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Alberta Class 7 overview

Alberta Class 7: Driving basics and parking

Pre-drive checks, seat and mirrors, steering, signalling, stopping distance, reversing, parallel and hill parking, where not to park.

  • 31 questions
  • Topic drill
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Driving basics and parking · Question 1Score 0/0

Your vehicle has air bags. Must you still wear a seat belt?

Study reference: Driver's Guide (Spring 2026), Ch. 3 The Basics of Driving, pp. 44–56

All 31 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. Your vehicle has air bags. Must you still wear a seat belt?

    1. Only on highways
    2. Yes, seat belts are required by law
    3. No, air bags replace seat belts
    4. Only in the front seat

  2. What is threshold braking?

    1. Braking only with the park brake
    2. Pumping the brake pedal rapidly
    3. Braking firmly just short of locking the wheels
    4. Braking hard enough to lock the wheels for a short time

  3. Which of these can you control to shorten your stopping distance?

    1. Your speed and your alertness
    2. The weather
    3. Other drivers' speed around you
    4. The road surface

  4. When reversing out of a driveway, which lane should you back into?

    1. The lane going in your direction of travel, even if it is the second lane
    2. Any lane that is clear
    3. The far lane so you don't block traffic
    4. The nearest traffic lane only, then drive forward

  5. You park facing downhill on the right side of the road. Which way do you turn your front wheels?

    1. Left, toward the centre of the road
    2. Straight ahead
    3. Right, toward the curb or edge of the road
    4. Left only if there is no curb

  6. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, which gear should you use to start the engine and when leaving the vehicle parked?

    1. Reverse
    2. Drive
    3. Park
    4. Neutral

  7. About how long is the average driver's reaction time — moving the foot from the gas to the brake?

    1. About one-tenth of a second
    2. About three-quarters of a second
    3. About two seconds
    4. About five seconds

  8. How close to a driveway, garage entrance or private road may you park?

    1. No closer than 50 centimetres
    2. No closer than 1.5 metres
    3. There is no rule
    4. No closer than 5 metres

  9. Outside an urban area your vehicle breaks down and you must stop. What must be true?

    1. Nothing; any stop is legal during a breakdown
    2. Others must be able to pass and see you from 60 m away
    3. You must move your vehicle onto the centre line
    4. You must be at least 200 m from the nearest curve

  10. How far should you sit from the steering wheel?

    1. As close as possible
    2. At least 25 cm (10 inches)
    3. At least 10 cm (4 inches)
    4. At least 50 cm (20 inches)

  11. Total stopping distance is made up of:

    1. Perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance
    2. Following distance plus reaction distance and braking distance
    3. Braking distance only
    4. Reaction distance and braking distance only

  12. How should a lap belt be worn?

    1. Low and snug over your hips
    2. Under your arm
    3. Loose so you can move
    4. Across your stomach

  13. After parallel parking, how far from the curb may your wheels be?

    1. No more than 2 metres
    2. No more than 1 metre
    3. No more than 50 cm
    4. No more than 25 cm

  14. In an automatic, when would you choose a low gear such as 1 or 2?

    1. On the highway at high speed to save fuel and reduce wear
    2. When you need more power and less speed, like on hills
    3. Whenever you are reversing out of a stall
    4. Only when the vehicle is being towed

  15. You park facing uphill on a street with a curb. Which way do you turn your front wheels?

    1. It does not matter if the park brake is set
    2. Straight ahead
    3. Right, toward the curb
    4. Left, toward the centre of the road

  16. At what speed should you reverse?

    1. As fast as needed to clear traffic
    2. The posted speed limit
    3. About 20 km/h
    4. At a crawl or slow walking speed

  17. What is the recommended order of pre-drive habits once you are in the driver's seat?

    1. Fasten seat belt, start engine, adjust mirrors, lock doors, adjust seat
    2. Lock doors, adjust seat, adjust head restraint, adjust mirrors, fasten seat belt
    3. Adjust mirrors, start engine, fasten seat belt, adjust seat, lock doors
    4. Start engine, adjust seat, fasten seat belt, adjust mirrors, lock doors

  18. How should you adjust your outside rear view mirrors?

    1. So you can see a small part of your own vehicle in them
    2. So you cannot see your vehicle at all
    3. Pointed down at the road beside you
    4. So they show the same view as the inside mirror

  19. You park on a two-way street and need to get out. What should you do first?

    1. Sound the horn
    2. Open the door quickly and all the way so you are not in traffic for long
    3. Signal right
    4. Check your mirrors and do a shoulder check for traffic and cyclists

  20. Is it legal to reverse into an intersection or crosswalk?

    1. Yes, if no one is coming
    2. Yes, at a crawl
    3. Only to back out of a driveway
    4. No, it is illegal

  21. There is no curb and your car faces uphill. To keep it from rolling into traffic, which way should the front wheels point?

    1. Toward any nearby driveway
    2. Straight ahead
    3. Left, toward the centre of the road
    4. Right, toward the edge of the road

  22. Where are your hands best placed on the steering wheel?

    1. At 6 o'clock with both hands
    2. At 11 and 1 o'clock
    3. At 12 o'clock with one hand
    4. At about 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock

  23. Approaching a perpendicular parking space, how far should you keep from the vehicles parked on your right?

    1. About 50 centimetres
    2. As close as possible
    3. About 5 metres
    4. About 2 metres

  24. How close to a stop sign or yield sign may you park?

    1. No closer than 10 metres
    2. Right beside it is allowed
    3. No closer than 5 metres
    4. No closer than 1.5 metres

  25. Where is parking NOT allowed?

    1. Beside a curb painted white
    2. On a bridge or the approaches to a bridge
    3. In a marked parking stall with a valid permit
    4. On a residential street

  26. How close to a fire hydrant may you park?

    1. Any distance if you stay in the car
    2. No closer than 3 metres
    3. No closer than 5 metres
    4. No closer than 10 metres

  27. What is 'riding the clutch'?

    1. Using the clutch instead of the brake
    2. Leaving your foot on the clutch pedal when not changing gears
    3. Releasing the clutch quickly at every start to save fuel and time
    4. Shifting without the clutch

  28. Before getting into a parked vehicle, what should you do?

    1. Start it remotely so the engine is warm first
    2. Check that the radio and lights are working
    3. Walk around it to check for children, objects and leaks
    4. Sound the horn to warn anyone nearby

  29. You are leaving a parking spot on the right side of a two-way road. Which signal should you use?

    1. Hazard lights
    2. Right signal
    3. Left signal
    4. No signal is needed

  30. When must you use your signal lights?

    1. When moving away from the curb, turning, or changing lanes
    2. Only when other vehicles or pedestrians are close enough to see it
    3. Only when turning left
    4. Only on highways

  31. How should an adjustable head restraint be positioned?

    1. Centre level with the top of your ears
    2. As low as it will go, for comfort
    3. Touching the roof lining
    4. Level with the base of your neck

Driving basics and parking: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Driver's Guide (Spring 2026), Ch. 3 The Basics of Driving, pp. 44–56

  • Walk around the vehicle first: children, pedestrians, objects, tire inflation, leaks. If parked on a roadway, walk facing oncoming traffic in the next lane.
  • Order of habits: 1 lock doors, 2 adjust seat and seat back, 3 head restraint, 4 mirrors, 5 fasten seat belt.
  • Sit at least 25 cm (10 in) from the steering wheel (Transport Canada recommendation); elbows slightly bent.
  • Head restraint centre level with the top of your ears; gap to head ideally under 10 cm (4 in).
  • Inside mirror frames the whole rear window; outside mirrors show a small part of your own vehicle.
  • Lap belt low and snug over hips; shoulder belt across chest and shoulder; never behind back or under arm; still required with air bags; required by law.
  • Before moving off: check path, mirrors, shoulder check; signal left when leaving the right side of the road.
  • Automatic: Park locks the transmission; engine starts only in Park or Neutral; Reverse turns on white/clear reverse lights; Neutral used for towing; lower gears (1, 2, 3) give more power, less speed (hills, slush, gravel, snow, ice).
  • Manual: clutch disconnects engine from wheels; start engine in neutral with clutch fully down; friction point; "riding the clutch" = leaving foot on pedal, causes wear; don't coast to a stop with clutch pressed.
  • Hands at about 9 and 3 o'clock (10 and 2 if wheel design requires). Hand-over-hand for turns.
  • Signal when moving away from the curb, turning, and changing lanes. Don't signal too early or too late; cancel the signal.
  • Hand signals exist for left, right, and slowing/stopping.
  • Accelerate smoothly, drive with the flow; driving too slowly can be a hazard; never exceed the limit.
  • Stopping distance = perception distance + reaction distance + braking distance.
  • Average perception time about 3/4 second; average reaction time about 3/4 second. New drivers often take longer to perceive danger.
  • Factors you control: scanning, decisions, alertness/fatigue, alcohol/drugs, speed, brake and tire condition.
  • Threshold braking = firm braking just short of locking the wheels; if wheels lock, ease off slightly.
  • Always at a crawl/slow walking speed; check behind first; walk around before backing out of a driveway.
  • Straight back: left hand top of wheel, look over right shoulder through rear window; correct with no more than a quarter turn in the direction you want the rear to go.
  • Front of vehicle swings opposite to the rear.
  • Back out of a driveway into the nearest lane only; illegal to reverse into an intersection or crosswalk.
  • Parallel parking: wheels no more than 50 cm from the curb (law). Start about 1 m beside the car ahead, rear bumpers aligned.
  • Exiting a parked car on a two-way street: check mirrors and left blind spot; open door only as needed; walk to the rear facing traffic. Enter from the front.
  • Angle parking: about 45°; front wheel within 50 cm of curb. Back out slowly, yielding.
  • Perpendicular: 90°; keep about 2 m from parked vehicles when approaching; easier to enter on the left (only in parking lots).
  • Hill parking (right side of road): uphill with curb – wheels LEFT (toward centre) and roll back to touch curb; uphill no curb – wheels RIGHT; downhill (curb or not) – wheels RIGHT. Set park brake and Park/low gear. Reverse directions when parking on the left side.
  • Do not park: on sidewalk/boulevard; on or in a crosswalk; within an intersection; within 1.5 m of a driveway, garage or private road; where it obstructs traffic at construction; on a bridge, underpass or their approaches; double-parked; within 5 m of a stop or yield sign; within 5 m of a marked crosswalk; within 5 m of a fire hydrant; within 5 m of an intersecting roadway edge unless permitted; near a fire, crash or incident.
  • Outside urban areas: don't park on a primary highway roadway/shoulder unless broken down or emergency; must leave clear passage and be visible for 60 m both directions.

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