Below are examples of the more commonly asked questions and their answers for the Driving Test. This is a verbal test and takes place in the driving test centre at the beginning of the test.

It is important to note that questions other than these may be asked so study the rules of the road book.  – – –   RULES OF THE ROAD

You will also be asked to identify a number of road signs so familiarise yourself thoroughly with them.

1)   WHEN CAN YOU OVERTAKE ON THE LEFT?

a) WHEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT IS TURNING RIGHT.

b) WHEN YOU ARE TURNING LEFT.

c) IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY WHERE TRAFFIC IN THE LEFT LANE THAT YOU ARE IN IS MOVING QUICKER THAN THE RIGHT LANE OUTSIDE YOU.

 

2)   WHEN WOULD YOU DRIVE ON YOUR DIPPED  HEADLIGHTS?

a) WHEN THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC

b) DRIVING  BEHIND OTHER TRAFFIC.

c) IN A BUILT UP AREA. (RESIDENTIAL AREAS)

d) OUTSIDE A BUILT UP AREA IF THERE IS GOOD ROAD LIGHTING. (MOTORWAYS, DUAL CARRIAGEWAYS)

e) GENERALLY WHEN IT INCONVENIENCES OTHERS (PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS ETC…)

f) DUSK OR DAWN.

g) SNOW OR FOG OR ANY OTHER BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS

h) IN A TUNNEL

 

a – e  ABOVE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU HAVE HEADLIGHTS ON AND WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DIP THEM.

f, g+ h  WOULD BE SITUATIONS THAT IF YOU HAD NO LIGHTS ON DIPPED LIGHTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE SWITCHED ON.

 

3)   CAN YOU ENTER AND STOP ON A YELLOW BOX JUNCTION?

THE YELLOW BOX JUNCTION IS DESIGNED TO KEEP THE JUNCTION CLEAR AND FREE OF TRAFFIC. THE GENERAL RULE IS THAT YOU MUST NOT ENTER AND STOP ON IT. THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE HOWEVER……….

YOU CAN ENTER AND STOP ON THE YELLOW BOX JUNCTION ON ONE OCCASION AND THAT IS IF YOU ARE TURNING RIGHT AND THE ONLY THING PREVENTING YOU FROM DOING SO IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

 

4)   WHAT DOES AN AMBER LIGHT AT A SET OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS MEAN?

THE AMBER LIGHT MEANS 3 THINGS……..
a) SLOW DOWN.

b) PREPARE TO STOP.   
c) STOP IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

 

5)   CAN YOU GO THROUGH THE LIGHT WHEN IT IS SHOWING AMBER?

YES, IF YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO THE LIGHTS TO STOP SAFELY OR IF YOU ARE BEYOND THE STOP LINE.

 

6)   WHAT IS A PELICAN LIGHT?

IT IS A SET OF PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS WHERE THE SEQUENCE OF LIGHTS IS, GREEN – AMBER – RED.  FLASHING AMBER – GREEN.

 

7)   WHAT DOES THE FLASHING AMBER LIGHT AT A PELICAN LIGHT INDICATE?

WHEN THE AMBER LIGHT IS FLASHING FOR VEHICLES THE GREEN MAN IS FLASHING FOR THE PEDESTRIANS, THIS WARNS THEM THAT THE RED MAN IS COMING ON SHORTLY. WHILE THE LIGHT IS FLASHING AMBER THE PEDESTRIAN STILL HAS RIGHT OF WAY BUT IF THERE ARE NO PEDESTRIANS LOOKING TO CROSS A VEHICLE CAN PROCEED WITH CAUTION THROUGH THE FLASHING AMBER LIGHT.

 

8)   WHERE WOULD YOU SEE A FLASHING AMBER BEACON?

AT A ZEBRA CROSSING.

 

9) WHAT ROAD MARKINGS WOULD YOU SEE APPROACHING A ZEBRA CROSSING?

a) WHITE ZIG ZAG LINES IN THE CENTRE AND AT THE SIDES OF THE ROAD.

b) DOUBLE YELLOW LINES AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND A CONTINUOUS WHITE LINE ALONG THE CENTRE OF THE ROAD.

EITHER OF (a) OR (b) ABOVE MEANS NO PARKING AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NO OVERTAKING.

 

10) IF THERE ARE TWO LINES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHICH ONE WOULD YOU OBEY?

THE LINE CLOSEST TO YOU.

 

11)   WHAT DO TWO BROKEN WHITE LINES IN THE CENTRE OF THE ROAD MEAN?

IT IS THE WARNING OF THE APPROACH OF ONE OR TWO CONTINUOUS WHITE LINES OR OF THE APPROACH TO A TRAFFIC ISLAND.

 

12)  WHAT DOES A CONTINUOUS WHITE LINE IN THE CENTRE OF THE ROAD MEAN?

NO OVERTAKING AND ALSO DO NOT PARK BY THE KERB OPPOSITE THE LINE AS IT WOULD RESULT IN OTHERS HAVING TO CROSS THE LINE TO OVERTAKE YOU.

 

13)   WHAT DOES A SINGLE YELLOW LINE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MEAN?

NO PARKING AT CERTAIN TIMES.

 

14)   WHAT DO TWO YELLOW LINES AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MEAN?

NO PARKING AT ANY TIME.

 

15)  WHAT DOES A BROKEN YELLOW LINE AT EDGE OF A CARRIAGEWAY MEAN?

IT IS THE HARD SHOULDER. THIS IS FOR CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS AND FOR YOU TO PULL INTO IN THE EVENT OF THE VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN OR FOR A REST PERIOD ON A LONG JOURNEY.

IT IS NOT ANOTHER LANE AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS SUCH. HOWEVER IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO PULL IN ON IT FOR A SHORT PERIOD ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING FASTER TRAFFIC PASS.

 

16)  CAN YOU DRIVE ON THE HARD SHOULDER ON A MOTORWAY?

NO, THE HARD SHOULDER ON A MOTORWAY IS FOR BREAKDOWNS AND EMERGENCIES ONLY.

 

17)   CAN YOU DRIVE ON A MOTORWAY?

NOT WHILE YOU ONLY HOLD A LEARNERS DRIVING PERMIT.

 

18)   WHAT IS THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF A MOTORWAY USED FOR?

THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF A MOTORWAY IS ONLY USED FOR OVERTAKING.

 

19)   IF YOU ARE BEING OVERTAKEN WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT DO?

YOU SHOULD NOT ACCELERATE.

 

20)  WHAT CATEGORY OF VEHICLE ARE YOU SITTING YOUR TEST IN?

CATEGORY B ….. CAR

 

21)   WHERE WOULD YOU SEE TWO FLASHING RED LIGHTS?

AT AN AUTOMATIC LEVEL CROSSING.

 

22)  WHAT IS THE MINIMUM LENGTH AT WHICH A VEHICLE NEEDS TO DISPLAY A “LONG VEHICLE” SIGN?

13 METRES.

 

 

23) AT WHAT AGE IS THE PERSON SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF A VEHICLE REQUIRED TO WEAR A SEAT BELT?

ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 11 IS REQUIRED TO WEAR A SEATBELT, CHILDREN LESS THAN THAT MUST WEAR A SUITABLE CHILD RESTRAINT.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE..

IF THE PERSON IS OVER 11 YEARS OF AGE BUT OF SLIGHT BUILD, THAT IS, UNDER 150 CMS OR UNDER 36KGS THEN THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A SUITABLE CHILD RESTRAINT INSTEAD.

 

24) WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE DAZZLED BY THE HEADLIGHTS OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC?

YOU SHOULD PULL INTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP IF YOU ARE DAZZLED BY ONCOMING HEADLIGHTS. IF THE GLARE OF THE ONCOMING LIGHTS IS JUST AN IRRITATION AND DOESN’T UNDULY AFFECT YOUR VISION YOU SHOULD LOOK AWAY FROM THEM, FOCUS MORE TOWARDS THE FRONT LEFT OF YOUR OWN VEHICLE

 

25) WHAT IS A CONTRA FLOW BUS LANE?

IT IS A DEDICATED BUS LANE THAT TRAVELS AGAINST THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC USUALLY ON A ONE WAY SYSTEM.

 

26) WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED SPEED ON A MOTORWAY?

120 KMH

 

27) WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED SPEED ON A NATIONAL ROAD?

100 KMH

 

28) AT A JUNCTION OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE WHO HAS RIGHT OF WAY?

YOU WOULD GIVE WAY TO TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE RIGHT,  TRAFFIC ALREADY ON THE JUNCTION AND TO PEDESTRIANS ALREADY CROSSING THE JUNCTION.

 

29) WHAT IS THE . . . .  “TWO SECOND RULE”?

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU LEAVE AT LEAST A TWO SECOND GAP WHEN FOLLOWING TRAFFIC IN DRY CONDITIONS. AS THE VEHICLE AHEAD PASSES A FIXED POINT ON THE ROAD (SIGNS OR ROAD MARKING ETC…) YOU SHOULD SAY THE PHRASE “ONLY A FOOL BREAKS THE TWO SECOND RULE”. IT TAKES 2 SECONDS TO SPEAK THIS PHRASE IN A NORMAL SPEAKING VOICE. IF YOU PASS THAT FIXED POINT BEFORE YOU COMPLETE THE PHRASE THEN YOU WOULD BE DEEMED TO BE DRIVING TOO CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE AHEAD.

IN WET CONDITIONS YOU SHOULD DOUBLE THE GAP, IE; ALLOW FOUR SECONDS BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE AHEAD. PHRASES USED TO ILLUSTRATE THIS GAP WOULD BE “ONLY A FOOL BREAKS THE TWO SECOND RULE AND IN A DOWNPOUR YOU MAKE IT FOUR” OR “ONLY A FOOL BREAKS THE TWO SECOND RULE IN A DOWNPOUR ALLOW TWO SECONDS MORE”.

 

30) WHERE SHOULD YOU NOT PARK?

ON DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, ON A CLEARWAY (SINGLE YELLOW LINE) DURING THE HOURS SPECIFIED ON THE PLATE, OPPOSITE A CONTINUOUS WHITE LINE, THE HARD SHOULDER ON A MOTORWAY, CYCLE LANES, BUS LANES, BUS STOPS, TAXI RANKS, WHERE THE KERB HAS BEEN LOWERED TO HELP WHEELCHAIR USERS, PARKING SPACES DESIGNATED FOR DISABLED DRIVERS, BLOCKING AN ENTRANCE TO PROPERTIES, AT JUNCTIONS, ON A BEND, A BROW OF A HILL, HUMPBACK BRIDGE OR ANYWHERE WHERE VISABILITY IS RESTRICTED OR MAY POSE A DANGER FOR OTHER ROAD USERS.

 

31) WHAT IS A CLEARWAY?

IT IS AN AREA WHERE PARKING IS PROHIBITED EXCEPT AT CERTAIN TIMES, THE TIMES WHEN THE CLEARWAY HOURS ARE IN EFFECT ARE INDICATED ON A TIMEPLATE UNDERNEATH THE CLEARWAY SIGN.

BUSSES AND TAXIS ARE ALLOWED TO STOP FOR THE PURPOSE OF SETTING DOWN AND PICKING UP PASSENGERS AND GOODS VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED TO STOP FOR A SHORT TIME TO MAKE DELIVERIES.

THE CLEARWAY AREA IS MARKED BY A SINGLE CONTINUOUS YELLOW LINE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.