NY Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

Every question below comes from the New York 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 a two-way New York road, how close to a railroad crossing may you be and still pass on the left?

   1. Passing is allowed right up to the tracks
   2. No passing within 20 feet of the crossing
   3. No passing within 100 feet of the crossing
   4. No passing within 1,000 feet of the crossing
   Show answer

   No passing within 100 feet of the crossing. New York's list of times you cannot pass on the left includes being within 100 feet of a railroad crossing on a two-way roadway. The same 100 foot rule applies near a bridge, tunnel or viaduct on a two-way road when your view is obstructed. You also cannot pass when a solid yellow line is on your side, near a curve or hilltop you cannot see past, or when you cannot get back before an oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet. Twenty feet is far too close, and 1,000 feet overstates the rule.

   Study this in the handbook: Passing on the left and the right

2. 2. How does a bicyclist signal a stop?

   1. Right arm straight up
   2. Left arm extended and bent down at the elbow
   3. Both arms waving
   4. No signal exists
   Show answer

   Left arm extended and bent down at the elbow. Bike stops flash downward: the stop signal is the left arm extended and bent down at the elbow. Arm-up, waving, and none readings each miss the gesture drivers must recognize. Left turns extend the left arm straight; right turns use the right arm out or left arm bent up. Read cyclists' arms like turn signals. Read cyclists' arm signals just like vehicle turn signals.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

3. 3. What range of mandatory fines does New York list for driving while a license is suspended or revoked?

   1. $25 to $100
   2. A flat $50
   3. A $10,000 minimum
   4. $200 to $5,000
   Show answer

   $200 to $5,000. Driving on a suspended or revoked New York license is a criminal offense, not a simple traffic ticket. Mandatory fines run from $200 to $5,000, and the driver can face mandatory imprisonment or probation. The vehicle may be seized and forfeited. Penalties are more severe for someone who drives impaired while already suspended for an earlier alcohol or drug incident. A small fine like $25 to $100 or a flat $50 badly understates the offense, and there is no $10,000 minimum.

   Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and probation

4. 4. What is the first exit-scan step?

   1. Right shoulder through the rear window for hazards
   2. Only the radio
   3. Only ahead
   4. Nowhere
   Show answer

   Right shoulder through the rear window for hazards. The exit scan starts rearward right: turn to look over the right shoulder through the rear window for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and other hazards. Radio-only, ahead-only, and nowhere readings each miss the traffic approaching from behind that the exit crosses. Six steps follow: mirror, signal, side mirrors, left shoulders, and the committed entry. Scan first, signal next, move last. The right-rear scan opens the six-step exit sequence.

   Study this in the handbook: Parallel parking and where you cannot park

5. 5. Which hand positions does the manual recommend to keep hands away from an inflating steering wheel air bag?

   1. The 12 and 6 o’clock positions
   2. Both hands together at 12 o’clock
   3. The 3 and 9 o’clock positions
   4. One hand at 12 o’clock and the other on the gear lever
   Show answer

   The 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Place your hands on opposite sides of the wheel at three and nine o’clock. The manual connects these positions with keeping your hands away when the air bag inflates. Holding the top of the wheel or using one hand on the gear lever does not follow this instruction. Air bags inflate quickly, so choose the recommended position before a problem develops and continue to maintain control of the steering wheel.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits, space cushion and work zones

6. 6. Which substances can support impaired-driving charges?

   1. Impairment by drugs, alcohol, or combinations including marijuana, cocaine, LSD, heroin, opium, or prescriptions
   2. Only alcohol counts
   3. Only illegal drugs count
   4. Medications are exempt
   Show answer

   Impairment by drugs, alcohol, or combinations including marijuana, cocaine, LSD, heroin, opium, or prescriptions. Impaired driving spans substances: criminal liability covers impairment by drugs, alcohol, or combinations, including marijuana, cocaine, LSD, heroin, opium, and some prescriptions. Alcohol-only, illegal-only, and medication-exempt readings each shrink a net cast deliberately wide. Reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness all suffer. Any impairing substance can convict. Reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness all suffer badly together. Any impairing substance at all can support a conviction here.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

7. 7. What space should you select for parallel parking?

   1. A large-enough space on your side of the road
   2. Any space across the street
   3. A space half your length
   4. A sidewalk gap
   Show answer

   A large-enough space on your side of the road. Space selection starts the maneuver: choose a space large enough for the vehicle on your own side of the road. Across-street, half-length, and sidewalk readings each begin with an illegal or impossible position. Crossing to the far side means wrong-way driving, and short spaces guarantee multi-point struggles or struck bumpers. Cruise past, judge the length against the car, and claim only fitting spaces on the correct side.

   Study this in the handbook: Parallel parking and where you cannot park

8. 8. How many points do speed contests and races carry?

   1. 3 points
   2. 5 points
   3. 7 points
   4. 11 points
   Show answer

   5 points. Street racing costs five points: speed contests and races draw five on the violation table, matching reckless driving and due-care failures. Three points cover minor movers, eight mark the severe tier, and eleven end licenses. Organized or impromptu racing on public roads also invites criminal charges, impound, and insurance catastrophe beyond the points. Save competition for the track; the street price includes the license.

   Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and probation

9. 9. How do beer, wine, and liquor compare in alcohol?

   1. Beer is weakest
   2. Wine is safest
   3. All hold about equal alcohol: 1.5 oz liquor, 5 oz wine, 12 oz beer or cooler
   4. Liquor is weakest
   Show answer

   All hold about equal alcohol: 1.5 oz liquor, 5 oz wine, 12 oz beer or cooler. Standard drinks equalize: an ounce and a half of liquor, five ounces of wine, twelve ounces of beer, and twelve ounces of wine cooler all contain about the same alcohol. Weakest-beer, safest-wine, and weakest-liquor readings each rank what chemistry equalizes. None is safer to drink than the others. Count drinks, not types. Count standard drinks by number, never by beverage type at all.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

10. 10. How should speed change before a turn?

    1. Speed up into turns
    2. Brake inside the curve
    3. Ignore cross traffic
    4. Reduce speed before turning
    Show answer

    Reduce speed before turning. Turns begin with a slowdown: reduce speed while preparing to turn, before the wheel ever rotates. Speed-up, mid-curve-brake, and ignore-traffic readings each enter the arc too hot or too blind. Slower entries leave grip for steering and time for scanning motorcycles, walkers, and cross traffic. Slow first, scan second, steer third. Slow first, scan second, and steer the arc third.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way, turns and U-turns

11. 11. A red left arrow is illuminated at a New York traffic signal. What is prohibited?

    1. Moving left until the arrow is replaced by a green signal or arrow
    2. Turning left after stopping and yielding
    3. Turning left only when pedestrians are absent
    4. Proceeding left if the lane beside you is clear
    Show answer

    Moving left until the arrow is replaced by a green signal or arrow. A red arrow controls movement in the arrow's direction more specifically than a general red light. Do not move left until the red arrow turns off and a green light or arrow appears. Stopping first does not create a red-arrow exception, and an empty lane or empty crosswalk does not change the signal. The key visual cue is the illuminated arrow: wait for a green indication pointing in the permitted direction before beginning the turn.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes and colors

12. 12. What colors identify a New York destination sign?

    1. Green background with white letters and symbols
    2. Blue background with white letters and symbols
    3. Yellow background with black letters and symbols
    4. White background with red letters and symbols
    Show answer

    Green background with white letters and symbols. Destination signs guide a driver toward places, routes, or travel directions, and New York identifies them by a green background with white lettering or symbols. Blue signs serve a different role by pointing to services, while yellow diamond signs warn about hazards or changing conditions. A white and red combination is commonly associated with regulation rather than route guidance. At a glance, green means destination information, so read it for where the road leads rather than for a command.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes and colors

13. 13. A green arrow points left while a red light is also showing. When may the driver move?

    1. Straight through the red light regardless of traffic
    2. Toward the arrow, only when the intersection is clear
    3. In any direction after slowing without stopping
    4. Only after the arrow changes to yellow
    Show answer

    Toward the arrow, only when the intersection is clear. New York permits movement toward the green arrow while the red light is showing, but only when the intersection is clear. The arrow does not authorize straight travel through the red signal, movement in an unshown direction, or a wait until the arrow turns yellow. A driver should scan for vehicles and pedestrians before entering the intersection and follow the indicated path. The important cue is the combination of red and green arrow: the arrow controls a limited movement, not the entire signal head.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes and colors

14. 14. How must ages 8 to 15 ride in cars?

    1. Share one belt
    2. Ride unrestrained
    3. One belt per person for ages 8 to 15
    4. Only the driver buckles
    Show answer

    One belt per person for ages 8 to 15. Older children belt individually: passengers eight through fifteen must each wear a seat belt, one person per belt. Shared, unrestrained, and driver-only readings each violate the per-person rule. Shorter or lighter older children should keep booster seats until belts fit correctly. Every seat, every belt, every trip. Every seat, every belt, and every single trip without fail. Older children who still need boosters should keep using them.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits, space cushion and work zones

15. 15. Do signals always resolve traffic conflicts?

    1. Stop signs always resolve conflicts
    2. Green lights do not resolve every conflict
    3. Signals eliminate all judgment
    4. Markings decide everything
    Show answer

    Green lights do not resolve every conflict. Hardware has limits: signs, signals, and markings do not always resolve conflicts, as when a left-turner faces green-light through traffic. Always-resolve, eliminate-judgment, and decide-everything readings each overpromise what paint and bulbs deliver. Right-of-way rules fill the gap, naming who goes first and who waits. Read the signal, then apply the rule, then go only when truly clear. Green means go only when the right-of-way rules also agree.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way, turns and U-turns

16. 16. What does a yellow and black recommended speed sign joined with a warning sign indicate?

    
    1. The posted speed limit is suspended in that area
    2. A mandatory detour begins immediately
    3. Reduced speed is advised in that area
    4. The road is reserved for emergency vehicles
    Show answer

    Reduced speed is advised in that area. A recommended speed plaque gives a cautionary speed for the hazard shown by the warning sign. It advises reducing speed in that area, but it does not suspend the posted legal limit, create a detour, or reserve the road for emergency vehicles. Read the warning symbol and the speed information together, then slow before entering the affected section. The practical cue is that the plaque helps manage the hazard while the regular speed limit and other controls still apply.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes and colors

17. 17. May a driver make a U-turn within a New York school zone?

    1. No, U-turns are prohibited in school zones
    2. Yes, if the road is clear in both directions
    3. Yes, if no separate NO U-TURN sign is posted
    4. Yes, if the driver starts from the lane nearest the center line
    Show answer

    No, U-turns are prohibited in school zones. New York prohibits a vehicle from making a U-turn in a school zone. The restriction is separate from the handbook’s instructions about where to position a vehicle for a U-turn that is allowed. Starting near the center line therefore does not create permission here. Nor does a clear road or the absence of a separate sign remove the school-zone prohibition. Check the location before deciding whether this type of turn is permitted.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way, turns and U-turns

18. 18. How many points for speeding with MPH not specified?

    1. 1 point
    2. 2 points
    3. 4 points
    4. 3 points
    Show answer

    3 points. Unspecified speeding sits low on the violation table: speeding with no recorded miles-per-hour over the limit draws three license points. One, two, and four readings misplace the entry that anchors the bottom of the speeding ladder. Specified bands climb from three points for one-to-ten over, through six and eight, to eleven over forty. Points feed suspensions and insurance surcharges, so every band matters beyond its fine.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and probation

19. 19. Should you move your car after a crash?

    1. Leave it in traffic
    2. Move it off the road if possible
    3. Push it into the ditch
    4. Abandon it
    Show answer

    Move it off the road if possible. Drivable wrecks clear the lanes: if possible, move the vehicle off the road after a crash. In-traffic, ditch, and abandon readings each leave hazards where following traffic strikes them. Secondary crashes kill more than first impacts. Signal, roll to the shoulder, and set flares before exchanging. Signal, roll to the shoulder, and set flares well before exchanging details. Secondary crashes kill more people than first impacts do.

    Study this in the handbook: What to do after a crash

20. 20. A traffic crash injures a domestic animal. What should you do about contacting someone?

    1. Notify only your own insurance company
    2. Try to find its owner or notify the police
    3. Leave a note only if the animal has a collar
    4. Wait for the owner to contact you before reporting it
    Show answer

    Try to find its owner or notify the police. The crash instructions require you to try to find the owner or notify police when a domestic animal is injured. Contacting your own insurer alone does not satisfy that instruction. Whether the animal has a collar is not the deciding condition, and waiting to be contacted reverses the responsibility. Stop after the crash and take care around traffic while making the required contact. Do not create another roadway hazard.

    Study this in the handbook: What to do after a crash