West Virginia Safe Driving practice test

Practice following distance, weather, night driving and sharing the road, with questions based on the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook.

Sample Safe Driving questions

Which passengers must wear a safety belt under West Virginia law?

  • Front-seat riders and back-seat riders under 18
  • Only front-seat riders, of any age
  • Only passengers younger than 8 years old
  • Only the driver and front-seat riders under 18
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Front-seat riders and back-seat riders under 18

The driver, every front-seat passenger and back-seat passengers under 18 must be belted; back-seat passengers 18 and older are not covered.

Source: West Virginia Code §17C-15-49, W. Va. Code §17C-15-49(a), (c)-(d); handbook PDF p. 77

On a long trip, how often should you stop for a 10-minute break?

  • At least every two hours
  • Every five hours or so
  • Every 30 minutes or so
  • Only when you feel hungry
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At least every two hours

On long drives, stop for about 10 minutes outside the car no less often than every two hours.

Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter VIII, Fatigue, PDF p. 75

How deep must moving water be to float some smaller vehicles?

  • At least three feet
  • At least two feet
  • At least four feet
  • As little as six inches
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As little as six inches

Six inches of water can float some smaller vehicles, and two feet will carry most away; never drive across a flooded road.

Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter VIII, Flooding, PDF p. 73

A driver is tailgating you. What does the handbook advise first?

  • Brake hard suddenly
  • Speed up a lot
  • Wave them around
  • Tap your brakes gently
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Tap your brakes gently

Tap the brakes to flash the brake lights, slow down to encourage a pass, and if needed pull over and let the vehicle by.

Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter VI, Tailgating, PDF p. 61

Which equipment would make a car fail as illegally equipped for the road test?

  • Windows tinted below 35 percent
  • Two outside rearview mirrors
  • A working spare tire in the trunk
  • A GPS unit on the dashboard
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Windows tinted below 35 percent

Windows tinted to less than 35 percent light transmission, sirens, loud mufflers and cracked windshields are listed as illegal equipment.

Source: West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter IV, Illegal Equipment, PDF p. 35

Until what age must a child shorter than 4 feet 9 inches ride in a child safety seat?

  • Under 4
  • Under 6
  • Under 12
  • Under 8
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Under 8

Every driver carrying a child under 8 must secure the child in an approved child passenger safety system unless the child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Source: West Virginia Code §17C-15-46, W. Va. Code §17C-15-46; handbook PDF p. 77

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About these questions

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.