Pennsylvania DMV Permit Test Concept Review

Overview

Signs, traffic signals, and lines on the pavement all tell you how to drive before you reach a hazard. This chapter covers the three families of signs (regulatory, warning, and guide), what steady and flashing lights and arrows mean, and how to read yellow and white lines on the road.

Shape and color tell you a lot even before you can read the words. The red eight-sided sign always means stop, and the red and white triangle pointing down always means yield. Warning signs are usually yellow diamonds with black words or symbols, and work zone signs are orange. The pennant-shaped sign on the left side of the road marks the start of a no passing zone, and the five-sided sign means you are coming to a school zone.

Traffic signals work the same way every time. A flashing red light means the same as a stop sign, and a flashing yellow light means slow down and go with care. A green arrow gives you a protected turn, while a flashing yellow arrow lets you turn only after you yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Pavement markings finish the picture. Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions, and white lines separate lanes moving the same way. You may pass when a broken yellow line is on your side, but never across a solid yellow line on your side or across a double solid yellow line.

Overview

Right of way rules decide who goes first when two road users want the same space. This chapter covers stop signs and four-way stops, turns on red, roundabouts, and the times when you must stop or yield for pedestrians, emergency vehicles, school buses, and trains.

At a four-way stop every vehicle must stop. The first vehicle to reach the intersection goes first. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. You may turn right on a red light after a full stop unless a sign forbids it, but you must yield to pedestrians and cross traffic first. When you enter a roundabout, yield to the vehicles already in the circle.

Some vehicles always get the right of way. When you hear a siren or see flashing red or red and blue lights from an emergency vehicle, pull over to the curb or side of the road and stop, staying clear of intersections. When a school bus has its red lights flashing and its stop arm out, stop at least 10 feet away. The only exception is when you are on the opposite side of a divided highway with a physical barrier such as a median or guide rail.

At railroad crossings, treat the crossbuck sign like a yield sign. Stop for flashing red lights, a lowered gate, a flagger, or a train's horn, and never drive around a gate. If traffic is backed up, stop where your vehicle is fully clear of the tracks.

Overview

This chapter covers the numbers that control how fast you drive, when you signal, and where you may park. Many test questions ask about one exact distance or speed, so it helps to learn them as a group.

A posted speed limit is the highest safe speed under ideal conditions, so you should drive slower in rain, snow, or heavy traffic. When no limit is posted, Pennsylvania law sets 25 mph in a residential district, 35 mph in an urban district, and 55 mph in other locations. The highest speed limit in Pennsylvania is 70 mph. In a school zone, the limit is 15 mph when the sign's lights are flashing or during the times shown on the sign.

Before you turn, signal at least 100 feet ahead if you are going less than 35 mph, and at least 300 feet ahead at 35 mph or more. Pass only where it is legal and safe, using the lane on the left.

Parking rules keep space clear for emergencies and for drivers to see. Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or flashing signal at the side of the road, within 20 feet of a fire station driveway, or within 50 feet of the nearest rail at a railroad crossing. When you park next to a curb, your wheels must be no more than 12 inches from it.

Overview

Safe driving means leaving yourself time and space to react. This chapter covers following distance, using your headlights, driving in bad weather and work zones, sharing the road, staying off your phone, and the Move Over law.

On dry pavement, keep at least four seconds between you and the vehicle ahead. Count from when its rear bumper passes a fixed object until your front bumper reaches the same spot. On wet roads, slow down by 5 to 10 mph and leave more space. In a work zone, double your following distance, because rear-end crashes are the most common crash there.

Pennsylvania law requires your headlights whenever your windshield wipers are on because of the weather, and daytime running lights alone do not count. Switch to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.

Keep your attention on the road. Texting while driving is against the law, and holding a phone while driving is also banned. When you come upon an emergency response area, such as a stopped police car, a tow truck, or a disabled vehicle with hazard lights, cones, or flares, move over a lane if it is safe, or slow down if you cannot.

Overview

Pennsylvania lets new drivers build skill in steps. This chapter covers how to get a learner's permit, how much supervised practice you need before the road test, and the limits that come with a junior license.

You may apply for a learner's permit on or after your 16th birthday. To get it you pass a vision screening and the 18-question knowledge test, answering at least 15 correctly. If you fail, you may retake the test on the next business day. The permit is valid for one year, and it can be extended if you need more practice time.

If you are under 18, you must hold your permit for six months and complete at least 65 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night and 5 hours in bad weather. A parent or guardian signs a form certifying these hours before you take the road test.

Passing the road test gives a teen a junior license. A junior driver may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless an exception applies, such as work or volunteer fire company duty, or a parent, guardian, or spouse 18 or older is in the car. During the first six months, a junior driver may carry only one passenger under 18 who is not immediate family unless a parent or guardian is in the car. After six months the limit rises to three, but not for a driver who has been partly or fully responsible for a crash or convicted of a driving violation.

Overview

This chapter covers the laws that can cost you your license: driving under the influence, the implied consent law, the point system, and the texting ban. These rules use exact numbers, so learn them carefully.

Pennsylvania sets different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for different drivers. Drivers 21 and older are considered under the influence at 0.08% or more. Drivers under 21 are considered under the influence at 0.02% or more. The limit is 0.04% when driving a commercial vehicle and 0.02% when driving a school bus or school vehicle.

By driving in Pennsylvania, you are considered to have agreed to a chemical test if police suspect you of driving under the influence. This is the implied consent law. Refusing the test automatically suspends your driving privilege for one year.

Many traffic violations add points to your driving record. When you reach 6 or more points for the first time, you must take a written Special Point Examination or attend Driver Improvement School, or your license will be suspended. Passing the Special Point Examination removes 2 points. A driver who reaches 6 points a second time must attend a departmental hearing.