LA Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Louisiana 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 steady yellow traffic light mean when you are already in the intersection?

   1. You may continue safely through the intersection
   2. You must reverse out of the intersection
   3. You must stop immediately in the crossing path
   4. You may turn in any direction without yielding
   Show answer

   You may continue safely through the intersection. Yellow normally warns that the signal is about to turn red, so a driver approaching the stop bar should slow and stop when that can be done safely. The situation changes once the vehicle is already in the intersection. The guide allows that driver to continue safely through rather than stopping in the middle of the crossing. Reversing is unpredictable, and the signal does not remove the duty to yield during a turn. Clear the intersection smoothly, watching for people and vehicles, then wait for the next legal movement.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

2. 2. Why should a driver avoid passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk?

   1. The stopped vehicle may be hiding a pedestrian
   2. The stopped vehicle always has a mechanical failure
   3. Passing is allowed only when the crosswalk has a traffic signal
   4. A driver must pass before the pedestrian reaches the curb
   Show answer

   The stopped vehicle may be hiding a pedestrian. The guide warns that a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk can block the next driver's view of a pedestrian. Passing it may put the passing driver directly into the pedestrian's path without enough sight distance to stop. The stopped vehicle does not need to have a mechanical problem, and a signal does not make a blind pass safe. Approach cautiously, prepare to stop, and wait until the crossing area is visible and clear. The practical cue is an occupied lane beside a crosswalk, especially when the stopped vehicle hides what is ahead.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane changes, passing and wet roads

3. 3. How often did a crash, serious injury and fatality occur in Louisiana in 2018, according to the guide?

   1. A crash every hour
   2. A crash every 3 minutes, a serious injury every 7 minutes, and a fatality every 11 hours and 22 minutes
   3. A crash every day
   4. A fatality every week
   Show answer

   A crash every 3 minutes, a serious injury every 7 minutes, and a fatality every 11 hours and 22 minutes. In 2018 a crash in Louisiana occurred every 3 minutes, a serious injury every 7 minutes, and a fatality every 11 hours and 22 minutes. Fatalities, injuries and property damage from crashes cost the average licensed Louisiana driver $2,899.77 that year. The Louisiana Highway Safety Research Group identified the four leading causes of motor vehicle fatalities in the state as alcohol, distraction, aggressive driving or behavior, and lack of seat belt usage. The slower rates in the other choices badly understate the problem.

4. 4. What size gap does Louisiana’s guide recommend for merging into traffic?

   1. A one-second gap
   2. A two-second gap
   3. A four-second gap
   4. A three-second gap
   Show answer

   A four-second gap. Allow a four-second opening for the merge. The guide explains that this provides a two-second following interval for you and for the driver you enter ahead of. A two-second opening in total leaves less room to divide between the two vehicles. Judge the available space before moving sideways, use your signal and check the surrounding traffic. Do not squeeze into an opening simply because your car can physically fit between the vehicles.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

5. 5. If a car begins to skid, which response follows the driver's guide?

   1. Turn the wheel as far as possible in the opposite direction
   2. Lock the brakes and hold the steering wheel straight
   3. Accelerate sharply toward the shoulder
   4. Ease off the gas and steer carefully where you want the front of the car to go
   Show answer

   Ease off the gas and steer carefully where you want the front of the car to go. A skid calls for calm, gradual control rather than a sudden correction. Release pressure on the accelerator and guide the front wheels toward the intended path, making only enough steering input to regain alignment. Locking the brakes can worsen the loss of traction, and acceleration toward the shoulder adds another unpredictable force. A full opposite turn may overcorrect and start a skid in the other direction. Think of the cue as tires first: reduce power, look where you want to travel, and steer smoothly.

   Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts and hydroplaning

6. 6. What does a black and white speed limit sign show?

   
   1. The average speed of traffic on that road last year
   2. A recommended speed that may always be exceeded
   3. The maximum legal speed or, where posted, the minimum legal speed
   4. The posted speed at which police will begin writing tickets
   Show answer

   The maximum legal speed or, where posted, the minimum legal speed. Black and white speed signs can show a maximum legal speed or a minimum legal speed. A maximum is meant for ideal conditions, so rain, fog, ice, traffic, or poor visibility can require slowing further. The recommendation choice wrongly treats the number as optional, while a traffic average or ticket threshold misreads what the sign states. A minimum on a high-speed road is different: traveling below it can create a hazard. Read the sign's wording and assess conditions together.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory, guide and work zone signs

7. 7. A pedestrian using a white cane, with or without a red tip, is about to cross. What must you do?

   1. Yield only if the cane has a red tip
   2. Proceed first if there is no traffic light
   3. Sound the horn and maintain your path
   4. Yield the right of way to the person
   Show answer

   Yield the right of way to the person. Louisiana's guide says pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes, with or without a red tip, must be given the right of way at all times. The red tip is not a condition for that protection. These pedestrians are partially or totally blind, so be especially careful when turning corners or backing up. Do not assume that sounding the horn gives your vehicle priority. The guide also advises against giving the person verbal directions, because the pedestrian listens to all traffic sounds before deciding to cross.

   Study this in the handbook: Night driving, pedestrians and phones

8. 8. What does a square sign with a white horizontal line inside a red circle mean?

   1. You may enter only to make a right turn
   2. You cannot enter the roadway at that opening
   3. You must yield before entering the roadway
   4. You are reaching the end of a one-way street
   Show answer

   You cannot enter the roadway at that opening. Louisiana's guide describes the DO NOT ENTER sign as a square sign with a white horizontal line inside a red circle, and it means you cannot enter. It is posted at roadway openings you may not use, such as exit ramps where you would be going in the wrong direction, crossovers on divided roadways and many locations on one-way streets. Red on a sign means stop or do not. When you see this sign, do not turn into that opening; find another way to reach your destination.

9. 9. How far ahead in time should you look to prepare for changing traffic conditions?

   1. Twenty to thirty seconds
   2. Two to three seconds
   3. Five to eight seconds
   4. Ten to twelve seconds
   Show answer

   Twenty to thirty seconds. Looking twenty to thirty seconds ahead gives you time to recognize traffic changes before they require a sudden maneuver. Focusing only a few seconds ahead limits your ability to plan. This is a visual search distance, not the following interval behind the next vehicle. Look down the travel path for vehicles entering, turning or slowing, then make controlled adjustments early enough that drivers behind you have time to respond too.

   Study this in the handbook: Scanning ahead, stopping distance and following distance

10. 10. What do fluorescent pink incident signs tell Louisiana drivers to expect?

    1. A permanent hospital service is available ahead
    2. A roadside incident may require slowing and changing lanes
    3. A school speed limit applies only during flashing hours
    4. A recreational route begins at the next exit
    Show answer

    A roadside incident may require slowing and changing lanes. Fluorescent pink incident signs are temporary. They tell drivers when to be prepared to stop or when roadways are closed or detoured because of a road user incident, natural disaster, hazardous material spill, or another unplanned incident. The guide pairs them with Louisiana's move over law, which requires slowing down and changing lanes when approaching a roadside incident. Do not treat the sign as a permanent service, school zone, or destination marker. Scan for stopped vehicles and workers, and check mirrors before the lane change.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory, guide and work zone signs

11. 11. The word Exit is printed on the left side of a highway exit sign. Where is the exit lane or ramp?

    1. To the right, as with most exits
    2. In the center lane of the highway
    3. To the left
    4. Past the next interchange
    Show answer

    To the left. Louisiana's guide explains that the position of the word Exit on an exit sign tells you which side the exit is on. When Exit is written on the left side of the sign, the exit lane or ramp is to the left; when it is written on the right side, the exit is to the right. The guide adds that left exit signs may be yellow to give drivers greater awareness. Reading the sign early lets you move into the correct lane well before you reach the ramp.

12. 12. What does a 4-WAY sign added below a stop sign tell you?

    1. Cross traffic does not have to stop
    2. All approaching traffic has a stop sign
    3. A traffic signal will replace the stop sign ahead
    4. Right turns may be made without stopping
    Show answer

    All approaching traffic has a stop sign. A 4-WAY sign may be added to a stop sign at intersections where all approaching traffic has a stop sign. You may also see 3-WAY, 5-WAY or ALL-WAY signs that give the same kind of information. Every driver still comes to a complete stop behind the stop line or crosswalk, looks for crossing vehicles and pedestrians, and yields the right-of-way. When two vehicles approach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory, guide and work zone signs

13. 13. What is the Louisiana speed limit for a school bus that frequently stops to load or unload children?

    1. 35 mph
    2. 25 mph
    3. 45 mph
    4. 70 mph
    Show answer

    35 mph. The guide limits school buses to 35 mph when they frequently stop to load or unload children. That special number is not 25 or 45, and the general 70 mph maximum is inappropriate for this bus operation. The condition matters as much as the number: the guide ties the limit to frequent child loading or unloading stops. The cue is school bus plus repeated stops, which signals the 35 mph exception.

14. 14. A Louisiana 15 year old has held a learner's permit for 200 days. When can the teen move to the intermediate license?

    1. Right away, since 180 days have passed
    2. At 15 and a half
    3. Not until the 16th birthday
    4. At 17
    Show answer

    Not until the 16th birthday. A learner's license must be held at least one hundred eighty days, and the holder cannot advance to the intermediate stage until the sixteenth birthday. Both conditions apply, so meeting the 180 days alone is not enough for a 15 year old. Fifteen and a half is not a Louisiana threshold. Seventeen is when the intermediate license stage ends and a full license becomes possible.

    Study this in the handbook: The graduated licensing program

15. 15. When the broken yellow line is on your side beside a solid yellow line, what may you do?

    
    1. Never cross for any reason
    2. Cross only to park on the opposite shoulder
    3. Cross to pass when it is safe
    4. Use the line as a travel lane
    Show answer

    Cross to pass when it is safe. A broken yellow line on your side indicates that passing may be permitted when the roadway is clear and the maneuver is safe. The solid line on the other side restricts that opposing direction, so drivers must read which marking is beside their lane. Never-cross wording is too broad, and the line is not a lane for ordinary travel or a special parking guide. Check sight distance, traffic, and other restrictions before crossing, then return to the proper side promptly.

    Study this in the handbook: Center lines, lane lines and crosswalks

16. 16. How many people may ride in the front seat of a moving vehicle in Louisiana?

    1. No more than two
    2. No more than three
    3. No more than four
    4. Any number with seat belts
    Show answer

    No more than three. It is against Louisiana law for more than three persons to occupy the front seat of a moving vehicle. Two is stricter than the rule and four exceeds it. Seat belts do not create an exception to this limit. The guide also warns against overloading a vehicle with passengers or anything that blocks the driver's view or interferes with control.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way and other laws you should know

17. 17. A Louisiana driver under 21 submits to the test and shows 0.03% BAC. How long are driving privileges suspended?

    1. 30 days
    2. 730 days
    3. No suspension below 0.08%
    4. 180 days
    Show answer

    180 days. For a driver under 21 who submits to the test, a BAC of 0.02% or more brings a 180 day suspension, and 0.03% is over that line. Drivers 20 and younger have a legal limit of 0.02%, so the 0.08% adult limit does not protect them. Thirty days is not in the rule. Seven hundred thirty days is for adults at 0.15% or more, or a second refusal.

    Study this in the handbook: Implied consent and DWI penalties

18. 18. Under Louisiana R.S. 32:61, what maximum applies on an interstate or controlled-access highway unless a different speed zone has been established?

    1. 70 mph
    2. 45 mph
    3. 35 mph
    4. 55 mph
    Show answer

    70 mph. Louisiana's statutory maximum is 70 mph on interstate and controlled-access highways, subject to established speed zones. The ordinary highway baseline is 55 mph, while a multilane divided highway with partial or no access control has a 65 mph maximum. The road classification matters: 70 mph is not the default for every road in the state. Follow the applicable signs and reduce speed whenever traffic, weather, or visibility makes the maximum unsafe.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed laws

19. 19. What does Louisiana's open-container law prohibit inside a vehicle?

    1. Carrying a nonalcoholic drink in a cup holder
    2. Transporting any sealed bottle in a trunk
    3. Drinking water while a passenger is present
    4. Possessing an open alcoholic beverage container and consuming alcohol
    Show answer

    Possessing an open alcoholic beverage container and consuming alcohol. Louisiana's rule prohibits both possession of an open alcoholic beverage container and consumption of any alcoholic beverage in a vehicle. The choice “Possessing an open alcoholic beverage container and consuming alcohol” includes both parts. A sealed bottle transported in a trunk, water, and a nonalcoholic drink are not the conduct described by this open-container passage. The guide warns that the driver can face fines and penalties even when someone else is consuming the alcohol. A practical cue is to distinguish an open alcoholic container from an ordinary beverage and to keep alcohol out of the passenger area.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol and Louisiana's BAC limits

20. 20. What does the plus-shaped road symbol in this picture identify?

    
    1. A T-intersection ahead
    2. A side road entering only from the right
    3. A roundabout ahead
    4. A crossroad ahead
    Show answer

    A crossroad ahead. The crossing lines represent a crossroad ahead, where another road intersects the road you are traveling. A T-intersection has only three branches, while this symbol extends on all four sides. The warning helps you anticipate traffic entering or crossing from the intersecting road. It does not establish a four-way stop by itself. Watch for the actual signs or signals that control the intersection and respond to those controls when you arrive.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory, guide and work zone signs