CA Permit Practice Test 15

All 20 questions in test 15

Every question below comes from the California 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. After a collision with no injuries, what should you do with a drivable vehicle?

   1. Leave it where it stopped until insurance arrives.
   2. Block the lane to preserve the scene.
   3. Drive home and report the collision later.
   4. Move it out of traffic and then call 911.
   Show answer

   Move it out of traffic and then call 911.. When no one is hurt in a collision, California tells drivers to move the vehicle out of traffic and then call 911. Leaving a drivable car in the lane can delay help and create another crash hazard. The preserve-the-scene option is wrong for this no-injury situation because the handbook prioritizes clearing traffic. Use the cue of no injuries and a vehicle that can move: get it out of the travel lane before making the call.

2. 2. Can driving after excessive medication violate DUI law?

   1. Yes, even medicines like cough syrup count
   2. No, only beverages count
   3. No, medicines are always safe
   4. Yes, but only illegal drugs
   Show answer

   Yes, even medicines like cough syrup count. Cough syrups, sleep aids, allergy pills, and painkillers routinely impair driving, and the DUI law treats them exactly like alcohol when they do. The handbook names cough syrup precisely because drivers dismiss it as harmless medicine. Read every label, heed driving warnings, and treat drowsiness from any source as a no-drive signal. Sleep aids, allergy pills, and painkillers impair as surely as alcohol does.

3. 3. Is driving after mixing alcohol with drugs illegal?

   1. Only illegal drugs count
   2. Any alcohol-drug combination that impairs safe driving
   3. Only alcohol above 0.08% matters
   4. Combinations are legal if prescribed
   Show answer

   Any alcohol-drug combination that impairs safe driving. Impairment is impairment whatever the recipe: alcohol plus prescriptions, over-the-counter pills, cannabis, or illegal drugs all trigger the same DUI law when they degrade driving ability. Prescribed status never excuses impaired driving, and combined substances often multiply each other's effects beyond what either would do alone. The handbook lists this combination ban alongside the standalone alcohol and drug rules. Tell your doctor about driving needs so prescriptions can avoid impairing options.

4. 4. Which headlights should you use when driving in heavy fog or smoke?

   1. Parking lights only
   2. High beams so others can see you sooner
   3. No lights unless it is nighttime
   4. Low beams
   Show answer

   Low beams. Low beams work best in fog or heavy smoke because high beams reflect back and create glare. Parking lights alone are also unsafe because they do not give enough forward visibility or make the vehicle stand out properly. The high-beam choice is tempting at night, but fog changes the rule. Use the cue from what you see through the windshield: if light bounces back at you, stay with low beams and slow down.

5. 5. How long must a California minor hold an instruction permit before scheduling the behind-the-wheel drive test?

   1. At least 30 days
   2. At least 1 year
   3. At least 3 months
   4. At least 6 months, or until turning 18
   Show answer

   At least 6 months, or until turning 18. An applicant under 18 must have an instruction permit from California or another state for at least 6 months, or turn 18, before scheduling the behind-the-wheel drive test. During that time the minor must complete driver education and driver training and practice for at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25, ten of those hours at night. Thirty days, three months, and a full year are not the handbook's figure.

6. 6. What will the Freeway Service Patrol NOT do for you?

   1. Jump start a dead battery
   2. Report your collision to CHP
   3. Tow you to a private shop or home, or recommend repair businesses
   4. Give you a gallon of gas
   Show answer

   Tow you to a private shop or home, or recommend repair businesses. FSP keeps traffic moving rather than replacing private tow companies: if your car cannot be restarted, it goes free of charge only to a CHP-approved location, and CHP notifies your auto club or a tow service from there. Recommending shops would create conflicts of interest, so patrol drivers stay neutral. Gas, jump starts, and collision reports remain firmly on the provided list.

7. 7. When parallel parking, at what angle should you back into the space?

   1. Straight back at no angle
   2. At about a 90-degree angle
   3. At about a 45-degree angle
   4. At about a 10-degree angle
   Show answer

   At about a 45-degree angle. The 45-degree entry swings the nose clear of the car ahead while aiming the rear wheels at the curb in one smooth arc. After checking mirrors and blind spots over the shoulder, begin backing and turn into that angle, then straighten when the rear wheel nears 18 inches from the curb. Pulling forward and back as needed finishes the car parallel and tight to the curb.

8. 8. What does a flashing red traffic signal require at an intersection?

   1. Stop first, then continue only when it is safe
   2. Slow to a crawl without stopping if cross traffic is clear
   3. Wait for a green light before moving again
   4. Treat the signal as a warning that cross traffic must stop
   Show answer

   Stop first, then continue only when it is safe. A flashing red signal is handled like a stop control. Come to a complete stop, check for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, then proceed only when the way is clear. The green-light choice goes too far because the handbook lets you go after stopping when it is safe. A practical cue is the color: flashing red still means stop first, even though it is not a steady red light.

9. 9. Which behavior is listed as one of the most common causes of collisions?

   1. Driver distractions
   2. Using low-beam headlights in rain
   3. Stopping at a red arrow
   4. Leaving extra space in work zones
   Show answer

   Driver distractions. California lists driver distractions among the most common collision causes. Low beams in rain, stopping at a red arrow, and extra space in work zones are safe behaviors rather than collision causes. The cue is anything pulling attention away from driving, such as a phone, navigation display, children, pets, or controls. Keep the driving task primary so hazards, signs, and changes in traffic are noticed early.

10. 10. How does a loaded truck's stopping distance compare to an empty truck's?

    1. They stop in the same distance
    2. Loaded trucks need much longer to stop than empty ones
    3. Empty trucks need longer because they bounce
    4. Weight has no effect on stopping
    Show answer

    Loaded trucks need much longer to stop than empty ones. Stopping distance grows with both weight and speed, so a fully loaded rig at highway speed needs dramatically more pavement than the same truck empty. Car drivers must respect this physics by never cutting in front of trucks and by giving them extra following room. Truck drivers compensate with larger gaps, lower downhill gears, and earlier, gentler braking. Never cut in front of a truck and brake, since it cannot stop in time.

11. 11. Traffic lanes in California are often called by number. Which lane is the Number 1 Lane?

    1. The far right lane, next to the shoulder
    2. The left, or fast, lane
    3. The center lane of a three-lane road
    4. Whichever lane is marked for carpools
    Show answer

    The left, or fast, lane. California numbers lanes from the left. The left, or fast, lane is the Number 1 Lane, the next lane to its right is the Number 2 Lane, then the Number 3 Lane, and so on. Knowing this helps when a sign, a traffic report, or an officer refers to a lane by number. The far right lane gets the highest number, not the lowest. A center lane is only Number 2 on a three-lane road, and carpool lanes are identified by diamonds and signs, not by this numbering rule.

12. 12. How long do traffic convictions and collisions stay on a California driver record?

    1. 12 months, then they are erased
    2. 18 months for most violations
    3. 36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction
    4. Until the license is next renewed
    Show answer

    36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction. Each time a court convicts you of a moving violation, it notifies DMV, and the conviction goes on your record. The handbook says traffic convictions and collisions stay there for 36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction; a DUI, for example, stays for 10 years. That is why the adult point limits are measured over 12, 24 and 36 months. Twelve and 18 months are too short, and renewing your license does not clear anything from your record.

13. 13. What does California say about parking in front of a driveway?

    1. It is allowed if the driveway appears unused.
    2. It is never allowed to park in front of a driveway.
    3. It is allowed for passenger loading only.
    4. It is allowed when at least one lane remains open.
    Show answer

    It is never allowed to park in front of a driveway.. California lists parking in front of a driveway among places where you must never park or leave a vehicle. The unused-driveway option is wrong because the rule does not depend on whether the driveway currently has traffic. Blocking access can trap vehicles or force unsafe backing. The cue is the curb break or driveway entrance: if your parked vehicle would cover that access point, choose another legal space instead.

14. 14. Where is a U-turn allowed in a California business district?

    1. Anywhere traffic is light enough.
    2. Across two sets of double yellow lines.
    3. Only at an intersection or on a divided highway with an opening.
    4. In front of a fire station driveway.
    Show answer

    Only at an intersection or on a divided highway with an opening.. California generally forbids U-turns in business districts, but allows them at an intersection or on a divided highway where an opening has been provided. The light-traffic option ignores the location rule. The two-sets-of-double-yellow option is also barred because that painted barrier cannot be crossed for a U-turn. Use the cue of offices and businesses along the street: in that district, look for an intersection or a divider opening before turning around.

15. 15. Unless otherwise posted, what is the usual maximum speed on most California highways?

    1. 55 mph.
    2. 65 mph.
    3. 60 mph.
    4. 75 mph.
    Show answer

    65 mph.. The handbook states that, unless signs say otherwise, the ideal maximum speed limit on most California highways is 65 mph. The 55 mph option applies to two-lane undivided highways and vehicles towing trailers, so it is a different category. This rule also sits under the Basic Speed Law, meaning conditions may still require a lower speed. The cue is a normal posted or unposted California highway without towing or two-lane-undivided limits.

16. 16. A safety zone is marked in the roadway for people waiting for a streetcar. May you drive through it?

    1. Yes, if the streetcar has already left
    2. Yes, when no pedestrians are standing in it
    3. Yes, at 10 mph or less
    4. No, never, under any condition
    Show answer

    No, never, under any condition. Safety zones are spaces set aside for pedestrians waiting for buses, streetcars, and trolleys, and they are marked by raised buttons or markers on the road. The handbook says not to drive through a safety zone under any condition, so an empty zone or a departed streetcar does not open it to traffic. The 10 mph figure is the limit for passing a bus or streetcar stopped at a safety zone, not permission to enter the zone itself. Treat the raised markers as a curb you cannot cross.

17. 17. When passing a large truck, which practice is safest?

    1. Pass on the left and avoid staying beside the truck longer than needed
    2. Pass on the right so you remain near the shoulder
    3. Match the truck's speed while alongside so the driver can see you
    4. Move back in front as soon as your rear bumper clears the cab
    Show answer

    Pass on the left and avoid staying beside the truck longer than needed. California says to always pass a large vehicle on the left side, and after you pass, move ahead of it rather than driving next to it longer than you need to. Driving alongside makes it hard for the truck driver to avoid dangers in the road, and trucks have large blind spots called No Zones. Do not change lanes directly in front of a truck or cut in and slow down, because it cannot stop as quickly as a car. If you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, the driver cannot see you.

18. 18. What does a five-sided school sign require you to expect?

    
    1. A park entrance where vehicles may stop in the travel lane
    2. A playground where only bicycles must yield
    3. A hospital driveway with emergency vehicles entering traffic
    4. A school area, with children who may be in or near the crosswalk
    Show answer

    A school area, with children who may be in or near the crosswalk. A five-sided sign points to a school area, so slow before reaching it and watch the crosswalks and curb. The park entrance choice misses the school-specific warning and would leave you looking for parked cars instead of children. The practical cue is the pentagon shape with walking figures, which should make you cover the brake, obey crossing guards, and stop if children enter or wait at the crossing.

19. 19. In a highway work zone, whose instructions must you obey?

    1. Special signs and instructions from workers such as flaggers
    2. Only the permanent speed limit signs
    3. Only your own judgment of the road
    4. Nothing until the zone is fully closed
    Show answer

    Special signs and instructions from workers such as flaggers. Work zones rewrite the road daily: lanes shift, surfaces change, and crews work steps from traffic, so temporary signs and human flaggers override normal rules. A flagger's stop paddle carries the force of a traffic signal, and disobeying it endangers workers directly. Fines in work zones run $1,000 or more, with doubling where workers are present. Slow to the posted work-zone limit even when no workers are visible at that moment.

20. 20. What rights do bicyclists have on California roads?

    1. Bicycles must use sidewalks only
    2. Bicycles must always yield to cars
    3. Bicycles hold the same rights and responsibilities as drivers
    4. Bicycles are exempt from traffic signals
    Show answer

    Bicycles hold the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Treating bicycles as vehicles cuts both ways: drivers must share lanes, give passing room, and yield appropriately, while cyclists must stop at signs and signals, ride with traffic, and signal turns. The equality rule is why right-hook turns across bike lanes and door-zone parking are driver violations. Expect bicycles on most roads, including some freeway sections where no alternate route exists.