PA DMV PA DMV Special Driving Conditions 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When driving in fog in Pennsylvania, which lights should you use?
- High beams
- Low beams (Correct answer)
- Hazard lights only
- No lights are needed in light fog
Correct answer: Low beams
Low beams should be used in fog because high beams reflect off fog particles and reduce visibility further.
Question 2: When driving on ice or packed snow in Pennsylvania, you should increase your following distance to at least:
- 2 seconds
- 4 seconds
- 8–10 seconds (Correct answer)
- 15 seconds
Correct answer: 8–10 seconds
On ice or packed snow, Pennsylvania recommends increasing following distance to 8–10 seconds to allow adequate stopping distance.
Question 3: If your vehicle begins to skid in Pennsylvania, you should:
- Brake hard immediately
- Steer in the direction you want to go and ease off the gas (Correct answer)
- Turn sharply in the opposite direction
- Apply the parking brake
Correct answer: Steer in the direction you want to go and ease off the gas
To recover from a skid, steer in the direction you want to travel and gently ease off the accelerator.
Question 4: When approaching a flooded roadway in Pennsylvania, the safest action is to:
- Drive through at low speed
- Drive through quickly to minimize flood contact
- Turn around and find an alternate route (Correct answer)
- Stop and wait 30 minutes for water to recede
Correct answer: Turn around and find an alternate route
You should never attempt to drive through a flooded road — turn around and find an alternate route because just 6 inches of water can cause loss of control.
Question 5: In Pennsylvania, when must headlights be turned on?
- Only at night
- From sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet (Correct answer)
- Only when raining heavily
- Whenever the windshield wipers are in use
Correct answer: From sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet
Pennsylvania law requires headlights from sunset to sunrise and anytime visibility is reduced to less than 1,000 feet.
Question 6: When driving in heavy rain on Pennsylvania highways, which technique best prevents hydroplaning?
- Inflate tires to maximum PSI and speed up
- Reduce speed and avoid sudden steering or braking (Correct answer)
- Drive in the left lane which has less water
- Apply brakes frequently to stay alert
Correct answer: Reduce speed and avoid sudden steering or braking
Reducing speed and avoiding abrupt inputs is the best way to prevent hydroplaning on wet roads.
When driving in fog in Pennsylvania, which lights should you use?