Bad Weather & Night Driving — New Jersey
New Jersey CDL practice test: 438 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 | New Jersey CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 28 (6% of 438 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 (28)
1. When entering fog, you should:
- Put on your high beam headlights.
- Increase your speed.
- Turn up the volume of the radio.
- Slow down. ✓
Answer: D. Slow down.
Slow down before you enter fog and be ready to reduce your speed as visibility drops. The handbook says fog can appear without warning and visibility can get worse quickly. It advises watching for fog and slowing down before you enter it, rather than expecting it to thin out. If you must drive, it says to obey fog warning signs and use low-beam headlights and fog lights. Slowing down fits the handbook's main warning about fog: conditions can change fast, so you need to be ready to drive at a safer speed.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. With your low beam headlights turned on, you should be able to see about ____ ahead of your vehicle.
- 15 feet
- 75 feet
- 100 feet
- 250 feet ✓
Answer: D. 250 feet
With low beam headlights on, you should be able to see roughly 250 feet ahead. The handbook says headlights are usually your main light source at night, and you see much less than in daytime. It gives the low-beam sight distance as about 250 feet, while high beams reach about 350 to 500 feet. It also says you must go slowly enough to stop within the distance your lights let you see. That makes the 250-foot figure the one that fits this question.
5. When it is difficult to see, such as at dawn or dusk, what is the best way to make your vehicle more visible?
- Use your high beam lights.
- Use your low beam lights. ✓
- Use only your clearance lights.
- Do not use any lights.
Answer: B. Use your low beam lights.
When it is hard to see, use your low beam headlights, not just the clearance lights. The handbook's section on communicating your presence says that at dawn, dusk, in rain or snow you should make yourself easier to see because if you struggle to see other vehicles, they will struggle to see you. It tells you to turn on your headlights rather than only the identification or clearance lights, and to use the low beams, since high beams can bother people in the daytime as well as at night. So low beams are the recommended choice for poor visibility.
6. When driving on packed snow, you should reduce your speed:
- By at least one-half. ✓
- By about one-third.
- By about one-quarter.
- By about one-eighth.
Answer: A. By at least one-half.
On packed snow, reduce your speed by at least one-half. The handbook ties speed to traction: on a slippery surface it takes longer to stop and is harder to turn without skidding. It gives a specific cut for packed snow: reduce speed by a half, or more. That matches the answer calling for at least one-half. The same passage gives a smaller reduction, about one-third, for a wet road, so it is the packed-snow figure that supports going slower by half or more.
7. How much water is needed on a road surface for a vehicle to hydroplane?
- Usually several inches
- A good amount, such as a large puddle
- A small amount ✓
- No water
Answer: C. A small amount
8. 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.
9. ____ 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.
10. A person should not smoke within ____ of a vehicle placarded for Class 3 or Division 2.1 materials.
- Five feet
- 25 feet ✓
- 100 feet
- 1,000 feet
Answer: B. 25 feet
You should not smoke within 25 feet of a vehicle placarded for Class 3 or Division 2.1 materials. The handbook's no-smoking rule sets one distance: stay 25 feet away from a placarded cargo tank carrying Class 3 flammable liquids or Division 2.1 gases. The same 25-foot limit applies to any vehicle carrying those materials, and it also covers carrying a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe, not just smoking. Since the rule names that exact distance for these placards, the 25-foot choice is the one that matches the handbook.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook