KY Permit Practice Test 21

All 20 questions in test 21

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. What limitation of mirrors must a driver remember while backing up?

   1. Mirrors show the area immediately behind the vehicle best
   2. Mirrors do not show the area immediately behind the vehicle
   3. Mirrors replace looking through the rear window
   4. Mirrors are only for traffic approaching from the front
   Show answer

   Mirrors do not show the area immediately behind the vehicle. Mirrors do not show the area immediately behind the vehicle, so backing also calls for looking directly through the rear window with the right arm on the back of the seat and the left hand at the 12 o'clock position on the wheel. Treating the mirrors as the best view of that hidden zone is incorrect. Children and small objects cannot be seen from the driver's seat either, which is why checking behind the vehicle before getting in matters.

2. 2. Where must a rear facing child safety seat never be placed?

   1. In the middle of the rear seat
   2. In any vehicle with side air bags
   3. Behind the driver in a rear seat
   4. In front of an active passenger air bag
   Show answer

   In front of an active passenger air bag. A rear facing child safety seat must never be placed in front of an active passenger air bag. If the vehicle has a factory installed disabling switch, the air bag should be turned off in that situation. The middle of the rear seat is actually the ideal placement, anchored to prevent movement in a collision. Rear seat positions generally are where children 12 and younger belong, properly restrained. Cue: the danger pairing is a rear facing seat plus a live air bag in front of it.

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

3. 3. What upkeep do driver assistance sensors require so safety features keep working as designed?

   1. Keep them clean and damage free
   2. Wax them monthly
   3. Cover them in rain
   4. Disconnect them in winter
   Show answer

   Keep them clean and damage free. Keep vehicle sensors clean and damage free. Keep software up to date and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. The manual warns that safety features may not work properly in rain, snow, ice, fog, hills, or curves, and that drivers must not rely on these features alone. The stated maintenance instruction is to keep sensors clean and damage free, not to wax them monthly. The manual says to keep sensors clean and damage free and warns that features may not work properly in rain. It does not direct drivers to cover sensors.

4. 4. Your brakes stop working while driving. How should you use the parking brake?

   1. Pull or push it as hard as possible at once
   2. Ignore it and steer onto the sidewalk
   3. Apply it slowly so the rear wheels do not lock, and be ready to release it if a skid starts
   4. Turn the engine off first and coast without braking
   Show answer

   Apply it slowly so the rear wheels do not lock, and be ready to release it if a skid starts. Use the parking brake slowly so you do not lock the rear wheels and cause a skid. Be ready to release it if the vehicle starts to skid. If that does not work, turn off the engine and look for a safe place to slow to a stop off the roadway. Do not continue driving without working brakes. A sudden full application can lock the rear wheels into a skid.

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

5. 5. A vehicle is parked on a hill where there is no curb. Which way should the wheels be turned?

   1. Toward the center line so the vehicle stops in the lane
   2. Straight ahead with the parking brake set
   3. So the vehicle will go off the road should it roll
   4. Toward the nearest driveway entrance
   Show answer

   So the vehicle will go off the road should it roll. When parked on a hill without a curb, turn the wheels so the vehicle will go off the road if it rolls. With a curb, turn the wheels so the vehicle will touch the curb if it begins moving. The manual also instructs drivers to turn off the engine, remove the key, and lock the vehicle when leaving it. Rolling toward the center line keeps the vehicle in traffic space; aim it off the road.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings, crosswalks and lane use

6. 6. How may an ATV operator cross a two-lane public highway?

   1. At any angle, traveling along the highway up to one mile
   2. Diagonally, with no distance limit on the highway
   3. Only by loading the ATV onto a trailer first
   4. At as close to a ninety degree angle as practical and safe, traveling no more than two-tenths of a mile on the highway
   Show answer

   At as close to a ninety degree angle as practical and safe, traveling no more than two-tenths of a mile on the highway. An ATV operator crossing a two-lane public highway must cross at as close to a 90-degree angle as practical and safe and must not travel on the highway for more than two-tenths of a mile. A one-mile crossing or an unlimited distance does not meet that limit. A mile along the highway exceeds the two-tenths limit for a crossing. A limited direct crossing is allowed without trailering the machine.

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

7. 7. You realize you are driving slightly to the rear of another vehicle on its side, inside that driver's blind spot. What should you do?

   1. Stay there so the driver eventually notices you
   2. Flash headlights until the driver waves
   3. Move closer to the center line marking
   4. Speed up or drop back so you do not remain in the blind spot
   Show answer

   Speed up or drop back so you do not remain in the blind spot. Avoid driving on either side slightly to the rear of another vehicle: you may be in its blind spot, reducing the space you may need to avoid a crash. Either speed up or drop back, but do not remain in another driver’s blind spot. Avoid crowding the center line and keep as much space as possible from oncoming traffic. The manual says not to remain in another driver’s blind spot.

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

8. 8. A funeral procession is traveling on an interstate highway. When may another driver pass or overtake a vehicle in the procession?

   1. Never, because passing a procession vehicle is always unlawful
   2. When the procession is on an interstate highway or state parkway
   3. Only after a police or safety officer directs the driver to pass
   4. Only when the passing driver is late for an appointment
   Show answer

   When the procession is on an interstate highway or state parkway. The manual permits passing a funeral-procession vehicle when a police or safety officer directs it, when the procession is outside city, town, or urban-county limits, or when it is on an interstate highway or state parkway. Because this procession is on an interstate, the interstate exception applies. An interstate or state parkway procession carries a passing exception. Officer direction is one path, but the interstate exception stands on its own.

   Study this in the handbook: Funeral processions

9. 9. Which condition is explicitly listed in the manual’s “Unlawful and Impermissible Equipment” section as a possible reason to reject a road-test vehicle?

   1. A small scratch on the rear bumper paint
   2. A missing floor mat on the passenger side
   3. Excessive window tint or flashing lights other than turn signals
   4. An empty windshield washer container
   Show answer

   Excessive window tint or flashing lights other than turn signals. The manual lists excessive window tint, flashing lights other than turn signals, and items obstructing windshield vision as examples of equipment that could cause an examiner to reject a road-test vehicle. Missing or inoperable equipment that makes a vehicle unlawful or unsafe may also cause cancellation or rescheduling. A small bumper-paint scratch is not one of the examples listed in this section. Floor mats are not listed rejection grounds.

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

10. 10. What happens during the road test if the applicant commits a collision, a traffic violation, or a dangerous act?

    1. The examiner deducts points and the test continues
    2. It may result in automatic failure and the test will not be completed
    3. The applicant restarts that maneuver and continues
    4. Only the parallel parking portion is scored as failed
    Show answer

    It may result in automatic failure and the test will not be completed. A collision, traffic violation, or dangerous act may result in automatic failure, and the test will not be completed. A collision, violation, or dangerous act may result in automatic failure with the test left incomplete. The manual says a dangerous act may result in automatic failure and the test will not be completed. The consequence covers the whole test, not parking alone.

    Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

11. 11. Under normal circumstances, how much horn should a driver use to get another road user's attention?

    1. A light tap on the horn
    2. A continuous blast lasting ten seconds
    3. No horn under any circumstance
    4. Three long blasts in a row
    Show answer

    A light tap on the horn. The horn works best as a polite nudge. Used properly it gets attention, and a light tap should be all that is needed under normal circumstances, such as when pedestrians or bicyclists drift toward your lane or a driver starts turning into you. Ten seconds of noise startles people and can trigger anger instead of awareness. Silence fails when a gentle warning could prevent contact entirely. Triple long blasts belong to no guidance here. Tap once, watch for the other person to notice, and keep speed and steering ready if the warning goes unheard.

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

12. 12. A driver age 18 or older accumulates 12 points and fails to appear for the Transportation Cabinet hearing. What suspension follows for a first such accumulation?

    1. Two years
    2. One year
    3. Six months
    4. No suspension if the driver later writes a letter
    Show answer

    Six months. For failure to appear at the points hearing, the manual specifies a six-month suspension for the first accumulation of twelve points, one year for the second, and two years for subsequent accumulations within the two-year period. After a hearing, the department may place a driver on probation and require an approved driver improvement clinic instead of suspension. One year applies to a second accumulation.

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

13. 13. How does completing an approved Kentucky rider training course affect motorcycle license testing?

    1. Applicants are exempted from the licensing written and skills tests
    2. It waives only the vision screening
    3. It replaces the permit fee but tests remain
    4. It exempts only riders under 18 from the skills test
    Show answer

    Applicants are exempted from the licensing written and skills tests. Applicants for a motorcycle license are exempted from the licensing written and skills tests when they present satisfactory evidence of completing an approved rider training course. Vision screening is not the item waived; the exemption names the written and skills tests. Paying the fee remains part of licensing, so the course is not merely a fee substitute. The exemption is not limited to riders under 18. Cue: course completion stands in for the two performance hurdles, written knowledge and road skills.

14. 14. Which vehicle requires a Kentucky Class B commercial license?

    1. A combination with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more and a towed vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds
    2. A single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating below 26,001 pounds designed to transport more than 16 people including the driver
    3. A single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating below 26,001 pounds that is placarded for hazardous materials
    4. Any single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, including such a vehicle towing a vehicle rated at no more than 10,000 pounds
    Show answer

    Any single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, including such a vehicle towing a vehicle rated at no more than 10,000 pounds. Class B covers a single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, including such a vehicle towing a vehicle rated at no more than 10,000 pounds. The listed combination with a towed vehicle rated over 10,000 pounds fits Class A. The two listed single vehicles rated below 26,001 pounds fit the manual's Class C definitions.

    Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

15. 15. What is the minimum number of citizens who must name a driver in an affidavit to the Medical Review Board as incapable of driving properly due to a physical or mental impairment?

    1. One citizen
    2. At least three citizens
    3. At least two citizens
    4. Five citizens from the same county
    Show answer

    At least two citizens. The citizen-affidavit route requires at least two citizens to name the driver as incapable of properly operating a motor vehicle due to a physical or mental impairment. One citizen does not satisfy this route. Three or five exceeds the stated minimum, and no same-county condition is given. The manual also lists reports by physicians and specified officials. One citizen alone does not satisfy the affidavit route, which requires at least two.

16. 16. Which pair of uses does the manual expressly prohibit for a shared center left-turn lane?

    1. Through traffic and passing other vehicles
    2. Merging after a completed turn
    3. Waiting briefly before turning left
    4. Entering from a side street to turn left
    Show answer

    Through traffic and passing other vehicles. The shared center lane is reserved for left-turning vehicles from either direction. It must not be used for through traffic or passing other vehicles. The uses expressly prohibited by the manual are through traffic and passing other vehicles. The lane is reserved for left-turning vehicles; the prohibited uses named here are through traffic and passing. The manual reserves the lane for left-turning vehicles from either direction and prohibits through traffic and passing.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings, crosswalks and lane use

17. 17. Your wheels drop off the pavement onto a lower shoulder. What response avoids the panic steering crash pattern?

    1. Slow down gradually, then turn quickly back onto the pavement when safe
    2. Jerk the wheel immediately back onto the pavement
    3. Accelerate to climb the edge faster
    4. Brake hard while still off the pavement
    Show answer

    Slow down gradually, then turn quickly back onto the pavement when safe. If your wheels leave the pavement, avoid panic steering back immediately. Slow down gradually, then turn quickly back onto the pavement when it is safe to do so. Immediate jerking back is the panic steering pattern that causes crashes. The manual directs you to slow down gradually, not accelerate, before returning to the pavement. The manual calls for slowing gradually before returning to the pavement when safe.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, pavement drop offs and collisions

18. 18. What unposted speed limit applies in a Kentucky business or residential district?

    1. 25 mph
    2. 30 mph
    3. 45 mph
    4. 35 mph
    Show answer

    35 mph. When no speed limit is posted, the limit in a Kentucky business or residential district is 35 mph. The other listed unposted limits include 55 mph on other state highways and 15 mph in an off-street parking facility offered for public use. The unposted limit for a business or residential district is 35 mph, not 25 mph. Thirty mph is not listed for business or residential districts.

    Study this in the handbook: Kentucky speed limits

19. 19. Near which road users should you avoid using your horn, and why does general horn guidance support that?

    1. Cyclists, because horns are banned near bikes
    2. Blind pedestrians, who cannot tell who is being honked at and may be startled
    3. Drivers at four way stops
    4. Children in school zones
    Show answer

    Blind pedestrians, who cannot tell who is being honked at and may be startled. Do not use your horn near blind pedestrians. A blind person may not know whom you are honking at and may be startled. The manual also cautions against sounding your horn close to bicyclists unless there is a chance of a crash; it does not state a blanket ban near bicycles. The manual cautions against sounding your horn close to bicyclists unless there is a chance of a crash; this is not a blanket ban near bicycles.

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

20. 20. Which habit helps a driver with hearing loss stay safe, and what should every driver do about hearing?

    1. Rely on hearing alone and skip mirror checks
    2. Compensate by relying more on visual abilities, and have hearing tested periodically because loss can grow unnoticed
    3. Drive only at night when roads are quieter
    4. Use the horn continuously in traffic
    Show answer

    Compensate by relying more on visual abilities, and have hearing tested periodically because loss can grow unnoticed. Drivers who know they are deaf or have hearing problems can adjust by relying more on visual abilities. Hearing loss may develop so slowly that it goes unnoticed, so the manual recommends periodic hearing tests. Drivers with hearing problems can compensate by relying more on visual abilities. The hearing guidance calls for greater reliance on visual abilities and periodic hearing tests. The hearing guidance recommends relying more on visual abilities and having hearing tested periodically.

    Study this in the handbook: Fatigue, distraction and emotions