Bad Weather & Night Driving — Connecticut
Connecticut CDL practice test: 466 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: 28 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 | Connecticut CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 28 (6% of 466 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (28)
1. Hydroplaning usually occurs:
- When tires are properly inflated.
- When driving at speeds slower than 15 mph.
- In areas where water collects on the road. ✓
Answer: C. In areas where water collects on the road.
Hydroplaning usually occurs in areas where water collects on the road. The handbook says that when water or slush collects on the road, your vehicle can hydroplane. The tires lose contact with the road and have little or no traction, so you may not be able to steer or brake. It also says road surfaces where water can collect create conditions for hydroplaning, and you should watch for signs of standing water such as clear reflections and tire splashes. Low tire pressure or worn tread makes hydroplaning more likely.
2. Shaded areas of a road:
- Usually don’t freeze.
- Are usually blocked from all moisture, so they cannot freeze.
- Will remain slick after ice has melted on other areas of the road. ✓
Answer: C. Will remain slick after ice has melted on other areas of the road.
Shaded areas of the road will remain slick after ice has melted on other areas. The handbook lists shady areas as one sign of a slippery road. It explains that these parts stay icy and slick well after exposed sections have thawed. That is why a shaded stretch can still be dangerous even when the rest of the road looks clear. The answer that says shaded areas stay slick after ice elsewhere has melted matches that warning.
3. Hydroplaning:
- Only occurs at extremely high speeds.
- Can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph. ✓
- Happens most frequently when tire pressure is too high.
Answer: B. Can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph.
Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph when there is a lot of water on the road. The handbook says plainly that hydroplaning can happen at speeds as low as 30 mph if there is a lot of water. It also notes that it does not take much water to cause it. So the idea that you must be driving extremely fast to lose traction on wet pavement is wrong, and tire condition matters too: low pressure or worn tread makes hydroplaning more likely because the grooves cannot carry water away.
4. During the skills test, if making a turn that requires a stop, you should:
- Skid to a stop.
- Stop after the stop line to get a better view.
- Allow your vehicle to roll.
- Keep the front wheels aimed straight ahead. ✓
Answer: D. Keep the front wheels aimed straight ahead.
When a turn requires you to stop, keep the front wheels aimed straight ahead while you are stopped. The on-road driving section of the handbook lists this as one of the things you must do during the skills test: do not let the vehicle roll, and keep the front wheels aimed straight ahead. It appears next to the rule about leaving a safe gap when you stop behind another vehicle. Keeping the wheels straight is also what the handbook's steering guidance points toward, since it wants your steering inputs small and the vehicle held in a straight line rather than drifting or turning while you sit still.
5. If unable to tell if the road is becoming icy and slippery, a driver:
- Should try guessing.
- May open their window and feel the front of the side mirror for ice. ✓
- Should look at the road closely.
Answer: B. May open their window and feel the front of the side mirror for ice.
Open your window and feel the front of the side mirror for ice; that is the handbook's simple check when you cannot tell whether the road is icing up. The Texas CDL handbook says it can be hard to know when a road is slippery, so it gives signs to check. One easy check is to open the window and feel the front of the mirror, mirror support, or antenna. If ice is there, the road surface is probably starting to ice up. A later section also tells drivers to check mirrors and wiper blades for ice and treat the road as likely icy if they find it. That supports using the mirror as a practical ice detector rather than guessing.
6. Driving at night is:
- Safer than driving during the day.
- Just as safe as driving during the day.
- More dangerous than driving during the day. ✓
Answer: C. More dangerous than driving during the day.
Driving at night is more dangerous than driving during the day. The handbook opens its night-driving section by saying you are at greater risk after dark. In daylight you can spot hazards sooner; at night you cannot see them as quickly, so you have less time to react. A driver caught by surprise is less able to avoid a crash. The handbook also ties night driving to glare and fatigue, which impair vision and judgment. That combination supports the answer that night driving is more dangerous than daytime driving.
7. 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.
8. Using the trailer hand valve while driving:
- Will help you turn safely.
- Will stop your trailer safely.
- Can cause a skid. ✓
- Is impossible.
Answer: C. Can cause a skid.
Using the trailer hand valve while driving can cause a skid. The handbook says the trailer hand valve (also called the trolley valve or Johnson bar) should be used only to test the trailer brakes. You should not use it in driving, because it creates a danger of making the trailer skid. The foot brake applies air to all the brakes on the vehicle, including the trailer, and the handbook states there is much less danger of a skid or jackknife with the foot brake alone. That is why the hand valve stays a testing tool, not a driving control.
9. When driving under wet conditions, a lack of spray coming from the tires of other vehicles indicates that:
- Ice has formed on the road. ✓
- The pavement is dry.
- The spray is caught on the underside of the vehicle.
Answer: A. Ice has formed on the road.
A lack of spray from other vehicles under wet conditions means ice has formed on the road. The handbook puts this under slippery-surface driving. It says to watch for ice, particularly on bridges and overpasses, and that when other vehicles throw no spray, ice has formed on the road. It also suggests checking your mirrors and wiper blades for ice, since ice there makes an icy road likely. So the missing spray is a warning sign to slow down and treat the surface as slippery, not a sign that the pavement is dry or that spray is trapped underneath.
10. When being approached by a vehicle using bright headlights while driving at night, you can avoid being blinded by the headlights by:
- Wearing sunglasses.
- Closing your eyes.
- Glancing to the side of road. ✓
- Using your high beams.
Answer: C. Glancing to the side of road.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook