TN Permit Practice Test 14

All 20 questions in test 14

Every question below comes from the Tennessee 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. Fluorescent pink signage on a Tennessee roadway indicates what kind of situation?

   1. Incident management traffic control for events such as crashes, wildland fires, floods, or hazardous material spills
   2. A school zone ahead
   3. A bicycle route detour
   4. A hospital quiet zone
   Show answer

   Incident management traffic control for events such as crashes, wildland fires, floods, or hazardous material spills. Fluorescent pink, sometimes called coral, is used for incident management traffic control signs for incidents such as traffic accidents, wildland fires, floods, and hazardous material spills on or beside a road that interrupt normal traffic flow. School areas use fluorescent yellow-green instead. Bicycle routes use green directional signs. Fluorescent pink identifies incident management traffic control, not a hospital quiet zone. The manual passage behind this item states: "FLUORESCENT PINK (sometimes called “coral”) is used for incident management traffic control signage when needed for incidents such as traffic accidents, wildland fires, floods, and hazardous material spills,"

   Study this in the handbook: Sign colors, shapes and regulatory signs

2. 2. You are halfway across the street when the DON'T WALK signal starts flashing. What should you do?

   1. Continue walking; you will have time to complete the crossing
   2. Turn back to the curb you left
   3. Stop in the middle and wait for the next WALK
   4. Run diagonally toward the nearest corner
   Show answer

   Continue walking; you will have time to complete the crossing. If you are already in the middle of the street when the DON’T WALK signal starts flashing, continue walking. The manual says you will have time to complete the crossing. Continue walking to complete the crossing rather than turning back. The manual says to continue walking, not stop in the middle of the street. Continue walking to complete the crossing; the manual does not instruct you to run diagonally.

3. 3. A Tennessee driver ignores a traffic citation received in another member state. What happens to the driver's Tennessee driving privileges?

   1. Nothing, because out-of-state citations do not count in Tennessee
   2. Only a warning letter is mailed and the license stays valid
   3. The suspension, revocation or cancellation stays in effect until the court reports the citation properly disposed of and the proper fees are paid
   4. The driver must retake the written knowledge test within 30 days
   Show answer

   The suspension, revocation or cancellation stays in effect until the court reports the citation properly disposed of and the proper fees are paid. Tennessee belongs to the Non-Resident Violator Compact. Under it, a citation received in any member state must be answered in court or satisfied as the court directs. If the citation is ignored, driving privileges are suspended, revoked or canceled. That action stays in effect until the court tells the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security that the citation was properly disposed of and the proper fees are paid.

   Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and keeping your license

4. 4. When yielding to an emergency vehicle, why must you avoid stopping across a side road or driveway?

   1. The vehicle must always pass on your right
   2. Driveways are reserved for stopped traffic
   3. The emergency vehicle may need to turn into it
   4. A siren cancels all driveway access
   Show answer

   The emergency vehicle may need to turn into it. Choose a yielding position that does not block a side road or driveway. The emergency vehicle may need that entrance to reach the incident. Simply moving right is not enough if your new position obstructs its route. Look at where the vehicle may need to go while finding room to stop, and keep the access open rather than using the driveway mouth as a convenient waiting place.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way, turns and emergency vehicles

5. 5. What is prohibited in a multi-lane roundabout?

   1. Driving at a slower speed
   2. Using a right turn signal to exit
   3. Yielding to a vehicle already circulating
   4. Overtaking or passing another vehicle
   Show answer

   Overtaking or passing another vehicle. Tennessee treats a multi-lane roundabout as a low speed traffic control device, so drivers must not overtake or pass vehicles within it. Slower travel is expected, and a right signal should identify the exit. Yielding to traffic already circulating is required before entering. A driver who misses an intended street may continue around again rather than passing inside the circle or making a sudden lane maneuver.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way, turns and emergency vehicles

6. 6. Oncoming headlights glare at night. Where should you look to keep your lane?

   1. Directly into the oncoming lights to judge their distance
   2. Toward the right edge of the road, using the white line or road edge as a steering guide
   3. At the center line until the vehicle passes
   4. At the dashboard until your eyes recover
   Show answer

   Toward the right edge of the road, using the white line or road edge as a steering guide. Avoid looking directly into oncoming headlights because they can cause momentary blindness. The manual advises watching the right edge of the road and using the white line or road edge as a steering guide. Headlight glare makes the pupil contract, and it takes time to readjust after the vehicle passes. Looking into the lights worsens glare and momentary blindness. The manual recommends the right edge of the road, using the white line or road edge as a steering guide.

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

7. 7. Which method speeds up how fast a drinking person becomes sober in Tennessee guidance?

   1. Drinking coffee
   2. Exercising
   3. None of these; only time can sober a person
   4. Taking a cold shower
   Show answer

   None of these; only time can sober a person. Only time can sober a person who has been drinking. The manual says the liver can oxidize about one drink per hour and that coffee, exercise, cold showers, or anything else cannot increase the rate. Coffee does not increase the oxidation rate; only time sobers. Exercise cannot speed the liver's one drink per hour pace. A cold shower cannot increase the alcohol oxidation rate; only time can sober a person.

   Study this in the handbook: How alcohol and drugs affect driving

8. 8. A solid yellow center line marks a no-passing zone. May you cross it for a lawful left turn into a driveway?

   1. No, it prohibits crossing for every purpose
   2. Yes, the no-passing marking does not prohibit that left turn
   3. Yes, but the driver must first stop and sound the horn
   4. No, it can be crossed to pass but not to turn
   Show answer

   Yes, the no-passing marking does not prohibit that left turn. The no-passing marking prevents crossing the center line to overtake another vehicle, but the manual allows crossing it for a left turn into or out of a driveway, alley, intersection or private road. Those are different movements. Do not treat permission for a driveway turn as permission to pass, and do not assume the marking alone forbids every lawful left turn across the center of the roadway.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane use, passing and parking

9. 9. At what age does Tennessee’s “Expiring Identification License” stop expiring?

   1. Age 65 or older
   2. Age 55 or older
   3. Age 60 or older
   4. Age 70 or older
   Show answer

   Age 65 or older. The manual says the Expiring Identification License does not expire at age 65 or older. It is available to people who do not currently hold a valid driver license. This is distinct from the permanent identification license described for qualifying applicants unable to operate a vehicle. Fifty-five is a decade too early for this benefit. Sixty still falls short of the stated age.

10. 10. Why can it be difficult to judge how far away a motorcycle is at night?

    1. Its single headlight or taillight can blend with other vehicle lights
    2. Motorcycles are required to travel without lights at night
    3. A motorcycle always looks wider than a car after dark
    4. Motorcycle lights always appear brighter than car lights
    Show answer

    Its single headlight or taillight can blend with other vehicle lights. At night, a motorcycle's single headlight or single taillight may blend into the lights of other vehicles. That can make its distance easy to misjudge. Give motorcycles extra attention and watch for their narrow profile on the road and at intersections. Dim your headlights as you would for a car or truck. Do not assume that a light mixed into the surrounding traffic belongs to a larger vehicle or tells you the motorcycle's distance clearly.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and slow vehicles

11. 11. May you park on the unpaved part of an interstate entrance ramp to take a routine break?

    1. Yes, if all wheels are off the pavement
    2. Yes, if the break lasts less than five minutes
    3. Yes, whenever hazard flashers are on
    4. No, the ramp parking exception is for a disabled vehicle
    Show answer

    No, the ramp parking exception is for a disabled vehicle. Interstate entrance and exit ramps are prohibited parking locations on both their paved and unpaved portions, except for a disabled vehicle. Moving off the pavement does not make a routine rest stop acceptable there. Hazard lights also do not create an exemption. The relevant cue is that the location is still part of the ramp, even though the vehicle would not be sitting in the paved travel lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane use, passing and parking

12. 12. After steering into a skid, the vehicle begins to straighten. What should you do next?

    1. Correct the steering back to avoid a skid in the opposite direction
    2. Keep the wheel turned fully into the original skid
    3. Release the steering wheel entirely
    4. Apply full braking immediately
    Show answer

    Correct the steering back to avoid a skid in the opposite direction. Once the vehicle begins to straighten, turn the steering wheel back the other way and continue correcting until control returns. Holding the original correction too long can make the vehicle swing around and start a new skid in the opposite direction. The cue is the car beginning to line up again, not waiting until it has swung past straight. Keep steering rather than letting go of the wheel.

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

13. 13. Without ABS, what should you do with the brake before making a quick evasive turn?

    1. Hold locked brakes while turning
    2. Let up on the brake, then steer
    3. Apply the parking brake before steering
    4. Pump the accelerator while turning
    Show answer

    Let up on the brake, then steer. A vehicle without ABS needs a different evasive-turn technique from one with anti-lock brakes. After slowing with the brake, let up on the pedal before steering. Continuing with locked front wheels can make the vehicle plow ahead instead of following the intended turn. The important cue is the absence of ABS: do not copy the combined braking-and-steering ability described for an ABS-equipped vehicle during an emergency.

    Study this in the handbook: Avoiding collisions and keeping your vehicle safe

14. 14. When may conditions justify traveling below a posted minimum speed?

    1. Whenever you want to watch scenery
    2. Only when a police officer is directly behind you
    3. Never, regardless of conditions
    4. In bad weather, heavy traffic or poor road conditions
    Show answer

    In bad weather, heavy traffic or poor road conditions. A posted minimum applies under normal conditions, but Tennessee permits slower travel when bad weather, heavy traffic or a bad road calls for it. The minimum does not require keeping an unsafe speed in those conditions. This exception is about actual driving conditions, not a preference to sightsee or a requirement that an officer be present. Evaluate the road and traffic before treating the posted minimum as absolute.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the Basic Speed Rule

15. 15. What average reaction time does Tennessee list between seeing danger and starting to brake?

    1. About one half second
    2. About 2/3 of a second
    3. About 1.16 seconds
    4. About two full seconds
    Show answer

    About 2/3 of a second. The manual gives an average reaction time of 2/3 of a second, from perception of danger to the start of braking. Its table lists about half a second for perception, and its deer example combines perception and reaction as 1.16 seconds. Two seconds is used in following-distance guidance, not as the stated average reaction time. One half second covers perception, not reaction.

    Study this in the handbook: Braking, following distance and required stops

16. 16. How must a vehicle legally transport litter or material likely to fall or blow onto a Tennessee highway?

    1. With the tailgate down so debris settles low
    2. With a passenger holding loose items steady
    3. In an enclosed space or fully covered by a tarpaulin
    4. Only between sunrise and sunset hours
    Show answer

    In an enclosed space or fully covered by a tarpaulin. Tennessee law requires litter or material likely to fall or blow onto the highway to be transported in an enclosed space or fully covered by a tarpaulin. Holding loose material or choosing a time of day does not meet the stated enclosure-or-cover requirement. Lowering the tailgate does not meet the requirement to enclose or fully cover the material. A passenger holding items does not meet the stated requirement for an enclosed space or full tarpaulin cover.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the Basic Speed Rule

17. 17. A parent rides in a Tennessee car while someone else drives, and a child is not properly transported. Who is responsible?

    1. Only the driver, in every situation
    2. No one, because a parent is present
    3. The child, if the child is over age eight
    4. The parent or legal guardian who is present may be fined for non-compliance
    Show answer

    The parent or legal guardian who is present may be fined for non-compliance. If a child’s parent or legal guardian is present in the car but is not driving, that parent or guardian is responsible for making sure the child is properly transported and may be fined for non-compliance. The manual otherwise makes the driver responsible for protecting children under 16 and says the driver may be charged and fined when they are not properly restrained.

    Study this in the handbook: Safety belts, child seats and air bags

18. 18. A Tennessee license expired 40 days ago. What late fee applies, and what happens after six months?

    1. No fee at 40 days; $5 after six months
    2. $5 after 30 days; the fee doubles to $10 after six months
    3. $10 immediately; $25 after six months
    4. $5 fee plus full retesting at 40 days
    Show answer

    $5 after 30 days; the fee doubles to $10 after six months. Passing thirty calendar days expired adds a five dollar late fee, and at six months that fee doubles to ten dollars. Waiting five years adds full vision, knowledge, and skills testing on top of the ten dollar fee, but retesting is not triggered at forty days. There are no grace periods: once expired, driving carries the same exposure as never having been licensed. Renew before expiration whenever possible, since the courtesy notice is helpful but not required for renewal.

19. 19. What window tint limit applies to a Tennessee passenger car window?

    1. Tint down to 20% light transmission is allowed
    2. Any tint is allowed behind the front seat
    3. No material transmitting less than 35% of visible light may be attached
    4. Windshield tint is allowed above the visor line only
    Show answer

    No material transmitting less than 35% of visible light may be attached. Passenger car windows may not carry material that lets through less than thirty five percent of visible light. Twenty percent transmission would darken glass well past the legal floor. The behind the seat exemption belongs to multi purpose vehicles, whose rear windows are exempt while the windows beside the driver follow the car rule. No tinting material may be affixed to the windshield of any motor vehicle at all. Cracked or frost covered glass that blocks clear vision also makes driving unlawful.

    Study this in the handbook: Getting a license and taking the tests

20. 20. What chance of being killed does Tennessee assign to a crash victim who is ejected from the vehicle?

    1. One in fifty
    2. One in three
    3. One in one hundred
    4. One in eight
    Show answer

    One in eight. The manual states that the chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight. Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection and help protect occupants from injury. That badly understates ejection danger. That overstates the figure given. One in one hundred is lower than the manual’s stated one-in-eight chance. The manual passage behind this item states: "Preventing ejection: Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury. The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight. Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection."

    Study this in the handbook: Safety belts, child seats and air bags