WV Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

Every question below comes from the West Virginia 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. Which visibility equipment must be kept in good working condition for winter?

   1. Windshield wipers and defroster
   2. Windshield washers and headlight lenses
   3. Defroster and a rear window wiper only
   4. Fog lamps and windshield wipers only
   Show answer

   Windshield wipers and defroster. Winter driving begins with being able to see. Keep windshield wipers and the defroster in good working condition, because snow, slush, and interior fog all attack the glass at once. Washers and lenses help, but they are not the named pair; a rear wiper alone leaves the windshield to freeze; and fog lamps cannot clear ice or steam from the glass in front of the driver. Test the defroster on a cool morning before a storm tests it for you, replace streaking blades, and never start until every window is clear and completely defrosted.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights and light conditions

2. 2. Which visible behavior identifies an inattentive driver?

   1. One arm out the window while paying little attention to traffic
   2. Both hands on the wheel while scanning traffic ahead closely
   3. Checking mirrors regularly while following at a safe distance
   4. Sitting upright with a firm grip during heavy traffic flow
   Show answer

   One arm out the window while paying little attention to traffic. An inattentive driver can be identified by driving with one arm out the window, talking or gesturing with one hand, or paying little attention to traffic flow. The option stating "Both hands on the wheel while scanning traffic ahead closely" misses that point, because both hands on the wheel with scanning is the attentive posture the guidance recommends. Relaxed posture and wandering eyes advertise inattention to everyone around you.

   Study this in the handbook: Drowsy driving, fatigue and emotions

3. 3. Which features count as road conditions a defensive driver should consider?

   1. Curves, hills, toll lanes, parking meters, and shoulders
   2. Curves, hills, pavement width, surfaces, shoulders, and drop-offs
   3. Hills, pavement width, surfaces, vehicle colors, and drop-offs
   4. Shoulders, drop-offs, curves, county lines, and fuel prices
   Show answer

   Curves, hills, pavement width, surfaces, shoulders, and drop-offs. Road conditions are the physical features that shape how a vehicle can travel. They include curves, hills, pavement width, multiple lanes, road surfaces, poorly marked or unmarked roads, shoulders, and drop-offs. Toll lanes, parking meters, vehicle colors, county lines, and fuel prices may affect a trip budget or route, but they do not change grip, sight distance, or room to maneuver the way the road itself does. Read the pavement ahead the way you read a sign: narrowing width, a soft shoulder, or a drop-off at the edge all call for slower speed and more space before you arrive.

   Study this in the handbook: Weather, road, vehicle and traffic conditions

4. 4. When is backing up while in a traffic lane acceptable?

   1. When traffic behind is moving slowly uphill
   2. When the driver missed a highway exit ramp
   3. When backing into a parallel parking space
   4. When a passenger watches the rear window
   Show answer

   When backing into a parallel parking space. Backing in a traffic lane is not advisable except when backing into a parallel parking space. Slow traffic uphill does not create a second exception, and missing a highway exit is handled by taking another exit rather than reversing. A passenger watching the rear window also does not make backing in a live lane advisable. The parallel parking maneuver is the specific exception identified by the handbook.

   Study this in the handbook: U-turns, backing, parking and following distance

5. 5. Why do other drivers need your turn signal before you change direction?

   1. They expect you to stop at every block corner
   2. They cannot see any vehicle brake lights nearby
   3. They expect you to continue in the same direction
   4. They assume every driver turns at each crossing
   Show answer

   They expect you to continue in the same direction. Other drivers expect you to continue traveling in the same direction, so a signal is how you announce a turn or lane change before it surprises them. The option stating "They expect you to stop at every block corner" misses that point, because stopping at every corner is not the default expectation that makes signaling necessary. Drive predictably: until you signal, traffic plans around you going straight ahead.

   Study this in the handbook: The road skills test and basic control

6. 6. All of your vehicle's lights fail on a dark highway. What should you do?

   1. Speed up to reach a lighted area quickly
   2. Stay on the roadway and slow down enough to pull off safely
   3. Turn into the median and wait for daylight
   4. Keep driving at normal speed using the road lines
   Show answer

   Stay on the roadway and slow down enough to pull off safely. If all lights fail on a dark highway, stay on the roadway and slow down enough to pull off the roadway safely. Leaving the traveled surface at speed without lights can send the vehicle into a ditch, barrier, or another vehicle. Speeding up to reach lights makes the unlit vehicle harder to control and harder for others to judge. Waiting in the median places the vehicle between fast lanes. Normal speed gives no margin for a hazard you cannot see. Reduce speed smoothly, keep the vehicle steady, and clear the roadway as soon as it can be done safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, fires and other vehicle emergencies

7. 7. What does a driver risk by exceeding the speed limit, beyond a ticket?

   1. Only a higher fuel bill for that trip
   2. Extra wear on tires and brake pads alone
   3. A warning that carries no other consequence
   4. The lives of others as well as their own
   Show answer

   The lives of others as well as their own. Speeding shortens the time available to notice a child, a turning car, or a stopped truck, and it lengthens the distance needed to stop. That is why going over the limit endangers other people as well as the speeding driver. A ticket and fuel costs are real, but they are not the harm the rule is built to prevent, and tire wear does not capture the danger either. Judge your speed by the people who would have to survive your mistake: passengers, pedestrians, and drivers who never agreed to share the risk you created.

   Study this in the handbook: Basic speed law and school zones

8. 8. What usually happens to a motorcyclist who is involved in a crash?

   1. The rider is usually unhurt because the bike is light
   2. The rider is protected by the motorcycle frame
   3. The rider will almost certainly be badly hurt or killed
   4. The rider can usually stop before any impact occurs
   Show answer

   The rider will almost certainly be badly hurt or killed. A motorcyclist has no enclosed body, air bags, or seat belt system to absorb crash forces, so a rider will almost certainly be badly hurt or killed in a crash. The lightness of a motorcycle does not protect the rider; it means the rider's body takes the impact directly. The frame is not a protective shell around the person. Quick stopping also cannot be counted on once another vehicle turns or pulls out close ahead. Give motorcycles space and time, and look twice before moving into their path.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights and light conditions

9. 9. What riding limits come with a West Virginia motorcycle instruction permit?

   1. Night hours and no passengers
   2. Daylight hours with one passenger
   3. Any hour with a licensed passenger
   4. Daylight hours and no passengers
   Show answer

   Daylight hours and no passengers. A motorcycle instruction permit allows riding on public roads during daylight hours without passengers. The choice saying "Night hours" is wrong because the permit is limited to daylight. The option allowing one passenger conflicts with the express no-passenger condition, and an unrestricted any-hour choice removes both limits. A permit holder should plan solo practice in daylight and stop riding before darkness rather than treating the permit like a full motorcycle license.

10. 10. What is a tire blowout, as defined for emergency response?

    1. A slow leak that lowers pressure over several weeks of driving
    2. A flat tire discovered while the vehicle is parked overnight
    3. A worn tread area found during a monthly pressure check at home
    4. A sudden collapse of a tire that can throw the vehicle off control
    Show answer

    A sudden collapse of a tire that can throw the vehicle off control. A blowout is a sudden collapse of a tire that can throw the vehicle out of control, requiring a tight wheel grip and straight steering. The option stating "A slow leak that lowers pressure over several weeks of driving" misses that point, because a slow leak develops quietly over weeks, while a blowout is the sudden event demanding instant control. The bang and pull mark a blowout; expect the vehicle to fight your steering at once.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, fires and other vehicle emergencies

11. 11. Which mailbox location is included in West Virginia's prohibited parking list?

    1. Within 5 feet of a mailbox
    2. Within 10 feet of a mailbox
    3. Within 20 feet of a mailbox served by a carrier
    4. Within 30 feet of a mailbox served by a carrier
    Show answer

    Within 20 feet of a mailbox served by a carrier. West Virginia prohibits parking within 20 feet of a mailbox served by a carrier using a motor vehicle for daily deliveries. The 5-, 10-, and 30-foot choices change the distance or omit the daily-delivery condition stated in the handbook. The restriction keeps the delivery area open for the carrier's vehicle. A mailbox outside that described service condition is not the fact tested here, so read both the distance and the delivery condition together.

    Study this in the handbook: U-turns, backing, parking and following distance

12. 12. What makes the shapes and colors of signs helpful to a driver?

    1. They indicate what the sign is trying to tell you
    2. They show the speed limit for the road ahead
    3. They show how far the next town is from here
    4. They show whether the road is state maintained
    Show answer

    They indicate what the sign is trying to tell you. A sign begins speaking before its words can be read. The shapes and colors of signs are a very helpful indicator of what a sign is trying to tell you, so an octagon warns of a stop and a diamond warns of a hazard long before the legend is clear. Speed limits are given by numbers on regulatory signs, distances by guide sign wording, and road maintenance is not coded into color or shape at all. Learn the shape and color language, because in fog, darkness, or a quick glance, that first message may be the only one you get in time.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes, colors and pavement markings

13. 13. No fire extinguisher is available for a small vehicle fire. What can smother it?

    1. Dirt or sand to smother the fire
    2. Water poured slowly over the flames
    3. Loose paper and cloth piled on top
    4. A plastic cover pressed over the flames
    Show answer

    Dirt or sand to smother the fire. A small vehicle fire needs its air cut off, not more fuel or a stream that spreads burning liquids. If no chemical fire extinguisher is available, use dirt or sand to smother the fire, burying the flames under material that cannot burn. Water can carry burning gasoline outward, paper and cloth become fuel the moment they land, and a plastic cover melts and burns while trapping heat against your hands. Scoop roadside dirt or sand from a safe side, keep your face back from smoke, and call for help even if the flames go out, because fuel and wiring can reignite.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, fires and other vehicle emergencies

14. 14. Using the count method, when are you driving too closely?

    1. Reaching the object after saying one thousand five slowly
    2. Passing the object exactly at one thousand four spoken
    3. Needing more than six seconds to reach the object
    4. Reaching the fixed object before finishing one thousand three
    Show answer

    Reaching the fixed object before finishing one thousand three. A driver is following too closely when the vehicle reaches the fixed object before the driver finishes saying one thousand three. Reaching the object after one thousand five indicates a longer gap, not a gap that is too short. The three-to-four-second method uses a fixed object and a spoken count, while the six-second figure is not the test for this question. Finish the count before reaching the object the vehicle ahead passed.

    Study this in the handbook: U-turns, backing, parking and following distance

15. 15. Why do bicycle collisions carry such severe risk for the rider?

    1. Bicycles travel faster than most city traffic
    2. Bicycles are small and lightweight, exposing the rider
    3. Bicycle riders wear required protective armor
    4. Bicycle frames absorb most collision forces
    Show answer

    Bicycles are small and lightweight, exposing the rider. Bicycles are small and lightweight, and almost any type of collision will result in injury or death of the rider. A bicycle does not travel faster than city traffic; speed is not what makes a crash so severe. Riders are not protected by required armor that could absorb the impact of a vehicle. The bicycle frame also does not absorb most collision forces the way a car body is built to do. The rider's body is exposed directly to the vehicle, the pavement, and roadside objects. That exposure is why drivers must leave room and pass a rider with great care.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

16. 16. After passing a truck in dry conditions, how long should a driver wait before merging right?

    1. Merge right as soon as the cab is passed
    2. Give two seconds before merging right
    3. Give ten seconds before merging right
    4. Merge right only after the next exit ramp
    Show answer

    Give two seconds before merging right. In dry conditions, wait two seconds after passing a truck before merging to the right. Moving over as soon as the cab is clear cuts short the gap the handbook gives for this maneuver. Ten seconds is not the dry-condition interval, and an exit ramp has no bearing on when a pass is complete. Count two seconds after your vehicle has passed the truck, then merge right when the lane is clear. The truck's position, not a nearby ramp, supplies the cue for this move.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

17. 17. Who may use the gravel or paved crossovers found in the median of some highways?

    1. Any driver who has just missed an exit
    2. Drivers making a U-turn when traffic is light
    3. Only police and emergency vehicles
    4. Motorists following a detour around a crash
    Show answer

    Only police and emergency vehicles. Median crossovers look like handy places to turn around, but they are reserved for police and emergency vehicles that need to reach the other side quickly. A regular driver who uses one must cross fast lanes at a shallow angle, often from a near stop, which invites a severe collision. Missing an exit is frustrating, yet the lawful fix is to continue to the next interchange and turn around there. Detours are handled on signed routes, not by cutting through the median. Keep driving past the crossover, signal early for the next exit, and make the turnaround where ramps control the conflict.

    Study this in the handbook: Entering, exiting and driving on interstates

18. 18. Driving while suspended for a non-DUI reason may cause what additional penalty?

    1. A 30-day suspension
    2. A 90-day suspension
    3. A six month revocation
    4. A warning for the first offense
    Show answer

    A 90-day suspension. Driving while a driver's license is suspended or revoked for a non-DUI reason is a serious matter and may cause a 90-day suspension on top of the existing one. The option stating "A 30-day suspension" misses that point, because thirty days understates the stated three month consequence for driving during suspension. Driving during a suspension stacks roughly a season of extra lost driving time.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, citations and suspensions

19. 19. How does the handbook describe combining alcohol with other drugs before driving?

    1. A combination that can be deadly
    2. A combination that cancels out impairment
    3. A combination safer than alcohol alone
    4. A combination that only affects new drivers
    Show answer

    A combination that can be deadly. The use of alcohol and drugs can be a deadly combination. Each substance can deepen the effects of the other on judgment, coordination, and alertness, so mixing them raises the danger rather than balancing it out. A second drug does not cancel the impairment caused by alcohol. The mixture is not safer than alcohol alone, because the combined effects can be stronger and less predictable. Experience behind the wheel does not protect a driver either, since the chemical effects on the body are the same for new and experienced drivers. Never drive after mixing them.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC limits and zero tolerance

20. 20. What happens to the license suspension period after repeat no-insurance offenses?

    1. The suspension period is forgiven
    2. The suspension converts to a fine only
    3. The suspension stays identical each time
    4. The suspension period is enhanced
    Show answer

    The suspension period is enhanced. Repeat offenses of driving without insurance result in enhancement of the driver's license suspension period. A later offense therefore costs more driving time than an earlier one. The period is not forgiven, because forgiveness would remove the penalty that the enhancement increases. It also does not convert into a fine alone, since the license suspension itself grows. Treating every offense as identical misses the way repeat violations are punished more heavily. Keeping continuous coverage is the simple way to avoid a suspension that becomes longer with each new lapse.

    Study this in the handbook: Crash reports, insurance and phone use