North Carolina Driver License: Equipment, Defensive Driving, Weather and Emergencies

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Equipment, Defensive Driving, Weather and Emergencies. Free, no account needed.

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1. Driving at night with low-beam headlights, how far ahead should a driver be able to see a person on the road?

  1. 75 feet
  2. 50 feet
  3. 200 feet
  4. 500 feet

Answer: A — 75 feet

Low beams should let a driver see a person from 75 feet; high beams extend that to 200 feet.

2. From how far away must a vehicle's taillights be visible at night?

  1. 100 feet
  2. 400 feet
  3. 500 feet
  4. 200 feet

Answer: C — 500 feet

Taillights must be red and visible from 500 feet away.

3. When the brake pedal is pressed all the way down, how much of its travel should still be left before it touches the floor?

  1. One-half
  2. One-third
  3. Two-thirds
  4. One-quarter

Answer: B — One-third

The pedal should stay at least one-third of its travel off the floor; a pedal that sinks further signals a hydraulic problem.

4. A car equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS) needs to stop hard in an emergency. What should the driver do with the brake pedal?

  1. Pump the pedal rapidly
  2. Apply firm, steady pressure and hold it
  3. Ease off the pedal each time the wheels start to lock
  4. Shift to a lower gear and pull the emergency brake instead

Answer: B — Apply firm, steady pressure and hold it

With ABS, firm steady pressure lets the system do its job; pumping or releasing defeats it.

5. A tire is considered unsafe once its tread wears down to less than what depth?

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

Answer: C — 1/16 inch

Tires worn below 1/16 inch of tread are unsafe.

6. A vehicle's horn must be loud enough to be heard from what distance, without being unreasonably loud?

  1. 100 feet
  2. 500 feet
  3. 75 feet
  4. 200 feet

Answer: D — 200 feet

The horn must be audible from 200 feet away.

7. How far ahead should a driver typically be scanning the road, to avoid having to make last-minute moves?

  1. 10 to 15 seconds ahead, about a city block
  2. 2 to 3 seconds ahead
  3. 30 seconds ahead
  4. Only as far as the headlights reach

Answer: A — 10 to 15 seconds ahead, about a city block

Scanning 10-15 seconds ahead, roughly a city block, gives enough warning to avoid sudden maneuvers.

8. A driver extends the left arm out the window with the forearm and hand bent upward, palm forward. What is being signaled?

  1. Right turn
  2. Left turn
  3. Hazard warning
  4. Stopping or slowing

Answer: A — Right turn

Forearm and hand up with palm forward is the hand signal for a right turn.

9. Driving on a road with a 50 mph speed limit, how far before a turn should a driver begin signaling?

  1. At least 500 feet
  2. At least 100 feet
  3. At least 200 feet
  4. At least 50 feet

Answer: C — At least 200 feet

Where the limit is 45 mph or more, signal at least 200 feet ahead; at lower speeds 100 feet suffices.

10. Another driver is following much too closely behind. What is the recommended response?

  1. Brake firmly to warn them off
  2. Speed up to increase the gap
  3. Flash the brake lights repeatedly
  4. Change lanes and let them pass

Answer: D — Change lanes and let them pass

If someone tailgates, changing lanes and letting them by removes the danger.

11. A driver faces two equally serious hazards at once, one on each side, with no way to favor one over the other. What should the driver do?

  1. Swerve toward the less familiar hazard
  2. Speed up to clear the situation quickly
  3. Stop and let the oncoming traffic clear
  4. Split the difference and drive between them

Answer: C — Stop and let the oncoming traffic clear

When two dangers are equally matched, stopping and letting oncoming traffic clear is the safe choice.

12. What color scheme identifies signs marking a work zone?

  1. White on orange
  2. Black on orange
  3. Yellow on black
  4. Orange on black

Answer: B — Black on orange

Work zone signs use black lettering and symbols on an orange background.

13. In a work zone with narrow, confined lanes and no room to escape, what is a major cause of rear-end crashes?

  1. Merging too early
  2. Following too far behind
  3. Driving slower than the surrounding traffic
  4. Using hazard flashers unnecessarily

Answer: C — Driving slower than the surrounding traffic

Driving slower than surrounding traffic in a work zone is a leading cause of rear-end collisions.

14. During the day, visibility drops to about 300 feet because of heavy rain. What are drivers required to do?

  1. Turn on hazard flashers only
  2. Turn on headlights
  3. Nothing is required until sunset
  4. Pull off the road until visibility improves

Answer: B — Turn on headlights

Headlights are required whenever visibility drops to 400 feet or less, in addition to sunset-to-sunrise.

15. An oncoming driver's high beams are blinding and they will not dim them. What should you do?

  1. Look directly at their headlights to judge distance
  2. Flash your high beams repeatedly until they respond
  3. Blink your high beams once, then stay on low beams
  4. Turn off your headlights briefly

Answer: C — Blink your high beams once, then stay on low beams

Blink high beams once as a signal, then switch to low beams and look slightly right of the oncoming lights.

16. Driving in the rain, how much following distance should a driver allow compared with dry conditions?

  1. At least twice the normal distance
  2. The same as on dry pavement
  3. Half the normal distance
  4. Three times the normal distance

Answer: A — At least twice the normal distance

Rain calls for at least twice the normal following distance since wet stopping distances run much longer.

17. A car begins to hydroplane on a wet highway. What is the correct response?

  1. Turn the wheel sharply to regain the lane
  2. Ease off the gas, do not brake, and hold the wheel straight
  3. Shift into neutral and coast
  4. Brake firmly to slow down quickly

Answer: B — Ease off the gas, do not brake, and hold the wheel straight

Braking or jerking the wheel can spin the car; easing off the gas while holding the wheel straight lets it slow until the tires regain grip.

18. How deep does moving water need to be to sweep a car off the road?

  1. 12 inches
  2. 6 inches
  3. 24 inches
  4. 3 inches

Answer: B — 6 inches

Six inches of moving water can sweep a car away; twelve inches can float or flip it.

19. Which of these should be avoided when driving on a wet road?

  1. Slowing down
  2. Increasing following distance
  3. Using headlights
  4. Using cruise control

Answer: D — Using cruise control

Cruise control should never be used on wet roads because it can worsen a hydroplaning skid.

20. Visibility in thick fog drops to the point where a driver truly cannot see the road at all. What should they do?

  1. Pull far off the road, stop, set the flashers, and leave by the passenger side
  2. Follow the taillights of the car ahead closely
  3. Turn on high beams and keep driving slowly
  4. Stop in the travel lane with hazards on

Answer: A — Pull far off the road, stop, set the flashers, and leave by the passenger side

If visibility is too poor to continue, pull well off the road, stop, use the flashers, and exit on the passenger side away from traffic.

21. On packed snow or ice, how much longer should a driver expect their stopping distance to be, compared to normal?

  1. At least three times as long
  2. About the same
  3. Ten times as long
  4. Twice as long

Answer: A — At least three times as long

Snow and ice require allowing at least three times the normal stopping distance.

22. Animal collisions are most likely around which times of day?

  1. Dawn, dusk and the first hours after dark
  2. Midday, when animals are most active
  3. Late at night, well after midnight
  4. Late morning after sunrise

Answer: A — Dawn, dusk and the first hours after dark

Dawn, dusk and the first hours after dark, along with spring and fall migrations, are the highest-risk times for wildlife collisions.

23. A deer suddenly appears in the road ahead. What is the recommended response?

  1. Swerve into the other lane to avoid it
  2. Steer onto the shoulder
  3. Brake firmly, stay in the lane, and try to stop
  4. Speed up to pass before it moves

Answer: C — Brake firmly, stay in the lane, and try to stop

Braking firmly while staying in the lane is safer than swerving, which risks a worse crash.

24. The brakes fail completely while driving. What should the driver do?

  1. Pump the brake pedal rapidly
  2. Shift to a lower gear and apply the emergency brake
  3. Turn off the engine immediately
  4. Shift to neutral and coast to a stop

Answer: B — Shift to a lower gear and apply the emergency brake

Shift down, release the clutch if manual, and apply the emergency brake; it may damage the transmission but is the best option.

25. A tire blows out with a loud bang and the car swerves. What should the driver do first?

  1. Brake hard immediately to stop quickly
  2. Grip the wheel tightly, keep straight, and lift off the accelerator
  3. Shift into neutral
  4. Steer sharply to correct the swerve

Answer: B — Grip the wheel tightly, keep straight, and lift off the accelerator

Grip the wheel, hold a straight line, and let the car slow from lifting off the gas; braking too soon can cause loss of control.

26. A car breaks down on the shoulder of the highway. What should the driver tie to the aerial or door handle to signal for help?

  1. A red cloth
  2. A yellow cloth
  3. A white cloth
  4. An orange cloth

Answer: C — A white cloth

Tying a white cloth to the left door handle or aerial signals a breakdown.

27. A car goes into a skid on an icy road, with the rear end sliding to the right. What should the driver do?

  1. Steer to the right, in the direction the rear is sliding
  2. Accelerate to regain traction
  3. Steer to the left, away from the slide
  4. Brake hard to stop the slide

Answer: A — Steer to the right, in the direction the rear is sliding

In a skid, ease off the gas and steer in the direction the rear is sliding, straightening out as the car recovers.

28. A driver sees in the mirror that they are about to be hit from behind, with clear road ahead. What should they do?

  1. Shift into neutral to reduce impact force
  2. Turn sharply onto the shoulder
  3. Accelerate away, brace against the wheel and seat, and press the head firmly against the headrest
  4. Brake hard to brace for impact

Answer: C — Accelerate away, brace against the wheel and seat, and press the head firmly against the headrest

With clear road ahead, accelerating away while bracing against the wheel and seat reduces injury from a rear impact.

29. A crash causes no injuries but about $1,500 in property damage. Is the driver required to report it to law enforcement?

  1. Only if the other driver insists
  2. No, only injury crashes must be reported
  3. Yes, since it is at or above the $1,000 threshold
  4. Only if it happened on a highway

Answer: C — Yes, since it is at or above the $1,000 threshold

Any crash with $1,000 or more in damage, or with injury or death, must be reported at once.

30. Someone stops to help at the scene of a crash and renders aid in good faith. What are they protected from, short of intentional wrongdoing?

  1. Loss of their driver's license
  2. Civil liability
  3. Insurance rate increases
  4. Criminal prosecution for any error

Answer: B — Civil liability

Anyone who stops to give aid at a crash is protected from civil liability except for intentional wrongdoing.

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