WV Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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 happens when a driver refuses the designated Breathalyzer after a DUI arrest?

   1. The driver must wait 24 hours before testing
   2. Only the vehicle registration is renewed
   3. The driver receives a warning with no license action
   4. The driving privilege is revoked for one year and up to life
   Show answer

   The driving privilege is revoked for one year and up to life. Under implied consent, a driver is treated as having agreed to the designated Breathalyzer after a DUI arrest. Refusing it can revoke the privilege to operate a motor vehicle for one year and up to life. The registration-only response ignores the license consequence, and a warning does not match the stated penalty. Waiting a day is not the remedy described by the handbook. The useful cue is the event that activates the rule: this consequence follows a refusal after arrest, not merely noticing alcohol on a driver's breath during an ordinary stop.

2. 2. You are behind a large truck that is turning in West Virginia. On which side does the handbook say you must never pass it?

   1. Either side is fine if you signal
   2. Never on the left
   3. Never on the right during a turn
   4. Only on the shoulder
   Show answer

   Never on the right during a turn. Trucks swing wide to turn, and the space that opens on the right side is not an invitation; it is the path the trailer is about to sweep through. The handbook says never to pass a truck on the right during a turn, and never to cut off a truck in traffic to reach your exit or turn. Passing on the left is the normal side once the truck has completed its move, but squeezing by on the right or using the shoulder puts your car where the driver cannot see it and where the trailer will go. Wait behind the truck until the turn is finished.

3. 3. A West Virginia Level 2 intermediate license holder gets a citation for using a cell phone while driving. What happens to the conviction free period?

   1. It starts over, and the Level 2 period is 12 months
   2. Nothing, because phone citations do not count for GDL drivers
   3. It starts over, and the Level 2 period is 6 months
   4. It is extended by 30 days
   Show answer

   It starts over, and the Level 2 period is 12 months. A phone citation on a Level 1 permit or Level 2 license resets the conviction free clock. For Level 2 the period is 12 months, and for Level 1 it is 6 months, so 6 months is the Level 1 figure. Drivers under 18 may not use a wireless device while driving except to contact a 9-1-1 system, so a citation clearly counts. The rule restarts the whole period rather than adding a short extension.

4. 4. How should following distance change when driving in darkness or rain?

   1. Increase it to at least four seconds
   2. Reduce it to two seconds to keep traffic moving
   3. Keep the same three-second gap regardless of visibility
   4. Use one car length because headlights show the road
   Show answer

   Increase it to at least four seconds. The handbook raises the minimum following interval to at least four seconds when it is dark or raining. Reduced visibility and changing pavement conditions make it harder to detect a hazard and bring the vehicle to a stop, so the extra space creates time for recognition and braking. The ordinary three-to-four second rule is not a reason to shorten the gap in poor conditions. A one-car-length measure varies with speed and gives no reliable time margin. If ice or snow is present, the handbook calls for at least six seconds.

5. 5. When must a West Virginia driver report a crash causing injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage?

   1. Within 24 hours by mail
   2. Within 10 days
   3. Within 30 days
   4. Immediately, by the quickest means of communication
   Show answer

   Immediately, by the quickest means of communication. West Virginia Code 17C-4-6 requires the driver to give notice immediately, by the quickest means of communication, when a crash injures or kills anyone or causes apparent property damage of $1,000 or more. Notify the local police department inside a municipality; otherwise call the county sheriff or the nearest West Virginia State Police office. Waiting days or sending a letter does not meet the duty. Call from a safe spot once people are protected and help is on the way.

6. 6. What does an octagon-shaped traffic sign require?

   1. A warning to increase speed
   2. A yield without stopping
   3. A complete stop before proceeding
   4. A lane change to the left
   Show answer

   A complete stop before proceeding. An octagon is reserved for stop signs, and this shape requires the driver to stop completely before moving again. Yielding without stopping describes a different control, while increasing speed or changing lanes has no connection to the sign. After stopping, check the crossing area and all approaching traffic, then proceed only when the way is safe and right-of-way has been given as required. The useful visual cue is the eight-sided outline, which remains recognizable even when distance, darkness, or weather makes the lettering hard to read.

7. 7. What does the West Virginia DMV do when a driver reaches 6 points?

   1. Suspends the license for 30 days
   2. Sends a letter of caution
   3. Requires a new road skills test
   4. Revokes the license for one year
   Show answer

   Sends a letter of caution. At 6 points or more the DMV sends a letter of caution urging the driver to be careful and obey traffic laws. Suspension is not triggered until 12 points. The handbook does not require a road test or a revocation at 6 points. A driver with 6 points can remove 3 by completing an approved eight hour defensive driving class once every 12 months.

8. 8. What does a red diagonal bar on a regulatory sign communicate?

   1. Railroad crossing ahead
   2. Complete stop at every intersection
   3. School zone ahead
   4. No or prohibited
   Show answer

   No or prohibited. A red outline with a diagonal bar through a sign means “NO,” or that the pictured action is prohibited. The marking does not automatically mean a complete stop, which is conveyed by the octagonal stop sign. A school zone uses a pentagon warning sign, while a railroad crossing has its own warning shapes and signals. Read the symbol inside the red bar to identify the movement that is forbidden. The practical cue is the diagonal bar: it changes the pictured action from something permitted into something the driver must not do.

9. 9. What should a driver do when a vehicle is following too closely?

   1. Brake hard to punish the following driver
   2. Tap the brakes gently, slow down, and let the vehicle pass if needed
   3. Speed up until the other vehicle disappears
   4. Move left and block the passing lane
   Show answer

   Tap the brakes gently, slow down, and let the vehicle pass if needed. The handbook recommends a calm sequence for a tailgater: tap the brakes gently to flash the brake lights, slow down to encourage a pass, and pull over if other measures fail. Hard braking creates a new collision risk, and accelerating can invite the following driver to continue at an unsafe distance. Blocking a lane escalates the conflict rather than creating space. The practical cue is to increase the gap in front of your vehicle while giving the other driver a safe opportunity to go around. Keep your attention on escape space, not on proving a point.

10. 10. According to the West Virginia handbook, about what share of traffic fatalities are vehicle-pedestrian collisions?

    1. Nearly 20 percent
    2. Less than 1 percent
    3. About half
    4. Nearly 90 percent
    Show answer

    Nearly 20 percent. Pedestrians have no protection in a crash, which is why vehicle-pedestrian collisions account for nearly 20 percent of traffic fatalities even though pedestrians are a small share of road users. The handbook uses that figure to explain why drivers must slow in school zones, near bus stops, playgrounds and parks, and anywhere people on foot are likely. The other percentages are far from the handbook's number. Expect pedestrians to step out where you least expect them, and give them the right of way in crosswalks.

11. 11. When should a driver switch off a turn signal?

    1. Only after traveling another block
    2. Before beginning the turn
    3. After completing the turn
    4. Never, because a signal should remain on
    Show answer

    After completing the turn. The signal should communicate an intended movement, then be switched off after that movement is complete. Leaving it on can make other drivers believe another turn is coming and can create confusion. Turning it off before the maneuver removes the warning too early, while waiting a block misleads traffic behind you. Check the indicator after the turn and cancel it promptly, especially before continuing straight or preparing for a different lane change.

12. 12. What general category does a yellow diamond winding-road symbol belong to?

    
    1. A regulatory order to turn immediately
    2. A guide sign showing a town distance
    3. A warning of possible danger ahead
    4. A service sign for a fuel station
    Show answer

    A warning of possible danger ahead. Yellow diamond signs with symbols warn about possible danger ahead, including changing road alignment such as a winding section. They are not guide signs, regulatory orders, or service signs. Use the warning as an early cue to reduce speed and scan for the next bend. Keep a steady path through the series rather than treating each curve as an isolated surprise.

13. 13. What does a pennant-shaped traffic sign mark in West Virginia?

    
    1. A school zone crossing
    2. The end of a no-passing zone
    3. An upcoming railroad crossing
    4. The beginning of a no-passing zone
    Show answer

    The beginning of a no-passing zone. The pennant shape identifies the point where a no-passing zone begins. That means the roadway ahead has a restriction on overtaking, even if the pavement appears open. The choice “The end of a no-passing zone” reverses the sign's meaning by calling it the end of the restriction. Railroad warnings use a different round or diamond design, while school warnings use a pentagon. A useful visual cue is the flag-like outline: treat it as the start of a passing prohibition and look for the roadway conditions that make passing unsafe.

14. 14. What is the minimum license suspension for passing a stopped school bus?

    1. At least 10 days
    2. At least 60 days
    3. At least one year
    4. No suspension for a first offense
    Show answer

    At least 60 days. The handbook lists a minimum of 60 days of driver’s license suspension for passing a stopped school bus. It also lists a minimum fine of $500 or confinement in jail for not more than six months for the first offense. Ten days understates the suspension, and one year is not the minimum figure given. The claim that a first offense brings no suspension is also wrong. When red bus lights are flashing, stop and wait until the bus resumes motion, the driver signals you to proceed, or the visual signals stop.

15. 15. At how many points is a West Virginia driver's license subject to suspension?

    1. 12 points
    2. 6 points
    3. 8 points
    4. 18 points
    Show answer

    12 points. A West Virginia license is subject to suspension when the driver accumulates 12 points. Six points brings only a letter of caution. Eight points is the value of a single fleeing from an officer conviction on the point scale, not the suspension level. Eighteen points is not a threshold in the handbook. Since points last two years, the 12 point total is counted from the points still on the record.

16. 16. What must a driver do at a stop sign or red light, even when turning right?

    1. Slow down without stopping if cross traffic is absent
    2. Come to a complete stop
    3. Stop only when another vehicle is approaching
    4. Turn immediately after signaling
    Show answer

    Come to a complete stop. The handbook warns that impatience can lead drivers to roll through a stop sign or red light when no cross traffic is visible. The rule still requires a complete stop, including when the intended movement is a right turn. Merely slowing is not enough, and signaling does not replace the stop. Stop at the marked line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersection as appropriate, then check for pedestrians and traffic before proceeding. Pressure from a following vehicle is never permission to roll through.

17. 17. How many seconds of following distance should a driver allow in normal conditions?

    
    1. One second in every situation
    2. Three to four seconds
    3. Exactly two seconds regardless of weather
    4. Ten seconds on every road
    Show answer

    Three to four seconds. West Virginia recommends the three-to-four-second rule for ordinary following distance. Choose a fixed object, begin counting when the vehicle ahead passes it, and make sure you do not reach that object before finishing the count. One second leaves little room to react, and a fixed two-second gap ignores the handbook's longer normal interval. Ten seconds is not the general rule. Increase the cushion to at least four seconds in darkness or rain and at least six seconds on ice or snow, because stopping takes longer.

18. 18. What is the West Virginia penalty for letting someone else use your driver's license?

    1. A 90 day suspension
    2. A $25 fine and no suspension
    3. A 30 day suspension
    4. A one year revocation
    Show answer

    A 90 day suspension. Letting someone else use your license, using another person's license, lending identity documents to get a license, or displaying a fictitious license all carry a 90 day suspension. A small fine with no suspension understates it. Thirty days is shorter than the stated penalty, and a one year revocation is not the listed penalty. Giving false information on a license application is also illegal.

19. 19. What subjects form the basis of the West Virginia knowledge examination?

    1. Basic knowledge, traffic rules, regulations, signs, and markings
    2. Vehicle repairs, insurance claims, and fuel economy
    3. Only road signs and pavement colors
    4. Motorcycle maintenance and commercial vehicle loading
    Show answer

    Basic knowledge, traffic rules, regulations, signs, and markings. The examination covers a broad set of handbook material: basic knowledge, traffic rules, regulations, signs, and markings. The option “Vehicle repairs, insurance claims, and fuel economy” is too narrow and shifts the focus toward vehicle ownership topics that are not listed as the exam foundation. The option “Only road signs and pavement colors” leaves out basic knowledge and traffic rules, while the option “Motorcycle maintenance and commercial vehicle loading” describes specialized subjects rather than the general test. Use the list as a study map: review the rules of the road, learn the signs, and understand the markings instead of preparing only for a sign-identification quiz.

20. 20. Where should drivers use extreme care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian?

    1. Only at gas stations
    2. Only on empty rural roads
    3. In school zones, bus stops, playgrounds, and parks
    4. Only in a vehicle inspection lane
    Show answer

    In school zones, bus stops, playgrounds, and parks. Pedestrian collisions are especially dangerous in places where people may enter the roadway unexpectedly. The handbook names school zones, bus stops, playgrounds, and parks as locations requiring extreme care. These areas can have children, people crossing between vehicles, or limited sight distance. The choice naming only rural roads misses the listed hazards, while a gas station or inspection lane is not the handbook's specific warning. Reduce speed, scan both sides, and be ready to stop whenever a pedestrian may move into your path.