KY Permit Practice Test 20

All 20 questions in test 20

Every question below comes from the Kentucky 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. On what basis may citizens report a driver to Kentucky's Medical Review Board as incapable of operating a vehicle safely?

   1. An affidavit signed by at least two citizens
   2. One anonymous phone call with no names given
   3. A single social media post about the driver
   4. A petition signed by ten neighbors
   Show answer

   An affidavit signed by at least two citizens. A driver may be reported when named in an affidavit to the Medical Review Board by at least two citizens as incapable of properly operating a motor vehicle due to a physical or mental impairment. One anonymous call fails the affidavit and the two citizen requirements. A social media post and a neighbor petition are not the stated reporting method, whatever their head counts. Cue: the report needs a sworn written form and at least two named citizens behind it.

2. 2. For how long does sending or receiving a text take a driver's eyes from the road on average, and what distance does that equal at 55 mph?

   1. 2.1 seconds, equal to half a football field
   2. 1.2 seconds, equal to 25 yards
   3. 6.0 seconds, equal to two football fields
   4. 4.6 seconds, equal to an entire football field or 100 yards
   Show answer

   4.6 seconds, equal to an entire football field or 100 yards. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, which at 55 mph equals driving the length of an entire football field, or 100 yards. The shorter times and distances shrink a gap that is already blind at highway speed. Six seconds and two fields overshoot the stated average. Texting is singled out because it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction at once. Cue: picture a full field traveled without looking at the road.

   Study this in the handbook: Fatigue, distraction and emotions

3. 3. An applicant age 21 or older has just received a Kentucky instruction permit. How long must the permit be held before the road test?

   1. No waiting period
   2. One year
   3. 180 days
   4. 30 days
   Show answer

   30 days. Applicants age 21 and over must hold the permit for 30 days before becoming eligible to take the road test, with practice encouraged during that month. Testing immediately skips the required practice window entirely. One hundred eighty days applies to applicants under 21, including the 18 to 20 group, so it overstates the adult wait sixfold. One year has no basis in this step. Age at application decides which clock runs: 30 days at 21 plus, 180 below that line.

4. 4. You cannot see the truck driver's face in the truck side view mirror. What does that tell you?

   1. The driver cannot see you either
   2. The driver can still see you through the rear window
   3. You are at a safe following distance
   4. The truck is about to turn right
   Show answer

   The driver cannot see you either. If the truck driver's face is not visible in the side-view mirror, the driver cannot see you. When possible, avoid driving alongside large vehicles. If the driver needs to swerve or change lanes, the chances of a crash are greatly increased. The manual states that if you cannot see the driver's face in the side-view mirror, the driver cannot see you. Being invisible in the mirror does not confirm any safe distance.

   Study this in the handbook: Sharing the road with bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

5. 5. Your trailer begins to sway or whip while towing. What should you do?

   1. Accelerate to pull the trailer straight
   2. Apply the brakes firmly at once
   3. Steer straight, reduce speed gradually, and stop off the roadway when safe
   4. Turn sharply against each swing of the trailer
   Show answer

   Steer straight, reduce speed gradually, and stop off the roadway when safe. If a trailer sways or whips, steer straight and reduce speed gradually without applying the brakes. Never increase speed. Stop as soon as you can safely get completely off the roadway. Check that the trailer is loaded heavier in front and reload if necessary; keep heavy items on the floor. The manual says never to increase speed when the trailer begins to sway or whip.

   Study this in the handbook: Work zones and towing a trailer

6. 6. At 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, about how far can braking distance alone run?

   1. About 80 feet
   2. About 120 feet
   3. About 158 feet
   4. About 250 feet
   Show answer

   About 158 feet. Braking distance is the distance traveled while the brakes slow and stop the vehicle. On dry pavement with good brakes at 50 mph, braking alone can take about 158 feet. Perception and reaction distances are separate parts of the total stopping distance. Eighty feet understates the roughly 158 foot braking distance at 50 mph. One hundred twenty feet still falls short of the stated figure.

   Study this in the handbook: Looking ahead, stopping distance and following distance

7. 7. How far before an intersection turn should you signal your intention?

   1. 50 feet
   2. Only once inside the intersection
   3. 200 feet
   4. 100 feet
   Show answer

   100 feet. If you plan to turn at an intersection, signal 100 feet before the turn. Search all corners for traffic controls, pedestrians, and other vehicles, and signal your intentions. Fifty feet gives following traffic half the stated warning distance. The manual specifies 100 feet before an intersection turn, not 200 feet. The manual says to signal 100 feet before the turn, rather than waiting until you are inside the intersection.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights, turn signals and night driving

8. 8. Your vehicle becomes disabled and you must stop on a highway. Where should you avoid stopping even if space seems available?

   1. On a wide straight shoulder
   2. Completely off the road where the vehicle is visible from a distance
   3. In a safe place completely off the roadway
   4. Just over a hill or just around a curve
   Show answer

   Just over a hill or just around a curve. For a disabled vehicle, pull completely off the road to the right if possible. If you cannot get completely off the roadway, try to stop where the vehicle can be seen from a distance. Do not stop just over a hill or just around a curve. The manual recommends getting completely off the road when possible and choosing a location visible from a distance, rather than just over a hill or around a curve.

   Study this in the handbook: Brake failure, blowouts and other vehicle failures

9. 9. You have a green light at an intersection, and a pedestrian is crossing in front of you. Who goes first?

   1. You must yield the right of way to pedestrians in the intersection even with a green light
   2. You, because the light is green
   3. Whoever reaches the middle first
   4. The pedestrian must run to clear your path
   Show answer

   You must yield the right of way to pedestrians in the intersection even with a green light. You must yield to all pedestrians in the intersection even when your traffic light is green. The manual also says to be prepared to yield to pedestrians when making a permitted right or left turn on red. A green light alone does not put the proceeding driver first, and reaching the middle first is not the test the manual gives. The pedestrian is not required to run clear; the driver carries the yielding duty inside the intersection.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians and blind pedestrians

10. 10. Besides judgment, vision, and reaction time, which ability does alcohol reduce that matters for reading traffic signals?

    1. Night vision only in older drivers
    2. Hearing distance
    3. Color distinction
    4. Sense of balance while parked
    Show answer

    Color distinction. The manual lists reduced color distinction among the effects of alcohol and other impairing drugs. It defines this as a reduced ability to distinguish colors and also lists effects on judgment, vision, and reaction time. Hearing is not listed among these alcohol effects. The named effect is color distinction, not age related night vision. The listed effect relevant to distinguishing signal colors is reduced color distinction, not balance while parked.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, other drugs and the BAC limits

11. 11. How may the written test be presented to an applicant who cannot read English, and what limit applies?

    1. Testing offices offer tablet presentation audibly in English and several foreign languages, but the signs portion must come from the applicant's own knowledge
    2. The whole test may be answered by an interpreter
    3. The test is available only in English on paper
    4. A family member may sit beside the applicant and answer aloud
    Show answer

    Testing offices offer tablet presentation audibly in English and several foreign languages, but the signs portion must come from the applicant's own knowledge. Applicants who cannot read English may receive oral testing. Testing offices have tablets that present the test audibly in English and several foreign languages, without a special appointment for that feature. A special appointment is needed for an orally administered test or an interpreter. The signs portion must be answered from the applicant’s own knowledge and understanding. An interpreter does not supply answers, especially for signs.

    Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

12. 12. When may an electric low speed scooter be parked on a sidewalk in Kentucky?

    1. Any time the rider will return within five minutes
    2. Only if it does not impede the reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic
    3. Only beside a bicycle rack on a college campus
    4. Never, because sidewalk parking is banned statewide
    Show answer

    Only if it does not impede the reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic. An electric low speed scooter may be parked on a sidewalk only if it does not impede the reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic, and compliance with all local government ordinances is also required. A five minute errand does not excuse blocking the walking path. A bicycle rack or a campus setting adds a condition that the rule never mentions. A statewide ban goes too far, since sidewalk parking is allowed when people can still pass comfortably. Think of a wheelchair user approaching: if that person must detour into the street, the scooter is parked wrong.

    Study this in the handbook: Sharing the road with bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

13. 13. What eyewear should a driver avoid while driving at night or on overcast days?

    1. Prescription glasses matched to the driver license restriction
    2. Sunglasses or colored lenses, because tinted or colored lenses reduce vision
    3. Clear lenses worn to block wind on an open road
    4. Any eyewear, including corrective lenses the driver needs
    Show answer

    Sunglasses or colored lenses, because tinted or colored lenses reduce vision. Do not wear sunglasses or colored lenses when driving at night or on overcast days because tinted or colored lenses reduce vision. If you are required to wear corrective lenses, the manual says to wear them; it also advises avoiding dark or tinted corrective lenses at night. Required prescription glasses must be worn, not avoided. The manual warns against sunglasses and tinted or colored lenses in these conditions; this choice specifies clear lenses.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, turn signals and night driving

14. 14. How far ahead must Kentucky vehicle headlights reveal a person on high beam and on low beam?

    1. 500 feet on high beam and 200 feet on low beam
    2. 250 feet on high beam and 50 feet on low beam
    3. 350 feet on high beam and 200 feet on low beam
    4. 350 feet on high beam and 100 feet on low beam
    Show answer

    350 feet on high beam and 100 feet on low beam. Headlights must reveal a person 350 feet ahead on high beam and 100 feet ahead on low beam without shining a glaring light into an oncoming driver’s eyes. The manual separately requires the red rear taillight to be visible from 500 feet behind the vehicle. Five hundred feet is the rear taillight visibility distance, not the headlight reach. Both figures cut the required illumination distances well short.

    Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, safety belts, air bags and child seats

15. 15. Where should both hands be placed on the steering wheel for proper control?

    1. At the 2 and 10 o'clock positions, gripping from inside
    2. Both hands together at the top of the wheel
    3. On the outside of the wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions
    4. One hand at 12 o'clock at all times
    Show answer

    On the outside of the wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Place both hands on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides at 3 and 9 o'clock to maintain control. The manual no longer recommends 2 and 10 because that position can be dangerous in vehicles with air bags. Grip firmly but gently with your fingers rather than palms, keeping your thumbs up along the face of the wheel.

16. 16. What minimum horizontal and vertical visual field in the better eye does the manual specify for the Bioptic Driving Program?

    1. 90 degrees horizontally and 60 vertically
    2. 120 degrees horizontally and 80 vertically
    3. 140 degrees horizontally and 90 vertically
    4. 70 degrees horizontally and 50 vertically
    Show answer

    120 degrees horizontally and 80 vertically. Program standards call for a visual field of 120 degrees horizontally and 80 degrees vertically in the better eye. Ninety by 60 trims both dimensions below the stated floor. One hundred forty by 90 inflates the requirement beyond what applicants must show. Seventy by 50 confuses the scale with the ordinary driving minimums of 35 degrees to each side and 25 above and below fixation. Bioptic entry pairs wide scope, 120 across and 80 up and down, with the lens and device acuity checks.

17. 17. What headgear and supervision rules govern ATV operation for a rider under sixteen?

    1. No headgear is needed and supervision is optional
    2. The rider must stay under direct parental supervision and wear approved protective headgear whenever the vehicle is in motion
    3. Headgear is needed only on public highways
    4. Supervision is required only when carrying a passenger
    Show answer

    The rider must stay under direct parental supervision and wear approved protective headgear whenever the vehicle is in motion. A rider under sixteen may operate an ATV only under direct parental supervision and must wear approved protective headgear whenever the ATV is in motion. Riding with no headgear and optional supervision removes both duties the quote imposes. Limiting headgear to public highways narrows a duty that applies whenever the vehicle is in motion, and supervision is tied to operation itself rather than only to carrying a passenger.

    Study this in the handbook: Rural roads, farm equipment and slow vehicles

18. 18. When no limit is posted, what speed limit applies on Kentucky interstate highways and parkways?

    1. 55 mph
    2. 60 mph
    3. 65 mph
    4. 70 mph on all such roads
    Show answer

    65 mph. Sixty five miles per hour is the speed limit on interstate highways and parkways when the limit is not posted, while 55 mph covers all other state highways. Seventy miles per hour appears only as a possible increase the secretary of transportation may set on specific highways, not as the general interstate default. Sixty is not listed for any unposted category. Start from 65 on interstates and parkways, then obey any posted change in either direction.

    Study this in the handbook: Kentucky speed limits

19. 19. How should speed be handled when driving through a curve?

    1. Brake hard after entering if speed feels high
    2. Reduce speed before entering to a safe speed, then apply slight and constant acceleration through the curve
    3. Accelerate before the curve so momentum carries you through
    4. Hold the same speed regardless of traction or visibility
    Show answer

    Reduce speed before entering to a safe speed, then apply slight and constant acceleration through the curve. Reduce speed before entering a curve to a safe speed that allows slight and constant acceleration through it. Reduce speed more when traction is poor, when following other vehicles, or when you cannot see the end of the curve. Hard braking after entering a curve could cause the tires to lose traction. Hard braking inside the curve can break traction and start a skid.

    Study this in the handbook: Kentucky speed limits

20. 20. A person fails to satisfy a court judgment for damages from operating a motor vehicle within 60 days. What happens to the driving privilege?

    1. Suspension by the Transportation Cabinet until the judgment is satisfied
    2. A warning letter with no suspension
    3. A fine of $50 with no suspension
    4. Points are added but driving continues
    Show answer

    Suspension by the Transportation Cabinet until the judgment is satisfied. If a person fails to satisfy a judgment for damages resulting from operating a motor vehicle within 60 days of the judgment, the Transportation Cabinet suspends the driving privilege. The suspension remains in effect indefinitely or until the judgment is satisfied. After satisfaction, a court-attested copy must be sent to the Cabinet and reinstatement procedures followed. Suspension follows; a warning is not the outcome.

    Study this in the handbook: The point system and losing your license