CA Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

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. 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.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

2. 2. A flashing yellow left-turn arrow appears. What does it mean?

   1. Your left turn is protected from oncoming traffic
   2. You must stop and wait for a green arrow
   3. You may turn after yielding to oncoming traffic
   4. Oncoming vehicles must stop before you turn
   Show answer

   You may turn after yielding to oncoming traffic. A flashing yellow arrow allows the turn, but it is not protected. You must yield to oncoming traffic and proceed cautiously when the gap is safe. The protected-turn choice confuses this signal with a green arrow, where oncoming vehicles are stopped by red. A cue is the flashing yellow color: it gives permission to turn with caution, not ownership of the intersection.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

3. 3. Why should you allow extra time for seniors, people with small children, and people with disabilities at crossings?

   1. They may need extra time to cross safely.
   2. They are exempt from obeying traffic signals.
   3. They are allowed to cross against a red light.
   4. They must wait until all vehicles have passed.
   Show answer

   They may need extra time to cross safely.. California reminds drivers that some pedestrians, including seniors, people with small children, and people with disabilities, may require extra time to cross safely. Pedestrians still follow signals like everyone else, and they have right-of-way in marked or unmarked crosswalks, so drivers must be prepared to yield. The cue is a pedestrian who may move slowly or need assistance. Reduce speed early and wait long enough for the person to fully clear your path.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way: who goes first

4. 4. What follows a DUI conviction at 0.01% BAC or higher?

   1. Only a warning letter
   2. A fine with no other action
   3. One-year revocation plus a licensed DUI program
   4. A 30-day restriction only
   Show answer

   One-year revocation plus a licensed DUI program. Under-21 drivers convicted at the 0.01% zero-tolerance line lose the privilege for a full year and must complete state-licensed DUI education before returning. The program requirement applies on top of fines, fees, and any court punishment. Refusing the chemical test that would prove the violation triggers its own separate suspension. Fines, fees, and court costs pile on top of the revocation and program.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

5. 5. What is the right lane of a multilane road for?

   1. Pass all slower traffic
   2. Race to red lights
   3. Cruise in the blind spots of trucks
   4. Enter or exit traffic, or enter the road from a curb or shoulder
   Show answer

   Enter or exit traffic, or enter the road from a curb or shoulder. The right lane is the road's on-ramp and off-ramp: merging, exiting, and curb departures all happen there so through traffic flows undisturbed on the left. Slower drivers belong there too, keeping the left lanes free for passing. Drifting along in truck blind spots or sprinting between signals in the right lane misuses its access purpose. Trucks with three or more axles face the same keep-right lane restrictions.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

6. 6. At this yield sign, what must you be ready to do?

   
   1. Speed up to match traffic before entering
   2. Stop if needed to let vehicles, bicyclists, or pedestrians pass
   3. Stop only if another driver honks
   4. Proceed first because cross traffic has the sign
   Show answer

   Stop if needed to let vehicles, bicyclists, or pedestrians pass. A yield sign tells you to slow down and be prepared to stop so other traffic or pedestrians with priority can pass. It does not always require a full stop, but it does require one when needed. The speed-up choice is unsafe because yielding begins with slowing and checking. A cue is the red inverted triangle: approach expecting to give way, then enter only after the conflict area is clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

7. 7. During the first 12 months of a California provisional license, which hours are off limits for driving unless a qualifying adult rides along or an exception applies?

   1. Between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
   2. Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
   3. Between midnight and 4 a.m.
   4. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
   Show answer

   Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.. For the first 12 months, a California provisional driver may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a parent, guardian, or other California-licensed driver at least 25 rides along, or a documented exception applies and the required signed note is carried. The other windows shift the start or end time and are not the handbook's figures. The cue is the word provisional and the first year after licensing. The passenger limit on riders under 20 is a separate restriction that applies at all hours during that year.

   Study this in the handbook: Instruction permit and provisional license rules

8. 8. What should you do first if you have a tire blowout?

   1. Abruptly lift off the accelerator
   2. Brake suddenly to stop the vehicle immediately
   3. Hold the steering wheel with both hands
   4. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
   Show answer

   Hold the steering wheel with both hands. For a tire blowout, California first lists holding the steering wheel with both hands so you can keep the vehicle stable. Sudden braking is a dangerous choice because the handbook warns that abrupt braking or quick accelerator release can cause loss of control. The cue is a loud pop, vibration, or strong pull; grip firmly, stabilize the car, release speed gradually, and steer toward a safe place after control returns.

   Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, breakdowns and brake failure

9. 9. 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.

10. 10. A pedestrian is crossing at an unmarked crosswalk. What must you remember?

    1. Drivers may proceed if no white lines are painted
    2. Pedestrians have the right-of-way there
    3. Only school crosswalks create right-of-way
    4. Pedestrians must yield to turning vehicles
    Show answer

    Pedestrians have the right-of-way there. California treats both marked and unmarked crosswalks as places where pedestrians have the right-of-way. The no-white-lines option is wrong because not all crosswalks are painted. At intersections, the crosswalk may exist even when there are no visible lines. The cue is a person crossing where pedestrians are legally expected, especially at an intersection. Slow, stop if needed, and allow enough time for the person to finish crossing safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way: who goes first

11. 11. How may a minor use a cell phone while driving?

    1. For hands-free calls during daylight
    2. Only to make an emergency assistance call
    3. For texting when traffic is stopped
    4. Any time the phone is mounted
    Show answer

    Only to make an emergency assistance call. A minor may use a cell phone while driving only for emergency assistance. The mounted-phone and single-swipe rules are adult hands-free rules, not permission for minors to talk or text. Stopped traffic is still driving for this restriction. The cue is the driver's age: if the driver is under 18, calls, answering, sending, and responding are off limits unless the call is for an emergency.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and cell phones

12. 12. 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.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, emergency vehicles, bicycles and work zones

13. 13. You park on a grade where there is no curb. What must you do with the wheels?

    1. Turn them toward the center of the road
    2. Leave them straight and rely on the parking brake
    3. Turn them so the vehicle will not roll into the street, leave it in park, and set the parking brake
    4. Turn them sharply left regardless of direction
    Show answer

    Turn them so the vehicle will not roll into the street, leave it in park, and set the parking brake. Without a curb to catch a rolling tire, the wheels themselves must aim any roll away from traffic, so the handbook tells you to angle them so the vehicle cannot roll into the street. Park gear and the parking brake back that up as a triple lock against gravity. Straight wheels let the car roll wherever slope pulls it, and a fixed left turn only helps on one slope direction. On any grade, with or without a curb, always combine aimed wheels, park, and the brake before walking away.

    Study this in the handbook: Parallel parking, hills and colored curbs

14. 14. Your vehicle becomes disabled on a California freeway and you have a cell phone. What assistance step does the handbook give?

    1. Walk to the nearest exit for help
    2. Flag down passing trucks
    3. Wait in the traffic lane with flashers on
    4. Dial 511 or locate a call box for assistance
    Show answer

    Dial 511 or locate a call box for assistance. A disabled vehicle on a freeway shoulder still sits feet from high-speed traffic, so the handbook's priority is getting professional help while you stay protected inside the car. Dialing 511 connects you to traveler assistance, and freeway call boxes exist exactly for drivers without a working phone. Walking along the freeway or standing in a lane trades a car problem for a pedestrian fatality risk, and flagging down strangers is unreliable and unsafe. Pull fully onto the shoulder, stay belted inside, use flashers at your discretion, and let trained help come to you.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, breakdowns and brake failure

15. 15. At a railroad crossing with no train approaching, when may you make a U-turn?

    1. After stopping and checking both directions
    2. When the crossing gates are fully raised
    3. When no vehicle is approaching within 200 feet
    4. Never at or on the crossing
    Show answer

    Never at or on the crossing. The handbook prohibits U-turns at or on a railroad crossing. This restriction applies even when you do not see an approaching train. Stopping first, finding raised gates, or checking for approaching road traffic does not change the prohibited location. Keep this rule separate from the conditions for crossing the tracks: permission to proceed across a crossing is not permission to turn your vehicle around on it.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

16. 16. A divided highway has a low dividing curb but no opening where you want to reverse direction. May you make a U-turn across that curb?

    1. No, a U-turn across the dividing curb is prohibited
    2. Yes, if no vehicle is approaching within 200 feet
    3. Yes, if you can see 200 feet in both directions
    4. Yes, if you start from the far-left lane
    Show answer

    No, a U-turn across the dividing curb is prohibited. The handbook prohibits making a U-turn on a divided highway by crossing a dividing section, curb, strip of land, or two sets of double yellow lines. A low dividing curb is still part of that prohibition. Neither visibility nor an absence of approaching traffic makes crossing it permissible. The separate permission for a U-turn through a provided center-divider opening does not apply where there is no opening.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

17. 17. When turning right, what must you always check for?

    1. Traffic approaching from behind and vehicles ahead
    2. The traffic signal and any crossing guard nearby
    3. Parked cars along the curb and open car doors
    4. Pedestrians crossing plus motorcycles and bicycles beside you
    Show answer

    Pedestrians crossing plus motorcycles and bicycles beside you. Right turns sweep across the crosswalk and the bike lane at once, which is why the handbook names three separate checks in one rule. Pedestrians step off the curb as your light turns green, while motorcycles and bicycles ride in your blind spot or the adjacent lane. Mirror, signal, blind-spot glance, then turn: skipping any check risks a collision the handbook explicitly warns against.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way: who goes first

18. 18. Fog becomes too thick for safe driving. What should you consider doing?

    1. Pull off the road, turn on emergency flashers, and wait.
    2. Use high beams and continue at the posted speed.
    3. Drive using only fog lights.
    4. Cross lanes to find a clearer path.
    Show answer

    Pull off the road, turn on emergency flashers, and wait.. In heavy fog or smoke, California first recommends avoiding the drive if possible. If fog becomes too thick while you are already driving, consider pulling off the road, activating emergency flashers, and waiting for conditions to improve. The high-beam option is wrong because high beams reflect back and cause glare. Your cue is limited sight distance that prevents a safe stop within what you can see: leave the lane instead of pressing on.

19. 19. A 16-year-old without a license is convicted of riding a bicycle under the influence in California. How can this affect future driving?

    1. It cannot, because a bicycle is not a motor vehicle
    2. The teen must wait until age 25 to apply
    3. The driving privilege may be suspended or delayed for one year once eligible
    4. Only a $10 fine applies
    Show answer

    The driving privilege may be suspended or delayed for one year once eligible. California reaches young cyclists too: anyone 13 to 20 years old convicted of operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol or drugs may have the driving privilege suspended or delayed for one year once eligible to drive. The fact that a bicycle is not a motor vehicle does not protect the teen. Age 25 has nothing to do with this rule, and the handbook sets no $10 fine. The one year period is the same length as the minor alcohol penalties elsewhere in the handbook.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

20. 20. May you drive a car so overloaded you cannot control it or see around you?

    1. Only if the load falls off
    2. Never, if you cannot control the car or see ahead and to the sides
    3. Only on freeways
    4. Only at night
    Show answer

    Never, if you cannot control the car or see ahead and to the sides. An overloaded car steers, brakes, and sees worse in every direction, turning the driver into a hazard for everyone nearby. The handbook bans driving in this state outright rather than waiting for the load to shift or spill. Redistribute weight, remove excess cargo, or make two trips before entering traffic. Make two trips or shed weight before entering traffic with an unsafe load.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings