NT DriveSafe test pedestrians and vulnerable road users practice questions

Question 1

You are approaching a marked pedestrian crossing and someone is stepping onto it. What must you do?

• Sound the horn so they wait
• Slow down and stop to let them cross, and do not overtake another vehicle that has stopped at the crossingCorrect answer
• Keep going, because they have not reached your side yet
• Wave them across from behind a stopped vehicle

Passing a vehicle stopped at a crossing hides the pedestrian from you and you from them, which is how people get hit on crossings.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: pedestrian crossings

Question 2

What should you keep in mind when driving in a street where children are playing?

• Children always look before they cross
• Children judge the speed of a car about as well as adults do
• Children stay on the footpath once they have started school
• Slow right down, because a child can step out from between parked cars without warningCorrect answer

Children are short, easily hidden by parked cars, and poor at judging speed and distance. Speed is the only part of that you control.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: children near the road

Question 3

You are coming up behind a school bus that has stopped and children are getting off. What should you do?

• Slow down and be ready to stop, because children may cross in front of or behind the busCorrect answer
• Pass the bus at the posted speed limit
• Sound the horn so the children move out of the way
• Pass on the footpath side to keep clear of oncoming traffic

A stopped bus is a solid wall you cannot see through. Assume a child is about to appear from behind it.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: buses and children

Question 4

What should you remember about motorcycle riders?

• They are easy to see because of their headlights
• They need less space than a car does
• They are easy to miss, so check mirrors and blind spots carefully before turning or changing lanesCorrect answer
• They should be riding in the gutter to stay out of your way

A motorcycle is narrow and can vanish behind a windscreen pillar or into a mirror blind spot. Look twice, especially before turning across traffic.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: sharing the road with motorcyclists

Question 5

A person carrying a white cane or with a guide dog is waiting to cross the road in front of you. What should you do?

• Sound the horn to let them know you are there
• Steer around them and keep going
• Give way and wait, because they may not be able to see or hear your vehicleCorrect answer
• Flash your headlights to wave them across

A white cane or a guide dog tells you the person may have little or no sight. A horn or headlight flash means nothing to them, so stop and wait.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: pedestrians

Question 6

You have parked at the kerb on a busy street and are about to get out. What should you do first?

• Check the mirrors and look behind for bicycle riders and traffic, and open the door only when it is clearCorrect answer
• Assume riders will go around your door
• Open the door quickly so you are noticed sooner
• Leave it to your passengers to check their own side

A door opened into a rider's path gives them no time and nowhere to go. Checking before you open takes a second.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: opening doors safely

Question 7

You are reversing out of a driveway across a footpath. What is the rule?

• Pedestrians on a footpath must give way to vehicles leaving a driveway
• Sound the horn and keep reversing
• Reverse quickly to spend less time on the footpath
• Give way to pedestrians on the footpath and cross it only when it is clearCorrect answer

The footpath belongs to people on foot. Reverse slowly, and where the view is blocked, check behind the vehicle before you get in.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: driveways and footpaths

Question 8

You are driving on a street with no footpath and people are walking along the edge of the road. What should you do?

• Sound the horn, because they should not be on the road
• Slow down and give them room, because people may walk on the road where there is no footpathCorrect answer
• Keep your speed, they will step aside
• Use high beam so they can see you coming

With no footpath, walking on the road is normal and lawful. Give them a wide berth and slow down, especially at night.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: pedestrians

Question 9

You are about to reverse out of a driveway at a house where small children live. What is the safest thing to do?

• Small children near a driveway are always visible in the mirrors
• Reversing is safe as long as you use the mirrors
• A reversing camera removes the need to look at all
• Walk around the vehicle and check behind it before you get in and reverseCorrect answer

A small child can stand right behind a vehicle and be invisible from the driver's seat, camera or not. A walk around is the check that works.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: reversing safely