Driving in reverse — New Jersey Permit Test
Driving in reverse on the New Jersey permit test — 4 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
In reverse, turning the wheel to the right sends the vehicle to the right.
The wheel works the same way it does going forward. It is the driver who is facing the other way.
In reverse, turning the wheel to the right will direct the vehicle to the right.
A vehicle is driven in reverse at walking speed, about 2 to 4 mph.
Walking pace leaves time to stop for whatever comes around the back of the car.
A vehicle should be driven slowly in reverse – typically, walking speed (2 to 4 mph).
On the road test an applicant is asked to back the vehicle about 100 feet in a straight line, slowly and smoothly.
Reversing straight is the skill the rest of reversing is built on, so it is the part that gets graded.
They will be asked to back the vehicle about 100 feet in a straight line, slowly and smoothly.
The front of a vehicle swings the opposite way from a turn made in reverse.
The nose sweeps wide while you are watching the back. That is where the parked car gets hit.
A motorist should always remember that the front of the vehicle will swing in the opposite direction of a turn.
On the test
In reverse, where does the car go when the wheel is turned right?
To the right. The wheel works the same way it does going forward. It is the driver who is facing the other way. New Jersey Driver Manual, p.54: “In reverse, turning the wheel to the right will direct the vehicle to the right.”
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.
Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
What it costs
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against New Jersey Driver Manual, published by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-15.