AR Permit Practice Test 25

All 20 questions in test 25

Every question below comes from the Arkansas 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 person on foot or on a bike looks ready to move into your lane. What should you do?

   1. Sound your horn to warn the person
   2. Flash your headlights and keep your speed
   3. Swerve around the person without a signal
   4. Wave the person across and slow down
   Show answer

   Sound your horn to warn the person. The guide lists situations when you should sound your vehicle horn, and one is when a person on foot or on a bike appears to be moving into your lane of travel. The horn alerts the person to your presence before you reach them. Flashing lights, swerving, or waving the person ahead give a weaker or riskier warning, and swerving without a signal can put you in the path of other traffic.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights, Horn and Signals

2. 2. You are about to back out of your driveway and a child's toy may be behind the car. What should you do first?

   1. Look in the rearview mirror once you are inside
   2. Back out slowly and sound the horn
   3. Use the backup lights to warn anyone nearby
   4. Check behind the vehicle before you get in
   Show answer

   Check behind the vehicle before you get in. The guide says that when backing from a parking space or in a straight line, you should check behind your vehicle before you get in, because children or small objects cannot be seen from the driver's seat. A mirror cannot show the area directly behind your car, and a horn or lights do not tell you whether something is there. Walking around the car first is the check.

3. 3. You are driving on a wet road that feels slick under your tires. Why should you open a larger gap ahead of your car?

   1. Slick pavement notably shortens your stopping distance sharply
   2. A wider gap matters mainly when following large trucks ahead
   3. Extra space matters only on gravel roads
   4. Slick roads need extra stopping room and space ahead
   Show answer

   Slick roads need extra stopping room and space ahead. Slick pavement gives tires less grip, so a stop takes more distance than on dry pavement. Opening more space ahead turns a sudden stop by the vehicle in front into a controlled brake instead of a rushed one. The habit works best when you build the gap early and keep speed moderate. Checking a phone never belongs in following distance decisions. A calm gap also leaves room if traffic compresses at a turn or hill.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency Vehicles and the Move Over Law

4. 4. An oncoming motorcycle shows a blinking turn signal as you wait to turn across its path. What should you do before moving?

   1. Turn at once since the rider will turn
   2. Wait to see if the rider actually turns
   3. Wave the rider on and start your turn
   4. Assume the signal is on by mistake and go
   Show answer

   Wait to see if the rider actually turns. The guide warns not to be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle, because motorcycle signals do not automatically cancel and riders forget to turn them off. It tells drivers to wait and see whether the motorcycle is going to turn before proceeding. Acting on the signal alone can put your car in front of a rider who is going straight, so you wait until you see what the rider does.

   Study this in the handbook: Trucks, Motorcycles and Bicycles

5. 5. After drinking alcohol in Arkansas, what is the only thing that will sober a person up?

   1. Coffee and a cold shower taken together
   2. Time
   3. Fresh air and exercise for half an hour
   4. A large meal eaten after drinking ends
   Show answer

   Time. Only time sobers a person up after drinking. Coffee and a cold shower may make someone feel more awake, yet the alcohol remains in the body. Fresh air and exercise have the same limit; they do not clear alcohol faster. A large meal after drinking does not undo what has already been absorbed. Feeling more alert is not the same as being sober. Anyone who has been drinking should wait it out fully and let a sober person handle the driving.

   Study this in the handbook: Drinking and Driving

6. 6. Rain and fog thicken until you can no longer see the road ahead. What should you do?

   1. Slow to a crawl and keep going in your own lane until it clears
   2. Stop in your lane with your hazard lights on
   3. Pull over in a safe place and wait for clearer weather
   4. Follow the tail lights of the car ahead
   Show answer

   Pull over in a safe place and wait for clearer weather. The guide says that any time you cannot see the road ahead, you should pull over in a safe place and wait until the weather clears. Creeping along or following another car's tail lights leaves you blind to hazards, and stopping in a travel lane puts you in the path of traffic that may not see you. A safe pull-off keeps you out of traffic until you can see again.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed Limits and Road Conditions

7. 7. You finish a sharp turn at an Arkansas intersection and the road ahead is straight. What should you do with the wheel?

   1. Let it slide back through your hands on its own as you accelerate
   2. Hold it in the turned position until you stop
   3. Return it to match the direction the vehicle should now go
   4. Turn it a little further to settle the vehicle
   Show answer

   Return it to match the direction the vehicle should now go. In its section on steering, the guide teaches the hand-over-hand technique for sharp turns and then says that when you complete a turn you should return the steering wheel to the appropriate position for the direction the vehicle should be moving. Guiding the wheel back yourself keeps the car going where you intend. Letting go or holding the turn gives up control just after the turn, when the vehicle is moving into the next part of the road.

8. 8. You are on an entrance ramp and the main road has no gap yet. How should you handle your speed on the ramp?

   1. Slow on the ramp to keep room to speed up later
   2. Stay at full speed and force your way in ahead of traffic
   3. Stop at the start of the ramp until it clears
   4. Stay at the same speed and merge at the end
   Show answer

   Slow on the ramp to keep room to speed up later. The guide says that if you must wait for a space to enter the roadway, you should slow down on the ramp to allow room to speed up when it is clear to merge. That keeps your options open without stopping. Forcing a gap at full speed risks a crash, and stopping early on the ramp leaves you with too little room to build up to traffic speed.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed Limits and Road Conditions

9. 9. Your view ahead is short, and at your speed you doubt that you could stop for something hidden in it. What should you conclude?

   1. Your speed is fine as long as you are under the limit
   2. Your speed is fine if the road is dry
   3. Your speed matters only at night
   4. Your speed may be unsafe for the view you have
   Show answer

   Your speed may be unsafe for the view you have. The guide says that if you cannot see a safe length ahead at the speed you are driving, you may not be driving at a safe speed. Traveling too fast will not allow time to stop for sudden objects on the road. The posted limit is set for ideal conditions, so a driver can be under the limit and still be going too fast for what can be seen, and the guide notes you can be ticketed for it.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed Limits and Road Conditions

10. 10. Which two driver behaviors does the Arkansas guide say are especially problematic in work zones?

    1. Merging early and following closely
    2. Slowing down and staying alert
    3. Using signals and obeying flaggers
    4. Speeding and distracted driving
    Show answer

    Speeding and distracted driving. The guide says that two driver behaviors can be especially problematic in work zones, speeding and distracted driving. Work zones have narrowed lanes, workers, equipment, and sudden stops, so a driver who is going too fast or looking at a phone has little time to react. Merging early, slowing down, staying alert, using signals, and obeying flaggers are the habits that help.

    Study this in the handbook: Phone Laws and Distracted Driving

11. 11. Your tires begin to ride up on water during heavy rain and steering feels light. What should you do?

    1. Brake hard to regain traction
    2. Turn the wheel sharply to steer out of the water
    3. Ease off the gas and hold the wheel straight
    4. Accelerate to drive through the water
    Show answer

    Ease off the gas and hold the wheel straight. The guide says that hydroplaning happens when tires ride up on water, and that the best way to prevent it is to keep your speed down. If it starts, slowly take your foot off the gas pedal and keep the steering wheel straight. Only turn the wheel in an emergency, and if you must turn, do it slowly. Do not try to stop or turn until your tires grip the road again.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed Limits and Road Conditions

12. 12. Besides signs and signals, which of these can direct traffic and must be obeyed in Arkansas?

    1. A passing driver who waves you through the intersection
    2. A police officer, highway worker, or crossing guard
    3. A pedestrian standing at the curb
    4. A cyclist riding beside the lane
    Show answer

    A police officer, highway worker, or crossing guard. The guide says traffic controls include traffic signals, traffic signs, and pavement markings, and that other traffic controls could be law enforcement, highway personnel, or school crossing guards. Any traffic control must be obeyed when driving. Other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists are not authorized to direct traffic, so a wave from one of them does not change what the law or signals require.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights and Arrows

13. 13. A large tractor-trailer approaches you in Arkansas. Why can judging its motion be hard?

    1. Its size can make it seem to travel slower than it really is
    2. Large trucks always move slower than posted limits
    3. A trailer hides the truck speed completely
    4. Its size makes it seem closer and faster at all times
    Show answer

    Its size can make it seem to travel slower than it really is. A big rig can fool your eyes at a glance. Its large size may create a false sense that it moves slowly, even while it closes distance quickly. That error shows up when drivers pull out or turn with too little gap. Give an approaching truck more time than your first impression suggests. Waiting until it passes is safer than trusting a quick size and speed guess.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, Motorcycles and Bicycles

14. 14. In Arkansas, pressing the gas pedal too fast on wet pavement can cause what?

    1. The drive wheels spin or the vehicle slides
    2. Stronger grip as the tires warm quickly
    3. Faster drying of the brake surfaces nearby
    4. Straighter steering with the wheels locked firm
    Show answer

    The drive wheels spin or the vehicle slides. Tires can only use the grip the wet surface offers, and a sudden push on the accelerator asks for more grip than that surface can give. The result is spinning drive wheels or a vehicle that slides instead of accelerating cleanly. Spinning tires have lost grip rather than gained it, and hard acceleration does not dry brakes or lock steering straight. Press the pedal slowly and smoothly, especially on wet pavement, so the tires stay planted and steering remains predictable as speed builds.

15. 15. A tractor-trailer signals a right turn but first moves toward the left. What should you expect?

    1. The truck is changing lanes to the left ahead of you
    2. The truck is about to stop and back up
    3. The truck driver has signaled in error
    4. It may swing left before turning right
    Show answer

    It may swing left before turning right. The guide says the drivers of tractor-trailers must often swing out to the left as the first step in making a right turn, because the rear wheels of a long vehicle follow a shorter path than the front wheels. It adds that when following a tractor-trailer you should watch the turn signals before trying to pass, and that if a left turn is imminent you should wait to see which way the driver signals before passing on the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, Motorcycles and Bicycles

16. 16. You are driving on a multilane highway and see a stopped police car with its lights on. What does Arkansas law require when possible?

    1. Stay in the same lane and speed up to pass the car
    2. Move to the farthest lane from the police car
    3. Move into the lane next to the police car
    4. Stop behind the police car until it leaves
    Show answer

    Move to the farthest lane from the police car. Arkansas law requires any motor vehicle on a multilane highway to move over, whenever possible, to the farthest lane away from any stopped law enforcement vehicle with its lights turned on. The law protects police officers and people involved in the traffic stop from being injured or killed by traffic moving too close to the edge of the highway. If moving over is unsafe or impossible, you should reduce your speed.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency Vehicles and the Move Over Law

17. 17. You come upon a crash ahead that you were not part of, and help has already arrived. What should you do?

    1. Stop and watch from the shoulder
    2. Slow to a crawl to look at the scene
    3. Keep moving and focus on your driving
    4. Pull over to offer your help to the officers
    Show answer

    Keep moving and focus on your driving. The guide says not to stop at a crash unless you are involved or emergency help has not arrived. Focus on your driving and keep moving, and watch for people in or near the road. It also says not to drive to the scene of an accident, fire, or other disaster, because your vehicle could block the way for police, firefighters, ambulances, and tow trucks. Stopping to watch adds to the hazard.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle Emergencies and Crashes

18. 18. What do Arkansas traffic laws do about right-of-way?

    1. Give one driver absolute right-of-way at all times
    2. Let the larger vehicle claim the right to go
    3. Show who must yield, with no absolute right-of-way
    4. Let the faster driver decide who goes first
    Show answer

    Show who must yield, with no absolute right-of-way. Right-of-way rules assign who waits and who proceeds, but they never grant a shield that makes a crash acceptable. Even when another driver should wait for you, watch that driver and be ready to slow or stop. Size and speed create no claim to proceed. A truck still yields when rules assign waiting, and a fast approach earns no priority. Reading the rule plus the real movement of nearby cars keeps a legal turn from becoming a collision.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

19. 19. Fog thickens on an Arkansas highway while the posted limit stays the same. How should you drive?

    1. Hold the posted limit since the sign has not changed
    2. Slow below the limit to match what you can see
    3. Follow the tail lights ahead of you at the same speed
    4. Speed up slightly so traffic does not bunch behind you
    Show answer

    Slow below the limit to match what you can see. Speed limits are set for ideal conditions. The guide says the maximum speed should be reduced as conditions arise, such as slippery roads or poor visibility. Fog is poor visibility, so you should slow below the posted limit even though the sign has not changed, and the guide adds that you can be ticketed for driving too fast for conditions. Following tail lights or speeding up keeps your speed tied to other drivers instead of what you can actually see.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Lights and Arrows

20. 20. Oncoming traffic is on your left and parked cars are on your right, and a person is stepping out of a parked car. How should you position your car?

    1. Take the middle course but leave more room on the riskier side
    2. Hug the center line to stay clear of the parked cars
    3. Stay tight to the parked cars to keep well away from oncoming traffic
    4. Stop and wait until both hazards are completely gone
    Show answer

    Take the middle course but leave more room on the riskier side. The guide's split difference rule says to split the difference between two hazards by steering the middle course between oncoming and parked vehicles. If one appears more dangerous than the other, you should leave more room on the more dangerous side. With a person stepping out of a parked car, the parked side is the greater risk, so you shift away from it while still keeping clear of oncoming traffic.