Tennessee TDOSHS Permit Practice Test 27

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?

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    Answer C: The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic

    On a three-lane roadway the center lane avoids both the ramp traffic on the right and the overtaking traffic on the left, so it usually has the steadiest flow.

  2. 2. You are parked legally, but a police officer tells you to move the vehicle. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Move it as directed, because an officer overrides the signs

    Directions from a police officer or a firefighter take precedence over signs and markings, whether they are directing traffic or clearing a street.

  3. 3. At what tread depth should a tire be replaced?

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    Answer A: When the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch

    At that depth a tire loses grip quickly, especially on wet roads, and the built in wear bars or the penny test both show when the point has been reached.

  4. 4. A bicyclist stops at a four-way stop just before you do. Who goes first?

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    Answer B: The bicyclist, who reached the intersection and stopped there before you did

    A bicyclist on the roadway follows the same right of way rules as a driver, so arrival order decides the turn.

  5. 5. The overhead signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Prepare to move out of that lane

    A steady yellow X warns that the lane is about to close, so drivers should get ready to vacate it in favor of an open lane.

  6. 6. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What should you do before driving onto the tracks?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the tracks until there is room to clear them completely

    Never enter a crossing until you are certain you can drive completely across without stopping, because a vehicle trapped on the tracks cannot get out of a train's way.

  7. 7. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible

    Moving right gives the other driver space to recover and keeps you out of the lane they are most likely to return to. Braking reduces the force of any impact.

  8. 8. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?

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    Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine

    The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.

  9. 9. Once a driver has joined the route this sign begins, how is the rest of the way marked?

    An orange rectangle with black lettering and a black arrow
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    Answer B: By further markers of the same kind at each turn, until the original road is rejoined

    The alternate route is signed continuously, with a marker at every turn, so a driver with no local knowledge can follow it back to the original road.

  10. 10. Why is a U-turn on a one-way street a problem?

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    Answer A: You would end up facing the wrong way against all the traffic

    Every lane of a one-way street runs the same way, so turning around leaves you driving head-on against all of the traffic.

  11. 11. You are about to change lanes to the left when you notice a vehicle already overtaking you in that lane. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Hold your lane and your speed, and change only after that vehicle has gone by

    A signal asks for space but does not create it, and the overtaking driver has nowhere to go if you move across.

  12. 12. You are traveling at the same speed as a vehicle in the next lane, just behind its rear door. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Change your speed so that you leave that driver's blind spot

    That position is the classic blind spot. Slow slightly or move ahead so the other driver can see you before deciding to change lanes.

  13. 13. You are calling 911 to report a crash. Which information matters most?

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    Answer C: The exact location, how many people are hurt and any hazard such as fire

    Dispatchers need to know where to send help, how much help to send, and what dangers the crews will meet on arrival.

  14. 14. Cannabis is legal for adults in some states. What does that mean for driving?

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    Answer C: Driving while impaired by it is still an offense

    Legal possession has nothing to do with driving law, and every state treats driving while impaired by cannabis as an offense.

  15. 15. Your vehicle has broken down at night on a rural road and your phone has no signal. What is the safest thing to do?

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    Answer C: Stay with the vehicle, keep the hazard lights on and wait for help

    A lit vehicle is far easier to find than a person walking in the dark, and running the engine while you sleep risks carbon monoxide.

  16. 16. Why should you not rest your foot on the brake pedal as you drive?

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    Answer D: The brake lights stay on and the drivers behind cannot read you

    Resting on the pedal keeps the brake lights lit and wears the brakes, so following drivers stop believing your brake lights.

  17. 17. Alcohol is classified as which kind of drug?

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    Answer B: A depressant that slows the central nervous system

    As a depressant, alcohol slows the brain and nervous system, which lengthens reaction time and dulls the coordination that driving depends on.

  18. 18. Why should the washer reservoir hold proper washer fluid rather than plain water in winter?

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    Answer D: Water freezes and it leaves you with no way at all to clean the glass

    Washer fluid contains antifreeze, so it still works in the cold, whereas water freezes in the reservoir and the lines.

  19. 19. The school bus stop ahead sign is installed where

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    Answer C: a school bus stop cannot be seen from far enough away by approaching drivers

    This school warning sign is used in advance of a bus stop that lacks adequate sight distance and cannot be relocated, so drivers are warned before the stopped bus comes into view.

  20. 20. What is the sensible way to handle a meal on a long drive?

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    Answer D: Eat before you leave or stop to eat

    Eating takes hands, eyes and attention, and the only version with no cost to your driving is the one that happens while the car is parked.

  21. 21. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?

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    Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment

    An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.

  22. 22. A driver is thinking about overtaking a slower vehicle and sees this sign a short distance ahead. What does it mean for that pass?

    A yellow sign shaped like a horizontal triangle pointing right, with black lettering
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    Answer B: The pass must be finished before the restricted section begins

    The sign marks the start of a section where passing is prohibited, so a driver may not be on the left side of the road beyond it; any pass has to be completed before that point or not started at all.

  23. 23. You have turned right into the nearest lane but you need the left lane soon. When should you move over?

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    Answer A: After the turn is finished, once you have checked mirrors and blind spot

    Complete the turn in the proper lane first, then make a normal lane change with mirror and blind spot checks once you are established on the new street.

  24. 24. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room

    Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.

  25. 25. Which of these is true of the roadway a driver is being sent onto here?

    An orange rectangle with black lettering and a black arrow
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    Answer D: Its own signs, signals and speed limits govern for the whole way around

    The alternate route is an ordinary public road, so every control posted on it governs as usual; being sent that way grants no extra priority and no relief from the limits in force there.

  26. 26. On which approach is this sign normally installed?

    A yellow diamond showing a black T shape
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    Answer C: On the road that ends, far enough ahead for the driver to slow down

    The warning belongs on the approach that terminates, placed early enough that the driver can lose speed and choose a direction before reaching the junction.

  27. 27. A school sign combined with an AHEAD plaque, or with a plaque giving a distance in feet, forms an assembly that

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    Answer B: warns of a school crossing located further along the road

    The school advance crossing assembly is placed before the crosswalk to give drivers notice, while a different assembly marks the crossing itself.

  28. 28. Once you are moving, which way of using a navigation device costs you the least attention?

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    Answer B: Listening to the spoken directions

    Voice guidance lets you keep your eyes on the road, while anything that needs the screen takes glances that add up over a trip.

  29. 29. Does this sign settle who has the right-of-way at the intersection ahead?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer D: No, it only gives notice of the intersection; the control there decides priority

    A warning prepares the driver for what is coming but grants no priority, so whatever stop control, yield control, signal or right-of-way rule applies at the intersection is what decides.

  30. 30. You are parking on a one-way street where parking is allowed on both sides. What must still be true?

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    Answer D: The vehicle must face the direction the traffic flows

    Either curb may be used on a one-way street where signs allow it, but the vehicle must always be headed in the direction traffic moves.