NJ Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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 pedestrian has not entered the roadway and faces an orange steady raised palm. What should happen?

   1. Start crossing quickly
   2. Remain on the sidewalk and do not enter
   3. Walk diagonally against traffic
   4. Enter after a driver waves
   Show answer

   Remain on the sidewalk and do not enter. The steady raised palm tells a person still on the sidewalk or curb not to enter the roadway. Someone already in the crosswalk may finish reaching safety, but that exception does not invite a new crossing. A driver’s wave cannot replace the pedestrian signal. The key distinction is location: a person who has not started crossing waits at the curb for a permitted indication.

2. 2. What does a white steady pedestrian silhouette or countdown indication allow?

   1. Pedestrians must wait until every vehicle stops
   2. Only turning vehicles may use the crosswalk
   3. Pedestrians may cross anywhere without watching traffic
   4. Pedestrians may cross in the indicated direction
   Show answer

   Pedestrians may cross in the indicated direction. The white pedestrian indication permits people facing it to cross in the shown direction. It does not remove the need to use the crosswalk carefully or make every vehicle stop before entry. The symbol authorizes pedestrian movement, not a vehicle turn. The displayed direction is the cue: follow that path while continuing to watch for vehicles. Keep scanning until the crossing is complete.

3. 3. An aggressive driver is following too closely. Which response best protects the driver ahead?

   1. Brake sharply to punish the follower
   2. Stay calm and avoid escalating the encounter
   3. Move unpredictably between lanes
   4. Speed above the limit to create distance
   Show answer

   Stay calm and avoid escalating the encounter. The manual treats close following as aggressive driving and advises motorists to remain calm and obey roadway rules. A sudden brake can cause a rear-end crash, erratic lane movement creates another conflict, and speeding adds a violation. Keep control, preserve space when possible, and let the aggressive motorist pass when a safe opening appears. The goal is to reduce conflict, not compete with it.

4. 4. If a vehicle leaves the pavement onto a shoulder, what recovery method is recommended?

   1. Turn sharply back at the original speed
   2. Brake hard while cutting across the lane
   3. Accelerate onto the pavement
   4. Stay on the shoulder, ease off the gas, then return at 25 mph or less
   Show answer

   Stay on the shoulder, ease off the gas, then return at 25 mph or less. A vehicle can become unstable when a frightened driver jerks it back onto the roadway. Stay on the shoulder, ease up on the gas, and wait until speed is 25 mph or less before returning gradually. Sharp steering and hard braking can start a skid, while acceleration reduces recovery time. First regain control, then make a shallow turn back when the edge can be crossed safely.

5. 5. How far from a fire station driveway must a New Jersey motorist park on the opposite side of the street?

   1. 75 feet
   2. 20 feet
   3. 50 feet
   4. 100 feet
   Show answer

   75 feet. Parking is prohibited within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and within 75 feet on the street opposite a fire station entrance. The longer distance across the street leaves room for apparatus to swing out. The same list bars parking on any bridge or elevated roadway, in any tunnel, within 50 feet of a stop sign and within 50 feet of a railroad crossing.

6. 6. A motorist becomes angry in traffic. What should the driver do before continuing?

   1. Use the horn repeatedly
   2. Follow another vehicle closely
   3. Take time to cool off
   4. Make an abrupt lane change
   Show answer

   Take time to cool off. Strong emotion can impair judgment, so an angry or excited motorist should take time to cool off. Repeated horn use, close following, and abrupt lane changes escalate the situation rather than restore control. The point is not to win an encounter. Create time and distance, settle down, and continue only when attention has returned to lawful, deliberate driving. Calm choices protect everyone nearby.

7. 7. When passing a horseback rider, what speed and conduct are required?

   1. Reduce speed to 25 mph or less and proceed with caution
   2. Keep the posted limit and sound the horn
   3. Pass at walking speed with high beams
   4. Stop in the lane until another driver passes
   Show answer

   Reduce speed to 25 mph or less and proceed with caution. Horseback riders have the same roadway rights and responsibilities as motor-vehicle drivers. When approaching or passing one, reduce speed to 25 mph or less and proceed cautiously. Continuous horn use and high beams are not the stated requirement. Stopping in the lane is not the ordinary passing rule, although a rider’s signal can require a stop in a particular situation. Slow early and give the rider room.

8. 8. Before entering a traffic circle, what should a motorist do?

   1. Assume the entering vehicle has priority
   2. Stop in the center for another driver’s signal
   3. Check every sign and the intentions of traffic already inside
   4. Follow the largest vehicle
   Show answer

   Check every sign and the intentions of traffic already inside. Traffic circles can be governed by established flow, major-road priority, or entrance stop and yield signs. The manual directs drivers to check all signs and determine what traffic already in the circle intends to do. Automatic entry priority ignores those controls. Stopping in the center creates a hazard, and vehicle size is not a right-of-way rule. Approach slowly, read the entrance, and yield when required.

9. 9. Why does the three-seconds-plus rule help a driver following another vehicle?

   1. It guarantees exactly three seconds of braking
   2. It replaces watching traffic ahead
   3. It permits a shorter gap on wet roads
   4. It helps judge enough space for a sudden stop
   Show answer

   It helps judge enough space for a sudden stop. The method uses a fixed object to estimate whether the following gap can accommodate an unexpected stop. It is not a promise of a three-second braking time and never replaces scanning the road. Wet conditions require four or more seconds, not less. Choose a tree or sign, begin counting after the vehicle ahead passes it, and seek at least three seconds in favorable conditions.

10. 10. A white diamond painted on a highway lane generally identifies what?

    1. A lane where parking is allowed
    2. An HOV lane reserved under posted conditions
    3. An emergency-vehicles-only lane
    4. A shoulder that may be crossed freely
    Show answer

    An HOV lane reserved under posted conditions. A white pavement diamond marks a high-occupancy-vehicle lane when regulatory signs identify the vehicle or passenger requirement and operating hours. It does not create parking space, reserve the lane only for emergency responders, or authorize casual shoulder crossings. Read the accompanying sign because eligibility and hours can vary. The diamond is a lane-use cue, so check the restriction before entering.

11. 11. If a vehicle catches fire, what is the driver’s immediate priority?

    1. Get passengers out and away, then call for help
    2. Open the hood and pour water on the engine
    3. Remain inside until smoke clears
    4. Drive farther before stopping
    Show answer

    Get passengers out and away, then call for help. A vehicle fire can spread rapidly, so do not spend time trying to save the car. Get passengers out immediately, move everyone away from the vehicle, and call for help. Opening the hood or attempting to fight the fire increases exposure, while remaining inside leaves people beside the danger. The memory cue is evacuate, create distance, and summon assistance. Personal safety comes before property.

12. 12. What penalty can obtaining a New Jersey driver license illegally bring?

    1. A $25 fee
    2. A warning
    3. A fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment
    4. Only license cancellation
    Show answer

    A fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment. Altering a driver license or presenting an altered license can mean loss of driving privileges, a fine up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment, and obtaining a driver license illegally may result in a fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment. Neither offense is treated as a paperwork error. Licenses for motorists under 21 are printed vertically, and all driver licenses are valid for four years.

13. 13. Rumble strips are placed to do what for a New Jersey driver?

    1. Alert the driver to a decision point or danger ahead
    2. Mark a legal passing lane
    3. Show the distance to the next exit
    4. Replace every nearby warning sign
    Show answer

    Alert the driver to a decision point or danger ahead. Rumble strips create vibration and noise that can wake a drowsy driver and call attention to a decision point or hazard ahead. They are not lane markings granting passing permission and do not measure an exit distance. A rumble strip also does not replace the cautionary sign often used with it. Reduce speed, regain attention, and look beyond the strips for the condition they announce.

14. 14. If a gas pedal sticks, what sequence should the driver follow?

    1. Pump the pedal while keeping speed
    2. Turn sharply and apply the parking brake first
    3. Shift to neutral, steer to safety, turn off the engine, and call for help
    4. Switch off immediately in moving traffic
    Show answer

    Shift to neutral, steer to safety, turn off the engine, and call for help. A stuck accelerator requires the driver to keep watching the roadway while removing engine drive. Shift quickly to neutral, steer to a safe area off the roadway, turn the engine off, and call for help. Repeated pumping may fail, a sharp turn can cause loss of control, and switching off before reaching safety leaves the vehicle exposed. Control the path first, then deal with the disabled vehicle.

15. 15. How can a New Jersey motorist tell that a child restraint system meets federal safety standards?

    1. It has a metal frame
    2. It carries a label with the manufacture date stating it conforms to federal motor vehicle safety standards
    3. It was sold in a store
    4. It fits tightly in the seat
    Show answer

    It carries a label with the manufacture date stating it conforms to federal motor vehicle safety standards. All child restraint systems built since January 1, 1981 must be designed to pass tough safety tests, and these seats carry a label that gives the date of manufacture and states that the child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. Look for that label rather than judging by construction or where the seat was bought. Children of any age are safest belted properly in the back seat.

16. 16. Before merging from a highway entrance ramp, what should the driver do?

    1. Stop until every lane is empty
    2. Enter the left lane first
    3. Assume main-road traffic must yield
    4. Yield to main-road traffic and enter the right lane when safe
    Show answer

    Yield to main-road traffic and enter the right lane when safe. Traffic already on the highway has priority over a vehicle entering from an acceleration lane. Build speed toward the flow, yield, and merge into the right-hand lane when a safe opening exists. Stopping is discouraged unless necessary, and moving first into the left lane reverses the normal entry pattern. Use the ramp to match speed, signal, check the gap, and merge only when the movement is safe.

17. 17. What does a solid yellow line on the driver’s side of the center line mean?

    1. The driver may pass if the shoulder is clear
    2. The driver must not pass
    3. Only trucks may cross to pass
    4. The driver must turn next
    Show answer

    The driver must not pass. A solid yellow line on the motorist’s side of the center line means do not pass. The restriction applies even if the shoulder looks open and creates no truck exception or required turn. Passing is allowed only when the markings permit it, such as a dashed line on that driver’s side. Inspect the line nearest your lane before beginning an overtaking maneuver.

18. 18. What should a driver do when the vehicle’s headlights suddenly go out?

    1. Continue at the posted speed
    2. Turn on high beams and keep driving
    3. Stop in the travel lane
    4. Stop safely off the roadway and try the switches before calling for help
    Show answer

    Stop safely off the roadway and try the switches before calling for help. A headlight failure removes essential visibility, so bring the vehicle to a safe stop off the roadway. Try the headlight or dimmer switches; if that fails, use parking lights, emergency flashers, or turn signals and call for help. Continuing at speed risks collision, while stopping in a travel lane exposes the disabled vehicle to traffic. Get clear of the active path before troubleshooting.

19. 19. Before making a left turn on a green light, what must a New Jersey driver yield to?

    1. Only vehicles behind the turning car
    2. No one because green always gives priority
    3. Approaching vehicles and pedestrians in the conflict area
    4. Only pedestrians on the far sidewalk
    Show answer

    Approaching vehicles and pedestrians in the conflict area. A green light permits movement, but a turning driver still yields to pedestrians and approaching vehicles. The signal does not erase conflicts created by the turn, and traffic behind is not the controlling concern. Waiting only for people on the far sidewalk misses anyone crossing the turning path. Scan the approach and crosswalk, reduce speed as needed, and turn only after those users are clear.

20. 20. What do white lines generally separate on a New Jersey roadway?

    1. Traffic moving in the same direction
    2. Traffic moving in opposite directions
    3. Only railroad tracks from travel lanes
    4. A travel lane from every parking space
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    Traffic moving in the same direction. White lines separate traffic traveling in the same direction when multiple lanes are present, and they can show roadway edges. Yellow center lines separate opposing flows. The railroad and parking choices describe unrelated markings, not the general meaning of a white lane line. Before changing lanes, inspect the line pattern and surrounding traffic rather than treating every white line as permission to cross.