Bad Weather & Night Driving — Kansas
Kansas CDL practice test: 397 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 | Kansas CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 20 (5% of 397 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. 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.
2. Areas of the road that are shaded:
- Usually do not freeze.
- Usually do not contain moisture, so they can’t freeze.
- Will remain slick after ice on other areas of the road has melted. ✓
- Should always be avoided.
Answer: C. Will remain slick after ice on other areas of the road has melted.
Shaded areas of the road can stay icy and slick even after ice in open, sunny areas has melted. The handbook lists shaded areas as one sign of a slippery road. It says shady parts stay icy and slippery long after open areas have melted. That matches the choice saying these areas remain slick after other parts of the road clear. The point for a driver is that sunshine melting ice elsewhere does not mean the shaded stretch is safe, so lower speed and care are still needed there.
3. If a trailer begins to skid, the driver should:
- Lock the brakes.
- Release the brakes. ✓
- Steer in the opposite direction.
- Accelerate.
Answer: B. Release the brakes.
Release the brakes so the trailer wheels can regain traction. The handbook says that when a trailer starts to skid, you should release the brakes to get traction back. It explains that the trailer wheel brakes caused the skid, so using the trailer hand brake to try to straighten the rig is the wrong move. Once the trailer wheels grip the road again, the trailer will follow the tractor and straighten out.
4. If your vehicle is hydroplaning, you should:
- Speed up.
- Not apply the brakes. ✓
- Put the vehicle in reverse.
- Turn the steering wheel as hard as possible.
Answer: B. Not apply the brakes.
5. Which of the following is most likely to result in hydroplaning?
- Using tires with worn tread ✓
- Using properly inflated tires
- Using new tires
- Traveling at speeds under 10 mph
Answer: A. Using tires with worn tread
Using tires with worn tread is the choice most likely to lead to hydroplaning. The handbook says hydroplaning becomes more likely when tire pressure is low or the tread is worn. It explains that the grooves in a tire carry water away, so shallow grooves do not clear water well. A worn tire therefore fits the condition the handbook ties to hydroplaning. A separate inspection section also says low tread depth increases the effect of hydroplaning. That makes worn tread the best match among these choices.
6. If an approaching driver is using their high beam headlights, you should:
- Look directly at the headlights.
- Flash your high beam lights to remind the driver to switch to their low beams.
- Look to the right side of your lane until the vehicle has passed. ✓
- Pull to the side of the road until the vehicle has passed.
Answer: C. Look to the right side of your lane until the vehicle has passed.
7. 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.
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. If the trailer begins to skid, it is best to:
- Release the brakes. ✓
- Accelerate.
- Quickly turn the steering wheel one way, then the other.
- Brake.
Answer: A. Release the brakes.
If the trailer begins to skid, release the brakes. The handbook's rule for correcting a braking skid is to stop braking, because that lets the rear wheels roll again instead of sliding. It also warns that quick steering while braking can cause a rollover, and that over steering, over accelerating, or over braking can start a skid. For a trailer skid, the handbook says you must act to restore traction to the wheels. Releasing the brakes fits that instruction: it lets the wheels roll again so you can regain control. The passages do not say to speed up or saw the wheel back and forth as a trailer-skid fix.
10. Hydroplaning usually occurs:
- When tires are properly inflated.
- At speeds under 15 mph.
- In areas where water collects on the road. ✓
- During the evening.
Answer: C. In areas where water collects on the road.
Hydroplaning usually occurs in areas where water collects on the road, because standing water lets the tires lose contact with the pavement. The handbook explains that when water or slush collects on the road, your vehicle can hydroplane, and it compares this to water skiing: the tires lose their grip and you may not be able to steer or brake. It also tells you to watch for signs of standing water such as clear reflections, tire splashes, and raindrops on the road. Low tire pressure and worn tread make it more likely, since shallow grooves cannot carry the water away.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook