses. For dawn and dusk driving toward the rising or setting sun, the manual says to use sun visors and sunglasses, and to be sure the windshield and windows are absolutely clean to reduce glare and improve vision. Goggles are not eye protection for driving, closing an eye halves your view, and accelerating into glare shortens every reaction window while visibility is worst. Drop the visor, use proper sunglasses, and keep the glass clean enough that low-angle light does not blind you.

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

14. 14. How does the manual say to execute a turn?

    1. Wide, to carry more speed through it
    2. Loosely, letting the wheel self-center
    3. Precisely, neither wide nor short
    4. Short, to save distance, time and fuel
    Show answer

    Precisely, neither wide nor short. Among the manual's turn procedures is to make precise turns, without swinging wide or cutting short. Swinging wide drifts you across lane lines and toward curbs or cyclists on the outside, while cutting short clips the corner and endangers anyone waiting there. A loose wheel wanders; turns need deliberate input. Take the proper lane well in advance, turn from the lane nearest your direction into the nearest lane available, and trace the path the geometry intends.

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

15. 15. How does the manual say good driving habits are formed?

    1. By completing a driver improvement course once
    2. By deliberately repeating the proper action
    3. By driving more miles each week
    4. By memorizing the manual's tables
    Show answer

    By deliberately repeating the proper action. Good driving habits can be formed just as easily as bad ones, the manual says, and the method is to deliberately accomplish the proper action over and over again until the good habit is formed. A single course can teach the action, but only repetition makes it automatic; extra miles can just as easily cement bad habits; and memorized tables are knowledge rather than behavior. Pick the right action, repeat it consciously on every trip, and let the habit carry you when attention is busy.

    Study this in the handbook: Attitude, age and distraction

16. 16. You have parked and you or your passengers are about to get out. What should you do first?

    1. Look for approaching vehicles before anyone gets out
    2. Open the door partway to warn approaching drivers
    3. Have passengers get out on the traffic side first
    4. Leave the door open until everyone has stepped out
    Show answer

    Look for approaching vehicles before anyone gets out. Before you or your passengers get out of a vehicle, look for approaching vehicles. A door swung into a lane or a passenger stepping out without looking can place a person directly in front of a car or a bicyclist with no time to swerve. Opening the door partway as a warning still puts the door in the travel path. Sending passengers out on the traffic side first exposes them soonest, and a door left open keeps the hazard in place. Check mirrors and over your shoulder, then have everyone leave on the side away from traffic when possible.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrian safety

17. 17. You are on foot and vehicles are approaching close by. What does the manual tell you about entering the street or crosswalk?

    1. Enter quickly and wave so drivers slow down
    2. Step in if a driver waves you across
    3. Do not enter the street or crosswalk
    4. Enter behind the nearest approaching vehicle
    Show answer

    Do not enter the street or crosswalk. A pedestrian should never enter the street or crosswalk when vehicles are approaching close by, because those vehicles may not be able to stop. Waving does not shorten a stopping distance, and stepping in because one driver waves you across still places you in front of other close vehicles. Entering behind the nearest vehicle hides you from the next driver in line. Wait on the curb until the close vehicles have passed and the way is clear, then cross at a steady walk without running.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrian safety

18. 18. Before leaving a car parked on a Hawaii hill, what should you do to keep it from rolling?

    1. Leave it in neutral and rely on the curb
    2. Rest a tire against a loose object
    3. Turn the front wheels toward the traffic lane
    4. Set the hand brake and put the transmission in park or gear
    Show answer

    Set the hand brake and put the transmission in park or gear. The manual says to make sure the car cannot roll into traffic if the brakes fail to hold, and to always set the hand brake. Shift to park if the car has that position; otherwise use reverse or low gear. It also says to turn the front wheels toward the curb so all four wheels would have to climb the curb before the car could roll free. Neutral, a loose chock or wheels aimed at traffic all leave the car able to move.

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

19. 19. When does the Hawaii manual say to begin slowing for a stop ahead?

    1. As soon as it becomes apparent that braking will be required ahead
    2. Once you are within one car length of the stopped traffic
    3. When the front bumper reaches the stop line
    4. After shifting into first gear
    Show answer

    As soon as it becomes apparent that braking will be required ahead. Hawaii directs drivers to start slowing as soon as it becomes apparent that braking will be required ahead. Beginning then permits a smooth, steady reduction in speed. Waiting until one car length leaves too little distance for the early slowing rule, and delaying until the stop line postpones action until a painted line. Shifting into first gear also starts from the wrong cue because a gear change is not the trigger described in the manual. The important timing is the first clear indication that a stop will be needed, before a hard application becomes necessary.

20. 20. What does signaling a turn or lane change in Hawaii give the signaling driver?

    1. Automatic right of way for the maneuver
    2. No right by itself; the move must still be safe
    3. Priority over vehicles already in the lane
    4. Permission to skip checking mirrors
    Show answer

    No right by itself; the move must still be safe. A signal announces intent in Hawaii; it grants no right by itself. The driver must still check that the turn or lane change can be finished safely without interfering with other traffic. Assuming priority over vehicles already in the target lane turns a courtesy lamp into a collision cause. Skipping mirror checks compounds the error, since the signal never replaces looking. Blink early, look twice, then move only into a gap that is truly open. Drivers who treat the lamp as a warning rather than a claim avoid most sideswipe crashes.

    Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and railroad crossings