Practical Test Questions

Q1. When can you overtake on the left?
Ans. When the driver in front of you is turning right, when you intend to turn left, when the vehicles in the lane on your right are moving slower than the vehicles in your lane in queuing traffic?

Q2. At a junction with roads of equal importance to whom should you give way?
Ans.  Give way to traffic on the right and traffic already turning.

Q3. At a STOP sign which has no white line where would you stop?
Ans. You should come to a halt at the STOP sign itself.

Q4. Why is a STOP sign octagonal and a YIELD sign triangular (inverted)?
Ans. To help drivers distinguish between the two in snowy conditions.

Q5. What position would you take up for a right turn at the end of a one way street?
Ans. You would take up position in the extreme right hand lane.

Q6. What do white zig-zag lines on the road mean?
Ans. A Zebra Crossing is ahead, no overtaking and no parking.

Q7. How would you know a Zebra crossing at night?
Ans. By the yellow flashing beacons.

Q8. What does the island in the centre of a pedestrian crossing mean?
Ans. Each side of the island is a separate crossing.

Q9. Outline the restrictions in relation to the use of your horn?
Ans. In a built up area, you cannot use your horn between the hours of 11.30p.m. and 7.00a.m, except in the case of an emergency.

Q10. When driving at night when should you dip your headlights?
Ans. You should dip your headlights when:  (a) You’re meeting on-coming traffic. (b) You’re following close behind another vehicle. (c) You’re on continuously well lit roads. (d) At the beginning and end of lighting up hours, i.e. dawn and dusk. (e) When you’re driving in fog or snow. (f) When you’re approaching a Junction.

Q11. What should you do if you are dazzled by the lights of an oncoming vehicle?
Ans. You should slow down and stop if necessary.

Q12. What is a Clearway?
Ans. An area in which stopping and parking is prohibited, (except by buses or taxis) for a period indicated on the Clearway signpost.

Q13. What does a broken yellow line mean?
Ans. A broken yellow line signifies the edge of the roadway, also known as a hard shoulder.

Q14. What does a single continuous yellow line mean?
Ans. A single yellow line signifies parking is prohibited at certain times, (generally during working hours).

Q15. What does a double yellow line mean?
Ans. No parking at anytime.

Q16. What is the legal parking distance from the Kerb?
Ans. The legal parking distance is 45 centimeters, or 1.5 Ft.

Q17. How close to a junction can you park?
Ans. You are permitted to park 5 Metres from a junction.

Q18. Where should you not park?
Ans. You should never park near a bend, the brow of a hill, a humpback bridge, at a continuous white line, where your vehicle would obstruct a sign or  entrance.

Q19. Where should you not overtake?
Ans. You should never overtake at  a bend, a junction, the brow of a hill, a humpback bridge, at a continuous white line or anywhere your view of oncoming traffic is restricted.

Q20. What is the safe distance to drive from the car in front of you?
Ans. You should allow 1 metre for each Kilometer Per hour you are travelling. Double that for wet roads, four times that for icy roads or observe the ” two second rule”.

Q21. If you saw a red triangle on the road what would it mean?
Ans. That there is an obstruction on the road ahead.

Q22. At a junction when traffic lights are not working to whom would you give right of way?
Ans. You should give way to traffic on the right and traffic already turning.

Q23. What does a green traffic light mean?
Ans. Go, providing the junction is clear.

Q24. What does an amber traffic light mean?
Ans. You should stop if you can do so SAFELY at the Stop line.

Q25. Name three people in authority for whom you must stop?
Ans. A Garda, a school warden or a person in charge of animals.

Q26. Describe the road markings for NO ENTRY?
Ans. A continuous white line with a broken line behind it.

Q27. When can you cross a continuous white line?
Ans. You can cross the line in order to avoid an obstruction, for access, or if there is a broken white line on your side of the continuous white line.

Q28. (a) What is the national general speed limit? (b) What is the Motorway speed limit? (c) What is the acceptable tyre thread depth?
Ans. (a) 100 K.P.H. for cars. (b) 120 K.P.H. (c) 1.6mm Min.

Q29. What rules apply to a Yellow Box junction?
Ans. You must not enter a Yellow Box unless your way ahead is clear. The only exception being if turning right. Then you can enter and wait in the box so long as you are not obstructing other traffic.

Q30. If there are two parallel lines in the centre of the road, one continuous and one broken, which one would you obey?
Ans. You should always obey the line nearest you.

Q31. What do two broken parallel lines in the centre of the road mean?
Ans. There will be one or two continuous white lines ahead.

Q32. What does a broken white line in the centre of the road mean?
Ans. You may overtake if it is safe to do so.

Q33. What do white diagonal lines in the centre of the road mean?
Ans. You should treat them like a traffic island and not enter the space between the lines.

Q34. What is Aquaplaning?
Ans. Aquaplaning  is when a film of water builds up between the tyres and the road and one’s steering and braking is affected.