Tennessee TDOSHS Permit Practice Test 41

  • 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 park a manual transmission car facing uphill at a curb. What is the correct combination?

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    Answer A: First gear, wheels turned away from the curb, parking brake set

    Facing uphill the car would roll back, so first gear resists that, the wheels turned out let a tire catch the curb, and the parking brake holds it.

  2. 2. Your vehicle has stalled on railroad tracks and no train is in sight. After getting everyone away, whom should you call first?

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    Answer B: The railroad emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, giving the crossing number

    Every public crossing has a blue emergency notification sign with a phone number and a crossing identification number. That call lets the railroad stop or slow trains before they reach you.

  3. 3. What change in the road does this sign announce?

    A yellow diamond showing one black lane splitting into two around a central island
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    Answer B: The two directions of travel are about to be separated, and the driver must keep to the right of the separation

    Ahead the roadway splits into separate one-way roadways on either side of a median, so the driver stays to the right of the divider and no longer meets oncoming vehicles.

  4. 4. How many points does Tennessee assess for driving 26 to 35 mph over the limit inside a posted work zone?

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    Answer D: 6 points

    The 26 to 35 mph over band inside a work zone carries 6 points, again one point above the equivalent band on an ordinary road.

  5. 5. A driver behind you on a two-lane road clearly wants to pass. Why should you not wave that driver past?

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    Answer B: You cannot see the whole road ahead for them and they may rely on your signal

    Waving another driver out invites them to trust your judgment of a road you cannot see well enough, and the decision to pass belongs to the driver making it.

  6. 6. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it

    A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.

  7. 7. A driver who wants to reverse direction arrives at this sign. What is allowed?

    A white square showing a U shaped arrow inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer C: Going on and reversing direction only where the maneuver is permitted

    The restriction removes that maneuver at that spot entirely, so the driver has to continue and turn the vehicle around at a place where it is not prohibited.

  8. 8. At highway speed, a large object suddenly appears in your lane and there is open space beside you. Which response is often the most effective?

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    Answer B: Steer around it, since at speed you can often turn quicker than you can stop

    Above roughly 25 mph, stopping distance is long while a lane change takes only a moment. When space is available, a controlled steer around the hazard avoids the impact.

  9. 9. You are in the middle of an intersection when you hear a siren and see an emergency vehicle approaching. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Keep going, clear the intersection, then pull to the right and stop

    Stopping inside an intersection blocks the emergency vehicle. Clear the intersection first, then pull over to the right and stop.

  10. 10. How does a wet road change the distance you need to stop?

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    Answer C: It lengthens it, so you need a much bigger gap ahead

    Water between the tire and the road cuts grip, so braking distance grows and the gap that works on dry pavement is no longer enough.

  11. 11. You come up behind a bicyclist who is descending a steep hill in the middle of the traffic lane. What should you take into account?

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    Answer D: The rider may be moving at close to the speed of the traffic

    A bicycle can reach the speed of traffic on a descent, so there is little to gain from a pass and the rider needs the whole lane to steer around surface hazards.

  12. 12. The green arrow protecting your turn changes to a steady yellow arrow. What is it telling you?

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    Answer A: The protected turn is ending and you should prepare to stop

    A steady yellow arrow warns that the arrow movement is being terminated and that a red indication will follow.

  13. 13. What do yellow lines painted on a roadway separate?

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    Answer D: Traffic moving in opposite directions

    Yellow markings separate opposing streams of traffic, and they also mark the left edge of a divided highway or a one-way roadway.

  14. 14. You are driving through a long curve on a road with two lanes in your direction. What is correct?

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    Answer A: Stay within your own lane all the way through, adjusting speed before you enter

    Wandering out of your lane in a curve puts you into the path of a vehicle you cannot see, and the slowing belongs before the curve rather than in it.

  15. 15. What does the solid white line running along the right side of a highway mark?

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    Answer A: The right edge of the traveled way

    A solid white edge line shows where the traveled way ends on the right, which is particularly useful at night and in poor visibility.

  16. 16. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?

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    Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it

    Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.

  17. 17. A yellow sign shows a truck on a slope with the legend 7 PERCENT GRADE. What should a driver of a heavy vehicle do?

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    Answer A: Select a lower gear before starting down

    The percentage shows how steep the descent is, and choosing a low gear at the top lets the engine hold the vehicle back instead of the brakes overheating.

  18. 18. Why is it worth planning your route before a long drive?

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    Answer B: So that you are not reading a map or a screen while the car is moving

    A driver who knows the route is not navigating at the wheel, which is one of the commonest sources of distraction.

  19. 19. You wait in the aisle with your signal on for a space that is about to be vacated. What is the risk?

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    Answer D: You block the aisle and drivers behind may try to squeeze past

    A stopped vehicle turns a two-way aisle into a bottleneck, and drivers who try to get around it pass close to pedestrians and reversing cars.

  20. 20. Why should you not leave the engine running when you walk away from your vehicle?

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    Answer C: Because the vehicle can be stolen or can move on its own

    An unattended running vehicle is an easy theft and, if the transmission slips or is knocked out of park, it can roll away with nobody at the wheel.

  21. 21. Reaching for a drink in the cup holder is which kind of distraction?

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    Answer A: Manual and visual at the same time

    Your hand leaves the wheel and your eyes flick down to find the cup, so a task that feels trivial takes away two of the three things driving needs.

  22. 22. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish

    Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.

  23. 23. What is the correct order of steps as you finish parking an automatic on a grade?

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    Answer C: Turn the wheels, set the parking brake, then select park

    Setting the parking brake before shifting into park lets the brake take the load, instead of leaving the whole weight of the car on the parking pawl.

  24. 24. Your light turns green and a driver on the cross street enters against a red. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Hold back and let that vehicle go through

    Giving up a right of way you are entitled to is the only way to avoid a crash with a driver who has already failed to yield.

  25. 25. You are approaching a refuse collection truck working along your street. What should you expect?

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    Answer D: Workers stepping into the road around the truck

    Collection crews move constantly between the truck and the curb, often from where you cannot see them, so slow right down and pass only when the whole area is clear.

  26. 26. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?

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    Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it

    Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.

  27. 27. You are in a passing zone that continues over the crest of a hill ahead. May you start a pass?

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    Answer B: Only if you can finish it well before the crest

    Beyond the crest you cannot see oncoming traffic, so any part of the pass that happens there is being made blind.

  28. 28. How should a lap and shoulder belt be positioned?

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    Answer A: Lap belt low across the hips and shoulder belt across the chest and collarbone

    The lap belt must bear against the strong pelvic bones rather than soft organs, and the shoulder belt must cross the rib cage and collarbone so crash forces spread over the skeleton.

  29. 29. You reach an intersection with no signs, signals or markings clearly before a vehicle that is approaching on your right. What is the rule?

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    Answer B: You may go first because you got there first

    At an uncontrolled intersection the first driver to arrive goes first; the yield to the right rule only settles a tie.

  30. 30. What is a marked loading zone for?

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    Answer A: Loading and unloading only, not for general parking

    A loading zone is reserved for actively loading or unloading goods or passengers; leaving a vehicle there for other reasons is a parking violation.