WV Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. What penalties may follow a conviction for littering a West Virginia roadway?

   1. A fine of $50 to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or litter removal
   2. A warning letter and a note added to the driving record
   3. A fine of $5 to $25 with no other penalty possible
   4. Suspension of the vehicle registration for one year
   Show answer

   A fine of $50 to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or litter removal. Littering public or private roadways or property is a violation of West Virginia law. Upon conviction, a person can be fined not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, imprisoned in the county jail for not more than 60 days, or sentenced to remove litter for not less than 30 hours, and points may also be assessed. A warning letter understates a conviction penalty. A small $5 to $25 fine is below the stated range. A one-year registration suspension is not the penalty described. Keep litter in the vehicle until it can be thrown away properly.

   Study this in the handbook: Points, citations and suspensions

2. 2. What does being tired do to a driver's mind and reaction time?

   1. It sharpens focus during the first tired hour
   2. It speeds decisions on familiar roads nearby
   3. It affects vision but never reaction speed
   4. It dulls the mind and slows reaction time
   Show answer

   It dulls the mind and slows reaction time. Being tired dulls your mind and slows your reaction time, whether fatigue comes from lack of sleep or simply driving too long at once. The option stating "It sharpens focus during the first tired hour" misses that point, because sharper focus contradicts the dulling that makes fatigue an impairment like alcohol. A tired brain brakes late; recognize dullness as impairment, not weakness to push through.

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

3. 3. Why is driving described as a full-time job?

   1. Drivers are paid by the hour for every trip taken in a car
   2. Lack of concentration can make a driver fail to observe enough to avoid a crash
   3. Concentration is only needed during the licensing road test itself
   4. Observant drivers can relax once a route becomes familiar to them
   Show answer

   Lack of concentration can make a driver fail to observe enough to avoid a crash. Driving is called a full time job because attention cannot clock out while the vehicle moves. Lack of concentration can result in a failure to be observant enough to avoid a crash, even on a familiar street near home. Nobody is paid by the hour for ordinary trips, concentration is required far beyond the road test, and a familiar route is where relaxed attention often does its damage. The workload is continuous scanning: mirrors, signals, pedestrians, brake lights, and the spaces beside the car. Treat every block like new territory and the job gets done without drama.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights and light conditions

4. 4. How far from a railroad crossing is passing prohibited?

   1. Within 50 feet of the crossing
   2. Within 100 feet of the crossing
   3. Within 200 feet of the crossing
   4. Within 500 feet of the crossing
   Show answer

   Within 100 feet of the crossing. West Virginia prohibits passing within 100 feet of any railroad crossing. The rule applies even when no train is visible, because a crossing can limit sight distance and bring vehicles into conflict with rail traffic. The 50-, 200-, and 500-foot choices change the distance stated by the handbook. Wait until the vehicle is beyond the restricted area before beginning a pass, and also check the pavement markings and approaching traffic before moving left.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way and pedestrians

5. 5. When may a driver use the horn around pedestrians?

   1. To hurry pedestrians who are crossing slowly
   2. To signal friends walking on the sidewalk
   3. To warn pedestrians, if necessary
   4. To tell a driver ahead that the light is green
   Show answer

   To warn pedestrians, if necessary. Drivers may use their horns to warn pedestrians if necessary, while still using extreme care to avoid a collision. Sounding the horn to hurry a slow walker pressures a vulnerable person instead of warning about real danger. Using it to greet friends on the sidewalk turns a warning device into a social signal and can startle people nearby. Telling the driver ahead about a green light is also not a pedestrian warning and often startles everyone at the intersection. Save the horn near pedestrians for a genuine warning, and slow down while the person clears your path.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way and pedestrians

6. 6. What must a road test applicant know about vehicle safety equipment?

   1. How to operate the radio and climate controls
   2. How to change a tire and check engine oil
   3. The location and function of all safety equipment
   4. How to repair a failed brake light at the roadside
   Show answer

   The location and function of all safety equipment. A road test applicant is expected to know the safety equipment of the test vehicle, not merely how to steer it. That means knowing the location and function of all safety equipment, including the parking or emergency brake, before the examiner asks. Radio and climate controls are comfort items, changing a tire and checking oil are maintenance skills, and roadside repair is not part of the driving test. Before the appointment, sit in the vehicle and practice finding and using the brake, lights, wipers, defroster, and horn without looking down, so each control is ready on request.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, knowledge and road tests

7. 7. What should a driver always be alert for when traveling on an interstate or expressway?

   1. Construction or maintenance zones along the route
   2. Sales or rest stops that appear without signs
   3. Wildlife crossings marked only at night
   4. Toll booths placed in the left lane
   Show answer

   Construction or maintenance zones along the route. Interstates feel controlled and predictable, which makes a work zone an easy surprise. A driver should always be alert for construction or maintenance zones on an interstate or expressway, where lanes can narrow, shift, or close and workers may be close to traffic. Rest stops are signed, toll booths are not hidden in a left lane, and wildlife is not the named ever present watch item for these roads. Stay alert by reading advance signs, expecting flaggers and special speed limits, and merging early instead of waiting until barrels force a sudden move at highway speed.

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

8. 8. Under the Interlock Program, when may a revoked DUI driver drive legally?

   1. While operating a vehicle equipped with Interlock
   2. While operating a vehicle with a sober passenger
   3. While operating only within the home county
   4. While operating any borrowed vehicle at night
   Show answer

   While operating a vehicle equipped with Interlock. Under the Interlock Program, a revoked DUI driver may drive legally while operating a vehicle equipped with an Interlock device. The device requirement follows the vehicle, so a sober passenger does not make an unequipped borrowed vehicle lawful. Nighttime operation and staying within the home county are not substitutes for the equipment. The driver must use the equipped vehicle under the program's conditions rather than rely on who is sitting beside the driver.

   Study this in the handbook: Implied consent, DUI penalties and interlock

9. 9. A drowsy driver sees a hazard ahead. What often happens with braking or steering?

   1. The driver overreacts and brakes far sooner than needed
   2. The driver often cannot react in time to brake or steer
   3. The driver reacts faster but aims in the wrong direction
   4. The driver can brake in time but loses all hearing
   Show answer

   The driver often cannot react in time to brake or steer. Fatigue steals the margin between seeing a hazard and answering it. A drowsy driver often cannot react in time to apply the brakes or steer away, so a hazard that was visible ahead still becomes a crash. Drowsiness does not make reactions quicker, and it does not produce early braking out of caution; the response arrives late, after the gap has closed. Hearing loss is not the mechanism either. If your head nods or your eyes close for a blink that lasts too long, pull off safely and rest, because the next vehicle ahead may brake while your foot is still asleep.

   Study this in the handbook: Implied consent, DUI penalties and interlock

10. 10. When may a driver use the shoulder of an interstate in West Virginia?

    1. To read a map away from traffic
    2. To change drivers during a long trip
    3. Only when the vehicle is disabled
    4. To wait for a passenger to arrive
    Show answer

    Only when the vehicle is disabled. Interstate shoulders exist for vehicles that cannot keep moving, not for ordinary stops. A driver who needs to change drivers, read directions, or wait for someone should use a rest area or leave the interstate first. Using the shoulder for a routine pause leaves a stopped vehicle close to fast traffic, where a small steering error by a passing driver can become a serious crash. If a vehicle breaks down, move as far off the traveled lanes as possible and make the vehicle visible while help is arranged.

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

11. 11. What should you do with your turn signal after you finish a turn?

    1. Leave it on until the next turn begins
    2. Keep it on while driving straight ahead
    3. Flash it twice more before driving on
    4. Switch it off after completing the turn
    Show answer

    Switch it off after completing the turn. After a turn is complete, switch the turn signal off. A signal left flashing while you travel straight ahead tells other drivers that a turn or lane change is coming, and they may brake, swerve, or pull out based on that false message. Flashing it twice more adds to the confusion instead of clearing it. Leaving it on until some future turn is also wrong because the signal must describe only the move you are making now. Check the indicator as you straighten the wheel and cancel it promptly.

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

12. 12. What is the legal drinking age in West Virginia?

    1. 18 years old
    2. 19 years old
    3. 21 years old
    4. 20 years old
    Show answer

    21 years old. West Virginia's legal drinking age is 21 years old. The ages 18, 19, and 20 are below that legal drinking age, so none of those choices states the handbook's rule. The age is relevant to the state's under-age drinking and driving discussion, but it should not be confused with other adult milestones or license-card formats. For this question, compare the four ages directly and select 21.

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

13. 13. What can happen to a West Virginia driver who drives against a license restriction?

    1. A three point reduction on the record
    2. A verbal warning for a first offense
    3. An automatic upgrade to a full license
    4. Suspension or revocation of the driving privilege
    Show answer

    Suspension or revocation of the driving privilege. Operating a vehicle in violation of a license restriction is a serious offense that could result in suspension or revocation of the driving privilege. A three-point reduction is not a penalty for breaking a restriction, and a verbal warning is not the only possible result. The restriction remains part of the driver's license conditions, so ignoring a daylight, passenger, or other listed limit can threaten the privilege itself. An automatic upgrade to a full license is also unrelated to a restriction violation.

    Study this in the handbook: Graduated Driver's License levels

14. 14. After a successful jump start, how are jumper cables removed?

    1. In the same order they were connected
    2. All at once while both engines are off
    3. In the opposite order they were connected
    4. Remove them starting with the negative post on the live battery
    Show answer

    In the opposite order they were connected. Once both vehicles are running, remove the jumper cables in the opposite order from the connection sequence and replace the vent caps. Reversing the sequence helps avoid bringing energized clamps together in the wrong order. Removing everything at once is uncontrolled, and beginning at the negative post on the live battery is not the reverse of the final connection. The safe method is to retrace each connection backward.

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

15. 15. What hazards can strong winds create directly in a driver's path?

    1. Downed lines and trees, plus debris blown in
    2. Sudden fog banks rolling across low fields
    3. Ice forming on bridges during clear skies
    4. Flooding from rivers rising without rain
    Show answer

    Downed lines and trees, plus debris blown in. Be alert for strong winds, which can down power lines and trees and blow debris into your path without much warning. The option stating "Sudden fog banks rolling across low fields" misses that point, because fog banks form from moisture and temperature, not from wind pushing objects around. Watch leaning trees and tumbling debris; gusts announce themselves through moving objects.

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

16. 16. After licensing, how well does the DMV ask drivers to keep driving?

    1. Well only during the first year after licensing ends
    2. As well as or better than during the examination
    3. Well when an examiner happens to be nearby watching
    4. Well on highways but casually on local streets
    Show answer

    As well as or better than during the examination. The DMV asks every driver who has obtained a West Virginia license to drive as well as or better than during the examination. The duty does not end after the first year, and it does not depend on an examiner being nearby. It also applies on local streets as well as highways. The examination supplies the standard for the driver's everyday conduct, not a temporary period of observation that disappears after licensing.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, knowledge and road tests

17. 17. Besides acuity, which vision abilities may be checked at screening?

    1. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision
    2. Depth perception, reading speed, and peripheral vision
    3. Color recognition, night hearing, and peripheral vision
    4. Peripheral vision, depth perception, and reaction timing
    Show answer

    Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision. Letter acuity is only part of seeing well enough to drive. The screening may also check depth perception for judging distance, color recognition for reading signals, and peripheral vision for noticing movement at the sides. Reading speed belongs to study and test taking, night hearing is not a vision ability at all, and reaction timing is a driving response rather than an eye check. A driver who reads the smallest line but cannot judge a gap or spot a car approaching from the side is still missing part of safe sight, which is why those extra checks matter.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, knowledge and road tests

18. 18. You want to pass a bicyclist but there is no room and traffic is approaching. What should you do?

    1. Pass closely before the traffic arrives
    2. Wait until traffic has gone by before passing
    3. Squeeze between the bicyclist and traffic
    4. Honk so the bicyclist moves onto the shoulder
    Show answer

    Wait until traffic has gone by before passing. When there is no room to pass a bicyclist and traffic is approaching, wait until the traffic has gone by before passing. Passing closely in a narrow gap leaves the rider no space to react to a pothole or a gust of wind. Squeezing between the rider and oncoming traffic risks both the rider and the approaching driver. Honking to push the rider onto the shoulder can startle the rider and is not a substitute for a safe gap. Slow down, hold your position, and pass with plenty of room when the road ahead is clear.

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

19. 19. If your vehicle has a manual transmission and you pull away on snow, how should you use the clutch?

    1. Let the clutch out quickly to spin clear
    2. Shift roughly so the tires dig for grip
    3. Hold the clutch halfway down while cruising
    4. Let the clutch out slowly and shift smoothly
    Show answer

    Let the clutch out slowly and shift smoothly. On snow, a clutch released too quickly sends sudden power to the wheels, and they spin instead of gripping. Letting the clutch out slowly and shifting smoothly feeds power in gradually, so the tires can pull the vehicle forward without breaking loose. Holding the clutch halfway while cruising wears the mechanism and gives uneven drive, and rough shifting breaks traction in the same way a quick release does. Think of squeezing rather than snapping: every input on snow, steering, braking, and shifting, works better when it arrives gently and gives the tires time to answer.

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

20. 20. By how much do statistics show concentration drops when using a wireless device while driving?

    1. By about 5 to 10 percent
    2. By about 40 to 50 percent
    3. By about 60 to 75 percent
    4. By about 20 to 33 percent
    Show answer

    By about 20 to 33 percent. Statistics show a driver's concentration drops by 20 to 33 percent when using a wireless communication device, even before any eyes leave the road. The option stating "By about 5 to 10 percent" misses that point, because five to ten percent shrinks a drop that research places at roughly a quarter to a third. Imagine losing a quarter of your attention the moment a call begins.

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