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Safe and Responsible Driving: theory test questions

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

  1. On a 2-lane motorway, what procedure should a driver adopt when wishing to overtake another vehicle safely?Answer: Use their mirrors, signal and overtake in the right-hand lane when it is safe to do so.
  2. When approaching the pedestrian crossing, what should the driver do in this situation?Answer: Slow down in good time and be prepared to stop.Striped pedestrian crossing with yellow globe posts, people at the right pavement and a white car beyond.
  3. When being overtaken and there is oncoming traffic, what should a driver do?Answer: Allow the overtaking vehicle to pass and return safely to the left side of the road.
  4. What are the drink driving penalties for a professional driver holding a full car licence and found to have a blood alcohol concentrate (BAC) of 20 mg to 80 mg per 100 millilitres of blood?Answer: €200 fine and 3 months driving disqualification.
  5. What should a driver do before getting out of the vehicle?Answer: Check their side mirror and look behind before opening the door.
  6. What should a driver do before turning right from a major road into a minor road?Answer: Yield right of way to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians crossing at the junction.
  7. At night, what effect could driving with a single headlight have on oncoming drivers?Answer: They could mistake the vehicle for a motorcycle.
  8. What should a driver do if an ambulance is stopped up ahead with its flashing blue lights on?Answer: Reduce speed and prepare to stop if necessary.
  9. What should a driver do if dazzled by headlights reflecting in the rear-view mirror of their car?Answer: Use the night driving mode on their rear-view mirror.
  10. When should a driver move into an auxiliary lane on a motorway?Answer: To leave the motorway.
  11. What should a driver do when travelling on a motorway or dual carriageway?Answer: Be alert for other drivers who may suddenly change lanes or reduce speed.
  12. When is it permitted to force oncoming traffic onto the hard shoulder on the opposite side of the road while overtaking?Answer: It is not permitted to force oncoming traffic onto the hard shoulder while overtaking.
  13. When should a driver use hazard warning lights on a motorway?Answer: When the vehicle has broken down.
  14. A driver has been driving regularly in daylight and must now undertake a journey at night. What should the driver do?Answer: Drive at a slower speed than in the day as visibility is reduced at night.
  15. A driver wants to pull out of a driveway and turn right onto the road. At the same time a cyclist is approaching from the right and a pedestrian wants to cross. Who must wait?Answer: The driver must wait.Driver's view at a junction, with a pedestrian crossing from the left and a cyclist approaching from the right.
  16. A driver who is about to undertake a journey is upset or angry. What should they do?Answer: A driver should not drive until they are calm.
  17. A driver approaches a pelican crossing with a flashing amber light showing. There is a pedestrian still on the road. What should the driver do?Answer: Wait and let the pedestrian cross at their own pace.
  18. A learner driver who has been stopped by a Garda for driving unaccompanied faces a minimum fine of how much?Answer: 160
  19. Before entering a tunnel, what should a driver do in order to improve vision?Answer: Take off sunglasses.
  20. What should a driver do if their vehicle gets a puncture on a motorway?Answer: Pull in where safe on the hard shoulder and call for assistance.
  21. After overtaking another vehicle, what should a driver do?Answer: Gradually move back into the left when the vehicle has been passed.
  22. Are children allowed to be left unattended in a vehicle?Answer: Children should never be left unattended in a vehicle.
  23. At road junctions, what type of road users are particularly vulnerable?Answer: Pedestrians.
  24. Apart from the risk of skidding, what should the driver be aware of when driving in snow?Answer: Road signs and road markings may become obscured.
  25. Before driving through a tunnel, what should a driver do?Answer: Check that you have enough fuel.
  26. Are there any occasions when a learner driver can drive unaccompanied?Answer: No, learner drivers must be accompanied at all times by a qualified driver.
  27. At traffic lights a driver should take particular care for which road users coming up on the left side (nearside)?Answer: Motorcyclists.
  28. At traffic lights, a driver should take particular care for which road users coming up on the left?Answer: Motorcyclists.
  29. How does continuous high-speed driving affect fuel consumption?Answer: It increases fuel consumption.
  30. How does harsh acceleration affect fuel consumption?Answer: Fuel consumption increases.
  31. During what time periods can a driver be tested for drugs at a road side checkpoint?Answer: Anytime of day or night.
  32. Do the limits for drink and drug driving differ if detected in the morning?Answer: No, they are the same at all times.
  33. For how long is a learner driver’s accompanying driver required to have held their full licence in Category B?Answer: 2 years.
  34. How do you make sure your vehicle is parked safely?Answer: Don't park it where it may endanger other road users.
  35. How does rain affect driving in this situation?Answer: It increases the danger of skidding.Photograph through a rain-covered windscreen, with a dark car ahead and a motorcycle farther to the left on a wet road.
  36. How are emergency vehicles identified?Answer: By flashing red or blue lights.
  37. How is a learner driver likely to react in unusual traffic situations?Answer: Slower than an experienced driver.
  38. Can a person who has passed their car driving test within the last two years act as an accompanying driver?Answer: No, they must hold the full driving licence for a minimum of 2 years.
  39. How should a driver manage a steep hill or humpbacked bridge when the road is slippery?Answer: Drive with extreme care.
  40. How should a driver in a vehicle without anti-lock brakes (ABS) deal with a front-wheel straight-line skid?Answer: Press and release the footbrake at rapid intervals.
  41. How should a driver secure their vehicle before getting out of it?Answer: Apply the parking brake, stop the engine and engage a low gear.
  42. How would hydraulic power steering be affected if an engine stalled in slow-moving traffic?Answer: The steering would become heavy and difficult to operate.
  43. If a driver suspects that their vehicle indicators have not been seen, what should the driver do?Answer: Use a clear, decisive hand signal as well.
  44. If a vehicle being driven through a tunnel goes on fire, what should the driver do?Answer: Leave the vehicle immediately and use the emergency phone at the nearest emergency station.
  45. If it is safe to overtake a cyclist in speed zones up to 50 km/h, what is the recommended minimum passing distance?Answer: Allow a minimum of 1 metre.
  46. What should a driver do if their vehicle gets into a four-wheel sideways skid?Answer: Turn the steering wheel in the same direction as the skid and ease off the accelerator.
  47. In this situation, who should wait?Answer: The driver in the red car should wait.Driver's view at a branching residential junction; a red car approaches from the left and red and green route arrows cross ahead.
  48. In wet weather how might a driver judge what is a safe following distance from the vehicle in front?Answer: By allowing at least four seconds to elapse between the vehicle in front and the driver's own vehicle passing a fixed point.
  49. In general, which of the following should a driver do before entering a tunnel?Answer: Ensure that dipped headlights are switched on.
  50. In this situation who should wait?Answer: The driver behind the stopped van should wait.Driver's view behind a red van on a residential road, with a white car ahead and a red car in a driveway on the right.

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