Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: New York DMV written test practice
19 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the New York DMV written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.
1. Children under 2 years of age should generally be:
In a child booster seat
In the front seat with a lap belt
✓ In a rear-facing car seat in the back seat
Facing any direction—at the driver's discretion
Why: Children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they already weigh 40+ pounds or are taller than 40 inches.
2. Under New York's Child Passenger Safety Act, children under what age must ride in an approved child safety seat or booster seat?
Age 4
✓ Age 8
Age 12
Age 16
Why: New York law requires children under age 8 to be secured in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat, with additional rear-facing requirements for the youngest children.
3. New York's seat belt law is what type of enforcement, and who must buckle up?
Secondary enforcement; only the driver must wear a seat belt
✓ Primary enforcement; the driver and all front-seat occupants must wear seat belts, and rear-seat passengers under 16 must also buckle up
There is no seat belt requirement for adults in the back seat
Seat belts are only required on highways
Why: New York uses primary enforcement, meaning an officer can stop and ticket a vehicle solely for a seat belt violation. Front-seat occupants of any age and rear-seat passengers under 16 are required to wear seat belts.
4. The recommended following distance from the vehicle ahead under good conditions is:
1 second
✓ 3 seconds
10 seconds
One car length, regardless of speed
Why: The 3-second rule scales with speed, unlike a fixed distance in "car lengths," and allows time to react.
5. Drivers 18 years of age or older may hold a phone in their hand while driving only to:
Talk freely while holding the phone in your hand
✓ With a single tap or swipe, turn on speakerphone or navigation when the phone is mounted in the holder
Texting at a traffic light
Using the Internet while stuck in traffic
Why: The phone must be secured in the holder; you may tap it once to activate speakerphone, but you may not hold or use it in your hand.
6. Under New York's Distracted Driving Law, what happens to a junior (teen) license holder on their first conviction for using a handheld phone while driving?
Nothing beyond the fine that applies to adult drivers
✓ A license suspension of 120 days, in addition to fines and points
An automatic one-year suspension
Only a warning is issued for a first offense
Why: New York's cell phone and texting laws cover calls, texting, browsing, and more, with fines and points for any driver. Junior license holders face an extra consequence: a 120-day license suspension on their very first conviction.
7. In New York, when are drivers required to turn on their headlights?
Only during heavy rain
✓ From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and anytime windshield wipers are in use due to weather
Only on highways at night
Headlights are optional if streetlights are on
Why: New York law requires headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and also whenever weather conditions require the use of windshield wipers, even during the day.
8. At a railroad crossing with flashing signals, you must stop no closer than:
5 feet from the nearest rail
✓ 15 feet from the nearest rail
50 feet from the nearest rail
All you have to do is slow down
Why: Stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail and wait until the signals stop flashing and the crossing is safe.
9. In New York, when is making a U-turn generally prohibited?
U-turns are always legal everywhere
✓ In business districts and anywhere a sign specifically prohibits them, or where the turn cannot be made safely
Only on weekends
Only if there is oncoming traffic within one mile
Why: New York restricts U-turns in business districts and wherever posted signs prohibit them, and a driver must always be able to complete the turn safely without obstructing traffic.
10. How many penalty points does a typical traffic violation—such as speeding—add to a driver's record?
0 points
✓ 1 point
3 points
5 points
Why: Most violations are worth 1 point; more serious ones (reckless driving, DUI, fleeing the scene of an accident) are worth 2 points.
11. After accumulating how many points over a 12-month period can a driver be deemed a “negligent driver” and have their license suspended?
2 points
✓ 4 points
8 points
12 points
Why: The thresholds are as follows: 4 points for 12 months, 6 points for 24 months, or 8 points for 36 months.
12. When another driver honks to signal that they want to pass you, you should:
Speed up so you don't miss it
✓ Maintain your speed (or slow down slightly) and stay in your lane
Pull over to the side of the road
Flash your high beams at him
Why: Allow the driver who is passing you to complete the maneuver safely—do not accelerate or get in their way.
13. New York's Move Over Law requires drivers to do what when approaching a stopped emergency, hazard, or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights?
Honk and continue at the same speed
✓ Move over a lane if possible, or slow down and use caution if changing lanes isn't safe
Stop completely until the vehicle leaves
Nothing, the law only applies to police vehicles
Why: New York's Move Over Law requires drivers to move into a non-adjacent lane when safely possible, or slow down significantly, when passing any stopped vehicle with flashing lights—including police, emergency, hazard, and highway maintenance vehicles.
14. A red curb means:
Short-term parking is permitted
✓ Stopping, standing, and parking are prohibited at all times
This is the loading zone for trucks
Parking for people with disabilities only
Why: Red always indicates a complete ban on stopping, standing, and parking—with no exceptions.
15. A blue curb is intended for:
Commercial loading
✓ Vehicles with a valid disability placard or license plate
For taxis only
For buses only
Why: Blue curbs are for vehicles with a disability placard or license plates; parking there without one is a serious violation.
16. When parking uphill on a street with a curb, you should turn the front wheels:
✓ Away from the curb
Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls backward, it will come to rest against the curb.
17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:
Away from the curb
✓ Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels toward the curb so that the car, as it rolls backward, comes to a stop against the curb rather than rolling out onto the roadway.
18. A school bus ahead has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, on a two-lane road with no physical median. You should:
Pass carefully at reduced speed
✓ Stop, regardless of which direction you're traveling, until the lights stop flashing
Stop only if you're behind the bus, not if you're approaching it
Proceed if no children are visible
Why: On undivided roads, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, and may only proceed once the lights stop flashing.
19. An emergency vehicle with sirens and flashing lights is approaching from behind. You should:
Speed up to clear the intersection first
✓ Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Stop immediately, wherever you are, even mid-intersection
Ignore it unless it's directly behind you
Why: Move as far right as safely possible and come to a stop (unless a police officer directs otherwise), clearing the way for the emergency vehicle.
About the New York written test
20questions on the real test
14/20correct answers to pass (70%, incl. 2 of 4 sign questions)