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Nova Scotia Class 7 overview

Nova Scotia Class 7: Seat belts, child seats and safe driving habits

Seat belt law, child restraints and booster seats, airbags, carrying passengers, driving position, steering, braking and ABS, defensive driving and highway hypnosis.

  • 18 questions
  • Topic drill
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Seat belts, child seats and safe driving habits · Question 1Score 0/0

Where should you never install a rear-facing child seat?

Study reference: Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook (2017 revision), Ch. 4 Safety — Passenger safety, Driving position, Steering, Safe driving tips

All 18 questions in this test

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

  1. Where should you never install a rear-facing child seat?

    1. In the centre rear seat
    2. Behind the driver's seat in the back
    3. In any back seat
    4. In a seat with an active airbag

  2. A 7-year-old weighs 25 kg and is 130 cm tall. What must the child use?

    1. A rear-facing seat
    2. A forward-facing child seat
    3. An adult seat belt only
    4. A booster seat

  3. Who is responsible for making sure a 12-year-old passenger wears a seat belt?

    1. The child's parent, wherever they sit
    2. The driver
    3. The passenger
    4. The vehicle owner

  4. Where should you let passengers out of your vehicle?

    1. At intersections while waiting for lights
    2. At the curb or side of the road
    3. In the travel lane if traffic is light
    4. Wherever they ask, if you stop briefly

  5. You are walking along a road that has no sidewalk. Which way should you walk?

    1. In the middle of the lane
    2. Facing oncoming traffic
    3. On whichever side is smoother
    4. With your back to traffic

  6. Is hitchhiking legal in Nova Scotia?

    1. No, it is illegal
    2. Yes, except on 100-series highways
    3. Only during daylight
    4. Yes, on any road

  7. What steering method should you use for sharp turns and emergencies?

    1. Let the wheel slide through your hands
    2. Hand-over-hand
    3. Palm the wheel with one hand
    4. Shuffle your hands at the bottom

  8. From what age are passengers themselves legally responsible for wearing a seat belt?

    1. 16
    2. 12
    3. 14
    4. 18

  9. At speeds above 40 km/h, why is steering around an object usually better than braking?

    1. Steering keeps your speed legal
    2. Steering needs less distance than stopping
    3. Braking above 40 km/h is illegal
    4. Hard braking above 40 km/h can damage the ABS

  10. Your car has anti-lock brakes and you must stop quickly. What should you do?

    1. Pump the brake pedal rapidly to avoid a skid
    2. Press firmly and steadily, without pumping
    3. Press lightly, then let go
    4. Shift to neutral and brake

  11. On a long drive, how often does the handbook suggest a short walking break?

    1. Every four hours, for 30 minutes
    2. Only when you feel sleepy
    3. Every hour, for one or two minutes
    4. Every 30 minutes, for 10 minutes

  12. A baby weighs 8 kg. What kind of car seat must the baby ride in?

    1. A rear-facing infant seat
    2. A regular seat belt
    3. A booster seat
    4. A forward-facing child seat

  13. How should the lap part of a seat belt be worn?

    1. Under the arm
    2. Loose, for comfort
    3. As low on the hips as possible
    4. Across the stomach, above the hip bones

  14. Which hand positions on the steering wheel does the handbook recommend?

    1. Eight and four
    2. Twelve o'clock only
    3. Ten and two, or nine and three
    4. One hand at the bottom of the wheel

  15. What is the only item allowed at the lower driver's corner of the windshield?

    1. The official inspection sticker
    2. A parking pass
    3. A GPS mount
    4. A toll transponder for the highway

  16. A child weighs 15 kg. What restraint does the handbook require?

    1. A rear-facing infant seat
    2. A booster seat used with the lap belt only
    3. A forward-facing seat with a tether strap
    4. An adult seat belt

  17. How high should the top of your head restraint be?

    1. Just below your eyes
    2. About 7 cm above eye level
    3. Level with your neck
    4. Level with your shoulders

  18. According to the handbook, what is the most common cause of highway crashes in Nova Scotia?

    1. Bad weather
    2. Wildlife on the road
    3. Mechanical failure
    4. Driver inattention

Seat belts, child seats and safe driving habits: 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 ↗

Why use a seat belt

  • Unrestrained people hit each other or the interior, or are thrown out. Belts also protect in sudden swerves and stops.
  • Fewer than 1 per cent of injury collisions involve fire or water; a belt raises your chance of staying conscious to escape.

Seat belts, child restraints and the law

  • Everyone 16 and older, driver or passenger, must wear a seat belt where one is available.
  • The driver is responsible for passengers under 16 wearing belts.
  • Birth to 10 kg (22 lb): rear-facing infant seat (CMVSS 213.1), secured by the seat belt.
  • 10 kg to 18 kg (22–40 lb): forward-facing child seat (CMVSS 213), secured by seat belt and tether strap to an anchor bolt.
  • Over 18 kg (40 lb) but under 145 cm (4'9"): booster seat (CMVSS 213.2) if younger than 9, unless they have reached 145 cm.

Exemptions from seat belts

  • People who can't because of size/build, medical exemption from a doctor, on-duty peace officers, firefighters on fire vehicles, taxi drivers for hire, transit bus drivers, ambulance attendants with a patient, people whose work means frequent getting in and out, people transporting prisoners.

Correct use

  • Don't alter belts. Lap belt as low on the hips as possible; shoulder belt not across face or neck.
  • Pregnant women must wear belts: lap belt under the abdomen, low over the hips.

Airbags, passengers, walking, hitchhiking

  • Airbags supplement seat belts in severe frontal crashes; they don't replace belts.
  • Never put a rear-facing child seat in front of an airbag. Children under 12 should not sit where there is an airbag.
  • Pick up and drop off passengers only at the curb or side of the road; never let anyone get in or out while moving.
  • Passengers in a truck's cargo area only on seats fixed to the floor or frame. No passengers in a towed travel trailer or mobile home.
  • Walking on a road with no sidewalk: face traffic; wear reflective material; carry a light after dark; in snow wear some dark clothing.
  • Hitchhiking is illegal.

Driving position and steering

  • Sit straight with your back against the seat. Right foot rests between brake and gas with a slight knee bend.
  • Line of vision halfway between the top of the steering wheel and the top of the windshield. At least a fist's space between head and roof.
  • Hands at ten and two (nine and three also acceptable); arms slightly bent.
  • Head restraint top about 7 cm (2–3 inches) above eye level to reduce whiplash.
  • Use a relaxed grip; don't shuffle hands. Hand-over-hand for sharp turns and emergencies, and to unwind; don't let the wheel slide through your hands.

Safe driving tips, starting, braking

  • Scan constantly; don't stare at one object more than a few seconds. Use mirrors often.
  • Only the official inspection sticker is allowed at the lower driver's corner of the windshield. Nothing hanging from the rear-view mirror.
  • Eating, drinking, smoking or using a cell phone cause inattention.
  • Never put an arm, head or foot outside a moving vehicle except to signal.
  • Starting: parking brake on; manual in neutral; automatic in park.
  • Braking: begin early, light pressure, ease off as you stop. Threshold braking = firm steady pressure without locking; if wheels lock, ease off slightly and reapply.
  • ABS: press steadily and firmly; do not pump; vibration and pulsing are normal.
  • Choosing between braking and steering: generally steer to avoid; steering beats braking above 40 km/h because it needs less distance.

Preventing collisions, defensive driving, highway hypnosis

  • Most crashes are caused by driver error. Most common causes in Nova Scotia, in order: driver inattention, failure to yield, driver distraction, inexperience or confusion, alcohol, too fast for conditions.
  • Defensive driving: reduce your own mistakes and anticipate others' (children near the street, brake lights on a parked car, a car approaching an intersection fast).
  • Highway hypnosis: fixed eyes and less scanning after long driving; pull over before it causes a crash.
  • Tips: eat lightly before a long drive; comfortable clothing; talk with passengers without distraction; keep scanning; take a 1–2 minute walking break every hour; don't drive too far in a day; avoid usual sleep hours; keep the car cool.
  • From Ch. 1 p. 11: a European study found 80 per cent of crashes could be avoided with one more second to react.

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