Practice breakdowns, emergency vehicles and railroad crossings, with questions based on the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook.
Pull off and turn off the engine
Leave the roadway, shut the engine off right away, and check the oil level, adding oil if it is low.
Hold the wheel and steer straight
Grip the wheel, keep the car straight and lift off the gas; braking should wait until you have control again.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Blowouts, PDF p. 80
Shift to neutral or push in the clutch
Put the car in neutral or press the clutch, then brake, find a safe spot to stop and switch off the ignition.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Stuck Gas Pedal, PDF p. 81
To the right
Take your foot off the gas and turn the wheel in the direction of the skid, then straighten the wheels as control returns.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Skids, PDF p. 81
Pump the pedal and shift to a lower gear
Pump the pedal quickly, downshift, warn others with horn and lights, and use the parking brake while holding the release.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Brake Failure, PDF p. 81
About 300 feet behind the car
Place one flare about one vehicle length behind and another about 300 feet back, on the shoulder near the edge of the lane.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter VII, Adverse Conditions, PDF p. 70
Unpaid good-faith emergency care at a crash
A person who gives emergency care at a crash scene in good faith and without pay is not liable for civil damages for that care.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Good Samaritan Law, PDF p. 84
Ease off the gas, then brake gently
Ease off the accelerator and let the car slow before braking gently; brake hard only if it heads off the road or toward someone.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Steering Fails, PDF p. 82
Move right, slow down and sound your horn
Move right, slow down, sound the horn and flash your lights; do not turn into the lane the other driver left.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, Vehicle Approaching in Your Lane, PDF p. 82
Bleeding, breathing, shock, broken bones
Control bleeding first, then restore breathing, treat for shock and protect broken bones.
Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IX, First Aid, PDF p. 83
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook (Driver's Licensing Handbook, cover dated 'Revised 07/2026' (Drivers_Licensing_Handbook.pdf on webapps.transportation.wv.gov, 90 PDF pages, PDF created 2026-08-04; the file linked from the DMV's Driver's Licensing Handbooks page, dmv.wv.gov/driver-services/drivers/drivers-licensing-handbooks; the older 'Procedures on Driver's Licenses' page still links a 07/2022 web version, which was not used), read 2026-11-10. Page numbers cited are PDF pages; the printed page number is the PDF page minus 10 (PDF p. 34 = printed p. 24). Many pages use embedded fonts whose text extracts as shifted glyph codes; the text in sources/WV/handbook.txt was decoded by shifting those codes back, and some closing parentheses are lost, but the wording is otherwise intact. Every legal rule used in questions was checked against the West Virginia Code on code.wvlegislature.gov (read 2026-11-10; section texts saved in sources/WV/code_*.txt), and questions follow the statute. Out-of-date or inconsistent handbook statements and how they were handled: (1) distracted driving (PDF pp. 27-28) describes a hands-free rule with fines of $100, $200 and $300 plus three points; §17C-14-15 as amended in 2023 bans holding or supporting a device and sets fines of up to $100, up to $200 and, for a third conviction within 24 months, up to $350 with three points and a possible 90-day suspension; questions use the statute; (2) the DUI penalty chart (PDF p. 32) is out of date: §17C-5-2 (amended through the 2026 session; the only 2026 amendment, HB 4712, 'Baylea's Law', Acts 2026 ch. 103, took effect June 12, 2026 per the Legislature's bill status page and changes only the felony for deliberate-disregard DUI causing death in subsection (b)(1), which no question tests) sets revocation of six months for a first DUI under 0.15 (chart: 15 days), one year at 0.15 or more (chart: 45 days), one year with a passenger under 16 (chart: 60 days), 10 years for a second offense (chart: 1 year), a felony of two to five years for a third (chart: 1 to 3 years), and for drivers under 21 at 0.02 to under 0.08 a 60-day suspension for a first offense and one year or until 21 for a second (chart: 30 days; 60 days or until 18); questions use the statute and do not test the injury and death tiers; (3) under-21 alcohol: PDF pp. 31 and 32 describe zero tolerance for any measurable alcohol, but the definitions (PDF p. 9) and §17C-5-2(j) set the under-21 offense at 0.02 percent; the no-measurable-alcohol rule is used only for Level 1 and Level 2 GDL holders (§17B-2-3a); (4) refusal (PDF p. 32: revocation for one year and up to life; PDF p. 10: at least one year): §17C-5-7a(e) revokes, after a court finding, for one year or 45 days plus a year of test and lock for a first refusal, 10 years after one earlier refusal revocation and life after more; §17C-5-4(e) warns of at least 45 days and up to life; refusing only a blood test cannot cause revocation (§17C-5-4(d)); questions use the statute; (5) crash reporting: PDF p. 26 says report within five days, but §17C-4-6 requires immediate notice by the quickest means for injury, death or apparent damage of $1,000 or more; questions use the statute; (6) the no-passing list (PDF p. 59) bans passing within 100 feet of a bridge, viaduct, tunnel or underpass; §17C-7-6(a)(3) applies only when the view is obstructed, so no question states the flat bridge rule; (7) following distance: the three-to-four second rule (PDF pp. 57, 61) conflicts with the truck safety chart's two-second rule in dry conditions (PDF p. 63), so following_seconds is left open; (8) the 70 mph interstate maximum (PDF p. 52) is not in §17C-6-1, which only says interstate limits may not be below 55 mph; the 70 mph question cites the handbook; (9) the move-over law (§17C-14-9a: lane change or 15/25 mph for any stationary vehicle with emergency, amber or hazard lights, flares or a warning sign) is missing from the handbook; questions cite the statute; (10) the fee chart (PDF p. 25) lists a $5.00 Level 1 permit fee while PDF p. 20 and §17B-2-3a(c)(1)(D) give $7.50; not tested. Rules matched between handbook and statute: GDL levels (§17B-2-3a), school zone 15 mph and 125 feet (§17C-6-1), parking distances (§17C-13-3), school bus stop and first-offense fine (§17C-12-7), seat belts (§17C-15-49), child seats (§17C-15-46), dimming at 500 and 200 feet (§17C-15-21), insurance minimums (§17D-4-2), biennial inspection (§17C-16-4). edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.
DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.