PA Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

Every question below comes from the Pennsylvania 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. According to Pennsylvania's driver manual, what does the law say about the right-of-way at intersections?

   1. It identifies who must yield, and drivers must still avoid a crash
   2. It grants permanent priority to the vehicle on the right
   3. It guarantees that a driver who arrives first can continue
   4. It gives every emergency vehicle priority in every location
   Show answer

   It identifies who must yield, and drivers must still avoid a crash. Pennsylvania's manual says the law does not give anyone the right-of-way at intersections; it only identifies who must yield. Even when another driver has the yield duty, you must stop or yield if that is needed to prevent a crash. The right-side, first-arrival, and emergency-vehicle choices turn a conditional traffic rule into an absolute guarantee. Use the rule to organize your decision, but keep scanning for a person who may fail to follow it.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections and roundabouts

2. 2. Under which conditions may a Pennsylvania driver pass another vehicle on the right?

   1. Whenever the right shoulder is paved and empty
   2. Only on interstate highways during daylight
   3. When the driver ahead is making or signaling a left turn and the passing driver stays on the berm or shoulder, or when driving on a roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes in each direction
   4. Whenever the vehicle ahead travels below the speed limit
   Show answer

   When the driver ahead is making or signaling a left turn and the passing driver stays on the berm or shoulder, or when driving on a roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes in each direction. Right-side passing is a narrow exception with two doors. You may pass on the right when the driver you are passing is making or signaling a left turn, staying on the berm or shoulder, or when driving on a roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes in each direction. A merely empty paved shoulder opens neither door, daylight and interstate settings change nothing, and a slow vehicle ahead never by itself authorizes a right pass. Confirm one of the named conditions first, then pass with the same mirror and signal discipline used on the left.

   Study this in the handbook: Signaling, turning, U-turns and passing

3. 3. Why does Pennsylvania recommend that all children ages 12 and under ride in the rear seat?

   1. Rear seats have more legroom for children
   2. Most collisions are frontal, so the rear seat is farther from impact, and front seat children may fidget too close to the air bag compartment
   3. Children are not allowed to speak in the front seat
   4. Front seats lack seat belts in most vehicles
   Show answer

   Most collisions are frontal, so the rear seat is farther from impact, and front seat children may fidget too close to the air bag compartment. The manual recommends the rear seat for children ages 12 and under because most collisions are frontal and the rear seat is farther from the point of impact. Children also tend to fidget and may get too close to the front air bag compartment, increasing injury risk if the air bag deploys. Infants in rear-facing safety seats should never ride in front of a passenger-side air bag.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and the anti-texting law

4. 4. Besides displaying a disabled person or veteran plate or placard, what second condition must hold for legal parking in a Pennsylvania disability parking area?

   1. The vehicle must be operated by or for the transportation of the disabled person or severely disabled veteran
   2. The vehicle displays the placard while running errands unrelated to transporting the disabled person
   3. The driver must stay inside the vehicle
   4. The vehicle must also display a parking receipt
   Show answer

   The vehicle must be operated by or for the transportation of the disabled person or severely disabled veteran. To legally park in a designated disability parking area, the vehicle must display a disabled person or disabled veteran plate or placard and be operated by or for the transportation of the disabled person or severely disabled veteran. Unlawfully parked vehicles may be towed and reclaimed upon payment of towing costs. The stated fine upon conviction is $50 to $200. By contrast, a receipt does not replace the requirement that the vehicle be operated by or for transportation of the disabled person or severely disabled veteran.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and distances

5. 5. A parent cannot accompany an under-18 Pennsylvania permit applicant to the Driver License Center. How must the Parent or Guardian Consent Form (DL-180TD) be signed?

   1. It may be signed at home and mailed in with a photocopy of identification
   2. It must be signed in the presence of a notary, with proper identification and verification of relationship if last names differ
   3. It may be signed by the applicant and witnessed by a classmate
   4. It must be signed only at the center, so the application must wait
   Show answer

   It must be signed in the presence of a notary, with proper identification and verification of relationship if last names differ. When the parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, or spouse aged 18 or older cannot accompany the applicant, that adult must sign the DL-180TD in the presence of a notary. Proper identification is required, and verification of the relationship is needed when last names are different. Mailing a home-signed form with a photocopy skips the notarization safeguard, while a classmate cannot supply parental consent at all. The trip need not wait for the adult to attend in person, because the notarized signature replaces their presence.

   Study this in the handbook: Learner's permit, knowledge test and road test

6. 6. During a Pennsylvania Road Test, you cannot properly operate the defroster when the examiner asks. What is the result?

   1. A warning, with the test continuing normally
   2. A retake limited to vehicle controls the same day
   3. No effect, because controls are checked after driving
   4. Failure of the Road Test
   Show answer

   Failure of the Road Test. The examiner may ask you to operate vehicle controls, including the defroster, before the Road Test. Failure to operate any vehicle control properly results in failure of the Road Test. Manual wording for this rule: Failure to properly operate any of the vehicle controls will result in a failure of the Road Test. That wording points to "Failure of the Road Test."

   Study this in the handbook: Learner's permit, knowledge test and road test

7. 7. You see a keystone shaped marker naming Traffic Route 39. Which road are you on?

   1. A United States traffic route numbered 39
   2. Pennsylvania Traffic Route 39
   3. An interstate spur numbered 39
   4. A county road numbered 39
   Show answer

   Pennsylvania Traffic Route 39. The keystone marker showing 39 identifies Pennsylvania Traffic Route 39. It identifies the route as a Pennsylvania traffic route rather than a U.S. traffic route. The cited manual passage: The keystone marker shows you the road is Pennsylvania Traffic Route 39. That wording points to "Pennsylvania Traffic Route 39." By contrast, an interstate spur uses a different shield and numbering pattern. Another option fails because a keystone outline is not the federal shield system.

8. 8. You approach a sharp curve on a wet Pennsylvania road. When must you reduce speed to keep control through the bend?

   1. Halfway through the curve
   2. Only if the vehicle starts to slide
   3. Before you enter the curve
   4. After exiting the curve
   Show answer

   Before you enter the curve. Reduce speed before entering the curve. The sharper the curve, the more you need to reduce speed. Sharp curves on wet or icy roads require the greatest speed reduction. Scan ahead and look at the inside edge of the curve for steering guidance. The cited manual passage: TO MAINTAIN CONTROL ON CURVES, YOU MUST SLOW DOWN. DO IT BEFORE YOU ENTER THE CURVE.

9. 9. You see a one or two-digit interstate shield with an odd number. What route pattern should you expect?

   1. A north-south route, with numbers rising from I-5 on the west coast to I-95 on the east coast
   2. An east-west route numbered from south to north
   3. A beltway around a city
   4. A route that never leaves Pennsylvania
   Show answer

   A north-south route, with numbers rising from I-5 on the west coast to I-95 on the east coast. One- or two-digit odd-numbered interstates generally run north-south. Their numbers increase from I-5 on the west coast to I-95 on the east coast. In Pennsylvania, I-79 is in the west and I-95 in the east. Three-digit routes with an even first digit usually connect to interstate highways at both ends and are often called loops or beltways. Manual wording for this rule: One or two-digit, odd-numbered interstates are generally north-south routes. Numbers increase from the west coast I-5 to the east coast I-95.

10. 10. You must drive through fog in Pennsylvania. Which lights should you use, day or night?

    1. High beams for maximum reach
    2. Hazard flashers as your only lights
    3. Low beam headlights, plus fog lights if equipped
    4. Parking lights only
    Show answer

    Low beam headlights, plus fog lights if equipped. Use low beam headlights and fog lights if equipped, day or night. High beams shine up into fog and reflect back into your eyes, creating glare. Slow enough to stop within the distance you can see, and check your speedometer. In dense fog, the manual recommends pulling completely off the road, preferably into a parking lot, turning on hazard lights while parked and keeping your seat belt fastened.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed, night driving and bad weather

11. 11. A white steady two-way left-turn arrow glows over your lane. What movement is allowed, and who shares the lane?

    1. Left turns only from your lane, shared with left-turning drivers approaching from the opposite direction
    2. Left turns only, with the lane reserved solely for your direction
    3. Through travel plus left turns for both directions
    4. Passing in either direction at reduced speed
    Show answer

    Left turns only from your lane, shared with left-turning drivers approaching from the opposite direction. The white two-way left-turn arrow allows only left turns from that lane, and the lane is shared by left-turning drivers approaching from the opposite direction. That sharing sets it apart from the one-way white arrow, where the lane serves a single direction. Through travel and passing are both outside its purpose. Because opposing drivers aim into the same space, enter it late, square your vehicle fully inside, and confirm the far side is clear before crossing. Treat the shared lane as a brief turning refuge, never a travel lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and lane signals

12. 12. Where should your thumbs rest on the steering wheel under Pennsylvania guidance?

    1. Gripping the inside of the rim for a tighter hold
    2. On the horn pad at all times
    3. Along the face of the steering wheel instead of gripping the inside of the rim
    4. Wrapped around the wheel spokes
    Show answer

    Along the face of the steering wheel instead of gripping the inside of the rim. Keep your thumbs along the face of the steering wheel instead of gripping the inside of the rim. The manual recommends hands at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4, whichever is more comfortable. It says this hand position reduces the likelihood of overcorrection and of an air bag throwing your arms and hands back into your face, and makes long drives more comfortable.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts, floods and brake trouble

13. 13. Which events at a Pennsylvania railroad crossing require you to stop, and what is forbidden once a gate lowers?

    1. Only a lowered gate requires stopping; creeping around it is allowed when no train is visible
    2. Only the train's horn requires stopping; lights alone are advisory
    3. Signals include flashing red lights, a lowered gate, a flagger, or a train's audible warning; never move forward, go around a gate, or ignore an approaching-train signal
    4. Stopping is required only when a train is plainly visible on the tracks
    Show answer

    Signals include flashing red lights, a lowered gate, a flagger, or a train's audible warning; never move forward, go around a gate, or ignore an approaching-train signal. Stop duty at a crossing triggers on several warnings, not just a train in view: flashing red lights, a lowered crossing gate, a flagger signaling, or a train's audible signal of warning. Once those warnings appear, do not move forward, attempt to go around any gate, or ignore any signal of an approaching train. Where no signals exist, slow down and prepare to stop if a train approaches. Lights alone are commands, not advice. Treat every active warning as a hard stop until the signals complete and the way is visibly clear.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and lane signals

14. 14. Which vehicles count as emergency vehicles under Pennsylvania's guidance on sirens and flashing lights?

    1. Only police cars and ambulances
    2. Any vehicle with hazard flashers running
    3. Personal vehicles of volunteer firefighters in all cases
    4. Fire department vehicles, police cars, ambulances, blood delivery vehicles, and specially equipped vehicles from rescue organizations
    Show answer

    Fire department vehicles, police cars, ambulances, blood delivery vehicles, and specially equipped vehicles from rescue organizations. The flashing-light family is wider than the two most familiar members. Emergency vehicles include fire department vehicles, police cars, ambulances, blood delivery vehicles, and specially equipped vehicles from rescue organizations. They use sirens and flashing red lights or a combination of flashing red and blue lights to move quickly through traffic and answer emergency calls. Hazard flashers on an ordinary car create no such status, and a volunteer's personal vehicle is not listed wholesale. When any listed vehicle approaches with lights or siren active, pull over and clear its path.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, emergency vehicles and the Move Over law

15. 15. Besides headlights, emergency flashers, and a flag or insignia, what else may vehicles in a Pennsylvania funeral procession display?

    1. A flashing green light on the roof
    2. A white strobe in the rear window
    3. A flashing or revolving purple light displayed on the vehicle during the procession
    4. No other lighting of any kind
    Show answer

    A flashing or revolving purple light displayed on the vehicle during the procession. Vehicles in a funeral procession must have headlights and emergency flashers on and display a flag or other procession insignia. They may also display a flashing or revolving purple light during the procession. The passage behind this item: May also have a flashing or revolving purple light displayed on the vehicle during the procession. That wording points to "A flashing or revolving purple light displayed on the vehicle during the procession."

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections and roundabouts

16. 16. Object markers beside the roadway show stripes angled downward. What are those stripes telling you?

    1. The road surface is grooved for drainage
    2. The stripes are angled down in the direction you need to move to avoid the hazard, marking objects or conditions like underpass supports, bridge ends, guiderails, drop-offs, or abrupt alignment changes
    3. Parking is permitted beyond the marker
    4. The lane becomes one-way past the marker
    Show answer

    The stripes are angled down in the direction you need to move to avoid the hazard, marking objects or conditions like underpass supports, bridge ends, guiderails, drop-offs, or abrupt alignment changes. Object markers warn of nearby objects or roadside conditions such as underpass supports, bridge ends, guiderails, drop-offs, or abrupt changes in roadway alignment. Their stripes angle down in the direction you should move to avoid the hazard. Keep left of a right hazard, right of a left hazard, and left or right of a center hazard. Cited handbook wording: Angled down in the direction you need to move to avoid the hazard:.

17. 17. Under Pennsylvania's Implied Consent law, how did you agree to chemical testing for alcohol or drugs?

    1. Just by being licensed to drive in Pennsylvania
    2. By signing a separate consent form at each traffic stop
    3. Only by agreeing verbally after an arrest
    4. Only when a judge orders the test
    Show answer

    Just by being licensed to drive in Pennsylvania. Under the manual’s description of implied consent, being licensed to drive in Pennsylvania means you have agreed to chemical testing for alcohol or drugs. The agreement does not depend on first signing a separate form at a stop, giving verbal consent after arrest, or receiving a judge’s order. The manual states that refusing breath or blood testing after a DUI arrest brings a suspension in addition to any suspension for a DUI conviction or ARD.

    Study this in the handbook: DUI, chemical tests and zero tolerance

18. 18. You are about to back up in a Pennsylvania parking lot where people are walking. What check comes first?

    1. Check your mirrors only after you start rolling
    2. Ask a passenger to watch after you reach the street
    3. Back up quickly so you block the lane briefly
    4. Check for pedestrians in your path before backing up
    Show answer

    Check for pedestrians in your path before backing up. Before backing up, always check for pedestrians in your path. The check must come before you begin moving backward. The passage behind this item: Before backing up, always check for pedestrians in your path. That wording points to "Check for pedestrians in your path before backing up." By contrast, help arranged after reaching the street comes too late for the backing path.

    Study this in the handbook: Motorcycles, bicycles, trucks and pedestrians

19. 19. You are stopped by Pennsylvania police and you are transporting a firearm in the vehicle. What should you do about the firearm at the start of the stop?

    1. Hide it under the seat before the officer arrives
    2. Hand it to the officer without being asked
    3. Say nothing unless the officer searches the vehicle
    4. Alert the officer immediately that you are transporting a firearm
    Show answer

    Alert the officer immediately that you are transporting a firearm. If you are transporting any type of firearm, alert the officer immediately. During the stop, limit your movements, do not reach for anything in the vehicle, place your hands on the steering wheel, and follow the officer’s directions. The cited manual passage: Alert the officer immediately, if you are transporting any type of firearm. That wording points to "Alert the officer immediately that you are transporting a firearm."

    Study this in the handbook: Points, insurance and crash duties

20. 20. On an icy Pennsylvania road, the rear of your vehicle starts skidding to the right. Which way should you turn the steering wheel?

    1. To the left, away from the skid
    2. To the right, the same direction the rear is skidding
    3. Straight ahead while braking hard
    4. Back and forth quickly while pumping the brake
    Show answer

    To the right, the same direction the rear is skidding. Look and steer in the direction you want to go. If the rear of your vehicle is skidding to the right, turn the wheel to the right. Do not brake, because that makes the skid worse. Manual wording for this rule: If the rear of your vehicle is skidding to the left, turn the wheel to the left. If the rear of your vehicle is skidding to the right, turn the wheel to the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts, floods and brake trouble