TN Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. When adjusting driving position, where should the top of the steering wheel sit in Tennessee guidance?

   1. No higher than the top of the shoulders
   2. At chin level for a clearer view
   3. Above the shoulders so arms reach upward
   4. Steering wheel height is never adjusted
   Show answer

   No higher than the top of the shoulders. The manual says the top of the steering wheel should be no higher than the top of the shoulders. Adjust the seat and, if equipped, the steering column for proper driving posture. The seat should be upright, the pedals easily reached, and the body about 10 to 12 inches from the steering wheel. Adjust mirrors after adjusting the seat. Chin level is too high; the wheel top should stay at or below the shoulders.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat, mirrors, steering and the hands free law

2. 2. What do chevron warning signs help guide a driver through?

   1. A change in overhead clearance
   2. A sharp change in the road's direction
   3. A newly assigned route number
   4. A required stop at every chevron
   Show answer

   A sharp change in the road's direction. Chevrons emphasize and guide a change in the roadway's horizontal alignment, such as a sharp change in direction. Follow their guidance to understand how the road bends ahead. They do not state overhead clearance, assign a route number or create a stop requirement at each marker. The useful cue is the path of the road, allowing you to prepare for the change instead of continuing as though it remains straight.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, railroad, work zone and guide signs

3. 3. At a yellow painted curb, what must you do while loading or unloading?

   1. Stay with the car and stop only as long as needed
   2. Leave the car while shopping
   3. Park there for any purpose with flashers on
   4. Use it only for passenger pickup, never loading
   Show answer

   Stay with the car and stop only as long as needed. Yellow curb markings allow a stop long enough to load or unload, with the driver staying with the car. The requirement to remain with the vehicle distinguishes this from leaving it parked while running an errand. Hazard lights do not expand the permitted use. Look at both the loading activity and your presence at the vehicle when deciding whether the stop follows the stated curb rule.

4. 4. A blind pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog is crossing away from a crosswalk. What must the driver do?

   1. Honk once to announce the vehicle
   2. Stop at least 10 feet away until the person is off the roadway, without using the horn
   3. Proceed slowly around the pedestrian at 5 mph
   4. Flash headlights so the pedestrian can sense the car
   Show answer

   Stop at least 10 feet away until the person is off the roadway, without using the horn. When a blind or visually impaired pedestrian with a guide dog or a white cane, including one with a red tip, crosses any part of the roadway, stop at least 10 feet away until the person is off the roadway. Do not use the horn because it could startle the pedestrian. The manual also covers a hearing-impaired person with a dog on a blaze orange leash.

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

5. 5. During Tennessee HOV operating hours, which listed vehicle may use the lane with one person aboard?

   1. An ordinary passenger car
   2. A bus
   3. A motorcycle
   4. A pickup used for commuting
   Show answer

   A motorcycle. Tennessee expressly allows a motorcycle occupied by one person in the HOV lane during operating hours. The list separately requires at least two people in ordinary vehicles and at least two occupants in buses. Emergency vehicles are also listed, but that entry does not specify an occupancy count. For the one-person condition asked here, use the motorcycle provision rather than assuming a car, bus, or commuting pickup has the same exception.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate driving

6. 6. If you drive at a speed below the flow of traffic on the interstate, which lane must you use?

   1. The right lane
   2. Either lane, provided you stay consistent
   3. The shoulder during heavy congestion
   4. The left lane, with hazard lights flashing
   Show answer

   The right lane. If you drive below the flow of traffic on the interstate, you must use the right lane. The shoulder is not an ordinary travel lane; the manual allows its use for marked deceleration or an emergency. The manual requires slower traffic to use the right lane. Consistency in the wrong lane fails. Use the right lane. Shoulder travel is allowed only for marked deceleration or an emergency.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate driving

7. 7. May you make a U-turn at an intersection controlled by a traffic light or police officer?

   1. Yes, whenever your light is green
   2. Yes, if no U-turn prohibition sign appears
   3. No, Tennessee prohibits U-turns there
   4. Yes, if the road has more than two lanes
   Show answer

   No, Tennessee prohibits U-turns there. Tennessee's U-turn restrictions include any intersection where a traffic light or police officer controls the traffic flow. A green indication does not remove that location-based prohibition. Do not assume that every prohibited turn needs its own separate sign. Identify the traffic control before considering the maneuver; lane count and an otherwise clear view do not create the exceptions offered in the other choices.

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

8. 8. What does Tennessee law expect regarding litter thrown from a vehicle?

   1. Littering is allowed on rural roads only
   2. Drivers must not litter and can face penalties for trash thrown from vehicles
   3. Only glass bottles count as litter
   4. Passengers may litter if the driver objects
   Show answer

   Drivers must not litter and can face penalties for trash thrown from vehicles. Throwing cigarette butts, food sacks, tobacco products, papers, cans, bottles, or other material from vehicles is littering. The manual says littering violates state law, with fines from $50 to $3,000 based on the amount of litter. Rural roads receive no littering exemption. Paper and other debris also count as litter. A driver objection does not authorize passenger littering. The manual passage behind this item states: "Littering is against state law. Fines start at $50 and can be up to $3,000 based upon the amount of litter"

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

9. 9. You must travel between two roadside hazards, one more dangerous than the other. How should you position the car?

   1. Always divide the space exactly equally
   2. Move closest to the more dangerous hazard
   3. Ignore side clearance if your lane is marked
   4. Leave more clearance on the more dangerous side
   Show answer

   Leave more clearance on the more dangerous side. When traveling between hazards, the manual advises a middle course but more space on the side presenting greater danger. Equal spacing is not always the best choice when the risks differ. Its example favors extra room for an oncoming large truck rather than parked cars. Assess both sides of the vehicle and adjust within the available road space instead of treating painted lane position as the only consideration.

   Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving and road rage

10. 10. What lighting step should you take after a police traffic stop at night?

    1. Turn on the interior light before the officer approaches
    2. Switch the headlights repeatedly between beams
    3. Turn off all interior lighting
    4. Aim a flashlight toward the officer
    Show answer

    Turn on the interior light before the officer approaches. For a traffic stop after dark, Tennessee advises turning on the vehicle's interior light before the officer approaches. This is part of the manual's guidance for keeping the situation calm and limiting uncertainty. Repeatedly switching headlight beams or aiming a flashlight is not the suggested action. Use the cabin light, keep your movements limited, and remain inside unless the officer asks you to get out.

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

11. 11. How much unrestricted driving experience must a For-Hire endorsement applicant have?

    1. 6 months of unrestricted experience
    2. 1 year of unrestricted experience
    3. 2 years of unrestricted experience
    4. 5 years of unrestricted experience
    Show answer

    2 years of unrestricted experience. A For-Hire endorsement applicant must have two years of unrestricted driving experience. The manual also requires applicants to meet the endorsement’s other eligibility conditions, pass the appropriate tests, and pay the fee. Six months is less than the two years of unrestricted driving experience required for a For-Hire endorsement. One year still falls short of the requirement. Five years exceeds what the rule demands.

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

12. 12. Your vehicle is disabled on a Tennessee interstate and it is not an extreme emergency. What does the manual advise?

    1. Walk along the shoulder to the nearest exit
    2. Cross the lanes on foot to find a phone
    3. Stand in the median to wave down traffic
    4. Stay in your vehicle until a State Trooper, other police officer, emergency service vehicle or a good Samaritan stops to offer assistance
    Show answer

    Stay in your vehicle until a State Trooper, other police officer, emergency service vehicle or a good Samaritan stops to offer assistance. The manual says walking on the interstate is both illegal and dangerous. Except in extreme emergencies, you should remain in your disabled vehicle until a State Trooper, other police officer, emergency service vehicle or a good Samaritan stops to offer assistance. Walking the shoulder, crossing lanes or standing in the median all expose you to fast traffic. A stopped car on the interstate, even on the shoulder, is extremely dangerous, so the manual says not to stop there except for an emergency.

13. 13. About how often should a driver check traffic behind with the rearview mirror, in Tennessee guidance?

    1. Only when changing lanes
    2. About every 10 seconds
    3. About once every five minutes
    4. Only on interstate highways
    Show answer

    About every 10 seconds. Use the rearview mirror to check traffic behind frequently, about every 10 seconds. This can alert you to a vehicle approaching too quickly or tailgating. Also check behind when changing lanes, backing up, slowing down quickly, or driving down a long steep hill. Keep the look behind brief. The manual advises frequent checks, about every 10 seconds, as well as checks when changing lanes.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat, mirrors, steering and the hands free law

14. 14. A Tennessee child is six years old, weighs more than 20 pounds, and is four feet five inches tall. What restraint is required?

    1. A belt positioning booster seat system while wearing a seatbelt
    2. A rear facing car seat
    3. A forward facing car seat only
    4. The vehicle belt alone, because the child is over age five
    Show answer

    A belt positioning booster seat system while wearing a seatbelt. A six-year-old who is four feet five inches tall is within the manual’s booster category: ages four through eight and shorter than four feet nine inches. The child must use a belt-positioning booster seat system and wear a seatbelt. The manual also says children in booster seats must ride in the back seat if the vehicle has one. Rear facing seats are for children under one year or under 20 pounds.

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

15. 15. A lane shows both a turn arrow and a straight arrow. What may you do from it?

    1. Turn only; the straight arrow is decorative
    2. Use it for parking when traffic is heavy
    3. Proceed straight or make the indicated turn
    4. Turn either direction regardless of the arrow
    Show answer

    Proceed straight or make the indicated turn. Dual use lanes authorize either movement printed on the pavement: continue straight through or complete the turn the arrow describes, following signs at the intersection as well. The straight arrow carries real meaning rather than decoration, and heavy traffic never converts a travel lane into parking. Turning against the arrow's direction violates the lane assignment. Without a protected arrow, standard right of way rules still govern your turn, so yield as you would from any ordinary lane.

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

16. 16. Stopped behind another vehicle at an intersection, what visual check confirms an adequate gap?

    1. You can read the other driver's mirror reflection
    2. Your hood aligns with the vehicle ahead's bumper
    3. You can see the license plate and/or rear tire where it meets the pavement
    4. You can see over the roof of the vehicle ahead
    Show answer

    You can see the license plate and/or rear tire where it meets the pavement. Leave enough space to see its license plate and/or its back tire where it meets the pavement. This provides room if the vehicle rolls back slightly or stalls, and can provide an escape path if a vehicle approaches too fast from behind. Mirror reflections do not measure the gap. The manual’s visual check is seeing the license plate and/or the rear tire where it meets the pavement.

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

17. 17. What must an applicant never issued a Social Security number do at each subsequent application if still without one?

    1. Reuse the first affidavit forever
    2. Bring a notarized letter from an employer
    3. Skip the identity proof requirement
    4. Sign a new affidavit in person each time, unless a number can then be provided
    Show answer

    Sign a new affidavit in person each time, unless a number can then be provided. The affidavit is not a lifetime pass: each subsequent application requires a new in person signing unless the applicant can finally provide a number for matching. Reusing the first form forever contradicts the renewal requirement written beside the original oath. An employer letter is a residency proof option, not a substitute oath. Identity proof is never skipped; original applicants still need primary documentation. The department computer link checks any provided number against Social Security Administration records for a match.

18. 18. With the number of drinks unchanged, which pattern produces the stronger effect described by Tennessee?

    1. Three drinks spread over three hours rather than one
    2. Three drinks in one hour rather than three hours
    3. Both patterns must have identical effects
    4. The timing matters only if the beverage type changes
    Show answer

    Three drinks in one hour rather than three hours. The rate of consumption matters as well as the amount. Three drinks consumed in one hour affect a person more than the same three drinks spread over three hours. Saying the effects must be identical ignores the time available for the body to process alcohol. The comparison illustrates a factor in intoxication, not permission to drive after drinking or a promise that slower consumption leaves someone unimpaired.

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

19. 19. Before a financial responsibility revocation takes effect, how and by when may the driver request an administrative hearing?

    1. By phone at any time after revocation
    2. In person within 30 days after revocation
    3. Only through an insurance agent
    4. In writing, submitted on or before the effective date of the proposed revocation
    Show answer

    In writing, submitted on or before the effective date of the proposed revocation. Before revocation, a driver may request an administrative hearing by submitting the request in writing on or before the proposed revocation’s effective date. Failure to satisfy the financial-responsibility requirements described in this section results in revocation of driving and registration privileges. The request must be in writing. After revocation is already too late. The manual requires a written request submitted by the deadline; it does not require using an insurance agent.

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

20. 20. Why should you avoid flashing your headlights at a deer standing in the road?

    1. Flashing legally counts as an improper signal
    2. High beams permanently blind deer and draw others
    3. Deer always charge toward flashing lights
    4. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause the animal to freeze in the road
    Show answer

    Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause the animal to freeze in the road. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause a deer to freeze in the road. If you have time to avoid hitting an animal, reduce speed, tap the brakes to warn drivers behind, and sound the horn. If a collision seems inevitable, keep control and do not swerve to avoid the animal. The reason given in the manual is that flashing may cause the deer to freeze in the road.

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