Hazardous conditions — Pennsylvania Permit Test
Hazardous conditions on the Pennsylvania permit test — 11 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Pavements can become very slippery in the first 10 to 15 minutes of a rainstorm, because the rain brings oil in the asphalt to the surface.
The oil has been building since the last rain and floats the moment it gets wet.
Pavements can become very slippery in the first 10 to 15 minutes of a rain storm.
You can hydroplane at speeds as low as 35 miles an hour when water is only a tenth of an inch deep, and worn tires make it worse.
It takes far less water and far less speed than most drivers expect.
You can hydroplane at speeds as low as 35 mph, when water is only 1/10 of an inch deep.
If you begin to hydroplane, keep both hands on the wheel and slowly take your foot off the gas; do not slam on the brakes or turn suddenly, because that will make the vehicle skid.
The tires are riding on water, so anything sudden simply sends you sideways.
Slowly take your foot off of the gas pedal to let your vehicle slow down. Do not slam on the brakes or try to turn suddenly because this will cause your vehicle to skid.
On wet roads reduce your speed by 5 to 10 miles an hour and increase your following distance to five or six seconds.
The gap that worked on dry road is not enough once grip drops.
Reduce your speed by 5 to 10 mph on wet roads and increase your following distance to five (5) or six (6) seconds.
On packed snow cut your speed by half; on ice slow to a crawl and leave about ten times the normal space between you and the vehicle ahead.
On ice you cannot stop, so the only defense left is distance.
Leave about 10 times more space than normal between you and the vehicle ahead.
Do not use cruise control on slippery roads: if a wheel spins, cruise control keeps applying power and the only way to regain control is to reduce it.
The system is holding the throttle open exactly when you need it shut.
an activated cruise control system will continue to apply power, keeping your wheels spinning
It is extremely dangerous near 32 degrees when precipitation turns to rain or sleet, because a thin layer of water on top of ice is more slippery than ice alone.
Water on ice takes away what little grip the ice still offered.
it is extremely dangerous near 32° (Fahrenheit), when precipitation turns to rain or sleet — a thin layer of water on top of ice is more slippery than ice alone
Black ice is a thin layer of ice forming on a clear road as the temperature drops; when the road looks wet but no spray comes off the tires of other vehicles, black ice may be there.
It looks exactly like wet road, and the missing spray is the only tell.
When the road looks wet but no spray is coming from the tires of other vehicles, “black ice” may be present.
If snow or ice falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or a person, causing death or serious injury, the driver faces a fine of $200 to $1,000 for each offense.
Snow off a roof at speed lands on the windshield of the car behind.
the operator of the vehicle from which the snow or ice came is subject to a fine of $200 to $1,000 for each offense
As little as six inches of water can make you lose control or stall, and two feet of water will carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles.
Two feet is about the height of a door handle, and a car that floats has no steering.
Two (2) feet of water will carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
If you reach a flooded road, find another route: it is against the law to drive around or through signs closing a road for hazardous conditions, and doing so adds 2 points and a fine of up to $250.
The barrier is there because somebody already checked and the road is gone.
A conviction for violation of this law results in 2 points added to your driving record and a fine of up to $250.
On the test
When is a road most slippery in a rainstorm?
In the first 10 to 15 minutes. The oil has been building since the last rain and floats the moment it gets wet. PA Driver's Manual, p.40: “Pavements can become very slippery in the first 10 to 15 minutes of a rain storm.”
How this works
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against PA Driver's Manual, published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-06.