Bad Weather & Night Driving — Wisconsin
Wisconsin CDL practice test: 443 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: 17 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 | Wisconsin CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 17 (4% of 443 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
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Questions (17)
1. 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.
2. You are especially likely to encounter strong winds when:
- Coming out of tunnels. ✓
- Going into tunnels.
- Driving on shoulders.
Answer: A. Coming out of tunnels.
You are especially likely to meet strong winds when coming out of tunnels. The handbook's strong-wind section says strong winds make it hard to stay in your lane, and that this problem can be especially bad as you come out of a tunnel. That directly supports the answer. The passage does not tie the hazard to entering a tunnel or to driving on shoulders; it points to the moment you leave the sheltered tunnel and meet the wind.
3. When driving in fog, you should:
- Use the windshield wipers.
- Use low beam headlights. ✓
- Use high beam headlights.
- Use the air conditioning.
Answer: B. Use low beam headlights.
When driving in fog, use low beam headlights. The fog section of the handbook says that if you must drive in fog, you should use low-beam headlights (and fog lights) to get the best visibility, even during the day. It also warns that fog can appear without warning and that visibility can drop fast, so you should slow down before you enter it. High beams are not the choice here, because the handbook's fog advice names low beams.
4. When driving on a wet road, you should reduce your speed by:
- About one-half.
- About one-third. ✓
- About one-quarter.
Answer: B. About one-third.
On a wet road, you should reduce your speed by about one-third. The handbook explains that wet roads can double your stopping distance, so you have to drive slower to stop within the same distance you would need on dry pavement. It gives a specific target for a wet road: cut your speed by roughly a third, slowing from 55 to about 35 mph. That is the wet-road figure, separate from the guidance for packed snow or ice.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. If a trailer begins to skid, it is best for the driver to:
- Release the brakes. ✓
- Accelerate.
- Quickly turn the steering wheel in one direction, then in the other.
Answer: A. Release the brakes.
When a trailer begins to skid, release the brakes. The handbook's procedure for stopping a trailer skid is to release the brakes. It explains that the trailer wheel brakes caused the skid, so letting them off lets the tires regain traction. Once the trailer wheels grip again, the trailer follows the tractor and straightens out. The handbook also says to watch the trailer in your mirrors during hard braking, because once it swings out of your lane a jackknife is hard to prevent. That is why getting traction back matters more than braking harder or steering sharply.
8. The best way to avoid glare at night from oncoming vehicles is to:
- Wear sunglasses.
- Close your eyes as vehicles approach.
- Look to the right side of road. ✓
- Use your high beams.
Answer: C. Look to the right side of road.
The best way to avoid glare from oncoming vehicles at night is to look to the right side of the road. The handbook says not to stare directly at the lights of oncoming vehicles. Instead, you should shift your view a little to the right, toward a lane line or the edge marking when one is there. It also warns against retaliating with your own high beams when other drivers fail to dim theirs, because that adds glare and raises the chance of a crash. Directing your eyes to the right edge helps you keep your lane while avoiding the brightest part of the oncoming light.
9. ____ is a thin layer of ice that forms on road surfaces.
- White ice
- Black ice ✓
- Soft ice
- Sharp ice
Answer: B. Black ice
Black ice is the thin layer of ice that can form on road surfaces. The handbook lists black ice among the signs of slippery roads. It describes black ice as a thin layer that is clear enough for the road to show through, so the pavement can look wet. It warns that when the temperature is below freezing and the road looks wet, you should watch for black ice. That matches the description in the question, while the other choices are not names the handbook uses for this road condition.
10. Why are roads especially slippery right after it begins to rain?
- The water mixes with oil and grease on the road. ✓
- Roads are naturally slippery.
- Gravel often gets washed to the middle of the lane.
- Tires are not usually designed to drive in rain.
Answer: A. The water mixes with oil and grease on the road.
The road is especially slippery right after rain begins because water mixes with oil and grease left on the road by vehicles. The handbook's slippery-surfaces section lists the time just after rain begins as its own hazard. It says the water mixes with oil left by vehicles, making the road very slippery, and that continuing rain washes the oil away. That explains why the first part of a rain is the slick part. The same section says wet roads can double stopping distance and that you must slow down to stop in the same distance as on a dry road.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook