Kentucky permit test: distracted & drowsy driving

Phone and texting laws, other distractions and fatigue. 7 questions.

Question 1 of 7
Distracted & drowsy driving

Why is texting while driving considered especially dangerous?

Keyboard: press 1–4 or A–D to answer, Enter for the next question, S to save, R to read aloud, P to pause reading, L to listen and answer.

Sample distracted & drowsy driving questions

  1. Why is texting while driving considered especially dangerous?

    • A It is a purely mental distraction
    • B It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction
    • C It is the only distraction that involves your hands
    • D It only affects drivers at highway speeds
    Show answer

    B. It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction

    Texting takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel and your mind off driving all at once. Sending or reading a text pulls your eyes away for about 4.6 seconds, which at 55 mph is the length of a football field.

    Source: Kentucky Driver Manual, page 31

  2. At 55 mph, looking at a text for an average of 4.6 seconds is like driving blind for about how far?

    • A About one car length
    • B About the width of an intersection
    • C The length of a football field
    • D About half a mile
    Show answer

    C. The length of a football field

    Sending or receiving a text takes your eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph that is roughly 100 yards, the length of a football field, driven without looking.

    Source: Kentucky Driver Manual, page 31

  3. Daydreaming about a problem at school while driving is which kind of distraction?

    • A Manual distraction
    • B Auditory distraction
    • C Cognitive distraction
    • D Visual distraction
    Show answer

    C. Cognitive distraction

    Cognitive distraction is thinking about something other than driving. Your eyes can be on the road and your hands on the wheel while your mind is elsewhere, and that is just as dangerous.

    Source: Kentucky Driver Manual, page 31

  4. On a long trip, how often does the Kentucky manual suggest you plan to stop to fight fatigue?

    • A Only when you feel sleepy
    • B About every 50 miles or 4 hours
    • C About every 300 miles or 5 hours
    • D About every 100 miles or 2 hours
    Show answer

    D. About every 100 miles or 2 hours

    Plan to stop about every 100 miles or two hours on long trips. Fatigue slows your decisions and affects your vision, and the best prevention is plenty of rest before you drive.

    Source: Kentucky Driver Manual, page 30