New Jersey Driver License: Seat Belts, Car Condition, Steering, Braking and Parking

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Seat Belts, Car Condition, Steering, Braking and Parking. Free, no account needed.

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1. A 20-year-old riding in the back seat of a car is not wearing a seat belt, and the car is later pulled over for speeding. Can the passenger be ticketed for the seat belt violation?

  1. No, seat belt laws only apply to the driver and front-seat occupants
  2. Yes, and the belt violation alone would have justified stopping the car
  3. Yes, but only because the car was already stopped for another reason
  4. No, back-seat occupants are exempt once they turn 18

Answer: C — Yes, but only because the car was already stopped for another reason

Unbelted back-seat occupants 18 and older fall under a secondary law, so they can only be ticketed when the vehicle is stopped for some other reason.

2. An antique car was manufactured in 1960 and never came equipped with seat belts. Does the seat belt law require its occupants to buckle up?

  1. No, only commercial vehicles are exempt
  2. No, vehicles built before 1980 are exempt
  3. Yes, all vehicles regardless of age must comply
  4. No, vehicles built before July 1, 1966 are exempt

Answer: D — No, vehicles built before July 1, 1966 are exempt

Vehicles built before July 1, 1966, along with vehicles not required to have belts, are exempt from the seat belt law.

3. A car strikes a fixed object at 30 mph and an unbelted occupant is thrown into the windshield. That impact is comparable to falling from what?

  1. A three-story building
  2. A ten-foot ladder
  3. A five-story building
  4. A one-story building

Answer: A — A three-story building

Hitting the dash or windshield at 30 mph is described as being like falling from a three-story building.

4. A parent is placing their 18-month-old, 22-pound child in a vehicle for a trip. What seat type and orientation are required?

  1. A forward-facing five-point harness seat in the rear seat
  2. A booster seat in the rear seat
  3. A rear-facing five-point harness seat in the rear seat
  4. A rear-facing seat in the front seat

Answer: C — A rear-facing five-point harness seat in the rear seat

Children under 2 and under 30 pounds must ride in a rear-facing five-point seat.

5. A hatchback has no back seat, and the family's infant must ride in a rear-facing car seat. Under what condition can that seat be placed in the front?

  1. Rear-facing seats can never be used in a vehicle without a rear seat
  2. Only if the front passenger air bag is off or not active
  3. In the front seat regardless of air bag status
  4. Only if the seat is turned to face forward instead

Answer: B — Only if the front passenger air bag is off or not active

With no rear seat, a child may ride in front, but a rear-facing seat may never face an active passenger air bag.

6. A driver is cited for failing to properly restrain a young child in a required car seat. What is the fine range?

  1. $250 to $1,000
  2. $100 to $250
  3. $50 to $75 plus costs
  4. $25 to $75

Answer: C — $50 to $75 plus costs

The fine for a child restraint violation is $50 to $75 plus costs.

7. A driver's height prevents them from keeping 10 inches between their breastbone and the steering wheel. What accommodation might NHTSA allow for the air bag?

  1. Permanent removal of the air bag without approval
  2. No accommodation exists in this case
  3. A cutoff switch installed by application
  4. Moving the seat belt anchor point instead

Answer: C — A cutoff switch installed by application

NHTSA allows air bag cutoff switches by application for drivers who cannot maintain 10 inches between breastbone and wheel.

8. Given how frontal air bags deploy, where should a 10-year-old normally ride?

  1. In the front seat with the air bag deactivated
  2. In the front seat with a rear-facing seat
  3. In the front seat if over 40 pounds
  4. In the back seat

Answer: D — In the back seat

Children 12 and younger should ride in the back seat, since air bags can kill children in the front.

9. A driver testing their brakes on a straight, empty road accelerates to 20 mph and brakes hard. Within about what distance should the car stop for the brakes to be working normally?

  1. 25 feet
  2. 15 feet
  3. 40 feet
  4. 60 feet

Answer: A — 25 feet

A vehicle with properly functioning brakes should stop within 25 feet at 20 mph.

10. A car equipped with ABS begins to skid during hard braking. What is the correct technique?

  1. Pump gently, the way you would to dry the brakes after driving through water
  2. Apply steady, firm pressure without pumping the pedal
  3. Release the brake completely and steer only
  4. Pump the brake pedal rapidly

Answer: B — Apply steady, firm pressure without pumping the pedal

With ABS, the driver should apply steady pressure and never pump or jerk the wheel.

11. A driver checks tire tread depth before a long trip. At what point is the tread legally too worn to drive on?

  1. Less than 1/4 inch
  2. Less than 1/8 inch
  3. Less than 1/16 inch
  4. Less than 1/32 inch

Answer: C — Less than 1/16 inch

Driving is prohibited on tires with less than 1/16 inch of tread, about the edge of a penny.

12. Snow left on a car's roof blows off while driving and shatters a following driver's windshield, injuring them. What is the maximum fine that could apply?

  1. $75
  2. $1,500
  3. $1,000
  4. $250

Answer: B — $1,500

The fine rises to as much as $1,500 if dislodged snow or ice injures someone or damages property.

13. A driver leaves a car running inside a closed garage but props the garage door open, thinking that lets exhaust escape safely. Is this safe?

  1. Yes, as long as the trunk is closed
  2. Yes, an open door fully vents the exhaust
  3. No, carbon monoxide can still build up even with the door open
  4. No, but only if the engine is badly tuned

Answer: C — No, carbon monoxide can still build up even with the door open

Idling in a garage, even with the door open, is listed as a cause of carbon monoxide buildup.

14. A passenger develops a headache, dizziness and confusion from a blocked tailpipe and is moved to fresh air. What should be done next?

  1. Shut off the engine only, without calling for help
  2. Open the windows and keep driving
  3. Wait for the symptoms to pass before acting
  4. Call 911 and shut off the engine

Answer: D — Call 911 and shut off the engine

The response to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning is to remove the victim from the source, call 911, shut off the engine, and get to fresh air.

15. Before starting a car, a driver adjusts the seat position. About how far from the steering wheel should the driver sit?

  1. About two arm's lengths
  2. About an arm's length
  3. As close as possible while still reaching the pedals
  4. About one foot

Answer: B — About an arm's length

The seat should be adjusted so the driver reaches all pedals, about an arm's length from the wheel.

16. A driver leaves their car running in a parking lot for 10 minutes while waiting for a friend, not stuck in traffic and not at a drive-through. Is this a violation, and what is the maximum idling time normally allowed?

  1. Yes, idling is limited to one minute
  2. No, idling limits only apply to commercial trucks
  3. Yes, idling is limited to three minutes
  4. Yes, idling is limited to five minutes

Answer: C — Yes, idling is limited to three minutes

New Jersey limits idling to three minutes, with exemptions such as traffic jams and drive-throughs that don't apply here.

17. A driver adjusts the outside mirror before pulling out. What should be visible in the lower right corner of that mirror?

  1. The front tire
  2. The centerline of the road
  3. The rear bumper of the car
  4. The tip of the driver-door handle

Answer: D — The tip of the driver-door handle

The outside mirror should be set so the driver-door handle tip shows in its lower right corner.

18. To reduce the risk of injury from the steering wheel air bag, where should a driver's hands be placed on the wheel?

  1. Anywhere comfortable, since hand position doesn't affect air-bag injuries
  2. At 12 and 6 o'clock
  3. On the outside rim at 9 and 3 o'clock
  4. On the inside rim at 10 and 2 o'clock

Answer: C — On the outside rim at 9 and 3 o'clock

Gripping the outside rim at 9 and 3 o'clock, never from the inside, reduces air-bag injuries.

19. A driver needs to make a sharp turn into a driveway, requiring about a half turn of the wheel. Which steering method suits this?

  1. Hand-over-hand steering
  2. Releasing the wheel briefly to let it self-center
  3. Keeping both hands fixed at 9 and 3 throughout
  4. One-handed palming

Answer: A — Hand-over-hand steering

Hand-over-hand steering handles minor adjustments up to a half turn and suits precision maneuvers, curves and intersections.

20. A driver traveling at 40 mph needs to stop suddenly. Including reaction time, about what total distance will the car travel before stopping?

  1. 167 feet
  2. 53 feet
  3. 102 feet
  4. 247 feet

Answer: A — 167 feet

At 40 mph, the table lists a reaction distance of 44 feet plus a braking distance of 123 feet, for a total of 167 feet.

21. A car is traveling at 60 mph on a highway. About how many feet does it cover in one second?

  1. 88 feet
  2. 120 feet
  3. 44 feet
  4. 66 feet

Answer: A — 88 feet

At 60 mph a vehicle covers 88 feet per second.

22. A driver in an automatic-transmission car is deciding which foot to use for the brake and gas pedals. What is correct?

  1. The right foot for both
  2. The left foot for the brake, right foot for the gas
  3. The right foot for gas, left foot for brake and clutch
  4. Either foot, by preference

Answer: A — The right foot for both

The right foot is used for both brake and gas, with the left foot reserved only for a clutch.

23. A driver's turn signals have failed, and they need to hand-signal a left turn. What is the correct arm position?

  1. Arm down, palm back
  2. Arm straight out
  3. Arm up
  4. Arm out the window, waving forward

Answer: B — Arm straight out

A straight-out arm signals a left turn; arm up signals a right turn, and arm down signals stopping or slowing.

24. A frustrated driver wants to mount a siren on their personal car to warn others of danger. Is this allowed?

  1. No, only emergency vehicles may use sirens, whistles or bells
  2. Yes, if used only outside residential zones
  3. Yes, but only whistles are allowed
  4. Yes, if the vehicle's horn is broken

Answer: A — No, only emergency vehicles may use sirens, whistles or bells

Only emergency vehicles may use sirens, whistles or bells; other drivers must rely on the horn.

25. While backing out of a driveway, a driver turns the steering wheel to the right. Which way does the front of the vehicle swing?

  1. It stays straight
  2. To the left, opposite the turn
  3. It depends only on the vehicle's length
  4. To the right, the same way as the turn

Answer: B — To the left, opposite the turn

In reverse, the vehicle goes the way the wheel is turned, but the front swings opposite to that turn.

26. A driver is backing up by looking through the rear window rather than relying on mirrors. How should they position their head, body and hands?

  1. Turn head and body to the left, left arm over the seat
  2. Use one hand, palming the wheel for a better view
  3. Face forward and steer using only the mirrors
  4. Turn head and body to the right, right arm over the passenger seat, left hand on top of the wheel

Answer: D — Turn head and body to the right, right arm over the passenger seat, left hand on top of the wheel

Backing up without mirrors requires turning the head and body to the right, with the right arm over the passenger seat and the left hand on top of the wheel; palming one-handed can fail the road test.

27. A driver approaches an intersection where they plan to turn right. At what point should they signal?

  1. At least 300 feet before the turn
  2. Immediately upon entering the intersection
  3. At least 100 feet before the turn
  4. Only if other cars are present

Answer: C — At least 100 feet before the turn

Drivers should move to the proper lane and signal at least 100 feet before turning.

28. A driver needs to reverse direction on a narrow street with no traffic using a three-point turn. What is the correct sequence?

  1. Signal left, move forward turning left toward the left edge, back while turning right toward the right edge, then move forward turning left and straighten
  2. Move forward turning right first, then reverse turning left
  3. Signal left, reverse first toward the right edge, then pull forward without turning
  4. Signal right, back straight, then pull forward straight

Answer: A — Signal left, move forward turning left toward the left edge, back while turning right toward the right edge, then move forward turning left and straighten

The three-point (K) turn is signal left and move forward turning left to the left edge, back while turning right to the right edge, then move forward turning left and straighten.

29. A driver parks a manual-transmission car facing downhill on a street with a curb, wheels turned toward the curb. Which gear should be engaged?

  1. Reverse
  2. Neutral
  3. Low
  4. Park

Answer: A — Reverse

Facing downhill, the wheels turn toward the curb and the car is left in park or reverse; low gear is used facing uphill instead.

30. A driver completes parallel parking and straightens the wheel. At most, how close to the curb should the car end up?

  1. Six inches
  2. Two feet
  3. One foot
  4. Two to four feet

Answer: A — Six inches

The finished parallel park should end no more than six inches from the curb.

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