NT DriveSafe test seatbelts and passengers practice questions

Question 1

Who is responsible for making sure passengers are wearing seatbelts?

• Passengers over 12 are entirely responsible for themselves
• The driver, who must not move off until everyone is properly restrained, and who is responsible for passengers under 16Correct answer
• Nobody, seatbelts are optional on short trips
• Only the front seat passenger has to be restrained

The driver carries the duty for younger passengers, and adults carry it for themselves as well. Check before you move, not after.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules r 266, as adopted in the Northern Territory

Question 2

You have more people than seatbelts for a short trip. What should you do?

• Let two smaller children share one seatbelt
• Have an adult hold a young child on their lap
• Make a second trip, because every person needs their own seat and their own restraintCorrect answer
• Put the extra passenger in the luggage area

Shared belts and lap held children fail badly in a crash. Never carry more people than the vehicle has proper seating positions for.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: seatbelts and restraints

Question 3

What restraint must a young child travel in?

• An approved child restraint that suits the child's age and size, fitted and used correctlyCorrect answer
• An ordinary adult seatbelt is fine from about age two
• A child restraint is optional in the back seat
• A booster seat, but only in the front seat

An adult belt sits across a small child's neck and abdomen instead of the hips and chest. The restraint has to match the child, and it has to be anchored properly.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: child restraints

Question 4

How should a seatbelt sit on your body?

• The lap part low and flat across the hips, and the sash across the chest and over the shoulderCorrect answer
• The sash tucked under your arm, so it does not rub your neck
• Twisted is fine as long as it is buckled
• The lap part across the stomach

The hips and the ribcage can take crash loads. The stomach and the neck cannot, which is what a belt worn under the arm or high on the waist loads up.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: seatbelts and restraints

Question 5

Can passengers travel in the open tray of a utility or in the boot?

• Yes, if they sit down and hold on
• Yes, but only on private roads
• No, people must not be carried in an area of a vehicle that is not designed to carry passengersCorrect answer
• Yes, at low speed only

There is no restraint and nothing to protect an occupant in a tray or boot. Even a moderate crash or a hard swerve throws people out.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: carrying passengers

Question 6

When may someone travel in a vehicle without wearing a seatbelt?

• Whenever the passenger decides they would rather not wear one
• Only where the person holds a valid medical certificate or another lawful exemption appliesCorrect answer
• In taxis, where seatbelts are never required
• On any trip under 25 km/h

Exemptions are narrow and have to be documented. Comfort, a short trip and a low speed are not exemptions.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: seatbelt exemptions

Question 7

Your passengers are arguing loudly and one is reaching for the controls. What should you do?

• Let them sort it out among themselves and keep driving
• Turn around and deal with it while you are driving
• Speed up so the trip ends sooner
• Pull over somewhere safe and sort it out before you drive onCorrect answer

Anything that pulls your eyes, hands or attention away belongs in a stopped vehicle. Passengers are one of the most common distractions for new drivers.

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

Question 8

How does a full load of passengers and luggage change the way a vehicle drives?

• Extra weight makes no real difference
• A loaded vehicle stops in a shorter distance
• A loaded vehicle takes longer to stop and handles differently, so leave more room and slow earlierCorrect answer
• Load only matters on unsealed roads

Weight lengthens braking distance and changes how the vehicle sits in corners. Check the tyre pressures for a loaded trip too.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: loading a vehicle