DE Permit Practice Test 25

All 20 questions in test 25

Every question below comes from the Delaware 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 car with very bright headlights passes you at night, and for a moment you feel as though you cannot see. Why does this happen?

   1. Your eyes dry out from the cool night air blowing in
   2. Your pupils open too wide and let in too much light
   3. Your side vision switches off for several minutes
   4. Glare makes your pupils contract and they need time to readjust
   Show answer

   Glare makes your pupils contract and they need time to readjust. The glare of oncoming headlights greatly increases the difficulty of night driving, especially for older drivers. Glare causes the pupils of the eyes to contract, and it takes time for them to readjust to less intense light. During this recovery period you may be driving as though blind. When passing vehicles, do not stare at their headlights. Use quick glances, and keep your speed low enough to stop within the distance you can see.

   Study this in the handbook: Seeing ahead and adjusting to conditions

2. 2. How does the stopping distance at 60 mph compare with the distance at 30 mph?

   1. Over three times the distance at 30 mph
   2. Exactly twice the distance at 30 mph
   3. About the same once brakes warm up
   4. Half again the distance at 30 mph
   Show answer

   Over three times the distance at 30 mph. Doubling speed more than doubles stopping distance. Travel at 60 mph needs over three times the room required at 30 mph to turn, slow or stop. That growth is why speed must match road and traffic conditions, visibility and posted limits. Brakes in good order cannot cancel the distance growth that comes with higher speed, so earlier slowing is the safer response.

   Study this in the handbook: Seeing ahead and adjusting to conditions

3. 3. A pedestrian in the crosswalk ahead has the walking-person indicator while you prepare to turn across that crosswalk. What is required of you?

   1. Turn slowly through the crosswalk because your vehicle signal is green
   2. Yield and let the person finish crossing before completing your turn
   3. Tap the horn so the person hurries and clears your turning path
   4. Stop only if the person has reached the middle of your lane
   Show answer

   Yield and let the person finish crossing before completing your turn. A person crossing with the walking-person indicator may proceed but stays alert for vehicles turning across the crosswalk. The turning driver carries the duty to give way in that situation. A green vehicle light does not cancel that duty, and pressuring the pedestrian with the horn creates confusion. The driver should wait outside the crosswalk, keep watching for others entering, and turn only after the crossing is clear.

4. 4. The yellow diamond sign ahead shows one road crossing straight across your road. How should you proceed?

   
   1. Be alert for cross traffic and for signs or signals
   2. Stop before the cross road even with no stop sign
   3. Expect traffic to enter only from the right
   4. You have the right-of-way over the cross road
   Show answer

   Be alert for cross traffic and for signs or signals. The crossroad sign warns that another road crosses the highway ahead. Be alert for cross traffic and for regulatory signs or signals that control the intersection. Like other yellow warning signs, it tells you to slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Look both ways as you approach, because vehicles may enter from either side. Any stop sign or signal ahead tells you who must stop.

5. 5. You are stopped at a cross street, and parked trucks block your view of traffic. What should you do?

   1. Pull out quickly before anything can arrive
   2. Sound the horn and then go at normal speed
   3. Edge forward slowly until you can see clearly
   4. Wait for another driver to wave you across
   Show answer

   Edge forward slowly until you can see clearly. Make sure you can clearly see crossing traffic before entering an intersection. If your view of a cross street is blocked, edge forward slowly until you can see. Moving slowly lets crossing drivers see the front of your vehicle before you can see them, which gives them a chance to slow down and warn you. Only enter once the path is clear.

6. 6. A pedestrian crosses a busy road right next to a pedestrian overpass. Who must give the right-of-way?

   1. The pedestrian must yield to vehicles on the road
   2. Drivers must stop because people on foot always go first
   3. Neither, since the road has no painted crosswalk
   4. Drivers must yield only if the person raises a hand
   Show answer

   The pedestrian must yield to vehicles on the road. Pedestrians must yield the right-of-way when they cross a roadway where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing is provided. They must also yield when crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Drivers should still do everything they can to avoid striking a person, but the person who skips the overpass does not hold the right-of-way.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses, pedestrians and bicyclists

7. 7. A friend says a safety belt can trap you in the car after a crash, so it is better to skip it. What does the manual say?

   1. Belts do trap people, so they are optional when near deep water
   2. It takes under a second to undo a belt, and such traps are rare
   3. The risk is real only at speeds over 50 miles per hour
   4. Belts trap people only when air bags are also installed
   Show answer

   It takes under a second to undo a belt, and such traps are rare. The manual lists this as bad information. It takes less than a second to undo a safety belt, and crashes where a vehicle catches fire or sinks in deep water and traps you seldom happen. Even then, a belt may keep you from being knocked out, and you have a better chance of escaping when you are conscious. Safety belts must also be worn even if the vehicle has air bags, since they are designed to work together.

8. 8. Where does the Delaware manual suggest placing your hands on the steering wheel?

   1. Both hands together at the top of the wheel
   2. Left at 8 to 10 o'clock, right at 2 to 4 o'clock
   3. One hand at the bottom of the wheel at 6 o'clock
   4. Left hand at 12 o'clock and right hand on the gear shift
   Show answer

   Left at 8 to 10 o'clock, right at 2 to 4 o'clock. Place both hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel, with the left hand between 8 and 10 o'clock and the right hand between 2 and 4 o'clock. This position is comfortable, and on high-speed roads it lets you make turns without taking your hands off the wheel. For sharp corners, use the hand-over-hand technique, then straighten the wheel by hand.

9. 9. Which sign shape, black on yellow, is used only to warn drivers of schools and school crossings?

   1. A five-sided sign
   2. An eight-sided sign
   3. A round sign
   4. An upside-down triangle
   Show answer

   A five-sided sign. The five-sided sign, black on yellow, is used only to warn of schools and school crossings, so you can recognize it by its outline alone. Newer versions may be fluorescent yellow-green. When you see it, slow down and watch for children, stopping as necessary. The eight-sided shape belongs to the stop sign and the round yellow sign to railroad crossings.

   Study this in the handbook: Road signs by shape and color

10. 10. Which vehicle may use a space marked for handicapped parking?

    1. Any vehicle stopping for under five minutes
    2. One showing a handicapped plate or hanging ID card
    3. Any car carrying a passenger who feels unwell
    4. A delivery vehicle with its flashers running
    Show answer

    One showing a handicapped plate or hanging ID card. It is illegal to park in a space designated for handicapped parking unless the vehicle has a handicapped license plate displayed on the rear or a handicapped parking ID card hanging from the rearview mirror. A brief stop, a passenger who feels unwell, or flashing hazard lights does not change that. If your vehicle does not display the plate or card, use a regular space.

11. 11. You are stopped inside an intersection when an emergency vehicle with siren sounding comes up behind you. What is the safest lawful move?

    1. Drive clear of the intersection, then pull to the right and stop
    2. Stop at once where you are, even if still inside the intersection
    3. Pull over to the left-hand edge and stop until it has passed you
    4. Speed up through the intersection and outrun it to the next street
    Show answer

    Drive clear of the intersection, then pull to the right and stop. Blocking an intersection traps the emergency vehicle and cross traffic at the worst point. Clearing the junction first, then moving to the right edge and halting, opens a direct path for responders. Stopping in place or moving left creates confusion because other drivers expect the rightward move. Stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed, check mirrors, and merge back only when the lane is clear and cross traffic permits a safe return.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles and the Move Over law

12. 12. Unless a sign says otherwise, what is the Delaware speed limit on a controlled access highway such as a turnpike or expressway?

    1. 45 miles per hour
    2. 50 miles per hour
    3. 65 miles per hour
    4. 55 miles per hour
    Show answer

    55 miles per hour. Controlled access highways, such as turnpikes and expressways, have a listed limit of 55 miles per hour in Delaware. Route 1 and Interstate 495 are listed separately at 65. The limit may be changed under emergency conditions, but a driver must never exceed the posted limit, and when conditions make the listed speeds unsafe they may be reduced. Posted limits assume ideal conditions.

    Study this in the handbook: Delaware speed limits

13. 13. Your vehicle begins to skid on a wet or icy road. What should you do with the brake while the skid continues?

    1. Pump the brake rapidly until the skid ends
    2. Press the brake harder to slow the skid
    3. Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows
    4. Hold the parking brake on during the skid
    Show answer

    Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows. During a skid the tires have lost grip, so braking cannot slow the vehicle and can deepen the skid. Staying off the brake lets speed fall while steering corrections regain direction. Turning the wheel toward the intended direction, then back as the vehicle straightens, prevents a swing into a new skid. Harder braking, rapid pumping or the parking brake all fight tires that cannot grip.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings, vehicle emergencies and crashes

14. 14. Why are motorcycles easy to miss in traffic, according to the manual?

    1. They are about as wide as a car but sit lower
    2. About two feet wide, versus five to six feet for a car
    3. They move too slowly for most drivers to see them at all
    4. They usually ride with no lights on in daytime
    Show answer

    About two feet wide, versus five to six feet for a car. Motorcycles are not easily identified in traffic. They are only about two feet wide, compared with the five- to six-foot width of an automobile. Even when a motorcycle is seen, it is difficult for some drivers to judge how far away it is, and some drivers cannot tell how fast it is going. Drivers often say they never saw the motorcycle, so check your blind spot frequently, especially when turning or pulling out.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, pedestrians and bicyclists

15. 15. What does a solid white line along the side of the road show you?

    1. Where you are allowed to park for a short time
    2. Where the outside edge of the travel lane is
    3. That the lane is reserved for bicycles only
    4. That passing on the right is permitted
    Show answer

    Where the outside edge of the travel lane is. Solid white lines along the side of the road are edge lines. They show you where the outside edge of the travel lane is located, which is helpful at night and in poor weather. White lines are also used between lanes that travel in the same direction. A broken white line may be crossed to change lanes when it is safe, a solid white line discourages lane changes, and double solid white lines prohibit them.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by shape and color

16. 16. You approach an intersection where the signal faces are completely dark after a power outage. Cars are already waiting inside. How do you proceed?

    1. Treat the dark faces as a green light for your lane
    2. Keep your speed, since the cross street must yield
    3. Stop and wait there until the power comes back
    4. Slow down and get ready to give way at the junction
    Show answer

    Slow down and get ready to give way at the junction. When signals are in place but no light is showing, the approaching driver must reduce speed and prepare to yield to other vehicles that are in or approaching the intersection. A dark signal is not a green light for anyone. Slow down, look both ways, let vehicles already in the intersection clear, and enter only when your path is clear.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

17. 17. It is just beginning to get dark. When does the manual say to turn on your headlights?

    1. When you can no longer see the road clearly
    2. Only after the street lights come on in your area
    3. Only when an oncoming car has its lights on
    4. As soon as it begins to get dark, even a little early
    Show answer

    As soon as it begins to get dark, even a little early. Turn on your headlights when it begins to get dark. Even if you turn them on a little early, you will help other drivers see you. Headlights do more than help you see; they make your vehicle easier for others to see, especially on rainy, snowy, or foggy days. Parking lights are for parked vehicles only, and in Delaware you must have your headlights on whenever your wipers are on.

18. 18. A yellow diamond sign shows a bridge narrower than the road leading to it. How should you cross?

    
    1. Cross at normal speed since bridges are wide enough
    2. Stop on the bridge to let faster traffic pass
    3. Slow down and watch out for oncoming vehicles
    4. Drive on the center line to split the space
    Show answer

    Slow down and watch out for oncoming vehicles. The narrow bridge sign warns of a bridge with room for two lanes of traffic but that is potentially dangerous. Slow down and watch out for oncoming vehicles. Narrow bridges are one of the trouble spots where vehicles approaching each other are closer together. Keep to your lane and give the oncoming driver as much room as you safely can.

19. 19. You park on the shoulder of a highway in the evening and will leave the vehicle there after dark. What lighting is required?

    1. No lights are needed on a shoulder outside city limits
    2. High beams aimed down the shoulder
    3. Parking lights, or 4-way flashers if the vehicle has them
    4. A single turn signal flashing on the traffic side
    Show answer

    Parking lights, or 4-way flashers if the vehicle has them. When you park on the shoulder or side of a highway from sunset to sunrise, or when light is too poor to see people or objects 1,000 feet away, you must turn on your parking lights, or the 4-way flashers if the vehicle has them. Turn signal lights must not be flashed on one side only of a parked vehicle. A dark parked car is hard for other drivers to see.

20. 20. You are on a highway and your exit is coming up. When should you begin slowing down?

    1. A mile before the exit, while still in the lane
    2. Only after you reach the end of the ramp
    3. As soon as you see the first exit sign
    4. Once you have moved onto the exit ramp
    Show answer

    Once you have moved onto the exit ramp. Keep up with the speed of traffic as long as you are on the main road. If the road has exit ramps, do not slow down until you move onto the exit ramp. Slowing in the travel lane surprises following drivers who expect you to keep pace. Signal early, move onto the ramp, and then reduce your speed for the curve or stop ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Seeing ahead and adjusting to conditions