Vehicle failure — New Jersey Permit Test
Vehicle failure on the New Jersey permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
If conventional brakes fail a driver shifts to a lower gear and pumps the pedal fast and hard several times.
Pumping can build back enough pressure for one stop, and the low gear slows the car meanwhile.
If a vehicle’s conventional disc and drum brakes suddenly fail, a motorist should shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal fast and hard several times.
In a blowout a driver holds the wheel firmly, keeps the car straight and slows down gradually.
A flat tire pulls the car hard to one side. A firm grip is what keeps it in its lane.
If a motorist experiences a flat tire or blowout, they should hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the vehicle straight while gradually slowing down.
In a blowout a driver lifts off the gas but does not use the brakes, letting the car coast to a stop.
Braking on a blown tire is what turns a straight coast into a spin.
The motorist should remove their foot from the gas pedal but not use the brakes.
If a gas pedal sticks a driver keeps their eyes on the road and shifts quickly to neutral.
Neutral cuts the engine off from the wheels at once, and the car can then be steered and braked.
If a gas pedal sticks, the motorist should keep their eyes on the road while quickly shifting to neutral.
When an engine dies the power steering fails, so the driver needs a firm grip to turn the wheel.
The wheel becomes heavy without warning, usually at the moment you need to steer somewhere.
When an engine dies, a vehicle’s steering will fail.
On the test
What should a driver do when conventional brakes fail?
Shift down and pump the brake pedal. Pumping can build back enough pressure for one stop, and the low gear slows the car meanwhile. New Jersey Driver Manual, p.107: “If a vehicle’s conventional disc and drum brakes suddenly fail, a motorist should shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal fast and hard several times.”
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.