UT Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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. For a Utah driver under 21, how many points within three years lead to a hearing?

   1. 70 points or more
   2. 200 points or more
   3. 12 points or more
   4. 150 points or more
   Show answer

   70 points or more. Utah sets a much lower threshold for younger drivers: under 21, acquiring 70 points or more within three years brings a hearing. The 200 point figure is for drivers over 21. Twelve and 150 are not Utah thresholds. Because single moving violations carry dozens of points each in Utah, a young driver can reach 70 with only a couple of tickets.

2. 2. How long do alcohol and drug related violations, suspensions and revocations stay on a Utah driving record?

   1. Three years
   2. 10 years
   3. Five years
   4. They are removed at reinstatement
   Show answer

   10 years. Utah's driving record shows moving violation convictions and suspensions within the past three years, but all alcohol and drug related violations, suspensions and revocations remain for 10 years. So three years is the general window, not the alcohol one, and five years is not listed. Reinstating a license does not erase the record. That 10 year window also matches the look back for repeat Not-a-Drop offenses.

3. 3. What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean in Utah?

   1. Stop and wait for green
   2. Stop, then proceed as at a stop sign
   3. Slow down and proceed with caution
   4. The signal is broken; ignore it
   Show answer

   Slow down and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow light is a caution signal, usually shown to the main road while the cross street sees flashing red. You do not have to stop, but the handbook says to slow down and proceed with caution, looking both ways because cross traffic will be entering after their stop. Waiting for green is pointless since a flashing signal does not cycle, the stop then proceed rule belongs to flashing red, and a flashing signal is not a broken one. Cover the brake and expect cross traffic to misjudge the gap.

4. 4. A vehicle ahead on a Utah road shows a fluorescent orange and red triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?

   
   1. The vehicle is carrying hazardous materials
   2. The vehicle is moving less than 25 mph
   3. The vehicle is oversized and needs an escort
   4. The vehicle is an emergency vehicle
   Show answer

   The vehicle is moving less than 25 mph. The orange and red triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem. Farm tractors, horse drawn wagons and road machinery carry it because they travel at less than 25 mph, and the sign warns you to expect a very fast closing speed. It has nothing to do with hazardous materials placards, emergency vehicles, or oversize load banners. When you see the triangle, slow down early, leave extra following distance, and pass only where the road is clear and passing is legal.

5. 5. Under Utah's rules on speed, what does the handbook say about the posted limit at night?

   1. Driving the posted limit at night may be too fast
   2. The posted limit is always the safe speed at night
   3. You may exceed the limit at night if traffic is light
   4. Night speed limits are 10 mph higher
   Show answer

   Driving the posted limit at night may be too fast. At night you can only see as far as your headlights reach, so the handbook warns that driving the posted speed limit at night may be too fast. The limit is a maximum for ideal conditions, not a promise that the speed is safe, and there is no night bonus or light traffic exception. Drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance your headlights illuminate, and slow further when rain, snow or fog cut that distance.

6. 6. After a breakdown, how far behind your vehicle should emergency flares or triangles be placed?

   1. 20 to 30 feet
   2. Immediately against the rear bumper
   3. 500 to 600 feet
   4. 200 to 300 feet
   Show answer

   200 to 300 feet. Place emergency flares or triangles 200 to 300 feet behind the disabled vehicle to give approaching motorists time to slow or change lanes. A warning tucked against the rear bumper becomes visible too close to the obstruction to serve that purpose well. First get the vehicle off the roadway and away from traffic. Think of the warning devices as advance notice for a driver approaching from behind, rather than a marker only for your parking position.

7. 7. Where can a Utah applicant take the Traffic Safety and Trends Exam, and how often may it be attempted before licensing?

   1. At a driving school, once per enrollment
   2. On the Driver License Division website, three attempts total
   3. At a testing office, twice per day only
   4. On the Driver License Division website, as often as necessary
   Show answer

   On the Driver License Division website, as often as necessary. The Traffic Safety and Trends Exam is offered only on the Driver License Division website, with as many attempts as necessary before licensing. A three-attempt cap would confuse this exam with the separate fee-based attempt rules for the written knowledge test. If an applicant misses a trends question while studying at home, another attempt is allowed. Use the exam name on the website to ensure you are completing the additional requirement rather than an unrelated practice quiz.

8. 8. What is the longest permitted interval between ignition interlock monitoring visits for a restricted Utah driver?

   1. 30 days
   2. 60 days
   3. 120 days
   4. 90 days
   Show answer

   60 days. An ignition interlock device must be monitored at least every 60 days while the driver is restricted. Waiting 90 days would exceed the monitoring interval, even if the vehicle seems to operate normally. Installation is therefore only one part of complying with the restriction. Put the next monitoring date on a calendar after each service visit, and arrange the visit early enough that scheduling problems do not carry it beyond the required interval.

9. 9. Why should a Utah driver take extra care around bicyclists when the road is wet or has sand or gravel?

   1. Bicyclists are not allowed on wet roads
   2. Sand makes bicycles faster
   3. Those surfaces reduce a bicycle's traction and can make the rider fall or swerve
   4. Gravel roads are reserved for bicycles
   Show answer

   Those surfaces reduce a bicycle's traction and can make the rider fall or swerve. A bicycle has two narrow tires, so a wet patch, loose sand or gravel can take away its grip in an instant and put the rider on the ground or into your lane. That is why the handbook says to be careful around bicyclists when the roadway is wet or covered with sand or gravel. Riders are allowed on wet roads, sand does not speed them up, and gravel roads are open to everyone. Give more room and be ready for a sudden move.

10. 10. At this no-passing-zone sign, may you use the shoulder to get around a slower vehicle?

    
    1. No, the shoulder must not be used for passing
    2. Yes, if the shoulder is paved as wide as a lane
    3. Yes, after sounding the horn to warn the slower driver
    4. Yes, if no oncoming vehicle is visible
    Show answer

    No, the shoulder must not be used for passing. Utah prohibits passing on the shoulder. A paved shoulder that looks wide enough for your vehicle does not create an extra passing lane or an exception to a no-passing restriction. Stay behind the slower vehicle until a lawful opportunity becomes available. The pennant and its wording are a useful cue to abandon an intended overtake, not to look for a way around the restriction at the edge of the pavement.

11. 11. What does the Utah handbook tell drivers to do on roadways marked with animal crossing signs?

    1. Use high beams at all times, even with oncoming traffic
    2. Speed up to pass through the area quickly
    3. Be alert, because those signs mark areas with many animal and vehicle collisions
    4. Sound the horn continuously to scare animals away
    Show answer

    Be alert, because those signs mark areas with many animal and vehicle collisions. Animal crossing signs are not decorative. The handbook says to be alert on roadways marked with them because they are placed in areas with many animal and vehicle collisions, meaning the history of crashes there is what earned the sign. They are not at every rural intersection or only in parks, and their locations are chosen from data. Slow down through a signed stretch, especially at dawn and dusk, and scan both shoulders.

12. 12. A roadway ahead is covered by floodwater that looks shallow. What should you do?

    1. Cross quickly to avoid stalling in the water
    2. Follow a larger vehicle through its wheel tracks
    3. Turn around and choose another route
    4. Drive along the road edge to test the water depth
    Show answer

    Turn around and choose another route. Turn away from a flooded road and find another route. Water that appears shallow can conceal a dip or a washed-out road surface, so following a larger vehicle through its tracks is not a dependable way to judge safety. The visible water across your intended path is the cue to change your route before entering it. If another route is unavailable, the handbook advises moving to higher ground and waiting for the water to subside.

13. 13. A Utah applicant who is 19 or older has never been licensed. May the applicant skip the driver education course?

    1. Yes, if the applicant holds a learner permit for 90 days and completes 40 hours of driving
    2. No, driver education is required at every age
    3. Yes, with no other condition
    4. Only if the applicant has a college degree
    Show answer

    Yes, if the applicant holds a learner permit for 90 days and completes 40 hours of driving. Applicants 19 years of age or older who have never been licensed to drive may be licensed without completing a driver education course if they hold a learner permit for 90 days and complete at least 40 hours of driving, 10 of them after sunset. The course is mandatory only for younger applicants, who must also hold a learner permit for six months before licensing. Age alone does not waive the permit holding condition, and education has nothing to do with it.

14. 14. A flashing yellow turn arrow faces you while oncoming vehicles have green. How should you turn?

    1. Wait for every signal at the intersection to become red
    2. Turn immediately because an arrow guarantees a protected movement
    3. Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then turn cautiously when clear
    4. Treat oncoming vehicles as required to stop for your turn
    Show answer

    Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then turn cautiously when clear. A flashing yellow arrow allows the turn after you yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. It does not provide a protected movement, so assuming the arrow makes opposing vehicles stop can place you directly in their path. The flashing display is your cue to judge an available gap and check the crosswalk before steering across. Oncoming drivers have a green signal and may continue through while you are waiting to turn.

15. 15. Why are stop lines at Utah intersections set back from the crossing?

    1. To make the intersection look wider
    2. To keep cars away from the traffic signal poles
    3. To mark where pedestrians must stand
    4. To give larger vehicles more turning space
    Show answer

    To give larger vehicles more turning space. A truck or bus turning into your street swings wide, and a car stopped too close to the corner gets clipped. The handbook says stop lines at intersections are designed to give larger vehicles more turning space. They are not about signal poles, pedestrian positions, or appearance. Stop with your front bumper behind the line, even when it seems far back, so the turning vehicle has the room the line was painted to provide.

16. 16. A Utah driver 21 or older is convicted of a second DUI. How long is the license suspended?

    1. 120 days
    2. Two years
    3. 30 days
    4. Six months
    Show answer

    Two years. For a driver 21 and older, a first DUI brings a 120 day suspension and a second or subsequent offense brings two years. So 120 days is only the first offense figure, and 30 days and six months are not the Utah periods. A second DUI also triggers a two year ignition interlock restriction and is a mandatory revocation offense under Section 13.

17. 17. What headlight range must every Utah vehicle except a motorcycle provide on high and low beams?

    1. One headlight of any color
    2. At least two white headlights shining 350 feet on high and 100 feet on low beams
    3. Two headlights shining 100 feet on high and 50 feet on low beams
    4. Blue or amber headlights for visibility
    Show answer

    At least two white headlights shining 350 feet on high and 100 feet on low beams. Headlights are equipment the law specifies. The handbook says all vehicles except motorcycles must have at least two operational headlights, one on each side, that are white in color and can shine 350 feet on high beams and 100 feet on low beams. A single light, a shorter range on either setting, or a colored beam does not meet the standard and can earn a citation as well as leave you unable to see hazards in time. Check both lights regularly and replace a failed bulb at once.

18. 18. What is the minimum distance from a crosswalk at which a Utah driver may park?

    1. 20 feet
    2. 10 feet
    3. 100 feet
    4. 5 feet
    Show answer

    20 feet. A car parked next to a crosswalk hides pedestrians from drivers and drivers from pedestrians. Utah's parking rules therefore prohibit parking on a crosswalk or within 20 feet of one, so 20 feet is the minimum clearance. Five feet and 10 feet are inside the prohibited zone, and 100 feet is more than the rule requires. Find a space that leaves the crossing and the sight lines clear, and remember the separate limits near hydrants, stop signs, and railroad tracks.

19. 19. Is 10 mph automatically a safe speed on an icy Utah road?

    1. Yes, every speed at or below 10 mph is safe on ice
    2. Yes, provided the vehicle has four-wheel drive
    3. No, ice requires a fixed 5 mph limit everywhere
    4. No, even 10 mph may be too fast for the conditions
    Show answer

    No, even 10 mph may be too fast for the conditions. The handbook warns that even 10 mph on an icy road can be too fast. A low speedometer reading alone cannot show whether the tires have enough grip or whether you can stop within the visible distance. The fixed 5 mph choice invents a universal limit instead of requiring judgment about the actual surface. If steering or braking feels ineffective on a frozen stretch, treat that loss of traction as a cue to reduce demands on the vehicle and reassess speed.

20. 20. According to the Utah handbook, what does a driver reduce by leaving a few minutes early?

    1. Fuel consumption only
    2. The need to wear a safety belt
    3. The need to check mirrors
    4. The urge to speed, beat traffic signals, or do anything that results in a citation or crash
    Show answer

    The urge to speed, beat traffic signals, or do anything that results in a citation or crash. Many risky habits come from running late. The handbook says that if you leave a few minutes early you will not feel the need to speed, beat traffic signals, or do anything else that results in a citation or a traffic accident. Fuel savings are a side effect, and no schedule changes the belt or mirror rules. Build the margin into the trip, and the pressure that produces the top crash causes disappears.