TN Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

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. How should a Tennessee driver pass a person riding a bicycle on the roadway?

   
   1. Leave at least 3 feet and pass slowly, waiting when the lane is too narrow
   2. Squeeze past within the same lane without slowing
   3. Honk continuously until the rider moves onto the sidewalk
   4. Force the rider onto the shoulder
   Show answer

   Leave at least 3 feet and pass slowly, waiting when the lane is too narrow. Pass a bicyclist slowly, leaving at least 3 feet of clearance until safely past. Do not pass if the street is too narrow; wait for enough room. Do not blast your horn or otherwise startle or intimidate the rider. The manual requires passing slowly with at least 3 feet of clearance and waiting if the street is too narrow. Continuous honking startles riders and is not a passing method.

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

2. 2. What does a roadside object marker warn about?

   1. A change in the legal speed limit
   2. A required lane reversal
   3. A parking space reserved for deliveries
   4. An obstruction close to the road edge
   Show answer

   An obstruction close to the road edge. Object markers identify obstructions near the roadway edge, such as bridge ends or underpass supports. The object may not be in the travel lane but can be close enough to need marking. This is different from a regulatory speed sign or a parking instruction. Watch the edge clearance around the marked object rather than assuming an obstruction is harmless merely because it stands outside the paved lane.

3. 3. Which form certifies the behind-the-wheel practice hours for a young Tennessee applicant?

   1. A school attendance letter only
   2. A vehicle inspection certificate
   3. An insurance declaration page
   4. Form SF-1256 for 50 hours of driving experience
   Show answer

   Form SF-1256 for 50 hours of driving experience. Form SF-1256 certifies 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience. The application checklist lists it for applicants under 18 after holding a learner permit for six months. Proof of school attendance or progress is a separate requirement. Attendance proof serves a different eligibility check. The application checklist identifies Form SF-1256 as the certification of 50 hours of driving experience. Insurance proof does not certify supervised driving time.

4. 4. Per the donation information in the Tennessee manual, one organ donor can save up to how many lives?

   1. As many as 2 lives
   2. As many as 8 lives
   3. As many as 20 lives
   4. As many as 75 lives
   Show answer

   As many as 8 lives. Donor registration offered during licensing rests on striking numbers: one organ donor can save up to eight lives through major organ transplants. Two understates how many recipients different organs can reach. Twenty overshoots the organ figure given in the discussion. Seventy-five is the trap in this set because that larger count describes lives improved by one tissue donor, a related statistic with a different meaning from lives saved by organs.

5. 5. What document must an honorably discharged veteran present to have Veteran displayed on a Tennessee license?

   1. A certified copy of DD-214, NAVPERS-660 discharge certificate, or DD Form 2 retired ID card
   2. A VA clinic appointment card
   3. A county veteran service letter alone
   4. A photocopy of a unit photograph
   Show answer

   A certified copy of DD-214, NAVPERS-660 discharge certificate, or DD Form 2 retired ID card. Certify honorably discharged veteran status on the application and present a certified copy of DD-214, a NAVPERS-660 honorable discharge certificate, or a DD Form 2 retired identification card. This is not one of the three documents the manual lists for the Veteran designation. This is not one of the three documents the manual lists for the Veteran designation. This is not one of the three documents the manual lists for the Veteran designation.

6. 6. You park on or along a Tennessee highway at night. Which lights should you leave on?

   1. Your headlights, so approaching drivers see the car clearly
   2. No lights, to save the battery
   3. Your emergency and parking lights
   4. Your high beams if parked facing traffic
   Show answer

   Your emergency and parking lights. When parking on or along a highway at night, leave emergency and parking lights on. The manual says never to leave headlights on when parked at night, even briefly, because they can blind approaching drivers and confuse them about the road’s position. The danger increases if parked on the wrong side of the roadway. Headlights on a parked car can blind and confuse approaching drivers.

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

7. 7. Crossbuck lights are flashing at a Tennessee railroad crossing. What is the required action?

   1. Speed across before the train arrives
   2. Cross if another car crosses first
   3. Drive around lowered gates on the shoulder
   4. Stop and wait until the lights stop and it is safe to proceed
   Show answer

   Stop and wait until the lights stop and it is safe to proceed. Flashing red lights at a railroad crossing require a stop. Wait until the lights stop flashing and it is safe to proceed. Do not drive around lowered gates or try to beat a train. Racing a train risks a catastrophic collision. Another driver error does not make crossing safe. Going around gates defeats the warning system. The manual passage behind this item states: "Flashing lights on a crossbuck mean that a train is coming. Always stop when the lights are flashing. Remain stopped until the train has passed"

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

8. 8. For original-size tires, should you use the maximum PSI printed on the tire as the vehicle's recommended inflation setting?

   1. Yes, the sidewall maximum is always the vehicle recommendation
   2. No, use the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation
   3. Yes, but add five PSI for ordinary driving
   4. Use the same pressure for every vehicle
   Show answer

   No, use the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation. The pressure printed on a tire is its maximum recommended pressure and may not match the vehicle manufacturer's specification. For original-size tires, consult the vehicle label or owner's manual for the recommended setting. Do not assume every tire or vehicle should use the same pressure. The distinction is between a tire's limit and the pressure specified for its use on the particular vehicle.

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

9. 9. After a hardship license expires at age 16 and the holder renews a Class PD learner permit, what total driving experience must be attained between the two license types?

   1. A total of 180 days
   2. A total of 90 days
   3. A total of 270 days
   4. A total of 365 days
   Show answer

   A total of 180 days. The driver must hold the learner permit until attaining a total of 180 days of driving experience between the hardship license and learner permit, and must meet the Graduated Driver License requirements. Ninety days supplies only half the combined experience. 270 days is 90 days more than the stated 180-day total. A full year exceeds the combined requirement. The manual passage behind this item states: "a total of 180 days driving experience between the two license types and meet"

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

10. 10. You see one deer near a wooded roadside. What should you anticipate?

    1. Other deer may be nearby
    2. The animal is necessarily traveling alone
    3. Only deer already on the pavement matter
    4. There is no further risk after that deer crosses
    Show answer

    Other deer may be nearby. One visible deer can be a warning that several more are nearby. Tennessee advises particular attention near woods and water, along with looking well down the road and to both sides. Assuming the first animal is alone can leave you unprepared for the next one. Continue scanning the roadside after the visible deer moves away instead of treating its completed crossing as proof that the hazard has ended.

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

11. 11. After turning left from a driveway into a shared center turn lane, what may you do?

    1. Drive along it as a regular travel lane
    2. Stop there and wait for a safe merge into the lane to the right
    3. Merge right immediately without checking
    4. Use it to pass slow traffic before merging
    Show answer

    Stop there and wait for a safe merge into the lane to the right. The manual allows a driver to turn from a driveway or side street into a shared center turn lane, stop, and wait until traffic permits merging into the lane immediately to the right. Check that the center lane is clear in both directions before entering. This temporary waiting use is different from treating it as a through lane or a place to pass traffic.

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

12. 12. How soon does alcohol begin entering the bloodstream after a drink?

    1. After about 30 minutes
    2. Only after an hour
    3. Within one to two minutes
    4. After the liver finishes processing it
    Show answer

    Within one to two minutes. Alcohol starts entering the blood within one to two minutes of drinking. Waiting half an hour is not the beginning of absorption. As drinking continues, alcohol accumulates in the blood, and intoxication develops when intake outpaces the liver's ability to process it. The practical cue is the first drink itself: its effects begin developing promptly, rather than waiting for a long delay after drinking ends.

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

13. 13. After your wheels leave the pavement, when should you begin steering back onto it?

    1. Immediately with a sharp steering movement
    2. Before reducing speed
    3. Whenever the shoulder surface feels rough
    4. After slowing and ensuring nearby traffic is clear
    Show answer

    After slowing and ensuring nearby traffic is clear. After a roadway departure, maintain control and slow gradually before returning. Do not steer back until nearby traffic is clear, including oncoming traffic. Jerking toward the pavement immediately is specifically discouraged. The return maneuver depends on both reduced speed and a clear area around the vehicle, so a rough shoulder alone is not a reason to pull abruptly back into the travel lane.

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

14. 14. On a four-lane highway with a center turn lane, a school bus stops on the opposite side to load children, with red warning lights flashing and its stop arm extended. Must opposing drivers stop?

    1. No, the turn lane counts as a barrier
    2. Only if children cross the center lane
    3. Yes, a center turn lane is not a barrier, so drivers meeting the bus must stop in both directions
    4. Only during posted school hours
    Show answer

    Yes, a center turn lane is not a barrier, so drivers meeting the bus must stop in both directions. Yes. A center turn lane is a fifth lane suitable for vehicles, not a dividing barrier, so drivers meeting the stopped bus must stop. The manual distinguishes highways with separate roadways divided by median space or a barrier unsuitable for vehicular traffic, where opposing drivers need not stop but should proceed cautiously. The turn lane is expressly not a barrier. The red warning lights and extended stop arm require a stop on this road, even before children cross.

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

15. 15. A 9-year-old wants to ride in the bed of a pickup truck on a Tennessee interstate highway during an ordinary trip unrelated to agricultural activities or an organized parade, procession, or ceremonial event. What does the law say?

    1. It is allowed if an adult rides in the bed too
    2. It is allowed when the truck stays under 20 mph
    3. It is allowed on state highways but not interstates
    4. It is against the law on any state or interstate highway
    Show answer

    It is against the law on any state or interstate highway. The manual prohibits children ages six through twelve from riding in a pickup bed on state or interstate highways. It allows exceptions for agricultural activities and for an organized parade, procession, or other ceremonial event when the vehicle does not exceed 20 mph. Neither exception applies to the trip described. Cities and counties may also prohibit such rides on local roads. An adult in the bed does not make the ride legal for ages 6 to 12.

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

16. 16. A Tennessee driver is in a crash with an unattended vehicle or a domestic animal and cannot locate the owner. What does the manual direct?

    1. Drive away, since nobody was present
    2. Report the crash to the police
    3. Wait a week for the owner to call
    4. Take the animal home and say nothing
    Show answer

    Report the crash to the police. The Tennessee manual covers the case where a crash involves an unattended vehicle or a domestic animal and the owner cannot be found. In that situation the driver must report the crash to the police. A crash is any collision with another vehicle, person or object, so hitting a parked car or a pet is still a crash even though no other driver is present. Driving off, waiting for the owner to call, or quietly taking an animal away leaves the owner without notice and can bring trouble for the driver. Stop at the scene and call the police.

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

17. 17. A driver is convicted of failure to show evidence of financial responsibility in Tennessee. What happens besides license suspension?

    1. The vehicle is seized and sold by the state
    2. A stop is placed on renewal of vehicle tags and registration
    3. Only a $50 fine is added
    4. The driver must retake the knowledge test only
    Show answer

    A stop is placed on renewal of vehicle tags and registration. After conviction for failure to show evidence of financial responsibility, driving privileges are suspended and a stop is placed on renewal of vehicle tags and registration. Before reinstatement, evidence of financial responsibility and any other required items must be submitted. Vehicle seizure belongs to certain DUI situations, not this conviction. A $50 fine understates it; license and tag renewal both stop. Retaking a test alone does not resolve the suspension and tag stop.

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

18. 18. Using the two-second rule, you reach the marker before finishing the count. What does that tell you?

    1. Your following distance is exactly right
    2. You should speed up to match the count
    3. You are following too closely and should slow slightly to add space
    4. Your brakes need immediate inspection
    Show answer

    You are following too closely and should slow slightly to add space. Counting one-thousand-one and one-thousand-two against a fixed roadside marker exposes tailgating in plain arithmetic. Arriving before the count ends means the gap shrinks below two seconds, so easing off slightly and rechecking against a fresh marker restores the cushion. Accelerating compresses the space further, the opposite of the remedy, and healthy brakes cannot manufacture missing distance. Repeat the check until a full two seconds pass between the lead vehicle and yours at the same point.

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

19. 19. An HOV lane requires two occupants. A driver has only a baby secured in a car seat as a passenger. Does the vehicle meet the occupancy requirement?

    1. Yes, the baby counts as a passenger
    2. No, passengers must be old enough to hold a license
    3. No, only passengers in ordinary seat belts count
    4. Only if another adult also rides in the vehicle
    Show answer

    Yes, the baby counts as a passenger. A baby secured in a car seat counts as a passenger for Tennessee's HOV occupancy rule. The lane is reserved during its operating hours for vehicles meeting the stated conditions, including vehicles with two or more people. A passenger does not need a driver license or an ordinary adult seat belt to count. With the driver and the baby, this vehicle has two occupants, so another adult is not needed to meet that occupancy requirement.

    Study this in the handbook: Interstate driving

20. 20. By law, what minimum percentage of Tennessee knowledge test questions must deal with drugs or alcohol and driving?

    1. At least 10 percent
    2. At least 25 percent
    3. At least 50 percent
    4. No share is set by law
    Show answer

    At least 25 percent. By law, at least 25 percent of Tennessee knowledge test questions must concern drugs or alcohol and driving. Ten percent is below that minimum, while 50 percent is twice the stated minimum. The manual describes the overall test as approximately 25 percent each for signs and signals, safe driving principles, rules of the road, and drugs and alcohol. Ten percent understates the mandated share of at least 25 percent.

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