AZ Permit Practice Test 24

All 20 questions in test 24

Every question below comes from the Arizona 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. A steady yellow light appears and you are already inside the Arizona intersection. What should you do?

   1. Continue and clear the intersection safely
   2. Stop at once in the middle of the intersection
   3. Speed up sharply to beat the red light
   4. Back up behind the stop line
   Show answer

   Continue and clear the intersection safely. A steady yellow warns that red is coming. A driver who has not entered should stop safely, but a driver already inside the intersection should continue moving and clear it safely. Stopping in the middle blocks cross traffic that is about to move. Speeding up to beat the light is unlawful and can cause a crash. Backing up toward the stop line endangers vehicles and people behind. Clearing promptly and smoothly keeps the crossing open for the next phase.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and red light running

2. 2. When setting up to parallel park in Arizona, how should your car line up with the forward car?

   1. Stop alongside it with back bumpers lined up together
   2. Stop with your front bumper beside its front door panel
   3. Stop two car lengths behind it in the travel lane
   4. Stop facing it from the opposite parking lane
   Show answer

   Stop alongside it with back bumpers lined up together. Parallel parking starts from a matched position beside the vehicle ahead of the space. Stopping alongside with back bumpers lined up gives the reverse turn the right starting angle toward the curb. A front door alignment starts the swing too early, and a long gap behind wastes traffic space and steering room. Facing traffic from the opposite lane is unlawful and dangerous. From the bumper matched start, the driver backs slowly, turns sharply, and straightens once parallel while still watching traffic behind.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules, hills and painted curbs

3. 3. The signal ahead shows a flashing yellow light in Arizona. What should you do?

   1. Stop completely as at a stop sign
   2. Speed up to pass through before the light changes again
   3. Wait for a green light before you go
   4. Slow down and go through with caution if clear
   Show answer

   Slow down and go through with caution if clear. A flashing yellow light in Arizona means you should slow down and proceed with caution if the roadway is clear. You do not have to stop, but you must be ready to react to cross traffic, pedestrians, and other hazards. It is different from a flashing red light, which has the same meaning as a stop sign. Speeding up or waiting for a green light does not match the signal.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and red light running

4. 4. A pennant-shaped sign stands on the left side of an Arizona two-lane road. What does it mean?

   1. A no-passing zone begins here
   2. A school zone starts and you must stop
   3. A railroad crossing lies ahead
   4. A safe speed for the next curve
   Show answer

   A no-passing zone begins here. The pennant-shaped sign marks the beginning of a no-passing zone in Arizona. It stands on the left side of the road, facing you, so you can see it as you approach. Once you pass it, do not pass other vehicles until the zone ends. The shape helps drivers recognize the restriction even when the wording is hard to read, and it reinforces the solid yellow line on the pavement.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs, railroad crossings and work zones

5. 5. How should an Arizona driver adjust speed on wet roads?

   1. Keep the normal dry road speed
   2. Speed up to clear the wet area sooner than others
   3. Reduce speed appropriately for wet conditions
   4. Use the posted limit as a required speed
   Show answer

   Reduce speed appropriately for wet conditions. Wet pavement cuts tire grip, lengthens stopping distance, and can hide painted markings and potholes. Reducing speed to fit the wet surface restores some of that lost margin. The posted limit was set for the best conditions and never commands that speed in rain. Hurrying through a wet stretch adds hydroplaning risk. Slower travel also pairs with a longer following cushion so a stop ahead does not become a slide. The driver should judge spray, standing water, and wiper demand as cues to slow further.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and work zones

6. 6. What usually causes car and motorcycle collisions at Arizona intersections?

   1. Motorcycles speeding on open freeways at night
   2. Motorcycles following cars too closely
   3. A car turning across a motorcycle path
   4. Cars changing lanes on wide highways
   Show answer

   A car turning across a motorcycle path. The dominant pattern is a car turning across a motorcycle path after the driver fails to see the bike or misjudges its closeness and speed. Intersections concentrate that risk. Speeding and following distance play roles in other crashes, but the turning failure leads. A driver should look twice for a narrow motorcycle profile before turning and wait when speed feels uncertain. That second look costs seconds and attacks the exact error behind most car and motorcycle collisions in Arizona traffic.

   Study this in the handbook: Bicycles, motorcycles, trucks and light rail

7. 7. Farm machinery ahead pulls to the left before turning. What may the operator be doing in Arizona?

   1. Passing the vehicle traveling ahead of it
   2. Stopping in line for a school bus ahead
   3. Entering a freeway ramp from a farm road
   4. Setting up a wide turn to the right side
   Show answer

   Setting up a wide turn to the right side. Long farm equipment needs a wide swing, so the operator may pull left first to line up a right turn into a field or side road. Reading that move as a pass or a stop can lead a following driver into the turn path. Freeway ramps play no role on farm roads. The safe response is to slow, hold position, and let the swing finish. Wide turns by slow machinery are normal rural events, and the equipment may lack signals to explain the plan clearly.

   Study this in the handbook: Freeway and highway driving

8. 8. You follow a tractor-trailer that blocks your view of the road ahead in Arizona. What following change is needed?

   1. Move closer to see brake lights sooner
   2. Follow in the truck blind spot for shade
   3. Extra distance so you can see around the vehicle
   4. Match the truck bumper distance exactly
   Show answer

   Extra distance so you can see around the vehicle. A tractor trailer wall hides signals, brake lights, and debris ahead. Extra following distance opens side views around the rig and lengthens the time to respond when the truck brakes for something unseen. Moving closer shrinks both view and time. Blind spot travel adds invisibility to the truck driver. The added gap also protects against tire debris and sudden truck lane shifts in wind. Distance behind large vehicles is vision, not wasted space, on Arizona highways.

   Study this in the handbook: Freeway and highway driving

9. 9. You are tempted to move in front of a large truck and then slow down on an Arizona highway. Why is this dangerous?

   1. A truck driver cannot use the horn
   2. A truck cannot change lanes at all
   3. A truck takes about twice as long to stop
   4. A truck needs the lane to be dry
   Show answer

   A truck takes about twice as long to stop. The manual says not to cut in front of trucks because it takes trucks twice as long to stop. If you pull in front of a truck and then slow down or brake, the driver may not be able to stop in time, even if the driver is paying attention. Leave plenty of room behind your vehicle before moving in front of a truck, and avoid braking suddenly once you are there.

   Study this in the handbook: Freeway and highway driving

10. 10. A tire blows out as you drive on an Arizona highway. What should you do first?

    1. Brake hard to stop as quickly as you can
    2. Steer toward the shoulder right away and slow
    3. Swerve to the left to balance the weight of the car
    4. Hold the wheel tightly, keep straight, and ease off the gas
    Show answer

    Hold the wheel tightly, keep straight, and ease off the gas. After a blowout, hold the steering wheel tightly and keep your vehicle going straight. Ease off the gas pedal and do not apply the brakes. Braking hard or steering sharply can make the car lose control, because the blown tire already pulls the vehicle to one side. Let the vehicle slow on its own, then signal and pull off the roadway when you are nearly stopped.

    Study this in the handbook: Dust storms, blowouts, fires and brake failure

11. 11. You are driving at night in Arizona. Which speed rule applies to you?

    1. You must be able to stop within the distance you can see
    2. You may go the daytime speed if the road is straight
    3. You may go faster since traffic is lighter
    4. You must match the speed of the car ahead
    Show answer

    You must be able to stop within the distance you can see. Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead with your lights. At night, headlights show a limited stretch of road, so your speed must allow you to stop before reaching anything in that area. A straight road, light traffic, or the speed of a car ahead does not change that. Slow down if the visible distance is short.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, bad weather and night driving

12. 12. Headlights fail at night in Arizona. What should the driver try first?

    1. Drive on without any lights
    2. Try the high and low beam switch first
    3. Remove the headlight bulbs at the roadside
    4. Follow another vehicle bumper closely
    Show answer

    Try the high and low beam switch first. A beam selector fault can kill one circuit while the other still works, so flipping the high and low beam switch may restore light instantly. Cycling the headlight switch on and off several times is the next attempt. Driving dark or tailing another bumper creates new dangers far beyond the failure. Bulb work belongs off the roadway. If both attempts fail, parking lights, flashers, or turn signals mark the vehicle while it pulls aside and stops for help.

    Study this in the handbook: Dust storms, blowouts, fires and brake failure

13. 13. You approach an Arizona intersection controlled by signals and signs. What is the driver's duty?

    1. Follow the vehicle ahead through the intersection even if its light was green
    2. Obey the signals and signs and yield the right-of-way as directed
    3. Treat a stop sign as optional when the cross street looks empty
    4. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the right side
    Show answer

    Obey the signals and signs and yield the right-of-way as directed. Arizona drivers must obey traffic signals and signs at controlled intersections. They must also yield the right-of-way to other vehicles as directed by the signs and the rules for the intersection. Copying the driver ahead, skipping a stop because the cross street looks clear, or yielding to only one side does not meet that duty. Following the posted control and yielding when it tells you to keeps conflicting traffic moving in an orderly sequence.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and red light running

14. 14. Before changing lanes in Arizona, what checks must a driver make besides using mirrors?

    1. Sound the horn and move at once
    2. Flash headlights and change lanes
    3. Turn the head and look over the shoulder
    4. Open the window and listen for traffic nearby
    Show answer

    Turn the head and look over the shoulder. Mirrors leave blind areas beside the rear of the vehicle where a car or motorcycle can travel unseen. Turning the head and looking over the shoulder covers that gap before the vehicle moves sideways. A horn or headlight flash cannot confirm the lane is empty. Listening through an open window is unreliable at road speed and near trucks. The full pattern is signal, mirror check, shoulder look, and then a smooth move when the space is clear. Skipping the shoulder look is a common cause of side crashes during merges.

    Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving, scanning and following distance

15. 15. After finishing a turn or lane change in Arizona, what should you check about your turn signal?

    1. Leave it on until the next turn
    2. Be sure the turn signal is off
    3. Turn on hazard flashers briefly
    4. Signal again in the opposite direction
    Show answer

    Be sure the turn signal is off. A signal left blinking after a move tells nearby drivers a false story about the next turn or lane change. Another driver may pull out or change lanes based on that false promise. Turning the signal off as soon as the move ends keeps communication honest. Hazard flashers mark a hazard rather than cancel a turn message, and signaling the opposite way adds confusion. A quick glance at the dashboard indicator after each turn builds the habit and prevents miles of misleading blinking on Arizona highways.

    Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving, scanning and following distance

16. 16. You are driving on a street that ends at a T where it meets a through street, and no signs are posted. Who must yield?

    1. The driver on the through street, as you came first
    2. Whoever has the faster vehicle at the corner
    3. The driver who turns left, regardless of street
    4. You must, because your street ends at the T
    Show answer

    You must, because your street ends at the T. At a T intersection, the driver on the street which ends must yield. The through street continues in both directions, so its traffic has the right-of-way over vehicles entering from the side. Arriving first or having a faster vehicle does not change that. Stop or slow as needed, check both directions for through traffic, and enter only when there is a safe gap.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and red light running

17. 17. How may auto traffic cross Arizona METRO light rail tracks?

    1. At any paved crossing point
    2. Only at controlled locations
    3. By following another car closely
    4. On the six-inch curb sections
    Show answer

    Only at controlled locations. Light rail runs in its own trackway separated from street traffic by six inch curbs, and cars may cross that trackway only at controlled locations. Controlled crossings carry signals and signs that account for train approach. Following a car closely cannot prove a second train is absent. Curb sections separate rather than invite traffic. Holding to controlled crossings keeps the car path where drivers, train operators, and pedestrians all expect it. At those points, signals and a look both ways still apply before crossing.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and turning lanes

18. 18. An overhead Arizona freeway sign warns of a wrong-way driver ahead. What should you do?

    1. Continue and watch the left lane only ahead
    2. Stop on the freeway shoulder at once
    3. Move safely toward the nearest exit soon
    4. Change to the HOV lane for protection
    Show answer

    Move safely toward the nearest exit soon. An overhead wrong way alert means a vehicle may already be traveling toward traffic on that freeway stretch. Leaving at the nearest exit removes your vehicle from the meeting zone entirely. Shoulder stopping keeps you beside the path and the HOV lane is where wrong way drivers usually travel. Watching only one lane misses ramp entries from the right. Exiting early trades a small delay for separation from an impaired driver whose movements cannot be predicted.

    Study this in the handbook: Crashes, wrong way drivers and traffic stops

19. 19. Why must an Arizona driver not open a hot radiator cap?

    1. It voids the vehicle warranty
    2. Steam may escape and cause severe burns
    3. It drains oil from the engine
    4. It resets the temperature gauge
    Show answer

    Steam may escape and cause severe burns. Coolant under pressure stays liquid above normal boiling temperature until the cap releases it, when it flashes to steam against hands and face. That eruption causes severe burns in seconds. Warranty, oil, and gauge concerns miss the physical hazard entirely. The hood can be raised to release heat while the cap stays sealed. Water goes in only after the engine cools. Patience beside a desert highway feels slow, but a burn injury turns a breakdown into a medical emergency.

    Study this in the handbook: Dust storms, blowouts, fires and brake failure

20. 20. A vehicle fire may be beyond your control in Arizona. What must you do?

    1. Get away from the vehicle
    2. Keep fighting until help arrives
    3. Open all doors to feed air inside
    4. Move the burning vehicle downhill
    Show answer

    Get away from the vehicle. Fuel, tires, and interior materials can turn a small fire into a sudden blaze with toxic smoke. Any indication the fire exceeds control is the signal to abandon the vehicle and put distance between people and the flames. Feeding air through open doors and moving a burning vehicle spread the hazard. The earlier steps still matter: pull off quickly, shut off ignition to cut electrical power, and clear passengers. From safety, a 911 call brings trained crews with proper equipment.

    Study this in the handbook: Dust storms, blowouts, fires and brake failure