NJ Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

Every question below comes from the New Jersey 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. A traffic signal is unlit because of a power outage. How should drivers treat the intersection?

   1. As a four-way stop
   2. As a flashing yellow signal
   3. As an uncontrolled intersection with no stopping duty
   4. Only traffic turning left must stop
   Show answer

   As a four-way stop. An unlit signal with no person directing traffic is treated as a four-way stop. Each approach must stop, look left and right, yield as required, and proceed only when safe. The flashing-yellow choice permits movement with caution but removes the required stop. Calling it uncontrolled likewise skips the stop requirement, and limiting the rule to left turns leaves other approaches exposed. Treat every direction as stop-controlled until the signal works.

2. 2. What fine range may apply to a New Jersey Move Over law violation?

   1. $25 to $75
   2. $100 to $500
   3. Only a warning for a first offense
   4. $500 to $1,000
   Show answer

   $100 to $500. A New Jersey Move Over violation carries a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500. The $25-to-$75 range belongs to a separate snow-and-ice vehicle rule, not roadside emergency protection. A $500-to-$1,000 amount overstates the listed range, and the manual does not make a first violation warning-only. The practical trigger is the stationary authorized or disabled vehicle with qualifying lights or warning devices.

3. 3. Which organization is associated with New Jersey’s designated-driver campaign?

   1. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
   2. The Safe Neighborhood Services Fund
   3. The Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers
   4. The New Jersey Driver Improvement Program
   Show answer

   The Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers. The manual identifies New Jersey as the first state to officially launch the Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers. That campaign encourages residents to arrange sober transportation whether they are driving or riding as passengers. The federal agency choice is not the organization named in this passage, and the fund and driver program serve different purposes. The cue is the phrase designated driver, which points to the Hero Campaign.

4. 4. What instruction does a red octagonal regulatory sign give?

   1. Yield to crossing traffic without stopping
   2. Stop completely before proceeding
   3. Merge into the next lane
   4. Keep right around an obstacle
   Show answer

   Stop completely before proceeding. A red octagon is reserved for a STOP sign. The driver must stop completely before proceeding, then follow the sign’s right-of-way instruction. The yield choice describes a different shape and action, while keeping right and merging are roadway-direction instructions rather than the octagon’s meaning. Shape and color provide a quick recognition cue when the wording is distant, covered, or difficult to read.

5. 5. What does a yellow diamond-shaped warning sign generally communicate?

   1. A destination and route number
   2. A parking restriction that applies immediately
   3. A roadway hazard or condition ahead
   4. A railroad crossing only
   Show answer

   A roadway hazard or condition ahead. Yellow diamond-shaped signs warn motorists about roadway conditions or hazards that may be encountered ahead. The parking option describes a regulatory instruction, and a destination or route number belongs to guidance signage. Railroad crossings are one example of a hazard, but the manual’s general category is broader than that single use. When this shape and color appear together, reduce distractions and prepare for a changed road condition.

6. 6. If a solid yellow line is on your side of the road, what passing action is allowed?

   1. Pass whenever the road ahead appears clear
   2. Do not pass
   3. Pass only at night
   4. Cross the line to avoid a slow vehicle
   Show answer

   Do not pass. When the solid yellow line is on the motorist’s side, passing is prohibited. The clear-road choice overlooks the line’s restriction, and darkness does not create permission to cross. Moving around a slow vehicle also remains a pass and is not an exception. Compare the two centerline patterns before acting: a dashed line on your side may permit a safe pass, but a solid line on your side means stay in lane.

7. 7. What should a driver do at a flashing yellow traffic signal?

   1. Slow down and proceed with care
   2. Stop and wait for green
   3. Accelerate before the signal changes
   4. Treat it as a flashing red stop sign
   Show answer

   Slow down and proceed with care. A flashing yellow light tells the driver to slow down and proceed with care. It does not impose the complete stop required by a flashing red signal, so the stop-and-wait choice applies the wrong signal rule. Accelerating increases risk at the intersection and is not the manual’s instruction. Scan for crossing traffic and pedestrians, reduce speed, and continue only after the path is safe.

8. 8. How close to a fire hydrant may a New Jersey motorist park?

   1. No closer than 15 feet
   2. No closer than 10 feet
   3. No closer than 5 feet
   4. No closer than 25 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 10 feet. New Jersey bars parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, within 25 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 50 feet of a railroad crossing, and within 50 feet of a stop sign. Fifteen feet is the hydrant distance used in many other states, and 25 feet is New Jersey's crosswalk figure. Firefighters need the space at the hydrant to connect hoses without moving a car.

9. 9. When should a New Jersey driver slow down to help avoid hydroplaning?

   1. Only after the tires leave the road surface
   2. Only when driving on a dry center lane
   3. When heavy rain, standing water, or slush is present
   4. After accelerating above 55 mph
   Show answer

   When heavy rain, standing water, or slush is present. The manual specifically advises slowing down when heavy rain, standing water, or slush is present because those conditions increase the chance of hydroplaning. Waiting until the tires leave the surface is dangerously late, and accelerating increases the loss of control risk. A dry center lane can be useful during a heavy rainstorm on a multilane highway, but it does not remove the need to reduce speed. The practical cue is water on or across the roadway, especially when visibility and traction are deteriorating.

10. 10. On a two-lane road, a school bus ahead has flashing red lights. How far away must approaching motorists stop?

    1. At least 10 feet
    2. At least 50 feet
    3. At least 25 feet
    4. Only after the bus begins moving again
    Show answer

    At least 25 feet. On a two-lane road, a motorist must stop at least 25 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights. Ten feet is too close for the required stopping buffer, while 50 feet adds distance the cited rule does not require. Waiting only until the bus moves could put children at risk because motorists must remain stopped until the signals are off and the roadway is safe. Spot the red lights early and begin braking before reaching the 25-foot point.

11. 11. Your conventional brakes suddenly fail on a New Jersey road. Which response follows the manual?

    1. Press the accelerator to reach a safer shoulder faster
    2. Turn off the engine and lock the steering wheel
    3. Use the parking brake fully without holding its release
    4. Shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal rapidly
    Show answer

    Shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal rapidly. A conventional brake failure calls for several coordinated actions. Shift to a lower gear, then pump the brake pedal fast and hard several times to try to build pressure. If braking still does not return, use the parking brake while holding its release, which lets you ease off if the rear wheels lock. The choice that jumps straight to a fully applied parking brake removes that control. Keep looking for a safe place off the roadway while the vehicle slows.

12. 12. A New Jersey driver experiences a tire blowout. What should the driver do first?

    1. Brake hard before moving toward the shoulder
    2. Turn sharply toward the nearest open lane
    3. Release the steering wheel so the vehicle can coast freely
    4. Hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the vehicle straight
    Show answer

    Hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the vehicle straight. During a blowout, the first priority is keeping the vehicle pointed straight. Hold the steering wheel firmly, remove your foot from the gas pedal, and let the vehicle gradually slow without using the brakes. Braking hard can upset the vehicle, while a sharp turn creates a second loss-of-control risk. Once the car has coasted down, guide it to a safe area off the roadway. The steering wheel is your anchor during the initial tire failure.

13. 13. Under New Jersey’s Move Over law, what must a driver do when changing lanes is unsafe near a flashing-light emergency vehicle?

    1. Stop in the adjacent lane beside the emergency vehicle
    2. Maintain the posted speed if the vehicle is partly on the shoulder
    3. Reduce speed below the posted limit and be prepared to stop
    4. Pass on the shoulder to create extra room
    Show answer

    Reduce speed below the posted limit and be prepared to stop. The Move Over rule normally calls for a safe lane change into a lane that is not adjacent to the stationary vehicle. When a lane change is impossible, prohibited, or unsafe, the driver must reduce speed to a reasonable and proper speed below the posted limit and be ready to stop. Merely keeping to the limit misses the required reduction. Stopping beside the emergency vehicle or using the shoulder creates another hazard instead of providing a safe buffer.

14. 14. What does New Jersey’s red octagonal sign require?

    1. YIELD
    2. Do not enter
    3. Keep right around an obstruction
    4. STOP
    Show answer

    STOP. The red octagon is reserved for a STOP sign. Its shape and color identify a required stop, unlike the inverted triangle used for YIELD. A square with a red circle and white band identifies DO NOT ENTER, so that choice describes a different design. The curved arrow belongs to a roadway-direction warning. When studying signs, connect the eight-sided red outline with stopping before proceeding only when the way is safe.

15. 15. A red-bordered inverted triangle in New Jersey identifies which instruction?

    1. YIELD
    2. STOP
    3. No passing
    4. Railroad crossing ahead
    Show answer

    YIELD. The inverted triangle is the distinctive shape assigned to a YIELD sign. Its red wording and border tell the driver to give right-of-way as required, rather than make the complete stop associated with the red octagon. A yellow pennant warns of a no-passing area, and the round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead. The useful recognition cue is the triangle pointing downward, with a white center and red border.

16. 16. Which sign tells a New Jersey driver not to enter a roadway or ramp?

    1. A red octagon with white lettering
    2. A yellow pennant with three sides
    3. A blue rectangle with service information
    4. The white square with a red circle and horizontal white band
    Show answer

    The white square with a red circle and horizontal white band. DO NOT ENTER uses a white square containing a red circle crossed by a horizontal white band. The red octagon is the STOP sign, while the yellow pennant carries a no-passing warning. Blue rectangular signs provide service or information, not a prohibition against entering. A quick visual check is to look for the red circular field and the white bar across its center before moving onto a ramp or roadway.

17. 17. What does a cross buck sign require a New Jersey driver to do?

    1. Stop only when a gate is lowered
    2. Yield the right-of-way to trains
    3. Pass the tracks without checking both directions
    4. Treat the sign as permission to cross anywhere
    Show answer

    Yield the right-of-way to trains. The cross buck is an X-shaped railroad crossing sign, and the manual says it means the same as a Yield sign. A driver must give trains the right-of-way because trains cannot swerve to avoid a vehicle. Waiting only for a lowered gate is unsafe because other warning devices may be active, while crossing without checking ignores the hazard. The sign does not authorize crossing away from a marked location. Slow, look, and proceed only when the crossing is clear.

18. 18. What general feature identifies New Jersey regulatory signs?

    1. They are always yellow diamonds with black symbols
    2. They are blue circles with white arrows
    3. They are orange triangles used only in work zones
    4. They are generally rectangular with black wording and border on white
    Show answer

    They are generally rectangular with black wording and border on white. New Jersey describes regulatory signs as generally rectangular, with black wording and a black border on a white background. The other choices describe warning or special-purpose sign treatments rather than the general regulatory pattern. Individual regulatory signs can have distinctive shapes, such as the red octagon for STOP or the inverted triangle for YIELD, so the word generally matters. When studying a pictured ONE WAY sign, focus first on its regulatory purpose and then read the exact directional message shown on it.

19. 19. What legal status do road markings have in New Jersey?

    1. They have the same force of law as signs or traffic signals
    2. They apply only to commercial vehicles
    3. They are suggestions that may be ignored when traffic is light
    4. They are advisory unless a police officer is present
    Show answer

    They have the same force of law as signs or traffic signals. New Jersey gives road markings the same force of law as signs or traffic signals. That means a driver must obey a marked restriction or direction even when no officer is nearby. The rule is broader than a U-turn symbol, although the pictured no-U-turn sign is a useful reminder that movement restrictions are enforceable. Light traffic does not turn a solid line into a suggestion, and the rule applies to ordinary motorists as well as commercial drivers.

20. 20. What does a New Jersey sign labeled LEFT TURN ONLY require?

    1. Turn left at the location marked
    2. Turn right at the next intersection
    3. Make a U-turn before proceeding
    4. Pass on the left side of traffic
    Show answer

    Turn left at the location marked. LEFT TURN ONLY directs traffic into a left turn; it is not a general instruction to pass, turn right, or reverse direction. The sign’s wording identifies the permitted movement at that location, so a driver should position the vehicle for the left turn and watch for pedestrians, vehicles, and the applicable signal or right-of-way rule. A U-turn prohibition and a passing rule are separate controls. Reading the complete sign message prevents treating a lane-direction instruction as permission for any other maneuver.