AL Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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. An Alabama teen breaks a graduated license restriction. How is the restricted period affected?

   1. It is extended by 30 days
   2. It is shortened
   3. It is extended by 6 months or until the driver reaches 18
   4. It is not affected
   Show answer

   It is extended by 6 months or until the driver reaches 18. Violating any GDL restriction results in the restrictive period being extended by 6 months or until the driver reaches 18 years of age. Thirty days is not the stated extension, and the period is never shortened or left unchanged. The extension keeps the teen under the passenger, nighttime and handheld device limits for longer. A second moving violation or a four point offense brings a separate 60 day suspension.

2. 2. A 16 year old Alabama learner license holder passes the road test. What happens with the learner license?

   1. It is surrendered, and a regular license without the Y restriction is issued at no cost
   2. It is kept as a backup ID
   3. It is extended for one more year
   4. It is mailed back after six months
   Show answer

   It is surrendered, and a regular license without the Y restriction is issued at no cost. A person 16 but under 18 who has held a learner license for six months, or until turning 18, may take the road test and must surrender the learner license at the time of the test. After passing, the applicant gets a new regular license with the Y restriction removed for the rest of the four-year period, at no cost. The learner license is not kept, extended, or mailed back later.

3. 3. When may a driver turn right after stopping at a red light?

   1. Whenever the driver signals, even if pedestrians are crossing
   2. Only when a police officer waves the driver through
   3. Only after waiting for the next complete signal cycle
   4. When in the proper lane, after stopping, and the way is clear
   Show answer

   When in the proper lane, after stopping, and the way is clear. Alabama permits a right turn after a driver stops for a red light when the vehicle is in the proper lane and the way is clear. The driver must still yield to traffic and pedestrians lawfully proceeding through the intersection, and a posted sign can prohibit the turn. A signal alone does not override a pedestrian or another vehicle, so the choice “Whenever the driver signals, even if pedestrians are crossing” is unsafe. Waiting a full cycle is not generally required, and an officer need not authorize an otherwise lawful movement. Stop first, scan the crossing, and turn only into an open path.

4. 4. At an Alabama four-way stop, which vehicle generally leaves first when two vehicles arrive together?

   1. The vehicle furthest to the right
   2. The vehicle on the left
   3. The vehicle with the larger engine
   4. The vehicle that entered the intersection without stopping
   Show answer

   The vehicle furthest to the right. At a four-way stop, vehicles should leave in the order they reached a complete stop. When two arrive at the same time, the vehicle furthest to the right goes first. Engine size has no role in right of way, and entering without stopping is a violation rather than a priority rule. The left-side choice reverses the tie-breaker. Even when it is your turn, pause long enough to confirm that other drivers are yielding because not everyone follows the rule. The practical cue is arrival order first, right side for a tie.

5. 5. When entering an Alabama roundabout, which movement is required?

   1. Turn left across the circulating lane
   2. Turn right through a safe gap in traffic
   3. Stop at the entrance until every approach is empty
   4. Enter straight ahead without yielding to traffic already inside
   Show answer

   Turn right through a safe gap in traffic. The manual directs drivers to enter a roundabout when there is a safe gap and to turn right to join the counterclockwise flow. The left-turn choice would move against the intended circulation. Waiting until every approach is empty is unnecessary and can disrupt traffic because the instruction calls for a safe gap, not total emptiness. A driver must also yield to traffic already in the roundabout, so entering straight through without yielding is unsafe. Slow down, check for pedestrians and bicyclists, yield, then turn right into the open gap.

6. 6. An Alabama driver reaches 24 or more points in a 2-year period. How long is the suspension?

   1. 180 days
   2. 120 days
   3. 365 days
   4. Permanent revocation
   Show answer

   365 days. At 24 or more points in a 2-year period, Alabama's schedule sets a 365 day suspension, the top of the ladder. One hundred eighty days is for 21 to 23 points and 120 days for 18 to 20. The point system suspends licenses; permanent revocation is not part of this schedule. Revocation is handled separately for listed offenses like a second DUI conviction.

7. 7. After an Alabama crash with $500 or more in damage, when must Form SR-31 be sent if the at-fault driver was uninsured?

   1. Within 24 hours
   2. Within 10 days
   3. Within 30 days
   4. Within one year
   Show answer

   Within 30 days. If a crash involves injury, a death, or $500 or more in damage to any vehicle or property, a written Form SR-31 must be sent within 30 days by the driver involved when the at-fault party was not insured. If both parties were insured, neither has to file the SR-31. Twenty-four hours and ten days are not the stated deadline, and one year is far too long. Injury and fatal crashes must also be reported to police right away.

8. 8. For a driver age 21 or older operating a noncommercial vehicle in Alabama, what is the lowest BAC covered by the general alcohol per se threshold?

   1. .04 percent or more
   2. .08 percent or more
   3. .05 percent or more
   4. .10 percent or more
   Show answer

   .08 percent or more. Alabama treats a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or more as unlawful for ordinary drivers, even apart from proof that alcohol affected driving. The .05 choice is important as a warning level because the manual says it impairs most people to some degree, but it is not the stated statutory threshold in this passage. The .04 figure applies to commercial vehicle operators, while .10 is higher than the listed limit. Remember the distinction: impairment can begin below .08, but .08 or more is the listed unlawful concentration for the general driver category.

9. 9. At what age may an Alabama resident obtain a vessel license, and when may a licensed operator boat alone?

   1. Age 12 for the license, and alone at 14 or older
   2. Age 16 for both
   3. Age 18 for both
   4. Age 10 for the license, alone at 12
   Show answer

   Age 12 for the license, and alone at 14 or older. Under the Alabama Boating Safety Reform Act, persons 12 years old and older may obtain a vessel license, and a licensed operator 14 years old or older may operate alone. Licensed operators aged 12 and 13 need an adult 21 or older with a vessel license aboard and able to take control. Persons born before April 28, 1954 are exempt from the exam but must have the vessel class issued.

10. 10. What does a fourth or subsequent Alabama DUI conviction bring?

    1. A $600 fine and 90 day suspension
    2. A misdemeanor with community service
    3. A Class C felony with fines of $4,100 to $10,100, a five year revocation, and one year and one day to 10 years in prison
    4. A one year revocation
    Show answer

    A Class C felony with fines of $4,100 to $10,100, a five year revocation, and one year and one day to 10 years in prison. A fourth or subsequent DUI conviction is a Class C felony. Fines range from $4,100 to $10,100 with a five year revocation of the driver license, and the offender may be imprisoned for not less than one year and one day and up to 10 years. A third conviction carries a three year revocation and a mandatory minimum of 60 days in jail that cannot be probated.

11. 11. When may you cross the centerline to pass on an Alabama curve or hill?

    1. Whenever you sound the horn before moving left
    2. Whenever the vehicle ahead is below the speed limit
    3. When the road has a broken line somewhere behind you
    4. Only when a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet is visible
    Show answer

    Only when a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet is visible. Alabama prohibits crossing the centerline to pass on a curve or hill when the driver cannot see a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet. A slow vehicle ahead does not remove the visibility requirement, and a broken line behind the vehicle says nothing about the road ahead. Sounding the horn can warn another driver but cannot legalize a blind maneuver. Before passing, look far enough ahead to confirm the required view, check behind for another passer, signal, and complete the movement without exceeding the speed limit.

12. 12. What color should the centerline be on an Alabama two-lane highway?

    1. Yellow
    2. White
    3. Blue
    4. Orange
    Show answer

    Yellow. Alabama uses yellow centerlines on two-lane highways because the line separates traffic moving in opposite directions. White markings divide lanes that move the same way or identify certain edges and crossings. The white choice confuses a centerline with a same-direction lane divider. Blue is associated with special services or access markings, and orange generally warns of temporary work conditions, so neither describes the ordinary opposing-traffic separator. When reading pavement, first determine whether vehicles travel toward or alongside one another, then interpret the line color in that context.

13. 13. Which group lists the three types of traffic signs by their function?

    1. Stop, yield, and speed-limit signs
    2. Construction, school, and railroad signs
    3. Interstate, county, and recreational signs
    4. Regulatory, warning, and information or guide signs
    Show answer

    Regulatory, warning, and information or guide signs. Alabama groups traffic signs by function into regulatory, warning, and information or guide signs. The construction, school, and railroad choices name particular subjects or locations, not the full functional classification. Interstate, county, and recreational labels describe route or destination markers, while stop, yield, and speed-limit signs are examples within the regulatory group. A useful study cue is to ask what job the sign performs: it may control traffic, warn about a hazard, or inform and direct motorists. That cue helps separate the three broad families from individual signs shown in the manual.

14. 14. How far does a freight train at 55 mph need to stop, according to the Alabama manual?

    1. About a quarter mile
    2. About 500 feet
    3. About one football field
    4. A mile or more, the length of 18 football fields
    Show answer

    A mile or more, the length of 18 football fields. Trains cannot stop quickly. A freight train traveling at 55 mph takes a mile or more to stop, the length of 18 football fields, so the engineer who sees your car on the crossing can do nothing about it. If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get everyone out and away, then call the number on the crossing sign or local law enforcement. Always expect a train.

15. 15. An emergency vehicle approaches while you are already inside a roundabout. What should you do?

    1. Stop immediately in the roundabout
    2. Continue to your exit, then pull over
    3. Reverse toward the entrance
    4. Circle faster until the emergency vehicle leaves
    Show answer

    Continue to your exit, then pull over. When an emergency vehicle appears after you have entered a roundabout, Alabama instructs you to continue to your exit and then pull over so the emergency vehicle can pass. Stopping in the circle can block the circulating path and create a collision risk. Reversing is incompatible with the one-way design, and increasing speed adds confusion rather than clearing a route. Keep the vehicle moving calmly, exit when safe, stop outside the roundabout, and remain there until the emergency vehicle has passed and the roadway can be reentered safely.

16. 16. What does Alabama's basic speed law require?

    1. Always drive at the posted limit regardless of weather
    2. Never drive faster than is reasonable under existing conditions
    3. Drive exactly 55 mph on every state road
    4. Use the highest speed the vehicle can safely reach
    Show answer

    Never drive faster than is reasonable under existing conditions. Alabama's basic speed law requires a driver to choose a speed that is reasonable for the conditions, never exceeding what the road, weather, vehicle, and driver condition support. A posted limit is not an instruction to maintain that speed during rain, poor visibility, congestion, or a mechanical problem. The fixed-speed choices ignore the manual's emphasis on changing circumstances, while the vehicle-capability choice confuses mechanical potential with lawful judgment. Reduce speed when conditions reduce traction, sight distance, or the time available to respond to hazards.

17. 17. At night, what should a driver watch carefully for?

    1. Nothing if the road is dry
    2. Only vehicles traveling in the same lane
    3. Only signs with flashing lights
    4. Highway signs, pedestrians, bicycles, slow-moving vehicles, and animals on the road
    Show answer

    Highway signs, pedestrians, bicycles, slow-moving vehicles, and animals on the road. The manual warns that night visibility is reduced and lists several roadway users and objects that deserve careful attention: highway signs, pedestrians, bicycles, slow-moving vehicles, and animals on the road. The list is broader than vehicles in the same lane or signs with flashing lights, and dry pavement does not remove the visibility problem. Use the entire list as a night driving scan. Reduce speed when visibility is limited and keep looking beyond the area immediately illuminated by the headlights.

18. 18. What minimum light transmission must Alabama passenger car window tint allow?

    1. At least 5 percent
    2. At least 32 percent
    3. At least 90 percent
    4. At least 70 percent
    Show answer

    At least 32 percent. On passenger cars such as sedans, coupes and station wagons, all side and rear windows may have tinting that allows at least 32 percent light transmission. Front seat side windows of SUVs, trucks, vans and RVs are subject to the same 32 percent restriction, with darker tint permitted behind the driver. Only the upper 6 inches of the windshield may be tinted.

19. 19. On snow or ice, how does stopping distance compare with stopping on dry pavement?

    
    1. It is shorter because tires grip the surface better
    2. It is always exactly twice as long
    3. It can take three to twelve times as much distance
    4. It is unchanged if the headlights are on
    Show answer

    It can take three to twelve times as much distance. The manual warns that snow or ice can require three to twelve times as much distance to stop as dry pavement. The wide range reflects changing surface and vehicle conditions, so following distance must increase substantially before a stop is needed. An exact two-times rule is too narrow, and slippery surfaces reduce tire grip rather than improve it. Headlights help visibility but do not restore traction or shorten the braking distance. Ease off the accelerator early, leave a large gap, and brake gently when the roadway is slick.

20. 20. What roadway feature is warned by a sharp-turn arrow sign?

    
    1. A sharp turn or curve in the direction of the arrow
    2. A straight road with a normal lane change
    3. A one-way street beginning at the next block
    4. A crosswalk controlled by a pedestrian signal
    Show answer

    A sharp turn or curve in the direction of the arrow. The arrow warns of a sharp turn or curve in the direction it points. Such signs may appear in a series when the road changes direction repeatedly. They do not describe an ordinary lane change, a one-way designation, or a pedestrian signal. Reduce speed before the first sharp movement and keep the vehicle positioned for the path shown by the roadway rather than cutting across it.