Bad Weather & Night Driving — Maryland
Maryland CDL practice test: 460 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: 23 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 | Maryland CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 23 (5% of 460 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
Advertisement
Questions (23)
1. When entering a foggy area, you should:
- Stop on the side of the roadway.
- Pass other vehicles.
- Slow down. ✓
- Use your high beam headlights.
Answer: C. Slow down.
When you enter a foggy area, you should slow down. The handbook says fog is often unexpected and visibility can drop fast, so you should watch for it and be ready to reduce speed. Its specific instruction is to slow down before you enter the fog, and it warns you not to count on the fog thinning out once you are inside it. It also says the best choice is not to drive in fog at all, and if you must, to obey fog warning signs and use low-beam headlights and fog lights for the best visibility, even in daytime.
2. The best way to recognize that your trailer has started to skid is by:
- Seeing other drivers' faces.
- Checking the trailer in your mirrors. ✓
- Feeling the trailer move.
Answer: B. Checking the trailer in your mirrors.
You recognize a trailer skid best by checking the trailer in your mirrors. The handbook puts mirror checks at the center of skid recognition. It says the earliest and best sign that the trailer has begun to skid is what you see in your mirrors. It also advises checking the mirrors any time you brake hard, so you can catch the trailer moving out of position early. The passage adds that once the trailer swings out of your lane, preventing a jackknife becomes very difficult. That is why watching the trailer in the mirrors is the reliable way to notice the skid.
3. Hydroplaning:
- Rarely happens to trucks.
- Usually happens when vehicles are traveling at speeds above 65 mph.
- Can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway. ✓
Answer: C. Can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway.
Hydroplaning can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway. The handbook says it does not take much water to cause hydroplaning, so a small amount on the road can be enough. It describes hydroplaning as the tires losing contact with the road and having little or no traction, which can leave you unable to steer or brake. The same passage also notes it can happen at speeds as low as 30 mph when there is a lot of water, so high speed is not required. That makes the minimal-water statement the one that matches the handbook.
4. Hydroplaning happens most often when:
- A vehicle is traveling faster than 60 mph.
- Tire pressure is too low. ✓
- Tire tread is too deep.
Answer: B. Tire pressure is too low.
Hydroplaning happens most often when tire pressure is too low. The handbook says low tire pressure makes hydroplaning more likely, and worn tread does too. It explains that tire grooves carry water away, so grooves that are not deep enough do not clear the water well. The same passage also says hydroplaning can happen even at 30 mph when there is a lot of water, so the key setup is low pressure or worn tread, not simply a high speed.
5. If you must drive during periods of high winds, you should:
- Loosen your grip on the steering wheel.
- Increase your speed.
- Reduce your speed. ✓
Answer: C. Reduce your speed.
When you have to drive in high winds, reduce your speed. The handbook explains that higher speed makes the impact of a crash more severe and stretches out braking distance, and that slowing down shortens the distance you need to stop. It also advises not speeding up and notes it is safer to travel at a low speed than a high one. Wind pushes a tall vehicle around, so keeping your speed down leaves you more room to correct and stop if the gusts move you. The manual does not give a separate high-wind speed rule, but its general speed guidance points to slowing down.
6. ____ is a thin layer of ice that forms on road surfaces.
- White ice
- Black ice ✓
- Green ice
- Blue ice
Answer: B. Black ice
Black ice is the thin layer of ice that forms on road surfaces. The handbook describes black ice as a thin, clear layer that lets you see the road underneath it, which makes the road look wet. It also says that when the temperature is below freezing and the road looks wet, you should watch for black ice. That matches the definition in the question. The other choices are not used in the handbook for this road condition.
7. If you see taillights ahead while you are driving in fog:
- The lights may not indicate where the road is as the vehicle may have pulled off the roadway. ✓
- You can assume the vehicle ahead is on the road.
- It may be an optical illusion.
Answer: A. The lights may not indicate where the road is as the vehicle may have pulled off the roadway.
The lights may not indicate where the road is, because the vehicle ahead may have pulled off the roadway. The handbook warns that taillights or headlights you see ahead in fog are not a reliable guide to the road's path. The vehicle you are following might not be on the road at all; it could be standing off to the side. That is why the handbook tells you to use roadside reflectors to help judge the curve ahead and to listen for traffic you cannot see. So you should not treat those lights as proof of where the roadway is.
8. A person should not smoke within ____ of a vehicle placarded for Class 3 or Division 2.1 materials.
- 50 feet
- 25 feet ✓
- 100 feet
Answer: B. 25 feet
Do not smoke within 25 feet of a vehicle placarded for Class 3 flammable liquids or Division 2.1 gases. The handbook's no-smoking rule sets a 25-foot buffer around a placarded cargo tank carrying Class 3 flammable liquids or Division 2.1 gases. It also repeats that 25-foot limit for smoking or carrying a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe near certain vehicles. Because the passage directly names 25 feet for these placards, that is the distance to use. The other figures in the handbook cover different situations, such as attending a parked placarded vehicle, not smoking near hazardous materials.
9. Which of the following is not an example of a driver who might be a hazard?
- A driver operating a vehicle without first scraping ice off the windshield
- The operator of a rental truck
- The driver of a station wagon with items covering the back windows
- A person operating a pick-up truck ✓
Answer: D. A person operating a pick-up truck
10. If unsure if a road is becoming icy, a driver can:
- Guess.
- Open the window and check the front of the mirror for ice. ✓
- Try to look at the road closely.
- Look at a weather forecast.
Answer: B. Open the window and check the front of the mirror for ice.
Open the window and feel the front of the mirror, mirror support, or antenna for ice. The handbook describes an easy, direct way to tell whether the road is starting to freeze: roll down the window and feel the front of the mirror, the mirror support, or the antenna. If ice has formed on those parts, the road surface is probably starting to ice up too. That makes the mirror check a physical test of the conditions around your truck rather than a guess, and it matches what the handbook lists among the signs of a slippery road.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook