VIC learner permit test seatbelts and passengers practice questions

Question 1

Who is responsible for making sure a passenger under 16 is properly restrained?

• The passenger's parent, even if not in the car
• The passenger
• The driverCorrect answer
• Nobody, it is a shared responsibility with no penalty

The driver must not drive unless every passenger under 16 is in a properly fastened seatbelt or an approved child restraint.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: seatbelts and child restraints

Question 2

You are driving with four passengers and one seatbelt is faulty. What should you do?

• Have the passenger sit on the floor
• Carry the passenger anyway and drive slowly
• Have the passenger share a belt with someone else
• Not carry a passenger in that seating position until the belt is repairedCorrect answer

Every occupant must have a properly fitted and fastened seatbelt of their own. Sharing a belt is both illegal and dangerous.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules r 265, as adopted in Victoria

Question 3

In a vehicle with two or more rows of seats, where must a child under four years old travel?

• In a row behind the front row, in an approved restraintCorrect answer
• In the front seat with the airbag switched off
• In the front seat, so the driver can watch them
• Anywhere, as long as they are strapped in

Children under four must not travel in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows, and must use a restraint suited to their age and size.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: seatbelts and child restraints

Question 4

Why must the driver also wear a seatbelt even on a short trip at low speed?

• It is only required above 60 km/h
• It is required whenever the vehicle is moving, and most crashes happen close to homeCorrect answer
• It is only required on freeways
• It is optional for the driver in a car with airbags

The seatbelt rule for drivers has no short trip exception, and airbags are designed to work with a belt, not instead of one.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules r 264, as adopted in Victoria

Question 5

An adult passenger aged over 16 refuses to put on a seatbelt. Who is responsible under the law?

• The registered owner of the vehicle, wherever they happen to be
• Nobody, because adults may choose for themselves
• The passenger, once they are 16 or olderCorrect answer
• The driver alone, in every case

Passengers aged 16 and over are responsible for their own seatbelt. The driver carries that responsibility for anyone under 16.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: seatbelts

Question 6

Can you carry more passengers than there are seating positions fitted with seatbelts?

• Yes, if the extra passenger is a small child
• Yes, on trips of only a few kilometres
• Yes, if the extra passenger sits in the luggage area
• No, every passenger needs their own seating position with a fitted seatbeltCorrect answer

The number of belted seating positions is the number of people the vehicle may carry. Extra passengers are both illegal and unprotected in a crash.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: seatbelts and passengers

Question 7

Where must a child aged four to seven travel in a car that has two rows of seats?

• In the rear row, in an approved forward facing restraint or booster seat, unless the rear seats are all taken by younger childrenCorrect answer
• In the front seat, so the driver can keep an eye on them
• In any seat, provided an adult seatbelt is fastened over them
• In the rear row with an adult lap belt only

Children in this age group must use a restraint suited to their size and normally must not sit in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: child restraints

Question 8

A passenger wants to hang an arm out of the window on a warm day. What should you do?

• Allow it while you are travelling under 40 km/h
• Tell them to keep all parts of their body inside the vehicleCorrect answer
• Allow it on country roads where there is little traffic
• Allow it as long as they are sitting in a rear seat

An arm or head outside the window can be struck by a passing vehicle, a pole or a tree branch. Occupants must stay inside the vehicle while it is moving.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: passengers and vehicle safety

Question 9

Who may sit beside you as your supervising driver while you drive on a Victorian learner permit?

• Any person who holds a driver licence, including a probationary licence
• Any adult over 21 who has driven before
• A person who holds a full driver licence for that class of vehicleCorrect answer
• Any passenger who has held a licence for at least one year

A learner must be supervised at all times by a fully licensed driver for the vehicle being driven. A probationary licence holder cannot supervise you.

Rule cited: Road to Solo Driving handbook (Victoria), topic: learner permit conditions