JosiesJourney

Hello

I couldn't find a previous thread although I'm sure there will be one somewhere....just wondering if anyone has revised for and sat the theory test required in New Jersey for gaining a local drivers license there? How did you find it?
Also any tips for actual driving out there, anything weird I should be aware of? We are moving next Thursday and I have heard the tail lights are different and there is some rule about turning right on a red light....?

I welcome your advice

Pulaski

Read the NJ DMV drivers manual. Everything you need to know is in there. Pay special attention to rules and penalties around things like drink-driving, pedestrian crossings, stopping for school buses, speed limits, etc.

At a red traffic light you are allowed to turn right, after having stopped, if it is safe to proceed. This is true in every state, except where a sign says it is prohibited. You can also turn left at a red light IF you are in a one-way street, AND you are turning into a one-way street. This is true in most, but not all, states - exceptions include CT, ME, SD, MO, NC, DC, and NYC.

tom169

I will add on the practical test to not feel pressured into right on red. In fact I'd just not do it.

Rete

If a 16 year old can pass the theory test, then you won't have a problem.

Pulaski

That isn't bad advice, .... but if the road is totally and obviously clear, or even if it isn't, you may get a barrage of horn blasts if you are just sitting there, waiting.

CA-NY

I did the NJ theory test in 2012 and did not have to sit the practical test to get my license. However in a later thread on here it was suggested that the rules had perhaps changed and non US citizen new residents did have to sit the practical. The official NJ DMV website says

"After you get the permit, visit any Driver Testing Center to take a vision test, knowledge test and possibly a road test if required."

We did get the international permits before coming over but I can't recall whether they were taken into consideration. It might be worth trying to get a definitive answer on that one so you can prepare for the practical test or not. Finally, this is the official test practice page for the knowledge test.

State of New Jersey - Motor Vehicle Commission - Licenses

Ecto17

Hope your move goes well.
Where abouts in NJ are you moving?
We did the NJ test in July. We only had to do our theory test but it wasn't easy at all and does require revising for. Hubby had to take it twice as was just short on his first attempt. We did some online practice tests and that really helped me. I remember thinking that there were a lots of questions about being a learner driver and a new driver, none of which l had revised as l it wasn't relevant to me but l would strongly recommend revising that area and the other ones already mentioned in the thread. It is totally passable and nothing to worry about but worth doing the work first.
The biggest thing to note about NJ driving (apart from the madness of it!!) is that on any larger road you can't turn left. It completely threw us when we first arrived and couldn't understand what was happening however they have things called jug handles / clover leaves that use to turn left on. Bit strange as you take a right turn to go left but as soon as you see them and try them then you honestly will have no issue.
Good luck and please shout if you need any help.

Pulaski

Jug handles are rare but not unheard of in the UK - there is one between Putney and Richmond in SW London. I think there is one on the north circular too.

I any case they are conceptually quite similar to part of a roundabout with traffic lights on it - a jug handle is 3/4 of a roundabout, and you have to wait for a green light to make the turn.

Chins

Appreciate a link to some online pretests. Got to think about it myself as well. Just tried the sample test in the link supplied above and as you say i need to understand the learner side not just driving knowledge

discoviking

This is good advice. It should however be pointed out that turning right on red is also prohibited anywhere in Manhattan, should you ever decide to drive there.
Canada is also within reach from New Jersey. Traffic rules are basically the same there but keep in mind that Canada use km instead of miles, and you can't turn right on red in Montreal.

Pulaski

Good point, thank you ..... but that applies to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island too, i.e. the whole of NYC, not only Manhattan.

mum 2 3

For the theory test you need 40/50. If you don't know the answer straight away you can pass and it will go to the end. Read all answers fully as sometimes you read a and think thats it, but b and c were also correct and d is all of the above. Take your time.
Mine had hardly anything about driving rules. There was lots about the permits and ages that you were allowed to drive etc, plus drink driving level questions. There were also random questions they made up, eg if you are tired should you take long blinks, look off to the side, close one eye, close both eyes. I wanted to answer none of these. Very strange.
Once you drive here it will become obvious the lack of driving questions is because no-one would pass as they are all crap.
Expect to be cut up, have people reverse towards you on highways and slip roads and generally try to kill you on a daily basis if you have to travel more than 5 miles.

Also even though the DMV website says you need 6 points of ID they will want more. SS card, visa petition and approval, take as much as you can as there can be a long wait and you dont want to have to go multiple times (took us 3 months and many trips to various DMVs as they managed to not enter my husband into the country correctly, eventually had to go back to the airport to get it sorted)

Not sure what your situation is but they would also not let me do anything at DMV as an L2 without my L1 being there too.
Good luck

JosiesJourney

Pulaski - Thank you this is great....we do have the manual but it's so thick! This is my plane journey reading (and bedtime reading soon!)

I hear it makes more sense to drive on the right side of the road although the thought of it terrified me! When ever we hire a car in the EU I never do the driving......

JosiesJourney

Good point :-)

JosiesJourney

Thanks - our immigration consultant has advised we won't have to take the road test so will hopefully not have to.....we have these IDP's too although think they are a nice to have rather than essential. Have you ever needed to show yours?
Thanks x