New York DMV Permit Test Concept Review

Overview

Road signs talk to you through shape and color before you read a single word. This chapter covers the main families of signs on New York roads: stop and yield signs, regulatory signs that state the rules, warning signs about hazards ahead, work zone signs, and guide and service signs that help you find your way.

Some shapes are saved for one job only. The red eight-sided sign always means stop, and the red and white triangle pointing down always means yield. A pennant-shaped sign on the left side of the road marks the start of a no passing zone, and a round yellow sign warns that a railroad crossing is ahead. A five-sided sign warns of a school zone or school crossing.

Color fills in the rest. White rectangles state rules you must obey, such as speed limits. Yellow signs warn of hazards like curves or merging traffic, and orange signs mean road work, where you should slow down and watch for workers. Green signs give directions and distances, blue signs point to services such as gas, food, and hospitals, and brown signs lead to parks and recreation areas.

Overview

Traffic lights, traffic officers, and painted lines work together to tell drivers when to go, when to stop, and where to drive. This chapter explains steady and flashing lights, arrows, what to do when an officer is directing traffic, and how to read the lines on the pavement.

A steady red light means stop. Outside New York City you may turn right on red after a full stop if no sign forbids it, but in New York City a right turn on red is not allowed unless a sign permits it. A steady yellow light warns that the light is about to turn red, so stop if you can do it safely. A flashing red light means stop completely and then go when it is safe, just like a stop sign, while a flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with care.

A traffic officer's directions override signs and signals. If a traffic light is out because of a power failure, treat the intersection like an all-way stop. On the pavement, yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions, and white lines separate lanes moving the same way. A solid yellow line on your side of the center means you may not pass, while a broken line means you may pass when it is safe.

Overview

Most crashes in town happen where roads cross. This chapter covers who goes first at intersections without signs, how to make right and left turns from the correct lane position, how to use traffic circles, and when you must yield to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.

Right of way is something you give, not something you take. At an intersection without signs or signals, yield to vehicles already in the intersection, and if two vehicles arrive at about the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. When turning left, yield to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians. Always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and to a blind person using a white cane or guide dog.

Signal at least 100 feet before you turn or change lanes. Make a right turn from as close to the right edge of the road as you can, and a left turn from the part of your lane nearest the center line. When an emergency vehicle with flashing lights and a siren approaches, pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes. In a traffic circle or roundabout, yield to traffic already in the circle.

Overview

Passing means spending time in a lane where other traffic may be coming toward you, so it calls for patience and good judgment. This chapter explains how to pass safely, how to behave when someone passes you, and the places where state law does not allow you to park.

In general you pass on the left. Before passing, check that the road ahead is clear, signal, and pass with enough room. Return to your lane only when you can see the vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror. Do not pass where a solid yellow line is on your side of the center, near a hill or curve where you cannot see far enough ahead, or when a school bus has its red lights flashing.

When someone is passing you, stay in your lane and do not speed up. New York also has parking rules that apply even where no sign is posted. You may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant unless a licensed driver stays in the vehicle, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a traffic light, stop sign, or yield sign, or within 50 feet of a railroad crossing.

Overview

Defensive driving means expecting other drivers to make mistakes and leaving yourself room to react. This chapter covers following distance, speed, using headlights, driving at night and in bad weather, and handling problems such as skids.

Keep at least a two-second gap behind the vehicle ahead, and make it longer in rain, snow, fog, or darkness. To check, pick a fixed object and count the seconds after the car ahead passes it. New York's maximum speed limit is 55 mph unless signs show a different limit, but you must drive slower when conditions call for it.

Headlights must be on from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, when visibility is less than 1,000 feet, and whenever you use your windshield wipers because of the weather. Switch to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet of a vehicle you are following. On wet roads your tires can ride up on a layer of water, so slow down. If your car skids, take your foot off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.

Overview

Alcohol and many drugs slow your reactions, blur your judgment, and make you more willing to take risks, often before you feel affected. This chapter explains how impairment works, New York's alcohol limits, the special rule for drivers under 21, and what happens if you refuse a chemical test.

A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more is Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), and 0.18% or more is Aggravated DWI. You can also be charged with Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) at a lower BAC if your driving ability is impaired, and driving while impaired by drugs is also a crime, including legal medicines that cause drowsiness. Only time removes alcohol from your body; coffee, cold showers, and fresh air do not.

Under the Zero Tolerance law, a driver under 21 who has a BAC of 0.02% to 0.07% faces license suspension. By driving in New York you are considered to have agreed to a chemical test of your breath, blood, urine, or saliva if you are arrested for impaired driving. If you refuse, your license will be revoked, separate from any penalty for the alcohol or drug charge itself.

Overview

The road is shared by people walking, riding bicycles and motorcycles, driving large trucks and buses, and by trains at crossings. This chapter covers what each of these road users needs from you, and the strict rule about stopping for school buses.

When a school bus has its red lights flashing, you must stop, whether you are behind it or coming toward it, even on a divided highway. Stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing or the bus driver or a police officer waves you on. Children may cross the road in front of or behind the bus without looking.

Large trucks have big blind spots on all four sides, so if you cannot see the truck driver in their mirror, they cannot see you. Trucks also swing wide on right turns, so never try to squeeze in on their right. Give bicycles a safe distance when passing, remember that a motorcycle is entitled to a full lane, and check for cyclists before opening a car door. At a railroad crossing with flashing lights or a lowered gate, stop and wait, and never stop on the tracks.