Highway & Freeway Driving — New York
New York permit practice test: 488 free practice questions (128 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). Official test format: Class D: 20 Q, pass 14 incl. >=2 of 4 sign Qs. Highway & Freeway Driving: 35 questions.
Entering and exiting freeways, lane changes, overtaking and HOV lane rules.
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 | Highway & Freeway Driving |
| License test | New York Car learner's permit test (Class D) |
| Topic questions | 35 (7% of 488 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
dmv.ny.gov ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (35)
1. You are driving in the middle lane on a three lane expressway. A car begins to pass you on the right. The actions of that driver are:
- Wrong because "pass on the left" is a firm rule
- Wrong because he's passing you in your "blind spot"
- OK as long as he does it on a limited access highway
- OK if no signs forbid passing on the right ✓
Answer: D. OK if no signs forbid passing on the right
The driver passing you on the right is allowed to do it if no signs forbid passing on the right. The manual says you normally pass on the left, but some situations let you pass on the right, and it lists the conditions. One of them is driving on a one-way road marked for two or more lanes, or wide enough for two or more lanes, where signs do not prohibit passing and parked cars or other obstructions do not restrict it. The manual also gives expressway-specific advice about checking mirrors and signaling before passing on the right, which shows this maneuver is expected on multi-lane roads like expressways.
2. You have just left an expressway and are starting to drive on an ordinary highway. You should:
- Check your tires for correct pressure
- Check your speedometer to keep at the lower speed limit ✓
- Stay twice as far behind other cars
- Change gradually to the lower speed limit
Answer: B. Check your speedometer to keep at the lower speed limit
Check your speedometer after leaving the expressway so you stay within the lower posted speed limit. The manual says that after you leave an expressway you should look for speed limit signs and check your speedometer to make sure you are within the posted limit. It notes that you are not likely to be on a 55 mph road, so the limit you meet may be lower than the expressway speed. That is why the correct action is to watch your speedometer and obey the lower posted limit, rather than doing the unrelated things listed.
3. The car behind you begins to pass you. You should:
- Maintain your speed so traffic will flow smoothly
- Pull to the right and stop so he can pass
- Slow down slightly and stay in your lane ✓
- Blow your horn to allow him to pass
Answer: C. Slow down slightly and stay in your lane
Slow down slightly and stay in your lane when the car behind you starts to pass. The manual's section on being passed says that when another vehicle passes you on the left, you should ease off the gas a little and keep your car centered in your lane. Once that vehicle is safely past and ahead of you, you go back to your normal speed. Slowing a bit shortens the time the passing driver spends alongside you, and holding your lane keeps your position predictable so they have room to complete the pass.
4. If you drive past your exit on an expressway, you should:
- Pull onto the shoulder, then back up to the exit
- Drive to the next exit and leave the expressway ✓
- Make a U-turn at the nearest emergency turn area
- Make a U-turn at the next service area
Answer: B. Drive to the next exit and leave the expressway
You should drive to the next exit and leave the expressway there. The manual tells drivers who take the wrong exit or head the wrong way to stay on the expressway until the next exit, then leave and work out the route from there. It also warns that backing up on an entrance or exit ramp or trying to cross a median is dangerous. Driving on to the next exit follows that direction and avoids the risky reversing move described in the manual.
5. When you want to overtake and pass another vehicle you should:
- Wait for a signal from the other driver
- Change lanes quickly so the other driver will see you
- Signal and pass when safe to do so ✓
- Stay close behind so you need less time to pass
Answer: C. Signal and pass when safe to do so
You should signal your intention and then pass only when it is safe to do so. The New York manual says you must use turn signal lamps or hand and arm signals before changing lanes, and it gives a specific distance for that signal. It also says passing should be done with caution and only when necessary, and that you must not exceed the speed limit to pass. Pavement markings support this too: with a broken line, you can pass if you can do so safely without interfering with traffic.
6. When your right wheels run onto a soft shoulder, what is the best way to get back on the highway?
- Apply the brakes firmly and steer gently to the left
- Ease your foot off the gas and brake gently ✓
- Steer hard to the left and then gently to the right
- Apply the brakes firmly and stop completely
Answer: B. Ease your foot off the gas and brake gently
Ease your foot off the gas and brake gently until the car has slowed, then turn carefully back onto the pavement. The manual's rule for running off the pavement is to avoid any sudden steering or swerving back onto the road. Instead, you lift off the gas pedal and brake gently, letting the vehicle slow down first. Only after your speed has dropped do you check for traffic behind you and turn carefully back onto the pavement. The point is to keep the car settled so you don't swing sharply across the road while still moving fast.
7. This sign (divided highway ends) means:
- Divided highway ahead
- One-way taffic ahead
- Four-lane highway ahead
- Divided highway ends ✓
Answer: D. Divided highway ends
This sign means the divided highway ends, so the stretch where traffic was separated by a median or divider is coming to an end. The New York manual lists Dividing Highway Ends (shown as "Divided Highway Ends") among the road signs you must know, and it treats that sign as its own separate item from the signs for one-way traffic and two-way traffic. Since the sign is named for the end of the divided roadway, the meaning that matches it is that the divided highway is ending, not that one is beginning or that more lanes are coming.
8. Expressways have "expressway entrance lanes" (acceleration lanes) so that drivers can:
- Test their brakes before driving at expressway speeds
- Stop at the end to wait for a traffic opening
- Reach the proper speed before blending with traffic ✓
- Test the pickup of their cars
Answer: C. Reach the proper speed before blending with traffic
Expressway entrance lanes exist so drivers can reach the proper speed before blending with traffic. The handbook treats the entrance ramp as the place to build up to expressway speed and merge when there is room. It says to use the ramp to accelerate unless a STOP sign, YIELD sign, or traffic light controls it, then signal and check over your shoulder. Stopping to wait is described only as a fallback when the entrance lane is too short to gain speed; it is not the everyday purpose of the lane.
9. This sign (do not enter) is used to prevent:
- Entrance to full parking lots
- Entrance to road construction areas
- Entrance to dead-end streets
- Wrong-way entrance on one-way streets and expressway ramps ✓
Answer: D. Wrong-way entrance on one-way streets and expressway ramps
10. When you get ready to leave an expressway, you should begin to use your turn signal:
- Just as you get to the exit ramp
- 50 feet before the exit ramp
- 100 feet before the exit ramp ✓
- When you see cars behind you in the exit lane
Answer: C. 100 feet before the exit ramp
You should begin using your turn signal at least 100 feet before the exit ramp. The New York manual says to check the signs and get into the correct exit lane ahead of time. It then says to signal your exit at least 100 feet (30 m) before you reach the exit ramp. That makes the 100-foot choice correct. The manual also says to slow down once you are on the ramp, so the signal comes before you reach the ramp, not after you are already on it.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · 128 official sample questions · Official driver handbook