AL Permit Practice Test 6

All 20 questions in test 6

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. When making a left turn, when must a driver yield to an approaching vehicle from the opposite direction?

   
   1. Only after the turning vehicle enters the opposing lane
   2. Only when it is traveling above the speed limit
   3. When it is within the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard
   4. Never, because a turn signal gives priority
   Show answer

   When it is within the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. A driver turning left must yield to an opposing vehicle already within the intersection or close enough to create an immediate hazard. The rule does not depend on the other vehicle exceeding the speed limit, and a turn signal announces an intention rather than granting priority. Waiting until the turner is already in the opposing lane is too late to make the required safety judgment. Before moving, look for both an occupied intersection and a vehicle whose closeness leaves no safe opening. If either condition exists, remain stopped until the opposing path is clear.

2. 2. What color family and purpose apply to this traffic-signal warning sign?

   
   1. It is a white and black regulatory sign imposing a speed limit
   2. It is a black and yellow warning of a hazardous condition ahead
   3. It is a green and white guide sign for a destination
   4. It is an orange and black construction sign only
   Show answer

   It is a black and yellow warning of a hazardous condition ahead. This traffic-signal symbol belongs to the warning-sign family. Alabama describes warning signs as black and yellow and uses them to alert drivers to hazardous conditions ahead. The other color combinations identify different sign functions, so they would not describe this warning. Use the color as an early classification cue, then read the symbol itself to learn that a traffic signal is coming and prepare to obey it.

3. 3. Until what age does Alabama's child restraint schedule require a booster seat?

   1. Until the child is 15 years of age
   2. Until the child is 4 years of age
   3. Until the child is 8 years of age
   4. Until the child is 6 years of age
   Show answer

   Until the child is 6 years of age. Alabama's size-appropriate restraint schedule calls for a booster seat until a child is six years of age. The schedule uses different thresholds for other equipment: a rear-facing infant seat continues until at least age one or 20 pounds, a forward-facing seat until at least age five or 40 pounds, and a seat belt until age 15. That is why age four and age eight do not match the booster entry, while age 15 belongs to the seat-belt stage. Identify the restraint type before selecting the age.

4. 4. What does this sign require?

   
   1. A complete stop in all cases
   2. Slow down and yield to crossing traffic and pedestrians; stop if necessary
   3. Speed up before entering the intersection
   4. Proceed without checking for pedestrians
   Show answer

   Slow down and yield to crossing traffic and pedestrians; stop if necessary. A YIELD sign calls for reduced speed and yielding to vehicles and pedestrians legally crossing the roadway. The driver stops if necessary, but a complete stop in every case is not the sign's universal command. Speeding up would make yielding harder, and proceeding without a pedestrian check abandons the right-of-way rule. Approach slowly enough to assess the crossing path, then stop when traffic or a pedestrian requires it. The image identifies the sign, while the controlling cue is the conditional stop tied to another road user's lawful movement.

5. 5. What does a steady red X over a lane tell an Alabama driver?

   1. The lane is open for passing
   2. The driver must not drive in that lane
   3. The driver may use the lane with extra speed
   4. The lane is reserved for emergency vehicles only
   Show answer

   The driver must not drive in that lane. A steady red X means a driver must not drive in the lane beneath that signal. It controls the use of that particular lane and supplements the other traffic controls, so a driver must still follow signs and safe-driving rules elsewhere. The passing option treats a closed lane as available, and the emergency-only option invents a restriction not stated by the signal. Look overhead before entering a lane, especially where lane directions change during congestion, construction, or reversible traffic operations.

6. 6. After moving within Alabama, how long does a driver have to notify the Driver License Division of the new address?

   1. 30 days
   2. 10 days
   3. 90 days
   4. One year
   Show answer

   30 days. After changing your address within Alabama, you have 30 days under Alabama Code 760-X-1-.07(7) to notify the Driver License Division of the new address. An Alabama citizen may update the address on the state driver record without charge online, though a corrected card carries a duplicate fee. Keeping the address current ensures renewal and suspension notices reach you, and it is required even if the mail is forwarded.

7. 7. What does the Alabama manual recommend for tires when driving in snow?

   1. Bald tires for better contact
   2. Snow treads on the drive wheels, while still driving below normal speed
   3. Overinflated tires
   4. Chains on all four wheels at all times
   Show answer

   Snow treads on the drive wheels, while still driving below normal speed. Snow treads on the drive wheels are recommended for general driving during snow because they greatly improve traction for starting and stopping. Do not be overconfident because you have them; you still must drive at less than normal speed. Start slowly to find out how slippery the road is, then adjust your speed to the situation, leaving extra room to stop on packed snow.

8. 8. What is the safest response if an Alabama vehicle has a blowout?

   1. Hold the steering wheel, steer straight, and ease off the accelerator
   2. Brake hard immediately
   3. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
   4. Shift into reverse while moving
   Show answer

   Hold the steering wheel, steer straight, and ease off the accelerator. During a blowout, hold the steering wheel firmly, steer straight, and ease up on the accelerator. Braking before control returns can make the vehicle less stable, so the hard-braking option is especially dangerous. A sharp turn may create a second loss of control before speed is reduced. Keep the vehicle pointed straight, let it slow, and brake only after control has been regained. A thumping sound or a pull to one side can warn of tire trouble, so respond calmly rather than making a sudden correction.

9. 9. At what distance must Alabama drivers dim headlights for an oncoming vehicle?

   1. Within 100 feet
   2. Within 200 feet
   3. Within 300 feet
   4. Within 500 feet
   Show answer

   Within 500 feet. Headlights must be dimmed within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. The 200-foot figure applies when following another vehicle, so using it for an approaching vehicle leaves high beams on too close to the other driver. Lower beams reduce glare and help prevent temporary blindness. Make the change before the vehicles meet, even if the other driver has not dimmed yet. Remember the paired numbers: 500 feet for oncoming traffic and 200 feet when following.

10. 10. What does a steady circular yellow traffic signal require a driver to do?

    1. Clear the intersection and do not enter when the red signal comes on
    2. Enter quickly before the red signal
    3. Stop only if another vehicle is present
    4. Turn in any direction without yielding
    Show answer

    Clear the intersection and do not enter when the red signal comes on. A steady circular yellow means the driver should clear the intersection, and must not enter it when the red signal comes on. It is not an invitation to accelerate through the junction. The option “Enter quickly before the red signal” encourages a late entry, while the stop-only-if-busy option overlooks the signal change itself. If you are already lawfully in the intersection, proceed out safely. If you have not entered, prepare to stop when safe and obey the red indication that follows.

11. 11. How many nonfamily passengers may an Alabama 16 year old driver carry, not counting a parent, guardian or supervising driver 21 or older?

    1. No more than 4
    2. No more than 2
    3. None at all
    4. No more than 1
    Show answer

    No more than 1. A driver who is 16, or 17 with a license held less than 6 months, may not have more than 1 nonfamily passenger other than the parent, guardian or supervising licensed driver at least 21. The manual notes the limit was reduced from four in 2010, so four is the old number. Two is not the rule, and a total ban is stricter than the law. Family members are not counted toward the limit.

12. 12. What is the minimum reinstatement fee after an Alabama license is suspended, revoked, canceled or disqualified?

    1. $25
    2. $50
    3. $10
    4. Not less than $100
    Show answer

    Not less than $100. Anyone whose Alabama license has been canceled, suspended, revoked or disqualified must pay a reinstatement fee of not less than $100, plus meet other legal requirements, before being relicensed. The $50 figure is an added fee for failing to surrender the license on time, not the base fee. Twenty-five and ten dollars both fall below the stated minimum, so neither can be the reinstatement fee.

13. 13. What does Alabama say about speeds above a statutory limit?

    1. They are prima facie evidence that the speeds are unlawful
    2. They are lawful whenever the driver is on an interstate
    3. They are allowed if the driver signals before accelerating
    4. They are required on roads with posted minimums
    Show answer

    They are prima facie evidence that the speeds are unlawful. Alabama treats a speed above a statutory limit as prima facie evidence that the speed is unlawful, and the manual notes that the driver may be arrested. A posted limit is a ceiling, not a target that becomes optional when traffic is light. The interstate choice confuses a road category with permission to exceed the sign. Signaling has no effect on the speed rule, and a posted minimum concerns driving too slowly, not speeding above the maximum. Read the regulatory sign, then reduce speed for weather, traffic, visibility, and roadway conditions even when the posted maximum is higher.

14. 14. What happens when a driver under arrest for DUI refuses a directed chemical breath test in Alabama?

    1. The license is renewed automatically
    2. The vehicle registration is canceled
    3. The driver receives only a parking citation
    4. The driver license is suspended
    Show answer

    The driver license is suspended. A driver under arrest for Driving Under the Influence who refuses to submit to chemical breath tests when directed by an officer will have the driver license suspended. The rule concerns the license, not cancellation of vehicle registration or a routine parking citation. Automatic renewal is the opposite of the stated consequence. Treat the refusal as its own administrative risk: the suspension can follow the test refusal even while other DUI proceedings are handled separately.

15. 15. A two-way left-turn lane in the center of a roadway is reserved for:

    
    1. Parking while waiting for a signal
    2. Passing through traffic in both directions
    3. Left-turning vehicles in either direction
    4. Traveling straight when the outside lanes are crowded
    Show answer

    Left-turning vehicles in either direction. Alabama describes a center lane with two-way left-turn markings as reserved exclusively for vehicles turning left from either direction. It is not a general travel lane, passing lane, or parking strip. Driving straight through it would expose the vehicle to opposing turning movements and defeats the lane's purpose. Use it briefly to prepare for a left turn, watch for vehicles approaching from the other direction, and leave the center lane as soon as the turn can be completed safely.

16. 16. According to a study cited in the Alabama manual, how far do a car and a loaded truck need to stop from 55 mph?

    1. 193 feet for a passenger car and 430 feet for a loaded truck
    2. 50 feet and 100 feet
    3. 193 feet for both
    4. 1,000 feet for both
    Show answer

    193 feet for a passenger car and 430 feet for a loaded truck. A National Safety Council study of reaction time and braking distance found that at 55 miles per hour a passenger car needs 193 feet to stop safely and a loaded truck needs 430 feet. That gap is why cutting in front of a truck is so dangerous. Never cross behind a truck or bus that is backing up, because the driver cannot see you.

17. 17. What must a driver do when approaching an Alabama regulatory sign?

    1. Follow it only if other traffic agrees
    2. Obey the sign without hesitation
    3. Treat it as optional route advice
    4. Ignore it when traveling below the speed limit
    Show answer

    Obey the sign without hesitation. Alabama describes regulatory signs as controls on traffic movement, and drivers must obey them without hesitation. A stop, yield, speed limit, or turn restriction therefore carries an instruction that governs the maneuver, not a suggestion that may be accepted when convenient. The choice that makes compliance depend on what nearby drivers do removes the legal force of the sign. A driver should identify the sign early, adjust speed and position, and complete the required action before continuing through the controlled area.

18. 18. When rain, sleet, or snow requires windshield wipers, what does Alabama law require regarding headlights?

    1. Turn on high beams whenever precipitation begins
    2. Use parking lights only while the wipers are running
    3. Turn on headlights, unless the wipers are used intermittently
    4. Headlights are required only after sunset
    Show answer

    Turn on headlights, unless the wipers are used intermittently. Alabama ties headlight use to windshield wipers when the wipers are operating because of rain, sleet, or snow. The rule improves visibility to other road users during weather that can obscure a vehicle. Intermittent wiper use is specifically excluded, so the choice “Turn on headlights, unless the wipers are used intermittently” includes the important qualification. Parking lights alone do not satisfy the rule, high beams can create glare, and waiting for darkness ignores the weather trigger. When steady precipitation makes you run the wipers, turn on the headlights as part of the same habit.

19. 19. When must Alabama drivers turn on headlights under the nighttime visibility rule?

    1. Only when rain is falling
    2. Only from midnight until dawn
    3. From a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, and during limited visibility
    4. From sunset until midnight regardless of visibility
    Show answer

    From a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, and during limited visibility. Alabama requires headlights, not parking lights alone, from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. The rule also applies during other limited-visibility periods when the driver cannot clearly see at least 500 feet. Midnight is not the trigger, and rain is only one possible cause of reduced visibility. The choice “From sunset until midnight regardless of visibility” ends the required period too early. Keep the timing cue in two parts: the half-hour nighttime window, plus any condition that prevents a clear 500-foot view.

20. 20. When may an Alabama driver use the shoulder to pass?

    1. Whenever the shoulder is paved
    2. Only during an emergency or when directed by traffic authorities
    3. When traffic is stopped
    4. When passing a slow truck
    Show answer

    Only during an emergency or when directed by traffic authorities. It is unlawful to drive on the shoulder to pass except during an emergency or when so directed by traffic authorities. Passing on the right is allowed only where the road has two or more lanes in your direction or the vehicle ahead is turning left, and even then check traffic ahead and behind and signal. A signal alone does not give you the right to move over.