A 4-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
The rules of the road are the laws and habits that keep traffic moving safely: signaling, turning, passing and stopping. They matter even on short trips — half of all crashes happen close to home.
25 miles
Half of all vehicle crashes happen within this distance of home
Obey traffic officers at all times, even if they tell you to do something normally illegal — for example, waving a funeral procession through a red light.
A vehicle stopped or parked on a road or shoulder in limited visibility must show parking lights. But never drive with only parking lights, and never use fog or auxiliary lights alone or when you're required to dim.
Since January 1, 2018, front-facing steady lights must be white or amber, and no front flashing lights are allowed except factory emergency flashers (certain vehicles excepted).
Littering fines run from $50 up to $3,000, plus up to 40 hours of picking up litter and up to 8 more hours at a recycling center. Loads that could blow off must be enclosed or covered by a tarp.
You may not drive slower than a posted minimum speed in normal conditions (bad weather, heavy traffic or a bad road excepted). Even with no minimum posted, driving so slowly that you block traffic is illegal.
You may not pass a funeral procession you're following on a two-lane road, and you may not drive between vehicles in a marked procession unless an officer directs you. Oncoming drivers commonly pull over out of respect.
It's 2 p.m. and a steady drizzle has your wipers running constantly. Even though it's daytime, Tennessee law requires your headlights on. And if you're cruising at 42 in a 55 with six cars stacked behind you, pull off safely and let them by.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
You are considered to be driving a slow-moving vehicle if your speed is how far below the lawful maximum speed?
2 m.p.h. or more
25 m.p.h. or more
10 m.p.h. or more
5 m.p.h. or more
Answer: 10 m.p.h. or more
You're considered a slow-moving vehicle if traveling 10 m.p.h. or more below the lawful maximum speed.
Why is it dangerous to drive at night with only your parking lights on?
Parking lights drain the battery quickly
Parking lights are brighter than headlights
Others may think your car is farther away
Parking lights confuse traffic signal sensors
Answer: Others may think your car is farther away
The small size of parking lights may cause other drivers to think your vehicle is farther away than it is; driving with only parking lights in limited visibility is unsafe and illegal.