Animals and bicycles — West Virginia Permit Test
Animals and bicycles on the West Virginia permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
People riding animals have the same rights as drivers and are subject to the same rules, and may use most public highways but not interstates.
They are traffic, with the same claim to the road that you have.
Never sound your horn when approaching or near a horse, because it may frighten the horse and cause a crash.
A startled horse goes into the road, which is the opposite of what you want.
When passing a bicyclist, slow down, make sure they are aware of you, and leave plenty of room. If there is no room to pass and traffic is approaching, wait until it has gone by.
A bicycle and a car cannot both fit in the gap an oncoming vehicle leaves.
When meeting an oncoming bicyclist at night, always dim your lights.
A bicycle is narrow and low, so your high beams hit the rider full in the face.
Bicyclists are expected to know and obey all traffic laws, but whether a rider is doing so or not, always give them the benefit of the doubt.
Almost any collision with a bicycle injures or kills the rider, whoever was at fault.
On the test
What rights do people riding animals have on the road?
The same rights as drivers, under the same rules. They are traffic, with the same claim to the road that you have.
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.
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, published by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-06.