Bad Weather & Night Driving — Colorado
Colorado CDL practice test: 394 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Bad Weather & Night Driving: 20 questions.
Rain, snow, ice, fog and night driving: visibility, traction and headlight use.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Bad Weather & Night Driving |
| License test | Colorado CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 20 (5% of 394 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
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Questions (20)
1. When other vehicles have trouble seeing you at dawn or dusk, you can increase your visibility by:
- Turning on your four-way flashers.
- Honking your horn.
- Turning on your headlights. ✓
- Turning on your windshield wipers.
Answer: C. Turning on your headlights.
Turning on your headlights is the way to increase your visibility to other drivers at dawn or dusk. The handbook says that at dawn, dusk, rain, or snow you need to make yourself easier to see. It points out that if you have trouble seeing other vehicles, they likely have trouble seeing you. The instruction is to turn on your lights, and specifically to use your headlights, not just the identification or clearance lights. It also says to use low beams because high beams can bother other people. Turning on your headlights helps other drivers notice your vehicle.
2. When you need to stop in an emergency, you should:
- Lock the wheels and skid to a stop.
- Stop in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line. ✓
- Stop in a way that turns your vehicle.
- Expect your vehicle to slow down more quickly than usual.
Answer: B. Stop in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line.
When you need to stop in an emergency, you should brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line. The handbook's quick-stop section says to brake so the vehicle stays straight and can still be steered if you need to turn. It gives two methods, controlled braking and stab braking. With controlled braking you press as hard as you can without locking the wheels, keep steering movements small, and release and re-apply the brakes if the wheels lock or you need a bigger steering change. Staying straight keeps you able to steer around the problem and avoids a skid.
3. The best way to recognize that your trailer has begun to skid is by:
- Seeing other drivers' faces.
- Seeing it in your mirrors. ✓
- Feeling it.
- Listening to the radio.
Answer: B. Seeing it in your mirrors.
The best way to catch a trailer skid early is by seeing it in your mirrors. The handbook's trailer skid procedure starts with recognizing the skid, and it says the earliest and best way to notice the trailer has started to skid is by watching it in your mirrors. It adds that whenever you brake hard, you should check the mirrors to confirm the trailer is staying where it belongs, because once the trailer swings out of your lane a jackknife becomes very hard to prevent. So the skill it teaches is a visual habit: hard braking means a mirror check.
4. If driving in a foggy area, you should not:
- Decrease your speed.
- Increase your speed. ✓
- Use your low beam headlights.
- Turn on your four-way flashers.
Answer: B. Increase your speed.
You should not increase your speed in fog; slowing down is what the handbook tells you to do. The fog section warns that visibility can drop quickly and that you should not count on the fog thinning out once you are in it. It tells you to slow down before you enter fog, to use low-beam headlights and fog lights for the best visibility even in daytime, and, if you can, to pull off at a rest area or truck stop until you can see better. The stopping-distance section backs this up: faster speed means longer braking distance and a harder impact. Speeding up works against both, so it is the thing to avoid.
5. When it is difficult for others to see your vehicle, such as at dawn or dusk, you can help other drivers by:
- Keeping your lights off.
- Turning your lights on. ✓
- Driving on the shoulder.
- Waving an arm out the window.
Answer: B. Turning your lights on.
When visibility is poor, you can help other drivers see you by turning your lights on. The handbook's section on communicating your presence says that at dawn, dusk, in rain, or snow you should make yourself easier to see. It explains that when your own view of other vehicles is poor, theirs of you is likely poor too, and it tells you to turn on your lights. It specifically calls for the headlights rather than only clearance or identification lights, and for low beams because high beams can bother people. Turning the lights on is the action the handbook gives for being seen in poor visibility.
6. Rollovers are most likely to happen when:
- Drivers turn too fast. ✓
- Driver turn too slowly.
- It is windy.
- It is raining.
Answer: A. Drivers turn too fast.
Rollovers are most likely to happen when drivers turn too fast. The combination vehicles section states plainly that rollovers happen when you turn too fast, and it tells you to drive slowly around corners, ramps, and off ramps. It also explains that a higher center of gravity makes a truck easier to turn over, which is why cargo should sit as low as possible. Turning too fast is the behavior the handbook names as the cause, so slowing down in turns is the prevention it teaches.
7. Roads are slippery when it first begins to rain because:
- Water is slippery.
- The fresh rain mixes with oil on the roadway. ✓
- The water has nowhere to go.
- Concrete can be slippery.
Answer: B. The fresh rain mixes with oil on the roadway.
Roads are slippery when it first begins to rain because the fresh rain mixes with oil left on the roadway by vehicles. The handbook says that right after rain starts, the water mixes with oil that vehicles have left on the road, and that combination makes the pavement very slippery. It also notes that if the rain continues, it washes the oil away. So the first rain is the risky period, not simply because water or concrete is slippery in general. That is why the answer points to fresh rain mixing with oil.
8. Skids caused by acceleration can usually be resolved by:
- Speeding up.
- Taking your foot off the accelerator. ✓
- Coming to a complete stop.
- Switching into a higher gear.
Answer: B. Taking your foot off the accelerator.
The correct action is to take your foot off the accelerator. The handbook says the most common skid happens when the rear wheels lose grip because of too much braking or acceleration. Acceleration-caused skids usually occur on ice or snow, and the simple fix is to stop feeding power to the drive wheels by lifting off the accelerator. The passage adds that in very slippery conditions you may push the clutch in, because otherwise the engine can keep the wheels from rolling freely and regaining traction.
9. If a roadway is covered by fog, it is best for you to:
- Drive faster than usual.
- Use your high beam headlights.
- Turn off your headlights.
- Avoid driving. ✓
Answer: D. Avoid driving.
The best choice is to avoid driving in fog when you can, waiting until visibility improves. The handbook says fog is often unexpected and visibility can drop fast, and it gives this blunt advice: the best advice for driving in fog is don't. It suggests pulling off into a rest area or truck stop until conditions get better. Only if you must drive does it list steps like slowing down before you enter the fog, obeying fog warning signs, and using low-beam headlights and fog lights. So the safest answer is to stay off the road rather than drive through it.
10. A person should not smoke within ____ of a vehicle placarded for Class 3 or Division 2.1 materials.
- 10 feet
- 25 feet ✓
- 100 feet
- 1,000 feet
Answer: B. 25 feet
You should stay at least 25 feet away from a placarded vehicle carrying Class 3 flammable liquids or Division 2.1 gases when you smoke. The no-smoking rule in the handbook sets one distance for these loads: keep smoking 25 feet away from a placarded cargo tank holding Class 3 flammable liquids or Division 2.1 gases. The same 25-foot limit applies to smoking or carrying a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe near any vehicle carrying those materials. So the bank answer matches the handbook exactly. The reason is straightforward: these are flammable liquids and gases, and a flame near them is a fire hazard, which is why the handbook names a fixed distance rather than leaving it to judgment.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook