Driver Theory Test Questions Everyone Gets Wrong

Why these keep tripping people up

These are the topics that show up wrong most often in practice — not because they are obscure, but because they involve a specific number, a recent change, or a rule with no signage to lean on. A caveat first: we are not RSA-affiliated, and these are DTT-style practice questions written to match the real syllabus and difficulty, not official or leaked papers.

Read each one for the reasoning, not just the letter of the correct option — the DTT tends to rephrase the same underlying rule rather than reusing exact wording, so understanding why an answer is correct travels much further than memorising it does.

Priority: crossroads, roundabouts and Garda signals

Q: "At an unmarked crossroads where roads are of equal importance, who has priority?" The answer is traffic approaching from your right. There is no signage to lean on here, which is exactly why it is tested — you have to know the default rule cold rather than reading it off a sign in the moment.

Q: "A Garda is directing traffic and signals you to stop, but the traffic light is green. What should you do?" The answer is obey the Garda’s signal and stop. A person directing traffic always overrides the lights, signs and markings underneath them — a rule that feels obvious once you know it, but catches people who answer on autopilot from "green means go."

Q: "When taking an exit more than halfway around a roundabout, you should:" The answer is signal right on approach, then change to signal left after you pass the exit before yours. Most learners get the "signal right to go right round" part but forget the second half, which is the part actually being checked.

Speed limits changed in 2025 — check you're not revising the old ones

Q: "Since February 2025, the default speed limit on local rural roads (L roads) is:" The answer is 60 km/h, down from the old 80 km/h default. If you are studying from an older book, a hand-me-down summary, or anything published before the change, you will have the wrong number memorised with total confidence — worth double-checking this one specifically.

Q: "If you double your speed, your braking distance becomes roughly:" The answer is four times as long, not twice. Braking distance rises with the square of your speed, so the jump from 50 km/h to 100 km/h costs you far more stopping room than intuition suggests.

Two different alcohol limits, not one

Q: "The legal blood alcohol limit for learner and novice drivers is:" and "…for fully licensed (non-professional) drivers is:" The answers are 20mg and 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood — two different limits, not one. Learners studying casually often remember "there is a limit" but mix up which figure applies to them; if you are on a learner permit or within your novice period, the lower 20mg limit is yours.

Sharing the road with cyclists

Q: "When overtaking a cyclist at a speed above 50 km/h, you should allow at least:" The answer is 1.5 metres of clearance. The instinctive wrong answer is "the width of your wing mirror" or "whatever gap looks safe" — the RSA wants a specific, deliberate distance, not a judgement call.

This one is worth remembering as a real habit, not just an exam answer — it is the same distance you should actually be leaving once you are driving unsupervised, not a number that stops mattering once you pass.

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