BC Class 7: Weather, visibility and night driving

All 35 questions in this test

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

1. You are heading down an icy hill. Which gear does the guide recommend?

   1. A high gear
   2. A low gear
   3. Neutral
   4. Overdrive

2. Your wheels lock as you brake on an icy road. What should you do?

   1. Turn the steering wheel sharply to one side
   2. Ease off the brakes, then re-apply them
   3. Shift into neutral and coast to a stop
   4. Press down even harder on the brakes

3. On a dark rural road with your high beams on, roughly how much road can you see lit up?

   1. About 50 metres
   2. About 150 metres
   3. About 100 metres
   4. About 30 metres

4. How can you spot possible black ice?

   1. A dull, very dry-looking road surface
   2. Shiny black asphalt instead of gray-white
   3. Small puddles along the road shoulder
   4. A white, powdery layer on the road

5. What does 'overdriving your headlights' mean?

   1. Using high beams when others are near
   2. Driving with only one headlight working
   3. Leaving your headlights on after parking
   4. Going too fast to stop within your lit area

6. An oncoming car's lights are blinding you at night. Where should you look?

   1. Into your rear-view mirror
   2. Straight into the oncoming lights
   3. Toward the right edge of the road
   4. Toward the centre line of the road

7. It's raining hard on the freeway. Should you use cruise control?

   1. No, never in wet or slippery conditions
   2. Yes, but only on long, straight sections
   3. Yes, as long as you stay under the limit
   4. Yes, it keeps your speed nice and steady

8. You are wearing sunglasses on a bright day and are about to enter a tunnel. What should you do?

   1. Keep your sunglasses on and use high beams
   2. Slow down, take off sunglasses, lights on
   3. Turn on hazard lights and keep your speed
   4. Speed up to get through it quickly

9. Where should you put on your tire chains?

   1. In a designated chain-up area
   2. On the hill where you begin to slip
   3. On any shoulder with a slight slope
   4. In the left lane of the highway

10. Daytime fog has rolled in on the highway. Below what visibility must you turn on your headlights?

    1. 150 metres
    2. 300 metres
    3. 500 metres
    4. 50 metres

11. Moving water across a road can carry a car away once it is deeper than about what?

    1. Two metres
    2. Ten centimetres
    3. Half a metre
    4. One metre

12. On wet roads, how much braking distance should you allow?

    1. At least twice the normal distance
    2. The same as on dry pavement
    3. At least ten times the normal distance
    4. About one and a half times normal

13. It hasn't rained in weeks and a light rain starts to fall. When is the road most slippery?

    1. After hours of steady rain
    2. Only once the rain stops
    3. Only during very heavy rain
    4. At the start of the rainfall

14. In strong winds, which vehicles does the guide say are more easily pushed into your path?

    1. Police cars and fire trucks
    2. Heavy dump trucks and cement mixers
    3. Motorcycles, small cars and campers
    4. Large tractor-trailers and buses

15. During what period must you use your headlights?

    1. From sunset until sunrise only
    2. From 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise
    3. From 30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise
    4. Only when the street lights are on

16. On a flooded stretch of highway, your steering suddenly feels very light. What is happening?

    1. Your wheels have locked up
    2. Your tires are over-inflated
    3. Your power steering has failed
    4. Your car is hydroplaning

17. In certain foggy conditions, what does the guide allow if it helps you see better?

    1. Fog lamps used instead of headlamps
    2. Parking lights instead of headlamps
    3. High beams with the fog lamps
    4. Hazard lights instead of headlamps

18. You're snowbound on a remote road. What does the guide advise?

    1. Leave a note and try to hitchhike
    2. Leave the car as soon as it gets dark
    3. Always walk to the nearest town
    4. Stay with your car unless sure of help

19. You have just driven slowly through deep water on the road. What should you do next?

    1. Lightly apply the brakes to dry them
    2. Pump the brakes as hard as you can
    3. Speed up to shake the water off
    4. Stop and turn off the engine to cool it

20. Why are temperatures near freezing more dangerous than colder temperatures?

    1. Ice can form unseen and unexpectedly
    2. Tires lose air pressure much faster
    3. Fog is always thicker near freezing
    4. Snow is much deeper near freezing

21. How much longer can it take to stop on ice compared with a normal stop?

    1. About 10 times as far
    2. About three times as far
    3. About five times as far
    4. About twice as far

22. About how far ahead do your low beam headlights light the road?

    1. Up to 10 metres
    2. Up to 60 metres
    3. Up to 30 metres
    4. Up to 100 metres

23. You're on a two-lane highway in heavy snow and a slow truck is ahead. What does the guide say about passing?

    1. Pass on the right shoulder if it's clear
    2. Pass quickly to reduce your time beside it
    3. Don't pass; you can't see far enough
    4. Pass only with high beams turned on

24. Is it legal to drive at night with only your daytime running lights on?

    1. No, you must use your headlights
    2. Yes, but only inside city limits
    3. Yes, if you drive under 50 km/h
    4. Yes, if the street is well lit

25. What does the guide say about snow tires or chains on B.C. roads?

    1. Required by law on many roads in winter
    2. Optional on every road in the province
    3. Needed only in northern B.C. towns
    4. Banned on all B.C. highways in winter

26. Heavy snow and freezing rain are forecast. What does the guide call the best option?

    1. Drive early before it gets worse
    2. Stay home or take the bus
    3. Drive with your hazard lights flashing
    4. Take the highway, not side streets

27. Where does ice tend to form before other road surfaces?

    1. On uphill stretches of road
    2. On busy multi-lane highways
    3. On bridges and overpasses
    4. On freshly paved asphalt

28. Your car starts to hydroplane. What should you do?

    1. Brake firmly right away to stop
    2. Steer sharply toward the shoulder
    3. Accelerate to regain your grip
    4. Ease off the gas and keep straight

29. A strong crosswind gusts as a tractor-trailer passes you. What should you do?

    1. Brake hard and stop in your own lane
    2. Steer hard away from the side of the truck
    3. Speed up to get past the truck quickly
    4. Slow down; grip the wheel with both hands

30. You're following another vehicle at night with your high beams on. Within what distance must you dim them?

    1. 150 metres
    2. 100 metres
    3. 300 metres
    4. 50 metres

31. You're stranded in snow and want to run the engine for heat. How often should it run?

    1. About 15 minutes every hour
    2. About five minutes every hour
    3. About five minutes in every 10
    4. All the time with the windows shut

32. Which headlights should you use when driving in rain, snow or fog?

    1. High beams
    2. Parking lights only
    3. Low beams
    4. Hazard lights only

33. While waiting in your car with the engine running, you start to feel dizzy and drowsy. What could be the cause?

    1. Carbon monoxide poisoning
    2. Too much fresh, cold air
    3. Fumes from the brake fluid
    4. Low blood sugar from cold

34. Why do intersections ice up quickly?

    1. Car exhaust and packed snow
    2. Traffic lights give off cold air
    3. Signs shade them from the sun
    4. Drainage grates freeze first

35. How does your speed affect the chance of hydroplaning?

    1. Lower speed raises the chance
    2. Higher speed raises the chance
    3. Speed has no effect on it
    4. Only very low speeds cause it