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Legal Matters & Rules of the Road: theory test questions

238 questions from the Irish Driver Theory Test, each with the correct answer and an explanation.

  1. If a vehicle is being driven by someone who is not the owner but has the owner’s consent, who should ensure that the driver is properly insured?Answer: The driver and the vehicle owner.
  2. How would a driver calculate the maximum overall permitted weight of their vehicle?Answer: By adding the unladen weight of the vehicle to the load permitted to be carried.
  3. Unless otherwise indicated, what is the maximum speed allowed for a car towing a caravan on national roads?Answer: 80 km/h.
  4. What does the broken yellow line road marking mean?Answer: The edge of the carriageway or hard shoulder.Road surface with broken white markings in the middle and broken yellow lines along the outer edges.
  5. What does this road marking mean?Answer: All traffic must keep to the left of the white line.Road surface with one continuous white line running diagonally through the image.
  6. What does this sign mean?Answer: Overhead electric cables.Yellow diamond containing a black lightning-bolt shape beneath a hanging insulator shape.
  7. What does this Garda signal mean?Answer: Traffic approaching from the front may proceed.Garda facing the viewer with one arm raised and the hand bent forward at the wrist.
  8. What does this sign mean?Answer: Road narrows on both sides.Yellow diamond with two black vertical lines bending inward toward each other.
  9. What does this hand signal mean?Answer: The cyclist intends to turn left.Cyclist viewed from behind with the left arm extended horizontally to the left.
  10. What does this road marking and information plate together mean?Answer: Parking not allowed at the times shown.Single yellow line beside a kerb; plate below reads MON.–FRI., 0700–0930 with Irish wording.
  11. What does this sign mean?Answer: Entry to motorway.Blue rectangular sign with M7 and a white divided-road and bridge symbol.
  12. What does this hand signal mean?Answer: The cyclist intends to slow down or stop.Cyclist viewed from behind with the right arm extended downward; white arrows beside the hand point up and down.
  13. What does this hand signal mean?Answer: The driver intends to move out or turn right.Rear view of a red car with the driver's arm extended horizontally out of the right window.
  14. What does this road marking mean?Answer: Drivers must keep left of the continuous white line.Road surface with one continuous white line running diagonally through the image.
  15. What does this sign mean?Answer: Roadworks ahead.Orange diamond containing a black figure holding a shovel.
  16. What does this sign mean?Answer: Pedestrian crossing ahead.Yellow diamond containing a walking person over two horizontal dashed lines.
  17. What does this sign mean?Answer: No right turn.Red-bordered white circle with a red diagonal bar across a black right-turn arrow.
  18. What does this sign mean?Answer: Nearside lane of three closed.Orange diamond with two upward arrows and a short capped vertical bar on the left.
  19. What does this sign mean?Answer: Possibility of cattle or farm animals ahead.Yellow diamond containing a black cow silhouette.
  20. What does this sign mean?Answer: Turn right only.Blue circle containing a white horizontal arrow pointing right.
  21. What does this sign mean?Answer: Start of cycle track.Blue circle with a white bicycle; rectangular plate below reads CYCLE TRACK and Irish wording.
  22. What does this sign mean?Answer: Disc parking operates during the time shown.Black-and-white sign reading DISC PARKING, 1 hour, MON.–SAT., 08.30 TO 18.30, with Irish wording.
  23. What does this sign mean?Answer: Loose chippings on road.Orange diamond with a black car and scattered small black fragments beside it.
  24. What does this sign mean?Answer: Turn left ahead.Blue circle containing a white arrow making a right-angle bend to the left.
  25. What does this sign mean?Answer: Uneven surface.Orange diamond with a tilted black car above two horizontal surface lines at different heights.
  26. What does this sign mean?Answer: Straight ahead only.Blue circle containing a white arrow pointing straight up.
  27. What does this sign mean?Answer: Turn left only.Blue circle containing a white horizontal arrow pointing left.
  28. What does this sign mean?Answer: End of central reserve or obstruction.Orange diamond with an upward arrow on the left and a downward arrow on the right bending around a small central black shape.
  29. What does this sign mean?Answer: Dangerous bend ahead.Yellow diamond with a thick black arrow curving left.
  30. What does this sign mean?Answer: Y-junction ahead with roads of equal importance.Yellow diamond containing a black Y shape with branches of equal width.
  31. What does this sign mean?Answer: Road narrows on the left.Yellow diamond with two black vertical lines; the left line bends inward and the right remains straight.
  32. What does this sign mean?Answer: Level crossing ahead protected by lights and barriers.Yellow diamond containing a steam train, rails and a signal with red and yellow lamps.
  33. What does this sign mean?Answer: Contra-flow bus lane on the right.Blue rectangular sign with an upward arrow in a narrow left section and a bus above a downward arrow in the right section.
  34. What does this sign mean?Answer: Steep descent ahead.Yellow diamond containing a black car on a steep slope falling toward the right.
  35. What does this sign mean?Answer: Y-Junction where main road bears to the left.Yellow diamond containing a black Y shape with a thicker left branch and thinner right branch.
  36. What does this sign mean?Answer: Traffic merging/diverging ahead.Yellow diamond with a black vertical bar and two diagonal branches extending to the left at different heights.
  37. What does this sign mean?Answer: Only buses, cyclists and taxis are allowed to use the lane ahead during the hours indicated.Blue sign with a white bus and bicycle left of a slanting dashed line; plate reads MON.–FRI., 0700–1900.
  38. What does this sign mean?Answer: Sharp change of direction to the right.Long rectangular strip of alternating black and yellow right-pointing chevrons.
  39. What does this sign mean?Answer: With-flow bus lane on the right.Blue rectangular sign with a white bus and bicycle to the right of a vertical white line.
  40. What does this sign mean?Answer: Unprotected quay, canal or river ahead.Yellow diamond showing a black car tilted over an edge above wavy water lines.
  41. What does this sign mean at a junction?Answer: Yield to traffic on the major road.Inverted white triangle with a thick red border and black YIELD text.
  42. What lights are recommended to be used when parking or leaving a vehicle for a short period of time on the side of the road at night?Answer: Front and rear side lights to alert other road users to the vehicle’s presence.
  43. What does this sign mean when displayed on the approach to a toll plaza?Answer: Toll collector operating lane.Yellow outline of a person at a booth, with one arm extending horizontally to the left.
  44. What restriction applies to a driver’s full licence if they have passed their test on a vehicle with automatic transmission?Answer: They may not drive vehicles with manual transmission.
  45. What is the maximum number of passengers that may be carried in a vehicle driven by the holder of a Category B driving licence?Answer: 8 passengers.
  46. What does this sign mean?Answer: Tunnel ahead.Yellow diamond containing a black arch outlined with small rectangular blocks.
  47. What does this sign mean?Answer: Crosswinds ahead.Yellow diamond containing a black windsock on a pole.
  48. What is the maximum gross weight of a vehicle that may be driven by the holder of a Category B driving licence?Answer: 3,500 kilograms
  49. What is the minimum insurance cover a driver needs to drive on a public road?Answer: Third Party.
  50. What should a driver do when approaching traffic lights that change from green to amber?Answer: Stop, unless it is unsafe to do so.Junction with an amber traffic light, a straight arrow in the left lane and a right-turn arrow in the right lane; yellow car to the right.

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