Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: Pennsylvania PennDOT written test practice
19 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the Pennsylvania PennDOT written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.
1. Children under 2 years of age should generally be:
In a child booster seat
In the front seat with a lap belt
✓ In a rear-facing car seat in the back seat
Facing any direction—at the driver's discretion
Why: Children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they already weigh 40+ pounds or are taller than 40 inches.
2. What does Pennsylvania law require regarding child car seats?
Car seats are only recommended, never legally required
✓ Children must ride in an appropriate child safety seat or booster based on their age and size, with rear-facing seats required for the youngest children
Any child over age 2 may simply use the adult seat belt
Car seats are required only in the front passenger seat
Why: Pennsylvania law requires children to ride in a child safety seat appropriate for their age and size, with children under 2 required to remain rear-facing until they outgrow the seat's height or weight limits, followed by a forward-facing seat and then a booster.
3. How is Pennsylvania's seat belt law enforced for adult drivers and front-seat passengers?
It is not enforced at all; seat belts are optional for adults
✓ It is a primary offense — police may stop and cite a vehicle solely for a seat belt violation
It is a secondary offense only — police may cite it only after stopping the vehicle for another violation
It only applies on highways, not city streets
Why: For the driver and front-seat passengers, Pennsylvania's seat belt law is primary enforcement, meaning an officer can stop and ticket a vehicle for the belt violation alone; for rear-seat adult passengers, enforcement is secondary.
4. The recommended following distance from the vehicle ahead under good conditions is:
1 second
✓ 3 seconds
10 seconds
One car length, regardless of speed
Why: The 3-second rule scales with speed, unlike a fixed distance in "car lengths," and allows time to react.
5. Drivers 18 years of age or older may hold a phone in their hand while driving only to:
Talk freely while holding the phone in your hand
✓ With a single tap or swipe, turn on speakerphone or navigation when the phone is mounted in the holder
Texting at a traffic light
Using the Internet while stuck in traffic
Why: The phone must be secured in the holder; you may tap it once to activate speakerphone, but you may not hold or use it in your hand.
6. What restriction applies to Pennsylvania drivers under 18 who hold a junior license regarding wireless devices?
They may use any wireless device as long as it's hands-free
✓ They are prohibited from using any interactive wireless communication device while driving, even hands-free, during their junior license period
The restriction only applies to texting, not phone calls
There is no restriction beyond what applies to adult drivers
Why: Pennsylvania junior license holders under 18 may not use any interactive wireless communication device, including hands-free calling, while driving — a stricter rule than the general texting ban that applies to all drivers.
7. When must a Pennsylvania driver turn on headlights, aside from during darkness?
Only when driving on interstate highways
✓ From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and anytime windshield wipers are in use due to rain, snow, sleet, or fog
Only when another vehicle flashes its lights first
Headlights are only required in designated headlight zones
Why: Pennsylvania requires headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, as well as any time wipers are being used to clear precipitation, since that signals reduced visibility.
8. At a railroad crossing with flashing signals, you must stop no closer than:
5 feet from the nearest rail
✓ 15 feet from the nearest rail
50 feet from the nearest rail
All you have to do is slow down
Why: Stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail and wait until the signals stop flashing and the crossing is safe.
9. Where are U-turns generally prohibited for Pennsylvania drivers?
On any road with a speed limit under 55 mph
✓ In business districts and anywhere a sign specifically prohibits them, or where the turn cannot be made safely
Only on one-way streets
U-turns are prohibited everywhere in Pennsylvania
Why: U-turns are restricted in business districts and wherever a posted sign forbids them, and a driver may never make one if it cannot be completed safely and without interfering with other traffic.
10. How many penalty points does a typical traffic violation—such as speeding—add to a driver's record?
0 points
✓ 1 point
3 points
5 points
Why: Most violations are worth 1 point; more serious ones (reckless driving, DUI, fleeing the scene of an accident) are worth 2 points.
11. After accumulating how many points over a 12-month period can a driver be deemed a “negligent driver” and have their license suspended?
2 points
✓ 4 points
8 points
12 points
Why: The thresholds are as follows: 4 points for 12 months, 6 points for 24 months, or 8 points for 36 months.
12. When another driver honks to signal that they want to pass you, you should:
Speed up so you don't miss it
✓ Maintain your speed (or slow down slightly) and stay in your lane
Pull over to the side of the road
Flash your high beams at him
Why: Allow the driver who is passing you to complete the maneuver safely—do not accelerate or get in their way.
13. What does Pennsylvania's Move Over law require when approaching a stopped emergency, maintenance, or tow vehicle with flashing lights?
Nothing; drivers may pass at normal speed
✓ Move into a lane away from the stopped vehicle if possible, or slow to a safe speed if changing lanes isn't possible
Stop completely until the vehicle leaves
Honk the horn and proceed at normal speed
Why: Pennsylvania's Move Over law requires drivers to move into a non-adjacent lane when passing a stopped emergency, maintenance, or tow vehicle with flashing lights, or to slow down significantly when changing lanes isn't safe or possible.
14. A red curb means:
Short-term parking is permitted
✓ Stopping, standing, and parking are prohibited at all times
This is the loading zone for trucks
Parking for people with disabilities only
Why: Red always indicates a complete ban on stopping, standing, and parking—with no exceptions.
15. A blue curb is intended for:
Commercial loading
✓ Vehicles with a valid disability placard or license plate
For taxis only
For buses only
Why: Blue curbs are for vehicles with a disability placard or license plates; parking there without one is a serious violation.
16. When parking uphill on a street with a curb, you should turn the front wheels:
✓ Away from the curb
Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls backward, it will come to rest against the curb.
17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:
Away from the curb
✓ Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels toward the curb so that the car, as it rolls backward, comes to a stop against the curb rather than rolling out onto the roadway.
18. A school bus ahead has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, on a two-lane road with no physical median. You should:
Pass carefully at reduced speed
✓ Stop, regardless of which direction you're traveling, until the lights stop flashing
Stop only if you're behind the bus, not if you're approaching it
Proceed if no children are visible
Why: On undivided roads, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, and may only proceed once the lights stop flashing.
19. An emergency vehicle with sirens and flashing lights is approaching from behind. You should:
Speed up to clear the intersection first
✓ Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Stop immediately, wherever you are, even mid-intersection
Ignore it unless it's directly behind you
Why: Move as far right as safely possible and come to a stop (unless a police officer directs otherwise), clearing the way for the emergency vehicle.