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NWT Class 7 overview

NWT Class 7: Night, weather and animals

Headlight rules and distances, glare, winter kits, hydroplaning, ice and snow, black ice, smoke and fog, deep water and avoiding animals.

  • 19 questions
  • Topic drill
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Night, weather and animals · Question 1Score 0/0

Smoke from a forest fire makes it unsafe to keep driving. What should you do?

Study reference: NWT Driver's Manual (rev. August 2022), Ch. 6 Handling Emergency Situations — Night and poor weather driving, Unexpected dangers, Animals, pp. 100–105

All 19 questions in this test

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

  1. Smoke from a forest fire makes it unsafe to keep driving. What should you do?

    1. Pull well off the road and use four-way flashers
    2. Stop in your lane with lights on
    3. Follow the taillights of the vehicle ahead closely
    4. Speed up to get through it

  2. An oncoming vehicle is approaching at night. Within what distance must you switch to low beams?

    1. 150 m
    2. 500 m
    3. 300 m
    4. 100 m

  3. How does the NWT manual define nighttime for headlight use?

    1. 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise
    2. Whenever streetlights are on
    3. One hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise
    4. Sunset to sunrise

  4. You must drive through deep water on the road. What does the manual suggest doing before you enter it?

    1. Shift into neutral
    2. Speed up so you can push through it
    3. Apply a slight drag on the brakes
    4. Turn off the engine

  5. You see a caribou cross the highway ahead. What should you expect?

    1. It will not come back
    2. It will stop and wait for you
    3. More animals may follow
    4. Animals always cross alone

  6. An animal suddenly appears in front of you. What should you avoid?

    1. Slamming on your brakes
    2. Checking oncoming traffic
    3. Looking for a way around
    4. Slowing down

  7. Why are daytime running lights not enough in poor visibility?

    1. They light only the rear of the vehicle
    2. They light only the front; taillights stay off
    3. They drain the battery quickly
    4. They are too bright for other drivers

  8. Driving fast on a very wet road, what is hydroplaning?

    1. Ice forming under the vehicle
    2. Tires riding on a layer of water
    3. Brakes overheating on a hill
    4. Wheels spinning on gravel

  9. You are following another vehicle at night. Within what distance should you use low beams?

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

  10. When is it hardest to see animals near the road?

    1. In bright sunshine
    2. At midday
    3. At dusk and dawn
    4. After a rainstorm

  11. The temperature is rising to the melting point after a cold night. How does this affect the road?

    1. It only affects gravel roads
    2. It becomes less slippery
    3. It can become more slippery
    4. It has no effect on traction

  12. When should you not use cruise control?

    1. On long straight highways
    2. When road conditions are poor
    3. In clear weather
    4. At speeds over 80 km/h

  13. An oncoming driver's headlights are dazzling you. Where should you look?

    1. Straight at the oncoming headlights
    2. At the centre line
    3. Into your rear-view mirror
    4. Down and toward the right edge of your lane

  14. You are stranded in your vehicle during a winter storm. What does the manual generally advise?

    1. Leave the vehicle and stand on the road
    2. Run the engine non-stop with windows shut
    3. Stay with the vehicle and keep it ventilated
    4. Walk to the nearest town for help

  15. What does "over-driving" your headlights mean?

    1. Driving too fast to stop within the lit distance
    2. Driving with dirty headlights
    3. Using high beams in fog
    4. Leaving your high beams on during daytime driving

  16. It is daytime, but heavy snow means you cannot clearly see 150 m ahead. What must you do?

    1. Use only your daytime running lights
    2. Turn on your hazard lights only
    3. Keep your lights off until dark
    4. Turn on your headlights

  17. Frost covers most of your windshield. May you drive if you can see through a small patch?

    1. No, it is illegal with an obstructed windshield
    2. Yes, if the side windows are fully clear of frost
    3. Yes, if you drive slowly
    4. Yes, on short trips only

  18. How can you sometimes spot black ice?

    1. Your tires make a loud hum
    2. The road looks white and dusty
    3. Snow is piled on the shoulders
    4. The asphalt looks shiny and black

  19. Why do bridge decks and overpasses need extra caution in winter?

    1. They have lower speed limits
    2. They are always gravel
    3. They are cleared less often by snowplows
    4. They form slippery patches more readily

Night, weather and animals: 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 ↗

Nighttime (Ch. 6)

  • Nighttime = from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
  • Headlights must be on at night and any time you cannot clearly see 150 m ahead.
  • Keeping headlights on always is a good idea. Daytime running lights are front only; taillights and dash lights are not on.

Headlight suggestions

  • Low beams and reduced speed in rain, snow, smoke and fog.
  • Low beams for oncoming traffic even on divided highways.
  • Low beams within 150 m behind a vehicle you are following.
  • Low beams within 300 m of an oncoming vehicle.
  • Keep headlights aimed and clean. Facing bright headlights: look down and to the right edge of your lane.
  • Overdriving headlights: going too fast to stop within the distance you can see.

Weather; winter emergency kit

  • Wet or gravel roads: slow down; avoid splashing pedestrians; keep washer fluid full; increase following distance.
  • Winter kit may include: first aid kit, warning devices, booster cables (year-round); blankets/clothes; candle, matches and a deep can; non-perishable food; shovel; spare tire and jack; sand or salt; tow rope; scraper/brush; gas-line antifreeze; tire chains; flashlight. Carry a cell or satellite phone.
  • Check the owner's manual before boosting a battery.

Glare, hydroplaning, ice and snow

  • Glare: slow down.
  • Hydroplaning: a film of water between tires and road; loss of contact can cause a skid; slow down.
  • Tune up the vehicle before winter; check battery, tires, exhaust, wipers, heater.
  • Stranded: usually best to stay with the vehicle; run the engine only enough to stay warm; open a window slightly to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Roads near the melting point get more slippery (thin water layer, frost coming out of the ground).
  • Illegal to drive with windows/windshield obstructed by mud, frost, steam, snow or anything else that makes driving dangerous.
  • Do not use cruise control in poor road conditions.

Unexpected dangers

  • Smoke or fog so thick it's unsafe: slow down, move well off the road, turn on four-way flashers, wait for conditions to improve.
  • Black ice: moisture freezing on the road; shiny black asphalt instead of grey-white is a warning sign.
  • Shaded areas may stay icy after the sun melts other ice.
  • Bridge decks and overpasses ice up more readily; avoid unnecessary lane or speed changes.
  • Intersections ice up faster (exhaust, engine heat, skidding, wheel spin); allow more time and distance.
  • Deep water: apply a slight drag on the brakes before entering to prevent reduced braking efficiency.

Animals

  • Scan roadsides; extra care at dusk and dawn when animals feed; look for eyes reflecting your headlights; slow down where animal crossing signs are posted; animals may travel in herds, so one may mean more.
  • Animal suddenly ahead: decide if you can stop; if not, whether you can steer around; slow down but don't slam the brakes (loss of control); leave lots of room — frightened animals run any direction; going around on the left, make sure the oncoming lane is clear.

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