UT Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Utah 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. What shape and colors do Utah warning signs usually use?

   1. Round and red with white letters
   2. Rectangular and blue with white symbols
   3. Pentagon shaped and green
   4. Diamond shaped and yellow with black lettering or symbols
   Show answer

   Diamond shaped and yellow with black lettering or symbols. Warning signs alert you to a hazard or a change in the road ahead, and the handbook says they are usually diamond shaped and yellow with black lettering or symbols. That combination is reserved for warnings so you can recognize one from a distance before you can read it. Round red signs are not a standard category, blue rectangles are service signs, and green is used for guide signs. When you see the yellow diamond, ease off the accelerator and look for the specific condition the symbol names.

2. 2. When driving at night in Utah, what does the handbook tell you to ensure about your vehicle's lights?

   1. That only the parking lights are on
   2. That the high beams stay on at all times
   3. That the headlights and taillights are illuminated
   4. That the interior lights are on
   Show answer

   That the headlights and taillights are illuminated. At night the distance you can see is limited, so the handbook's first instruction is to ensure the headlights and taillights of the vehicle are illuminated. Headlights let you see, and taillights let drivers behind you see you. Parking lights are not driving lights, high beams must be dimmed for oncoming and followed traffic, and interior lights reduce your night vision. Turn the headlights on before dark, keep them clean, and drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance they light.

3. 3. A fire vehicle is responding to an alarm on a Utah road. How closely may you follow it if you are not on official business?

   1. No closer than 500 feet
   2. No closer than 100 feet
   3. As closely as traffic allows
   4. Within one car length
   Show answer

   No closer than 500 feet. Fire vehicles responding to an alarm stop suddenly, back into scenes, and are joined by other responders, so Utah law says that unless you are on official business you may not follow within 500 feet of any fire vehicle responding to an alarm. One hundred feet or a car length puts you inside the space the crew needs, and following as closely as traffic allows is the habit the rule was written against. Drop back, and never park or stop where you would block a fire hydrant or the scene.

4. 4. What does Utah law allow a driver over 18 to do with a handheld wireless communication device while driving?

   1. Send a text at a red light
   2. Talk on it, as long as voice commands are used and it is not manipulated
   3. View a video while stopped in traffic
   4. Enter a phone number by hand while moving
   Show answer

   Talk on it, as long as voice commands are used and it is not manipulated. Utah's distracted driving law bars using a handheld wireless communication device while driving to write, send or read a text, instant message or email, dial a number, access the internet, view or record a video, take a photograph or enter data. Drivers over 18 may talk on the device while driving as long as they use voice commands and do not manipulate it by hand. Texting at a light, dialing by hand and watching video are all prohibited.

5. 5. When must you dim your headlights for bicyclists at night in Utah?

   1. Never; bicyclists are not covered by the dimming rule
   2. Only when they flash a light at you
   3. Within 500 feet when approaching or overtaking them
   4. Within 50 feet
   Show answer

   Within 500 feet when approaching or overtaking them. A bicyclist is blinded by high beams just as a driver is, and has less protection if they swerve. The handbook says to dim your headlights within 500 feet when approaching or overtaking bicyclists at night. The rule does not depend on a signal from the rider, riders are covered like any other road user, and 50 feet is far too late. Dim early, slow down, and give the rider room as you pass.

6. 6. How should a Utah driver pass a bicyclist on the road?

   
   1. Pass at full speed to minimize time beside them
   2. Slow down and give the bicyclist as much space as possible
   3. Pass within a foot to avoid crossing the center line
   4. Sound the horn continuously while passing
   Show answer

   Slow down and give the bicyclist as much space as possible. A bicycle wobbles and can swerve around debris, and the wind blast from a fast car can push a rider over, so the handbook says to slow down when passing bicyclists and give them as much space as possible. Speeding past, honking, or squeezing by within a foot are exactly the moves that cause crashes. Wait for a safe gap, move fully over, and do not cut back in until you are well ahead of the rider.

7. 7. What do the yellow background and diamond shape of this curve sign tell you about the road ahead?

   
   1. A mandatory turn must be made at the next junction
   2. A route number changes at the curve
   3. A possible danger is ahead
   4. A service station is located around the bend
   Show answer

   A possible danger is ahead. Yellow diamond signs warn about possible dangers ahead. On this sign, the curved arrow identifies the road’s upcoming bend, giving you time to adjust your approach. Treating it as a mandatory intersection turn confuses a warning about the road’s path with a direction to leave your current route. The combination of the yellow diamond and bent arrow is the cue to look farther into the curve and prepare before reaching the change in alignment.

8. 8. On a wet road marked with this skidding-car warning, what happens when your vehicle hydroplanes?

   
   1. The front tires slide on the pavement because braking has locked them
   2. The front tires ride on water instead of the roadway
   3. The tires gain traction as water builds beneath them
   4. The steering becomes more effective as speed increases
   Show answer

   The front tires ride on water instead of the roadway. Hydroplaning occurs when the front tires ride on a layer of water rather than maintaining contact with the road. This reduces steering control, and increasing speed makes the problem worse. The idea that water buildup improves traction reverses the hazard the warning is calling attention to. Standing water or a water-covered surface near the sign is a cue to reduce speed and leave more room, rather than counting on normal dry-road steering response.

9. 9. What happens if a Utah driver removes an ignition interlock device before the restriction period ends?

   1. Only the vehicle registration is canceled
   2. Only an additional reinstatement fee is charged
   3. Driving privileges are suspended again
   4. The driver may continue if a sober adult rides along
   Show answer

   Driving privileges are suspended again. Removing the device before the interlock restriction ends causes driving privileges to be suspended again. Having a sober adult in the passenger seat cannot replace the required equipment. Reinstatement after installing an IID does not mean the driver can decide when to stop using it. Before arranging removal, verify the restriction end date; the relevant cue is whether the required period has actually finished, not whether the driver has recently avoided violations.

10. 10. A Utah interlock-restricted driver is convicted of driving a vehicle without the device. What is the result?

    1. A fine only
    2. A 30 day suspension
    3. Revocation for one year plus an additional two-year interlock restriction
    4. The restriction ends early
    Show answer

    Revocation for one year plus an additional two-year interlock restriction. A conviction for violating the interlock-restricted driver law revokes the license for one year and adds another two-year interlock restriction from the conviction date. The vehicle may also be impounded. A fine alone or 30 days understates it, and the restriction certainly does not end early. The device must also be monitored at least every 60 days while the restriction lasts.

11. 11. What penalties does Utah list for not remaining at the scene of a crash you are involved in?

    1. A $50 fine
    2. Only points on your record
    3. A written warning
    4. Suspension or revocation for up to one year, up to one year in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both
    Show answer

    Suspension or revocation for up to one year, up to one year in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both. The handbook says you may be penalized severely for leaving the scene: the license may be suspended or revoked for up to one year, and you may receive up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. A $50 fine, points only, or a warning all understate it. Failing to stop at an injury crash is a third-degree felony, and drivers must give reasonable help to anyone injured.

12. 12. When does a Utah provisional license, issued to someone under 21, expire?

    1. On the birthday five years after issue
    2. On the birthday eight years after issue
    3. At age 18
    4. Exactly one year after issue
    Show answer

    On the birthday five years after issue. Utah issues a provisional license to any applicant under 21, and it expires on the applicant's birthday five years after issue. Eight years is the term for an original license issued to an applicant over 21. The license does not expire at 18 or after one year. The provisional label also matters for alcohol rules, since Not-a-Drop and the under 21 refusal penalties apply during that period.

13. 13. What does the Utah handbook tell you to do if a short term signal in a work zone shows red?

    1. Proceed slowly through the signal
    2. Drive around the signal on the shoulder
    3. Sound the horn and wait for a flagger
    4. Stop at the white line if there is one, and be ready to stop quickly in work zones
    Show answer

    Stop at the white line if there is one, and be ready to stop quickly in work zones. Temporary signals in work zones control one lane of two way traffic, and running one puts you head on with the opposing platoon. The handbook says that if there is a short term signal, stop at the white line if there is one, and it adds the general rule to slow down in work zones and be ready to stop quickly. Creeping through, using the shoulder, or honking for a flagger are not options. Wait for the green and follow any flagger's directions.

14. 14. While passing a bicyclist in Utah, what minimum separation must your vehicle provide?

    
    1. Three feet from the bicyclist
    2. Two feet when traveling below 25 mph
    3. Half the width of the bicycle lane
    4. One foot if you sound the horn
    Show answer

    Three feet from the bicyclist. Utah requires at least three feet between your passing vehicle and a bicyclist or other vulnerable highway user. A lower driving speed does not reduce that minimum to two feet. Judge the gap from the person you are overtaking, not just from a painted lane boundary. If a cyclist is riding near the edge of a bike lane, account for that position before beginning the pass and allow additional space when possible.

15. 15. What does a white X shaped sign reading Railroad Crossing tell a Utah driver?

    
    1. A train may be coming; stop behind the stop line or before the intersection
    2. Trains always yield to cars
    3. The crossing is abandoned
    4. You may cross without looking if no train is visible
    Show answer

    A train may be coming; stop behind the stop line or before the intersection. The crossbuck is the sign at the tracks themselves. The handbook says the white X shaped Railroad Crossing sign cautions that a train or railroad vehicle is coming and that you must stop behind the stop line or before the intersection when required. Trains never yield, the crossbuck does not mean the line is abandoned, and a train hidden by a curve can arrive in seconds. Look and listen both ways, and never stop on the tracks.

16. 16. According to the Utah handbook, fines for illegally passing a stopped school bus can reach how much?

    1. $100
    2. $500
    3. $1,000
    4. $3,000
    Show answer

    $3,000. The handbook says fines can run up to $3,000 for illegally passing a school bus, and a conviction usually raises insurance rates. The lower amounts understate the penalty. School bus drivers may report vehicles that pass improperly, and the report may be sent to local police for investigation, so a violation can be caught even when no officer is present.

17. 17. When no sign is posted and no special hazard exists, which speeds does the Utah handbook list for rural interstate highways?

    1. 55 mph only
    2. 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph
    3. 85 mph
    4. 60 mph
    Show answer

    65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. Utah's speed list gives 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph on rural interstate highways, with transition zones marked by pavement markings and signs. Fifty five mph is listed for major highways as posted, and 85 and 60 are not in the handbook. The basic speed law still applies: never drive faster than is reasonable and prudent for existing conditions, even under the posted limit.

18. 18. You face a flashing yellow left-turn arrow in Utah while opposing traffic approaches. How should you handle the turn?

    1. Turn immediately because the arrow stops opposing traffic
    2. Wait for opposing drivers to stop at their green light
    3. Treat the arrow as a protected left turn
    4. Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians before turning cautiously
    Show answer

    Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians before turning cautiously. A flashing yellow arrow permits the turn only after yielding to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians. It is not a protected turn: the opposing traffic has a green light and may continue through. Look beyond the arrow for an approaching vehicle and check the crosswalk before accepting a gap. The immediate-turn choice would place your car across traffic that has not been stopped by the signal. Complete the maneuver only when the available space makes it safe.

19. 19. When may a person drive a farm tractor or road roller on a Utah highway without a driver license?

    1. When driving it in conjunction with a construction or agricultural activity
    2. Never
    3. Only on roads posted under 25 mph
    4. Only with a farm permit issued by the county
    Show answer

    When driving it in conjunction with a construction or agricultural activity. Utah does not require a driver license to drive road rollers, road machinery, or farm tractors on its highways when the person is driving the vehicle in conjunction with a construction or agricultural activity. The exemption is tied to the work being done, not to the road's speed limit, and no county permit is involved. Other drivers should expect these slow moving vehicles on rural highways and pass only where it is safe.

20. 20. At a congested Utah merge point such as a construction zone, how does the handbook say drivers should merge?

    1. Merge as early as possible into the open lane
    2. Use both lanes to the merge point, then alternate into the single lane
    3. The lane that ends must stop and wait for a gap
    4. Faster vehicles go first
    Show answer

    Use both lanes to the merge point, then alternate into the single lane. Utah describes zipper merging for congested merge points like construction zones. Use both lanes of traffic until the vehicles reach the merge point, and once they reach it, alternate, yielding the right-of-way into the single traffic lane. Merging early wastes lane capacity and lengthens the backup, and no lane has to stop or wait. The handbook adds that a violation of this section is an infraction, so taking turns at the merge point is the law as well as the courteous choice.