West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook: study guide

Key rules by chapter

A few of the rules from each chapter that come up in our practice questions:

1. Driver's License Information

• To obtain a Level 1 GDL instruction permit you must be at least 15 years old.
• You may only drive with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old in the right front passenger seat.
• A Level 1 permit holder may only drive between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

2. Driver Responsibilities

• Minimum coverage is $25,000 for one death or injury, $50,000 for two, and $25,000 for property damage.
• Filing false insurance information means an extra 90-day suspension, revoked registration and possible fine up to $1,000 and up to 1 year in jail.
• A first offense is a $100 fine with no points; a second is $200 with no points. Points (three) are added only from the third offense on.

3. Driving Impaired or Under the Influence

• A BAC of more than 0.05 and less than 0.08 is relevant evidence to presume that a person's ability to drive is impaired.
• A one-ounce shot of 100-proof whiskey, a six-ounce glass of wine and a 12-ounce beer contain the same amount of alcohol.
• If you refuse the Breathalyzer, your privilege to operate a vehicle will be revoked for one year and up to life.

4. Examination Procedures and Requirements

• You must answer 19 out of the 25 questions correctly to pass the knowledge test.
• There is a time limit; any questions not answered in the prescribed time are considered incorrect.
• Applicants who fail either test may not be tested twice within a period of one week.

5. Traffic Control Devices

• A school zone includes any street abutting the school grounds and extending 125 feet along the street from the school grounds.
• Stripes sloping downward to the right mean bear to the right; sloping to the left means bear to the left.
• A driver may turn left on red from a one-way street to another one-way street after stopping and yielding, if not prohibited.

6. Traffic Laws and Rules of the Road

• Place the left hand at about 8 o'clock and the right at 4 o'clock for control and to reduce the chance a deploying air bag knocks your hands off.
• The interstate maximum speed is 70 mph unless otherwise posted.
• Open county highways are 55 mph unless otherwise posted.

7. Driving on Interstates

• Do not drive slower than 55 mph on an interstate unless weather or road conditions are bad or a lower speed is posted.
• Even-numbered interstates run east to west; odd-numbered run north to south.
• Three-digit numbers with an even first number identify beltways or bypasses; an odd first number identifies spur routes.

8. Defensive Driving

• On a long trip, take a 10-minute rest break at least every two hours, spent outside the vehicle.
• Wearing safety belts reduces the chances of injury or death in collisions by 45 to 50 percent.
• Everyone must be belted; the only legal exception is persons 18 or older riding in the back seat (plus medical exceptions).

9. Emergency Situations

• Turn in the direction of the skid: if the rear skids right, turn right; for a skid left, turn left.
• If the fire gets out of control, move at least 100 feet away; the gas tank may explode.
• Connect positive to positive, then the live battery's negative to the engine block or frame of the vehicle with the dead battery.

How to study the handbook

Read one chapter, then take a practice test. Every answer explanation names the handbook section it comes from, so when you get one wrong, go back to that section. Pay most attention to exact numbers and to the rules specific to West Virginia, which are where most people lose points.

Online test (dmv.wv.gov Know to Drive notes): applicants under 18 must have an adult over 18 participate; uses webcam/facial recognition; a computer with keyboard and mouse is required (no phones/touch screens).