New York Permit Test (DMV Written Test) — All Questions

What does a red, eight-sided (octagonal) sign always mean?

• a.Slow down and yield
• b.Come to a full stop✓
• c.No parking allowed
• d.Road work ahead

An octagonal red sign is always a STOP sign; you must come to a complete stop before the stop line or crosswalk, then proceed when it is safe.

A yellow, diamond-shaped sign is used to:

• a.Give distance to a city
• b.State a speed limit you must obey
• c.Warn of a hazard or change in the road ahead✓
• d.Mark a hospital zone only

Yellow diamond signs are warning signs; they alert you to hazards or changes ahead, such as curves, merges or pedestrian crossings, so you can slow and prepare.

A steady yellow traffic light means:

• a.The light is about to turn red, so stop if you can do so safely✓
• b.Speed up to clear the intersection
• c.Stop only for pedestrians
• d.The signal is broken

A steady yellow signal warns that the light is changing to red; stop if you can do so safely rather than trying to beat the red.

A white rectangular sign that reads a number such as 'SPEED LIMIT 55' is:

• a.A warning sign
• b.A guide sign
• c.A construction sign
• d.A regulatory sign you must obey✓

White rectangular signs are regulatory signs that state laws you must follow, such as posted speed limits, one-way or turn restrictions.

A flashing red traffic signal means:

• a.Slow down but you may continue without stopping
• b.Stop, then proceed when it is safe, as at a STOP sign✓
• c.The road ahead is closed
• d.Proceed only if turning right

A flashing red light is treated like a STOP sign: come to a full stop, yield to other traffic and pedestrians, then go when it is safe.

At an intersection with no signs or signals, who generally has the right of way?

• a.The larger vehicle
• b.The vehicle on the left
• c.The vehicle that reaches the intersection first, or the one on the right if you arrive together✓
• d.Whoever accelerates first

At an uncontrolled intersection you yield to a vehicle that arrived first; if two arrive at about the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

When you enter a roundabout in New York, you must:

• a.Yield to traffic already in the circle and enter to the right (counterclockwise)✓
• b.Stop fully before entering even if the circle is empty
• c.Yield to vehicles waiting to enter behind you
• d.Enter to the left, moving clockwise

Traffic in a roundabout flows counterclockwise; entering drivers yield to vehicles already circulating and merge when there is a safe gap.

You want to make a right turn on a red light in New York. You may do so only if:

• a.You are anywhere in New York City
• b.It is night and traffic is light
• c.You never need to stop first
• d.You come to a full stop, no sign prohibits it, and it is not banned by local law such as in New York City✓

Right turn on red is allowed after a complete stop and yielding, unless a sign prohibits it; in New York City right turn on red is banned unless a sign specifically permits it.

A pedestrian is crossing in a marked crosswalk ahead of you. You must:

• a.Sound your horn so they hurry
• b.Stop and yield the right of way to the pedestrian✓
• c.Continue if you can pass in front of them
• d.Proceed because vehicles always have priority

Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk; stop and let them finish crossing safely before you proceed.

You are stopped for a school bus with its red lights flashing on a two-way street. You must:

• a.Pass slowly on the left
• b.Proceed if no children are visible
• c.Remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing, in both directions✓
• d.Pass on the right shoulder

In New York you must stop for a stopped school bus flashing red lights whether you are behind it or meeting it, on divided highways too, until the lights stop flashing.

New York's 'Move Over' law requires you to do what when approaching a stopped emergency or hazard vehicle with flashing lights?

• a.Slow down and, if safe, move over one lane away from it✓
• b.Come to a complete stop in your lane
• c.Speed up to clear the area quickly
• d.Sound your horn and keep your speed

The Move Over law requires drivers to reduce speed and, when possible, change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow, and maintenance vehicles displaying flashing lights.

When you share the road with a bicyclist, you should:

• a.Expect them to ride on the sidewalk only
• b.Pass as closely as possible to save time
• c.Assume they will always yield to you
• d.Give them room and pass at a safe distance✓

Bicyclists have the right to use the road; pass them slowly and leave a safe distance, and check for them before turning or opening a door.

The area around a large truck where the driver cannot see you is called the:

• a.Buffer zone
• b.No-zone (blind spot)✓
• c.Safety cushion
• d.Green zone

Large trucks have big blind spots, or 'no-zones,' to the sides, front and rear; avoid lingering in them, and remember that if you cannot see the driver's mirrors, they cannot see you.

New York law requires all front-seat occupants and which other passengers to wear a seat belt?

• a.Only the driver
• b.No one is required to
• c.Every passenger, including those in the back seat, plus properly restrained children✓
• d.Only passengers over 21

New York requires seat belts for the driver, front-seat passengers and all back-seat occupants, with children secured in appropriate child-restraint or booster systems by age and size.

Unless a different limit is posted, the statewide maximum speed limit on New York roads is:

• a.55 mph✓
• b.45 mph
• c.70 mph
• d.35 mph

New York's statewide maximum speed limit is 55 mph unless a higher or lower limit is posted; some controlled-access highways are posted at 65 mph.

The 'basic speed rule' in New York means you must:

• a.Always drive the posted limit exactly
• b.Drive at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the conditions✓
• c.Never drive below 40 mph
• d.Match the speed of the fastest car

Under the basic speed rule you must never drive faster than is reasonable and prudent for conditions such as rain, fog, traffic or road surface, even when at or below the posted limit.

In rain, snow or fog, a safe following distance should be:

• a.Shorter than normal to keep up
• b.Exactly one car length
• c.The same as on a dry day
• d.Increased, because stopping distances are longer✓

Wet or slippery roads lengthen your stopping distance, so increase your following distance and reduce speed to keep a safe cushion in poor conditions.

If your car begins to skid on a slippery road, you should:

• a.Brake hard and hold the wheel straight
• b.Accelerate to regain control
• c.Ease off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go✓
• d.Turn the wheel sharply the opposite way

To recover from a skid, take your foot off the accelerator, avoid slamming the brakes, and steer gently in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.

A driver age 21 or older is legally intoxicated (DWI) in New York at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of:

• a.0.08% or higher✓
• b.0.02% or higher
• c.0.15% or higher
• d.0.05% or higher

For drivers 21 and older, a BAC of 0.08% or higher is driving while intoxicated (DWI); a BAC of 0.05% to 0.07% can support a lesser DWAI charge.

Under New York's Zero Tolerance law, a driver under age 21 can be penalized for driving with a BAC as low as:

• a.0.08%
• b.0.02%✓
• c.0.05%
• d.0.10%

New York's Zero Tolerance law lets police charge drivers under 21 who have a BAC of 0.02% to 0.07%, which can lead to licence suspension.

A junior driver (Class DJ/MJ) under 18 in New York is generally NOT allowed to drive in:

• a.Rural upstate roads
• b.Any state highway
• c.New York City✓
• d.Parking lots

Junior licence holders may never drive in New York City, and elsewhere their driving is limited by regional rules on hours and the number of passengers.

In New York, accumulating how many driver-violation points within 18 months can lead to licence suspension?

• a.3 points
• b.5 points
• c.8 points
• d.11 points✓

Drivers who reach 11 or more points within an 18-month period may have their licence suspended; each traffic conviction adds points based on the offense.