Ohio Driver License: Vehicle Equipment and Driver Alertness

25 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Vehicle Equipment and Driver Alertness. Free, no account needed.

1. A driver is checking whether their tires are legal to keep using. What is the minimum tread depth a tire may have before it must be replaced?

1/4 inch
1/8 inch
3/32 inch
1/16 inch

Answer: D — 1/16 inch

Ohio's equipment standard sets 1/16 inch as the minimum tread depth before a tire must be replaced.

2. For a vehicle to meet Ohio's basic equipment requirements, how many seat belts must be installed in the front seat at minimum?

Two
One for each seating position, up to four
One
Three

Answer: A — Two

The equipment standard requires at least two seat belts in the front seat.

3. At night, from how far away must a license plate be legible under its plate light for a vehicle to meet Ohio's equipment standard?

200 feet
100 feet
500 feet
50 feet

Answer: D — 50 feet

The plate light must make the plate readable from 50 feet.

4. A vehicle's horn is being checked for compliance. From what distance must it be audible, and what must it sound like?

500 feet, like a siren
200 feet, like a motor-vehicle horn
100 feet, like a bell
300 feet, like a motor-vehicle horn

Answer: B — 200 feet, like a motor-vehicle horn

The horn must be audible from 200 feet and sound like a standard motor-vehicle horn.

5. What is the minimum light transmission allowed for tint on the front side windows of a vehicle?

20 percent
70 percent
50 percent (plus or minus 3)
35 percent

Answer: C — 50 percent (plus or minus 3)

Front side windows must allow at least 50 percent (plus or minus 3) light transmission; the windshield standard is 70 percent.

6. A driver wants to inflate their tires to the correct pressure. Where should they look to find the manufacturer's recommended pressure?

The door jamb
The tire sidewall
The fuel filler door
The owner's manual glove box sticker

Answer: A — The door jamb

The recommended pressure is printed on the door jamb, not the tire itself.

7. A driver inserts a penny into a tire's tread groove with Lincoln's head pointing down into the groove. If the entire head is visible above the tread, what does this mean?

The tire is worn out and must be replaced
The tire is overinflated
The tire pressure needs to be checked
The tire has plenty of tread left

Answer: A — The tire is worn out and must be replaced

If the whole head is visible, tread depth is too shallow and the tire must be replaced.

8. During which period are studded tires legal to use on Ohio roads?

December 1 through March 31
November 1 through April 15
November 15 through April 30
October 1 through April 1

Answer: B — November 1 through April 15

Studded tires are permitted only from November 1 through April 15.

9. It is dusk and starting to rain hard enough that a driver has the wipers running. What does the law require regarding headlights in this situation?

Only parking lights are required
Headlights are optional if visibility still seems adequate
Headlights are required only after full darkness
Headlights must be turned on

Answer: D — Headlights must be turned on

Headlights are required whenever wipers are running because of precipitation, not just after dark.

10. A driver has their high beams on at night on an empty road when another vehicle appears ahead, approaching from the opposite direction. What should the driver do with the high beams?

Switch to low beams
Keep the high beams on since the road is otherwise empty
Flash the high beams repeatedly at the other driver
Turn off all headlights briefly

Answer: A — Switch to low beams

High beams may be used whenever headlights are needed, except when a vehicle is approaching.

11. A driver plans to change lanes on a highway. How far before making the move should the turn signal go on?

At least 500 feet
At least 50 feet
At least 300 feet
At least 100 feet

Answer: D — At least 100 feet

Turn signals must go on at least 100 feet before the turn, course change or lane change.

12. When adjusting a seat for proper driving position, how much space should there be between the driver's chest and the steering wheel?

At least 20 inches
At least 10 inches
At least 5 inches
At least 15 inches

Answer: B — At least 10 inches

At least 10 inches of clearance is needed so the air bag can deploy safely.

13. A driver is adjusting the head restraint to protect against whiplash. Where should it be positioned?

Touching the back of the head, not below ear level
Set a few inches back from the head so it never touches it
A few inches below the top of the head, well below the ears
Touching the base of the neck

Answer: A — Touching the back of the head, not below ear level

The head restraint should touch the back of the head and sit no lower than ear level to prevent whiplash.

14. A driver wants to set the outside mirrors to minimize blind spots. How should the left and right mirrors be adjusted?

Angled downward to see the rear tires
Centered so the back corner of the driver's own car fills most of the mirror
Angled to show only the lane the car is currently in
Wide enough that the car's own edge is barely visible, rather than centered on the back of the car

Answer: D — Wide enough that the car's own edge is barely visible, rather than centered on the back of the car

Setting each mirror so the car's own edge is barely visible shrinks blind spots and gains extra degrees of view.

15. Under Ohio's safety belt law, which occupants are required to buckle up in most passenger vehicles?

Only the driver
Only rear-seat occupants
The driver and front-seat occupants
Only occupants under age 18

Answer: C — The driver and front-seat occupants

The belt law covers the driver and front-seat occupants, even in vehicles with air bags.

16. A 17-year-old is driving with several passengers. What does the law require regarding seat belts and occupants for this trip?

Only the driver must wear a belt
Every occupant must wear a belt, and the number of occupants is limited to the number of belts available
Passengers may go without belts if the trip is short
Belts are only required for front-seat passengers, as with adult drivers

Answer: B — Every occupant must wear a belt, and the number of occupants is limited to the number of belts available

For drivers under 18, every occupant must buckle up and the car cannot carry more people than it has belts.

17. How should a shoulder belt be worn for it to work correctly in a crash?

Behind the back, using only the lap belt
Loosely across the chest for comfort
Under the arm so it doesn't rub the neck
Across the shoulder and chest with little slack, never under the arm or behind the back

Answer: D — Across the shoulder and chest with little slack, never under the arm or behind the back

The shoulder belt must sit snugly across the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or behind the back.

18. A driver passed their vision screening only with corrective lenses, so their license carries a vision restriction. What must they do every time they drive?

Wear them only for night driving
Wear dark or tinted lenses at night for glare
Wear them only on highways
Always wear their corrective lenses

Answer: D — Always wear their corrective lenses

A vision restriction requires wearing corrective lenses at all times while driving, and avoiding dark or tinted lenses at night.

19. A driver deliberately tailgates another car, changes lanes without signaling, and speeds through a residential street. What is this behavior called?

Distracted driving
Defensive driving
Aggressive driving
Fatigued driving

Answer: C — Aggressive driving

Intentional, endangering acts like tailgating, unsafe lane changes and speeding define aggressive driving.

20. An adult driver wants to answer a call hands-free while driving legally. What is the driver allowed to do to activate the call?

Use a single touch or swipe, without holding the device or typing
Hold the phone briefly just to dial
Rest the phone on your leg or the wheel while you talk
Type the number on the keypad before setting the phone down

Answer: A — Use a single touch or swipe, without holding the device or typing

A single touch or swipe to activate or deactivate a call is permitted, but holding or typing on the device is not.

21. An adult driver comes upon a crash and picks up their phone to call 911 and report it. Does Ohio's handheld device ban allow this?

No, holding a phone is never allowed while driving
Yes, reporting an emergency is a listed exception to the ban
Only if the car is on a highway shoulder
Only if a passenger dials the phone first

Answer: B — Yes, reporting an emergency is a listed exception to the ban

Reporting an emergency is explicitly listed as an exception to the handheld phone ban.

22. A driver is cited for illegally holding a phone while driving for the first time in the past two years. What is the maximum penalty?

3 points and up to $250
A 90-day license suspension
2 points and up to $150
4 points and up to $500

Answer: C — 2 points and up to $150

A first offense within two years carries up to 2 points and a $150 fine.

23. A driver is caught illegally holding a phone while driving through a highway work zone. How does this affect the fine compared to the same offense elsewhere?

Points double but the fine stays the same
The fine doubles
The fine is cut in half
The fine is unchanged

Answer: B — The fine doubles

Fines for the offense double when committed in a work zone.

24. A 16-year-old driver is stopped at a red light and wants to send a quick text. Is this allowed?

No, drivers under 18 may not use any electronic device even at a red light, except for navigation or emergency calls
Yes, as long as it is hands-free
Yes, texting is allowed as long as the vehicle is stopped
No, but hands-free calls are allowed at a stop

Answer: A — No, drivers under 18 may not use any electronic device even at a red light, except for navigation or emergency calls

Drivers under 18 may not use any electronic device at all, even when stopped, except for navigation and emergency calls.

25. How do alcohol and drugs, including over-the-counter medicine, typically affect a driver's ability to respond to hazards on the road?

They blur vision, slow reaction time and impair judgment
They sharpen focus but slow reflexes
They improve night vision but reduce coordination
They affect judgment only, with no effect on reaction time

Answer: A — They blur vision, slow reaction time and impair judgment

Alcohol and drugs blur vision, weaken judgment of distance and speed, slow reaction time and impair judgment.