General Driving Knowledge — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania permit practice test: 355 free practice questions (140 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). Official test format: 18 Q, pass 15. General Driving Knowledge: 47 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
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 | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Pennsylvania Car learner's permit test |
| Topic questions | 47 (13% of 355 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
pa.gov ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (47)
1. YOUR BLIND SPOT IS THE AREA OF THE ROAD:
- You cannot see without moving your head ✓
- Directly behind your vehicle
- You see in your rearview mirror
- You see in your side mirror
Answer: A. You cannot see without moving your head
Your blind spot is the area of the road you cannot see without moving your head. The handbook defines a blind spot as any place around a vehicle that a driver cannot see without turning or moving their head. The manual pairs that definition with a diagram that marks the area you can see without moving your head and the area you can see through the rearview mirror as separate from the blind spot. So the blind spot is not one fixed location like straight back; it is wherever your eyes cannot reach unless you physically turn to check.
2. LANES OF TRAFFIC MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ARE DIVIDED BY ____ LINES.
- White
- Red
- Black
- Yellow ✓
Answer: D. Yellow
Yellow lines divide lanes of traffic moving in the opposite direction. The handbook says yellow lines divide traffic traveling in opposite directions. It also explains that white lines divide lanes going the same way or mark the right edge of the road. The passage does not treat red or black as lane-divider markings for opposing traffic. This makes yellow the marking that separates you from oncoming vehicles.
3. BEFORE TURNING, YOU SHOULD:
- Use your signal ✓
- Turn the wheel
- Increase your speed
- Change lanes
Answer: A. Use your signal
Before turning, you should use your signal. The handbook's steps for completing a turn safely start with signaling three to four seconds before the turn. It also explains that signaling when changing direction tells other drivers you want to make a turn. That is why the right action before turning is to use your signal: you communicate your plan before you move the vehicle. The manual then lists positioning in the proper lane and controlling speed, so signaling comes first.
4. PARENTAL CONSENT TO CONDUCT BREATH, BLOOD, AND URINE TESTS IS:
- Not required ✓
- Required from only one parent
- Required for people under 16 years old
- Required from both parents
Answer: A. Not required
Parental consent to conduct breath, blood, and urine tests is not required. The handbook states that when an underage person is arrested and detained for blood, breath, or urine testing, parental consent to conduct those tests is not required. The only thing the police must do is notify the parents of the arrest. So consent from a parent is not a condition for the testing to happen. The manual repeats this rule in its Chapter 4 review questions, where the listed answer is that parental consent is not required.
5. TO PREPARE FOR ANYTHING COMING UP IN THE ROAD AHEAD, YOU SHOULD:
- Continually scan the entire road and roadsides ✓
- Stare straight ahead at all times
- Drive with your left foot resting lightly on the brake pedal
- Maintain focus toward the middle of the road
Answer: A. Continually scan the entire road and roadsides
You should continually scan the whole road and its roadsides to prepare for what is coming up. The Pennsylvania manual explains that looking ahead helps you see and react to problems early, so you avoid last-minute moves. It also makes clear that looking far ahead is not the same as staring at the center of the road. You need to keep scanning the entire road, including the sides. That is exactly what continually scanning the entire road and roadsides means, and it prepares you for situations before they become urgent.
6. WHEN MAKING A TURN, YOU MUST _____ YOUR SPEED.
- Increase
- Maintain
- Vary
- Reduce ✓
Answer: D. Reduce
When making a turn, you must reduce your speed to a level that lets you keep control of the vehicle. The Pennsylvania manual says speed is probably the most important factor in a turn. It tells you to slow to a speed that lets you keep control, stay in your lane during the turn, and react to unexpected situations. The manual also lists controlling your speed as one step in completing a turn safely. That is why the correct action is to reduce speed, not speed up or hold the same speed.
7. IF ANOTHER CAR IS IN DANGER OF HITTING YOU, YOU SHOULD:
- Sound your horn ✓
- Wave your arms
- Use your emergency lights
- Flash your headlights
Answer: A. Sound your horn
Sound your horn when another car is in danger of hitting you. The handbook says your horn instantly gets other drivers' attention. It lists using the horn when you think another driver or pedestrian does not see you, including when you think another vehicle is about to hit you. That is exactly the situation described, so sounding the horn is the supported response.
8. AN ORANGE TRIANGLE ON THE BACK OF A VEHICLE INDICATES THAT VEHICLE:
- Carries radioactive materials
- Takes wide turns
- Travels at slower speeds than normal traffic ✓
- Makes frequent stops
Answer: C. Travels at slower speeds than normal traffic
An orange triangle on the back of a vehicle means that vehicle travels at slower speeds than normal traffic. The handbook describes the orange triangle as a warning marker on the back of farm tractors and horse-drawn vehicles built to run at 25 mph or less, which is below the pace of normal traffic. It groups these with other slow movers that take longer to build up speed after entering the road. So when you see the triangle, expect to come up on a vehicle moving slowly and adjust your following distance. The manual also says to stay a safe distance back and not honk to pass.
9. TEENAGE DRIVERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHEN:
- They are driving with their pet as a passenger
- They are driving with adult passengers
- They are driving with teenage passengers ✓
- They are driving without any passengers
Answer: C. They are driving with teenage passengers
Teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash when they are driving with teenage passengers. The handbook lists interacting with passengers as a driving distraction and singles out teen drivers. It says a teen driver carrying other teens as passengers is more likely to have a crash than a teen driving alone or with adult passengers. That directly matches the choice about driving with teenage passengers. The passage does not make the same crash-risk comparison for a pet passenger, adult passengers, or driving with no passengers.
10. YOUR ABILITY TO STOP IS AFFECTED BY:
- Signal lights
- Other cars on the road
- The time of day
- The condition of the road ✓
Answer: D. The condition of the road
Your ability to stop is affected by the condition of the road. The manual puts this under road conditions and says plainly that the condition of the road has a great effect on your ability to stop. It tells you to slow down when road conditions are poor so you can keep control, and it warns that slippery roads are the riskiest, especially on curves. That is why the answer is the condition of the road, not the other listed things.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · 140 official sample questions · Official driver handbook