TN Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

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 a Tennessee light turns green, what must you do about vehicles and pedestrians still in the intersection?

   1. Assume cross traffic has stopped and accelerate
   2. Close the gap quickly behind the car ahead
   3. Yield to them before proceeding
   4. Ignore pedestrians once the light turns green
   Show answer

   Yield to them before proceeding. A green light means go only if the intersection is clear. The manual says you must yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in the intersection at light change, and it warns that some drivers jump the green after seeing the yellow from the crossing direction. Assuming cross traffic has stopped removes the scan that catches a late starter. Crowding the vehicle ahead can strand a vehicle in the box, and pedestrians may still be finishing a crossing.

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

2. 2. Under the manual’s DUI restricted-license provision, what device must a driver install to apply after the first year of a two-year revocation?

   1. By paying the reinstatement fee early
   2. By completing one litter shift
   3. By passing the vision test only
   4. By installing an ignition interlock device on the vehicle for the remaining period of revocation
   Show answer

   By installing an ignition interlock device on the vehicle for the remaining period of revocation. After the first year of a two-year revocation, the manual says drivers may apply for a restricted license if they install an ignition interlock device for the remaining revocation period. Applicants must submit two copies of the court order and SR-22 proof of financial responsibility, pass the appropriate tests, and pay the required fees. Fees alone skip the required device. Litter shifts belong to DUI probation.

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

3. 3. If your vehicle has trouble on the highway, what should you do as soon as possible?

   1. Move to the right shoulder or emergency stopping area and turn on the emergency flashers
   2. Leave the vehicle in the travel lane with the headlights off
   3. Walk along the highway to find help before warning other traffic
   4. Stop on the left shoulder whenever it is closer
   Show answer

   Move to the right shoulder or emergency stopping area and turn on the emergency flashers. The manual directs a driver with vehicle trouble to reach the right shoulder or emergency stopping area as soon as possible and activate the emergency flashers. Those steps make the disabled vehicle easier for approaching traffic to recognize. Walking along an interstate is dangerous, so staying with the vehicle on the side away from traffic is preferred when feasible. Leaving the car dark in a travel lane gives other drivers less warning and increases the chance of a secondary collision.

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

4. 4. Where is parking prohibited according to Tennessee rules discussed in the manual?

   1. In a marked space at a shopping center
   2. Blocking a driveway or parked on a sidewalk
   3. In a garage at home
   4. In a legal lot with permission
   Show answer

   Blocking a driveway or parked on a sidewalk. The manual lists parking in front of a public or private driveway and parking on a sidewalk as illegal. It recommends parking in a designated area when possible. The manual recommends designated parking areas; the listed prohibited locations include driveways and sidewalks. A home garage is not one of the prohibited roadway parking locations listed in this section. The manual recommends designated parking areas; this option expressly describes a legal lot with permission.

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

5. 5. Which act causes immediate failure of a Tennessee road test?

   1. Checking mirrors too often
   2. Asking the examiner a question
   3. Any dangerous action, traffic law violation, refusal to follow directions, or contributing to an accident
   4. Stopping smoothly before a crosswalk
   Show answer

   Any dangerous action, traffic law violation, refusal to follow directions, or contributing to an accident. Immediate road-test failure results from a traffic-law violation, lack of cooperation or refusal to follow directions, a dangerous action, or contributing to an accident. The examiner also checks preparation, attention, and smooth stops at the proper location. Checking mirrors is part of preparing to drive; it is not itself one of the listed immediate-failure causes. Questions are not a listed failure cause.

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

6. 6. What two items of identity proof must an original Tennessee applicant provide?

   1. Two items, both from the Secondary Identification list
   2. One utility bill and one bank statement
   3. A school ID and a work ID only
   4. At least one Primary Identification item, with the second from either list
   Show answer

   At least one Primary Identification item, with the second from either list. An original applicant must provide two identity documents, including at least one from the Primary Identification list. The second may come from either the Primary or Secondary list. Secondary items alone cannot anchor an original application. A bank statement may be secondary identification, but this pair does not provide the required primary identification item. Both of those sit on the secondary list.

7. 7. Outside the manual’s summer-vacation exception, how long is form SF1010 valid after a school official signs it?

   1. Thirty (30) days
   2. One school year
   3. Ninety days
   4. Until the next report card
   Show answer

   Thirty (30) days. Form SF1010 is normally valid for 30 days after a school official signs it. A properly completed form signed within the last 30 days of the school year is accepted throughout summer until 30 days after the next school year starts. Grade cards and transcripts are not acceptable substitutes. The normal validity period is 30 days, subject to the stated summer exception.

   Study this in the handbook: Teen penalties, phones and school rules

8. 8. What minimum advance signaling distance does the manual specify for a lane change as well as a turn?

   1. Signal only while already moving sideways
   2. Signal at least 50 feet before the turn or lane change
   3. Signal 200 feet ahead on all roads
   4. No signal is needed for lane changes in light traffic
   Show answer

   Signal at least 50 feet before the turn or lane change. Use your turn signal at least 50 feet before a turn or lane change. Make thorough traffic checks behind and on both sides. Signal even if you do not see anyone else around, and change lanes gradually and carefully. Signaling mid-move leaves neighbors no warning. The stated minimum is 50 feet, not 200 feet. Light traffic never suspends signaling duty. The manual passage behind this item states: "• Use your turn signal at least 50 feet before the turn or lane change. • Make thorough traffic checks, looking behind and on both sides to see where other vehicles are so you can change"

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

9. 9. What does covering the brake mean in Tennessee driving guidance?

   1. Resting the foot lightly on the brake pedal while cruising
   2. Hovering the foot over the brake or between pedals for quicker response
   3. Pressing both pedals at once near intersections
   4. Dragging the brake through every school zone
   Show answer

   Hovering the foot over the brake or between pedals for quicker response. Covering the brake means hovering your foot over the brake or between the brake and gas pedals for quicker response. The manual recommends being especially alert near parked cars, intersections, traffic signals, crosswalks, school zones, residential areas, brake lights, and heavy slow-moving traffic. Resting or slightly pressing your foot on the brake is riding the brake, which the manual discourages. Resting on the pedal is the discouraged habit.

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

10. 10. At 55 mph, about how large a gap in oncoming traffic do you need to pass one vehicle in Tennessee guidance?

    1. About four seconds
    2. About two seconds
    3. About ten seconds
    4. No gap is needed if you signal first
    Show answer

    About ten seconds. At 55 mph, the manual says passing one vehicle takes about ten seconds, requiring a ten-second gap in oncoming traffic and sufficient sight distance. Passing does not permit exceeding the speed limit. Do not pass unless there is enough space to return safely to the driving lane. Four seconds is the merging gap, not an opposing lane pass. Two seconds is the following interval, far too short for passing.

    Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving and road rage

11. 11. How far ahead must Tennessee headlights let the driver see a person on the highway?

    1. At least 100 feet
    2. At least 500 feet
    3. At least two hundred (200) feet
    4. At least 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    At least two hundred (200) feet. Headlights must enable you to see a person clearly at least 200 feet ahead. Keep the headlights in good order and accurately aimed, with clean lenses and a clean windshield inside and out. Lights that shine excessively up or outward do not help you see roadway objects and contribute to glare for other drivers. 100 feet is below the required minimum of 200 feet.

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

12. 12. Which conditions make a person guilty of driving under the influence in Tennessee?

    1. Only a breath reading of .08 or higher counts
    2. Being under the influence of any intoxicant, marijuana, or narcotic drug, or having blood or breath alcohol of .08 or higher
    3. Drinking any alcohol within the past 24 hours
    4. Failing a field sobriety test without any substance present
    Show answer

    Being under the influence of any intoxicant, marijuana, or narcotic drug, or having blood or breath alcohol of .08 or higher. The manual prohibits driving or being in physical control of a vehicle in the listed public places while under the influence of an intoxicant, marijuana, narcotic drug, or a drug stimulating the central nervous system, or with blood or breath alcohol of .08 percent or higher. A driver can be convicted of DUI even with a BAC of .00 percent. Drug influence counts without any reading.

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

13. 13. Where must children riding in booster seats sit in Tennessee, when that seating exists?

    1. In the back seat, if the vehicle has a back seat
    2. In the front seat beside the driver
    3. In either row, at the child's preference
    4. In the cargo area on short neighborhood trips
    Show answer

    In the back seat, if the vehicle has a back seat. Children in booster seats must ride in the back seat if the vehicle has one. Children ages 12 and under are safer in the back seat, and front air bags pose a severe risk to them. The front seat adds air bag deployment risk. Child preference does not set seating. The manual requires booster-seat riders to use the back seat when one is available.

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

14. 14. Where are a truck's No-Zones located, according to Tennessee guidance?

    1. Only directly behind the trailer
    2. Only on the right side of the cab
    3. On both sides, the front, and behind the truck
    4. In front only, during highway driving
    Show answer

    On both sides, the front, and behind the truck. Trucks have large No-Zones on both sides, in front, and behind. Truck drivers cannot see vehicles in these blind spots. Do not linger alongside a truck when passing. Behind is only one of four zones. The left flank hides vehicles too. Front zones matter beyond highways. The manual passage behind this item states: "Never hang out in a truck’s blind spot or “No-Zone.” Trucks have large No-Zones on both sides, the front and behind the truck."

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

15. 15. Your vehicle begins to hydroplane. What is the first response Tennessee advises?

    1. Slam on the brakes to regain contact
    2. Steer sharply toward the road edge
    3. Accelerate to push water from the tires
    4. Slow down gradually by letting up on the gas
    Show answer

    Slow down gradually by letting up on the gas. If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, slow down gradually by letting up on the gas. Do not slam on the brakes. Hydroplaning reduces the traction needed to steer and brake safely. The manual specifically says not to slam on the brakes. The manual says to slow gradually; a slight direction change while hydroplaning can cause a skid or spin. The manual says to let up on the gas, not accelerate.

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

16. 16. In Tennessee, is using headlights while the wipers are on a legal requirement or only a recommendation?

    1. It is Tennessee law
    2. Only a recommendation in the manual
    3. Required only on interstates
    4. Required only for commercial vehicles
    Show answer

    It is Tennessee law. The manual goes beyond calling this good advice. It says that using headlights when wipers are in use is Tennessee law. The manual states the rule without limiting it to interstates or to commercial vehicles. The reason is simple: precipitation hides unlit cars, and an oncoming driver who cannot see you cannot avoid you. Treat the wiper switch as a reminder that the headlight switch comes next.

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

17. 17. By about how much is side vision reduced at a BAC of .05 percent?

    1. About 5 percent
    2. About 50 percent
    3. Side vision is not affected until .08 percent
    4. About 30 percent
    Show answer

    About 30 percent. At a BAC of .05 percent, side vision is reduced by about 30 percent. The manual also says alcohol reduces clear night vision by more than half and slows glare recovery. Those are separate effects; the side-vision figure asked here is 30 percent, not 5 or 50 percent. Five percent understates a loss described as about 30 percent. Fifty percent exceeds the side vision figure stated for .05 percent.

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

18. 18. What distance between the chest and the air bag module does the Tennessee manual cite from NHTSA guidance?

    1. 10 to 12 inches
    2. 4 to 6 inches
    3. 18 to 24 inches
    4. No distance is recommended
    Show answer

    10 to 12 inches. The manual cites NHTSA guidance recommending 10 to 12 inches between the chest and the air bag module. It also advises sitting as far as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard to give the air bag room to deploy and spread its energy. Four to six inches and 18 to 24 inches are not the cited range. Four to six inches is too close to the deploying air bag module.

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

19. 19. A 17-year-old Tennessee driver accumulates 4 points in 12 months. What arrives from the Department of Safety?

    1. A notice of proposed suspension
    2. An advisory letter about the risk of losing driving privileges
    3. A mandatory defensive driving course order
    4. A license surrender demand
    Show answer

    An advisory letter about the risk of losing driving privileges. Drivers under 18 face a lower warning line than adults. An advisory letter is mailed to a juvenile licensee holding 1 to 5 points within any 12 months, and 4 points sits inside that band. A proposed suspension notice for a juvenile requires 6 or more points. Course attendance is an option drivers may choose in some situations, not the automatic response at 4 points. Surrender demands follow actual suspensions. A teen who reads the warning early can still protect the record before the next violation carries heavier consequences.

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

20. 20. How often may a Tennessee driver use a Defensive Driving Course to avoid or shorten a suspension?

    1. Once a year
    2. As often as needed
    3. Only once in a lifetime
    4. Only once in any five-year period
    Show answer

    Only once in any five-year period. Drivers facing suspension may attend a Defensive Driving Course to avoid it or shorten it, but the option is available only once in any five-year period. Once a year and as often as needed are too generous, and once in a lifetime is too strict. A driver who used the course four years ago cannot use it again yet. If education, re-examination, restrictions and probation fail, the department suspends the driving privilege.

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