AL Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

Every question below comes from the Alabama question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. Your car breaks down on an Alabama freeway. Which set of distress signals will help an officer spot you?

   1. Flash the headlights twice and leave the disabled car sitting in the travel lane
   2. Place a passenger out in the roadway to wave approaching traffic around your car
   3. Open the trunk, raise the hood if weather permits, and tie a white cloth to a door handle or antenna
   4. Sound the horn every minute while sitting on the shoulder waiting for assistance
   Show answer

   Open the trunk, raise the hood if weather permits, and tie a white cloth to a door handle or antenna. Raised panels and a light colored cloth make a disabled car read as a vehicle needing help rather than one briefly parked. Headlight flashes do not mark a stationary emergency, and a car left in a lane invites a severe strike. A person standing in traffic faces the danger you are trying to avoid. Horn blasts announce little about your location or need. Pull fully clear, stay with the vehicle when possible, and display the signals.

   Study this in the handbook: The Move Over Law

2. 2. You look for parking on an Alabama street and find an open space 10 feet from a fire hydrant. May you leave your car there while you shop?

   1. No, because parking is barred within 15 feet of a hydrant
   2. No, only because curb parking on the street ends at sunset
   3. Yes, if you plan to return within fifteen minutes
   4. Yes, while you remain seated inside the car nearby
   Show answer

   No, because parking is barred within 15 feet of a hydrant. Parking in Alabama is not allowed within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, so a space 10 feet away sits inside the barred distance. Fire crews need that clear stretch to connect hoses and work around the hydrant without dragging lines over a parked car. A quick shopping trip and a driver staying seated both leave the vehicle parked in the same forbidden space. Sunset changes nothing about curb rules here. Drive farther along the block and measure the hydrant gap before you leave the car.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking, safety belts and child restraints

3. 3. You follow an Alabama school bus that stops with red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. Where must your car stop in relation to that bus?

   1. At least 20 feet from the bus
   2. Directly behind the bus bumper
   3. At least 50 feet from the bus in all cases
   4. Beside the bus if your lane remains open
   Show answer

   At least 20 feet from the bus. Drivers coming from either direction in Alabama must stop when a school bus displays those signals, and the stop belongs at least 20 feet from the bus. That gap leaves room for children to cross and for the driver to see them, while stopping on the bumper crowds the door area. Fifty feet adds a figure from other railroad or parking rules, and pulling beside the bus defeats the stop entirely. Halt early, hold the gap, and wait for the arm and red lights to clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way and yielding

4. 4. You overtake a person riding a bicycle on an Alabama road with light traffic. How much space must you leave between your car and the bicycle as you pass?

   1. At least 1 foot when traffic around you is light
   2. At least 3 feet of clearance as you pass the rider
   3. No set space, if you slow down slightly while passing
   4. At least 10 feet in every bicycle passing situation
   Show answer

   At least 3 feet of clearance as you pass the rider. Alabama law requires at least 3 feet between your motor vehicle and a person on a bicycle when you pass. Light traffic does not shrink that clearance, because wind from your car and a small wobble by the rider can close one foot in an instant. Slowing helps courtesy but does not replace the measured gap, while 10 feet imports a figure the bicycle rule does not set. Wait for room, move fully into the next lane space when lawful, and clear the rider by the full distance.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, construction and guide signs

5. 5. Facing a steady green light in Alabama, you want to turn left. A pedestrian is crossing lawfully and oncoming cars are passing through. What must happen before your turn?

   1. Turn after one honk warns the pedestrian
   2. Enter and wait stopped across the crosswalk
   3. Turn quickly between the pedestrian and oncoming cars
   4. Yield to everyone lawfully inside the intersection
   Show answer

   Yield to everyone lawfully inside the intersection. On a steady circular green in Alabama, you may go straight or turn right or left while yielding to other vehicles and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection. A left turn therefore waits for both the oncoming stream and anyone crossing on foot. Threading between them or waiting across the crosswalk keeps your car in spaces others lawfully hold. Hold back before the crosswalk, track both threats, and turn only when the whole path is clear at once.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, arrows and lane use signals

6. 6. Lowered railroad gates are down in Alabama and no train is visible. What must a driver do?

   1. Drive around the gates at walking speed
   2. Cross on the shoulder if it looks clear
   3. Stay in place and wait until the gates are raised
   4. Sound the horn and cross between the gates
   Show answer

   Stay in place and wait until the gates are raised. Gates drop because a train is near or the warning system has been activated, and a second track may hide another train. Waiting in place keeps a vehicle out of the crossing until the gates rise fully. Rolling around the devices at any speed still enters the danger area against the warning. Using the shoulder does not create a legal or safe path. Horn use cannot clear steel rails or stop a train. Remain stopped, watch both directions, and proceed only after the gates lift and the crossing is clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Phones, fatigue, following distance and crashes

7. 7. Your Alabama car has snow treads fitted for winter driving on snow. How should that change your speed and stopping room?

   1. Drive at less than normal speed and allow more room to stop
   2. Keep normal speed, because snow treads restore dry pavement grip
   3. Drive faster through snow so the treads can clear and bite
   4. Follow closer than usual, since the treads shorten every stop
   Show answer

   Drive at less than normal speed and allow more room to stop. Snow treads improve traction for starting and stopping on snow, but they do not restore dry road grip. The manual warns against overconfidence: even with snow treads, drive at less than normal speed on snow and allow more room for stopping. Normal speed, faster travel to clear the treads, and closer following all assume grip that a snowy surface cannot provide.

   Study this in the handbook: Night and winter driving

8. 8. On a two-lane Alabama hill, you want to pass the car ahead but can see only about 300 feet of clear road beyond the crest. May you cross the centerline to pass?

   1. Yes, if the car ahead is traveling slowly up the hill
   2. No, because at least 500 feet must be visible
   3. No, unless the centerline is broken at the crest of the hill
   4. Yes, if you sound the horn before crossing the centerline
   Show answer

   No, because at least 500 feet must be visible. Passing over a hill or around a curve in Alabama requires a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet before you cross the centerline. Three hundred feet leaves hidden room where an oncoming car can appear with no escape path for either driver. A horn warning and a slow vehicle ahead do not create the missing sight distance, and paint at the crest does not replace it. Stay behind until the view opens to the full distance, then judge the pass again.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping rules, school buses and emergency vehicles

9. 9. You are leaving an Alabama roundabout onto your exit street. A person on a bicycle is crossing that exit in front of you. What must you do?

   1. Honk and keep your exit speed steady
   2. Yield only if the bicycle is already past the center
   3. Accelerate past before the bicycle reaches your lane
   4. Yield to pedestrians and bicycles as you exit
   Show answer

   Yield to pedestrians and bicycles as you exit. Leaving a roundabout in Alabama still requires yielding to pedestrians and bicycles at the exit crossing. A bicycle in that crossing holds the space, so speeding up to beat it or holding speed behind a horn blast invites a side collision at low but harmful force. Waiting until the bicycle passes the center point reads a limit into the rule that the exit duty does not carry. Slow early, let the crossing clear fully, and then turn onto the exit street.

   Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts

10. 10. Late at night in Alabama, a traffic signal flashes red toward you while the crossing street looks deserted. How must you handle that signal?

    1. Treat it like a yellow caution light and maintain speed
    2. Proceed first because you arrived before cross traffic
    3. Slow down and roll through with caution
    4. Treat it like a stop sign and go only when safe
    Show answer

    Treat it like a stop sign and go only when safe. A flashing red signal in Alabama means the same as a STOP sign. Deserted streets late at night do not soften that duty, so rolling through at reduced speed still disobeys the control. A flashing yellow would call for caution without a stop, which makes confusing the two colors costly. Come to a full stop, check every approach including driveways and side streets, and proceed only when the crossing is safe in all directions.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping rules, school buses and emergency vehicles

11. 11. At night in Alabama, what speed rule follows from the distance your headlights let you see?

    1. Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead
    2. Drive at the posted limit even when you cannot stop in the visible distance
    3. Use high beams so the posted limit is always safe
    4. Stop every time an animal might be near the road
    Show answer

    Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead. Night shrinks the usable road to the lit patch ahead. If a stalled car, deer, or fallen branch appears at the edge of that patch, speed must already be low enough to stop before reaching it. A posted number cannot stretch vision, and high beams still leave a finite reach on curves, hills, and in rain. Halting at every possible animal report is not required; adjusting pace to sight distance is. Slow earlier on unlit roads, scan the edges of the beam, and keep extra space when the lit area shortens.

    Study this in the handbook: Night and winter driving

12. 12. When making a right turn from an Alabama four-lane or divided highway, how should the turn be made?

    1. Swing wide into the left lane of the cross street
    2. Wait in the left lane, then cut across to turn
    3. Make a tight turn into the right lane of the cross street
    4. Enter the cross street just left of its centerline
    Show answer

    Make a tight turn into the right lane of the cross street. For a right turn from a wider highway, get into the right lane well before the corner and keep the turn tight so you finish in the right lane across the street. A wide swing invades space other drivers expect to use, and cutting over from the left creates crossing paths. Starting left and finishing left of center both place the car where oncoming traffic belongs. Set up early on the right, slow down, and roll into the nearest lawful lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Good driving habits, turns and three point turns

13. 13. You start moving on snow and ice in Alabama in a car with an automatic transmission. How should you accelerate?

    1. Accelerate slowly and smoothly so the tires keep gripping the road
    2. Press the accelerator firmly so the wheels spin through to firmer ground
    3. Shift repeatedly between drive and neutral to rock the car forward
    4. Race the engine first, then engage drive to gain extra momentum
    Show answer

    Accelerate slowly and smoothly so the tires keep gripping the road. Starting on snow and ice calls for the lowest, smoothest power delivery. With an automatic transmission, accelerate slowly and smoothly so the wheels do not spin or slide. Firm accelerator pressure spins the wheels, racing the engine before engaging drive adds a jolt, and rocking between gears is not the stated technique. Gentle power keeps what little traction the surface offers.

    Study this in the handbook: Night and winter driving

14. 14. After an Alabama crash, helpers want to lift an injured person out of a wrecked car that is not burning. What should they do?

    1. Move the person quickly onto the roadside grass
    2. Carry the person inside the nearest building
    3. Leave the person in place unless fire forces removal
    4. Stand the person up to check the legs for injury
    Show answer

    Leave the person in place unless fire forces removal. Moving a hurt body can worsen hidden spinal or internal damage, even when intentions are kind. Grass, buildings, and standing tests all require lifting or shifting weight before trained help evaluates the injuries. Fire changes the calculation, because flames threaten life faster than careful handling can protect against it. Absent that urgency, keep the scene calm, call for assistance, and shield the person from passing traffic. Comfort measures such as a coat for warmth help without repositioning the body. Wait for medical personnel who know how to support the neck and back during any necessary transfer.

    Study this in the handbook: Phones, fatigue, following distance and crashes

15. 15. What does this sign mean?

    
    1. A single gradual curve bends to the left ahead
    2. Sharp left, then sharp right
    3. The road winds gently for the next several miles ahead
    4. Traffic must turn left at the next intersection only
    Show answer

    Sharp left, then sharp right. The sign warns that the road makes two sharp turns in quick succession, first to the left and then to the right. Slow before the first bend and be ready to steer through the second without cutting across the center. A single gradual curve, a long winding stretch, or a required intersection turn does not match the paired sharp changes shown.

16. 16. A two-lane Alabama street is posted at 20 miles per hour. An emergency vehicle is stopped ahead and you cannot move into another lane. What speed must you use to pass?

    1. 5 miles per hour below the posted speed
    2. 10 miles per hour
    3. 15 miles per hour below the posted speed
    4. 20 miles per hour, the posted speed
    Show answer

    10 miles per hour. When an Alabama two lane road is posted at 20 miles per hour or less and a lane change is not possible beside a stopped emergency vehicle, the required passing speed is 10 miles per hour. Holding the full posted speed or trimming only a few miles leaves too much energy beside people working outside the vehicle. The 15 below formula belongs to roads posted at 25 or more, so it would demand an unworkable crawl here. Ease to 10, stay far within your lane, and accelerate only after passing.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic stops, insurance and window tint

17. 17. Under Alabama law, for what purpose may a driver use a motor vehicle horn?

    1. To announce arrival at a home or business
    2. To call passengers out to the vehicle
    3. To greet another driver at an intersection
    4. To warn others when needed for safe operation
    Show answer

    To warn others when needed for safe operation. State law treats the horn as a warning tool tied to safe operation, not as a social signal. A short warning can alert a child, rider, walker, or driver drifting into danger when a collision is plausible. Using it to summon passengers or announce arrival adds noise without reducing risk, and it can startle people nearby. Save the sound for moments when another road user needs immediate notice of your presence. Courtesy and restraint keep the warning meaningful, so others still react quickly when they hear it in a real hazard.

18. 18. In Alabama at night, how can glare from oncoming headlights be reduced?

    1. Look to the right-hand edge and focus on the white striped line
    2. Look directly at the oncoming lights to judge distance
    3. Close your eyes briefly until the vehicle passes
    4. Turn your eyes toward the centerline markings
    Show answer

    Look to the right-hand edge and focus on the white striped line. Staring into bright oncoming beams can leave vision impaired for moments after the other vehicle passes. Shifting your gaze to the right edge gives a guide for lane position while moving the strongest light away from the center of vision. The white edge line helps track the shoulder without inviting a drift toward opposing traffic. Slow down if sight remains poor, and keep your own low beams on so others can judge your position.

19. 19. A bicycle lane is established on an Alabama roadway. When may a person driving a motor vehicle use that lane?

    1. Only to park where permitted, enter or leave the highway, or prepare for a turn
    2. Whenever the regular travel lane is heavily congested with slow traffic
    3. As a passing lane around a slow motor vehicle traveling in your direction
    4. For parking at any point along the curb where no sign expressly forbids it
    Show answer

    Only to park where permitted, enter or leave the highway, or prepare for a turn. The lane is set aside for people on bicycles, so a car belongs there only for the listed access or turning needs. Congestion does not convert it into an extra traffic lane. Passing a slow car there would cut across the space riders expect to be clear. Parking is allowed only where parking itself is permitted. Check for a rider before every entry, even during a lawful turn preparation.

    Study this in the handbook: Curves, bicycles, motorcycles and large vehicles

20. 20. You take an over the counter allergy remedy in Alabama and then plan to drive. What effect can its antihistamine ingredient have on your driving?

    1. Faster reflexes and unusually steady coordination for hours
    2. Inattention, confusion, and drowsiness that impair driving
    3. Sharper night vision with a strong urge to drive faster
    4. No effect on driving at all unless alcohol is also consumed
    Show answer

    Inattention, confusion, and drowsiness that impair driving. Antihistamines are used for nasal congestion from colds and to combat allergies, and some are even used as an aid to sleep. The manual warns that they may cause side effects such as inattention, confusion, and drowsiness. A driver who feels drowsy or confused, or who stops paying close attention, is less able to drive safely. Notice how a dose affects you before driving, and avoid driving while those effects are present in your body.