UT Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

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 does the Utah handbook say about turning while backing?

   1. Look only backward
   2. Make quick checks to the front and sides
   3. Steer with one finger
   4. Accelerate to finish the turn faster
   Show answer

   Make quick checks to the front and sides. When you back and turn at the same time, the front of the vehicle swings out in the opposite direction, so the handbook says to make quick checks to the front and sides while backing and turning, as well as looking back over your shoulder. Looking only backward misses the front corner swinging toward a car or post, a one finger grip loses control, and speed is the enemy when backing. Back slowly, keep checking all around, and stop if anything moves.

2. 2. Can taking just one alcoholic drink affect a person’s ability to drive, according to Utah’s handbook?

   1. No, impairment starts only after two drinks
   2. No, if the drink is consumed with a meal
   3. Only if the drink is combined with a prescription drug
   4. Yes, impairment starts with the first drink
   Show answer

   Yes, impairment starts with the first drink. Alcohol can affect driving ability beginning with the first drink. Waiting until a second drink to consider impairment leaves out the effect that may already be present after one. A small serving count therefore should not be used as reassurance before taking the driver’s seat. If you are deciding how to get home after a drink with dinner, arrange transportation with a sober driver. The practical decision is to avoid driving after alcohol rather than trying to detect impairment yourself.

3. 3. What purpose does this yellow arrow warning sign serve?

   
   1. It orders every vehicle to turn at the next driveway
   2. It designates a lane that must be used for turning
   3. It identifies a route to a public service
   4. It warns of a possible danger farther along the road
   Show answer

   It warns of a possible danger farther along the road. The arrow is a warning about the road ahead, so use it as an early cue to assess your approach speed and the upcoming change in direction. Treating it as an order to turn at the next driveway mistakes a hazard warning for a required maneuver. Look beyond the sign for the bend in the roadway and prepare before reaching it, rather than waiting until steering becomes urgent.

4. 4. As you approach the intersection indicated by this sign, where should you search for hazards?

   
   1. To both the left and right where traffic intersects
   2. Only along the lane directly ahead
   3. Only toward traffic approaching from your right
   4. Only in the rearview mirror until reaching the crossing
   Show answer

   To both the left and right where traffic intersects. An upcoming crossing calls for a search to the left and right because vehicles can approach from either side. Looking only along your own lane can miss a vehicle entering across your path, even when your forward view appears open. Use the crossroad symbol as a prompt to locate the side-road entrances and check their approaches while continuing to monitor the space in front of your vehicle.

5. 5. After a DUI impound in Utah, which costs does the handbook identify for the vehicle owner?

   1. Towing, storage charges, and administrative costs
   2. Towing and driver license reinstatement fees only
   3. Only a towing charge, with free storage
   4. Only the traffic fine, with no impound charges
   Show answer

   Towing, storage charges, and administrative costs. The owner must pay towing, storage charges, and administrative costs to recover a DUI-impounded vehicle, along with meeting the release requirements. Assuming storage is free leaves out a cost specifically identified in the handbook. The DMV notice tells the owner what must be done to obtain release. Read that notice promptly and distinguish the costs of recovering the vehicle from any separate traffic case or driver license reinstatement process.

6. 6. Who in a Utah vehicle must have a fastened safety belt or child seat?

   1. Only the driver
   2. Only front seat occupants
   3. Only passengers under 18
   4. Everyone in the vehicle
   Show answer

   Everyone in the vehicle. Utah's safety belt rule applies to every occupant. The handbook says everyone in your vehicle must have a fastened safety belt or child seat. Children aged eight and under must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat unless they are 57 inches tall, and older children must be restrained by an appropriate device or a safety belt. Driver only, front seat only, and under 18 only are all narrower than the law. Belts cut deaths and serious injuries in crashes, and the driver is responsible for making sure young passengers are buckled correctly.

7. 7. When exiting a perpendicular or angle parking space in Utah, what should you do first?

   1. Back out quickly to claim the lane
   2. Check for traffic in all directions
   3. Sound the horn and reverse
   4. Rely on the backup camera alone
   Show answer

   Check for traffic in all directions. Backing out of an angled or perpendicular space is a blind maneuver into a lane where cars and pedestrians move unpredictably, so the handbook says to check for traffic in all directions first. Backing quickly, trusting only a camera that shows a narrow view, or honking and reversing all replace looking with hope. Check mirrors, the camera, and over both shoulders, then back out slowly and stop if anything moves.

8. 8. According to the Utah handbook, how are railroad crossings controlled?

   1. They are never controlled
   2. Only by traffic lights
   3. Only by painted lines
   4. By flashing signals, gates, a watchman, or stop signs
   Show answer

   By flashing signals, gates, a watchman, or stop signs. Railroad crossings use several kinds of control, and the handbook lists them: flashing signals, gates, a watchman, or stop signs. Whichever control is present, stop more than 15 feet but not more than 50 feet from the nearest rail, and continue only when it is safe and the control permits it. If there is a gate, wait for it to be raised. At a crossing marked only by a stop sign, look and listen both ways before continuing. Ordinary traffic lights and painted lines alone are not how crossings are controlled. Never drive around a lowered gate.

9. 9. When is a Utah driver allowed to drive faster than the posted speed limit?

   1. Never; you may not legally exceed the posted limit
   2. When traffic around you is going faster
   3. When you are late for work
   4. When the road is empty
   Show answer

   Never; you may not legally exceed the posted limit. The posted limit is a ceiling. The handbook is plain that you may not legally drive faster than the posted speed limit, and it adds that conditions often require you to go slower than the number on the sign. Keeping up with speeders, being late, or an empty road are not legal exceptions. Speeding is one of the top causes of Utah crashes, and the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see.

10. 10. When does the Utah handbook say to use a three point turn?

    1. Only if the road is too narrow for a U-turn
    2. Whenever you want to reverse direction
    3. Only on freeways
    4. Only at night
    Show answer

    Only if the road is too narrow for a U-turn. The three point turn is the fallback, not the preferred maneuver. The handbook says to use it only if the road is too narrow for a U-turn, because it involves backing across the road and takes longer, leaving you exposed to traffic from both directions. It is never used on freeways, where backing and turning around are prohibited, and time of day has nothing to do with it. Choose a spot with good visibility, signal, and check traffic before each of the three movements.

11. 11. When does the Utah handbook tell you to increase your following distance?

    1. Only when following a motorcycle
    2. Only when driving faster than 65 mph
    3. In bad weather or poor visibility
    4. Never, the normal distance is always enough
    Show answer

    In bad weather or poor visibility. The normal following distance assumes dry pavement and a clear view. The handbook tells you to increase it in bad weather or poor visibility, because wet or icy roads lengthen stopping distance and fog or darkness shortens the distance at which you can see a hazard. Speed alone is not the trigger, and while extra space behind a motorcycle is wise, the handbook's stated rule is about conditions. Add seconds whenever the road or the weather takes away your margin.

12. 12. What is the top cause of crashes for Utah drivers under 20, according to the handbook's statistics?

    1. Disregarding traffic signals
    2. Wrong side or wrong way driving
    3. Following too closely
    4. Improper backing
    Show answer

    Following too closely. The handbook's teenage driver crash table for ages 15 to 19 lists following too closely as the leading cause at 17 percent, followed by failing to yield right of way, failing to keep in the proper lane, unsafe lane changes, and disregarding traffic signals. Disregarding signals is on the list but ranks last, and wrong side or wrong way driving and improper backing are not in the teen top five at all. The lesson for a new driver is simple: leave three or more seconds of space to the car ahead and add more in bad weather.

13. 13. A Utah driver has a BAC below 0.05 but is impaired enough to operate a vehicle unsafely. Is driving still a violation?

    1. No, a BAC below 0.05 always permits driving
    2. Yes, unsafe impairment can violate the law below the BAC limit
    3. Yes, but only if the driver holds a CDL
    4. No, unless the driver causes a collision
    Show answer

    Yes, unsafe impairment can violate the law below the BAC limit. Utah prohibits driving when impairment makes vehicle operation unsafe, including when the measured BAC is below the legal limit. Treating every reading below 0.05 as permission to drive ignores this separate impairment condition. A driver who cannot judge gaps or react reliably after drinking should arrange another ride rather than rely on a number. The practical cue is the inability to drive safely; a collision does not have to occur before the conduct can violate the law.

14. 14. What result must a first-time Utah Class D applicant earn on the additional Traffic Safety and Trends Exam?

    1. At least 70%
    2. At least 80%
    3. At least 90%
    4. A score of 100%
    Show answer

    A score of 100%. First-time Class D applicants must earn 100% on the additional Traffic Safety and Trends Exam. An 80% result may sound sufficient because it is the passing threshold for the regular written knowledge test, but these are separate requirements. When reviewing an application checklist, identify which exam a score belongs to before assuming testing is finished. The trends exam is available through the Driver License Division website and can be attempted as often as needed before licensing.

15. 15. Compared with an ordinary speeding fine, what minimum fine applies for speeding in a Utah highway construction zone?

    1. One and a half times the regular speeding fine
    2. The regular speeding fine with no increase
    3. At least double the regular speeding fine
    4. Exactly three times the regular speeding fine
    Show answer

    At least double the regular speeding fine. A highway construction zone speeding fine must be at least twice the regular speeding fine. The ordinary fine option misses the required increase, while exactly triple wrongly turns a minimum multiplier into a fixed amount. Orange construction signs and channeling devices are practical reminders to check your speed before entering the changed roadway. The increased fine accompanies hazards such as narrowed lanes, rough surfaces, and equipment moving near traffic.

16. 16. When does the Utah handbook say animals are most active on the road?

    1. At midday
    2. Only in winter
    3. At dawn and dusk
    4. Only during rain
    Show answer

    At dawn and dusk. Deer and other animals move most at dawn and dusk, which is also when light is poor and drivers see least, so the handbook lists using caution at dawn and dusk when animals are most active as the first way to reduce your chances of an animal collision. Midday, winter alone, and rain are not what the handbook singles out. Slow down where animal crossing signs are posted, and expect a second animal after the first one crosses.

17. 17. Where does the Utah handbook tell a pedestrian to walk when there are no sidewalks?

    1. On the left shoulder, as far from the edge of the roadway as possible, facing traffic
    2. On the right shoulder, with traffic
    3. In the center of the lane
    4. Pedestrians may not walk on roads without sidewalks
    Show answer

    On the left shoulder, as far from the edge of the roadway as possible, facing traffic. Pedestrians must use sidewalks where they exist. If there are no sidewalks, the handbook says to walk or jog on the left shoulder as far away as possible from the edge of the roadway, which puts oncoming traffic in the walker's view. Where neither a sidewalk nor a shoulder is available, walk as near as possible to the outside edge of the roadway. Drivers should expect walkers on rural shoulders and give them room.

18. 18. A school bus flashes alternating red lights on a four-lane Utah road with no median. Which traffic must stop?

    1. Only vehicles immediately behind the bus
    2. Only vehicles in the bus's lane
    3. Traffic traveling in both directions
    4. Only vehicles approaching the front of the bus
    Show answer

    Traffic traveling in both directions. On a four-lane roadway without a median, Utah requires traffic in both directions to stop for the school bus's flashing red signals. The number of lanes alone does not create the exemption associated with a divided highway. The choice limiting stopping to vehicles behind the bus overlooks the absence of a separating median. Check the roadway layout as you approach, and remain alert for children even when they are not yet visible near the bus.

19. 19. How can a Utah driver have a seat belt citation fine waived?

    1. By paying within 10 days
    2. By completing an online 30-minute safety belt safety course
    3. By showing the belt was worn after the stop
    4. Fines can never be waived
    Show answer

    By completing an online 30-minute safety belt safety course. Utah allows the seat belt fine to be waived when the person completes an online, 30-minute safety belt safety course. Paying quickly does not waive a fine, and buckling up after the stop does not undo the violation that the officer already saw. Saying fines can never be waived contradicts the handbook. Remember that each unrestrained passenger can bring a separate citation, so a car with several unbelted riders can produce several fines at once.

20. 20. A newly licensed 16 year old in Utah wants to drive friends to school. What passenger rule applies at first?

    1. Up to two friends are allowed
    2. Only immediate family members, until six months from the issue date
    3. Any passengers, as long as all wear belts
    4. No passengers at all for one year
    Show answer

    Only immediate family members, until six months from the issue date. For a new license (not a permit), Utah allows only immediate family members in the vehicle until six months from the issue date. Friends therefore cannot ride along during that period, whatever their number or whether they buckle up. The rule does not bar every passenger for a year; family members are allowed and the limit ends at six months. Once six months have passed from the issue date, the family only limit ends.