LA Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

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. How long does the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles maintain convictions for DWI?

   1. For the driver's lifetime only
   2. 5 years
   3. 1 year
   4. 10 years
   Show answer

   10 years. The Office of Motor Vehicles maintains DWI convictions for 10 years. The guide separately says the public record of all traffic convictions and collisions is kept for five years, so choosing five confuses the general record period with the DWI rule. One year is also unrelated, and the guide does not state lifetime retention for this item. The memory cue is the special treatment: DWI lasts twice the ordinary five-year period.

2. 2. What must a driver do at a steady red traffic light before making a permitted right turn?

   1. Wait for a green arrow in every case
   2. Slow down and turn without stopping if traffic is light
   3. Turn first, then stop beyond the intersection
   4. Stop behind the stop bar or crosswalk and yield before turning
   Show answer

   Stop behind the stop bar or crosswalk and yield before turning. A steady red signal requires a stop behind the stop bar, crosswalk, or intersection. A right turn may follow only when no sign prohibits it and after the driver yields to traffic and pedestrians. Rolling through because the road looks empty is still a violation and removes the time needed to check for a person crossing from the side. A green arrow is not required for every permitted right turn. Stop completely, scan both directions and the crosswalk, then turn only when the movement is legal and safe.

3. 3. If smoke comes from under your vehicle's hood, what is the first safe response?

   1. Drive clear of traffic, stop, and turn off the engine
   2. Keep driving until the smoke disappears
   3. Open the hood while the vehicle is moving
   4. Pour water over the engine before stopping
   Show answer

   Drive clear of traffic, stop, and turn off the engine. Smoke under the hood may signal an engine fire or another serious failure. Move off the roadway clear of traffic, stop, and shut down the engine before doing anything else. Continuing to drive can feed a fire and leaves passengers exposed. Opening the hood while moving is unsafe and may intensify flames once air reaches them. Water is especially inappropriate for gasoline, oil, or electrical fires. The practical cue is separation: stop away from traffic, switch off, and get everyone out and away.

4. 4. How long does texting take a driver's eyes off the road, according to the Louisiana guide?

   1. 4.6 seconds
   2. 30 seconds
   3. Half a second
   4. 10 seconds
   Show answer

   4.6 seconds. Texting causes a driver to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds, long enough to cover a football field at highway speed. The guide notes that 47 states ban texting while driving and 17 ban all handheld phone use, and that 44 percent of teens say they drive more safely without friends in the car. Put the phone away before you start the engine.

5. 5. What minimum stopping distance does the Louisiana guide give for a loaded tractor trailer at 55 mph?

   1. 100 feet
   2. 290 feet on a clear, dry road with good tires and brakes
   3. 1,000 feet
   4. 50 feet
   Show answer

   290 feet on a clear, dry road with good tires and brakes. A tractor trailer loaded with freight, with safe rated tires and properly adjusted brakes, traveling at 55 mph on a clear dry roadway requires a minimum of 290 feet to come to a complete stop, and in crashes between large trucks and cars the car occupants sustain 78 percent of the fatalities. Stay out of the no zone, pass on the left, and leave room before cutting back in.

6. 6. After stopping for a school bus, when may a driver begin moving again?

   
   1. When the driver can see around the bus from the stopped position
   2. As soon as the flashing red lights turn off, without checking
   3. After waiting ten seconds even if the bus remains stopped
   4. After the bus moves and the driver scans before proceeding
   Show answer

   After the bus moves and the driver scans before proceeding. After stopping for a school bus, the driver must wait for the vehicle to move and scan before starting to drive again. Turning off the red lights alone is not enough if the bus remains in place or children are still nearby. A fixed ten-second wait has no role in this rule, and seeing around the bus does not confirm that the roadway is clear. Keep the vehicle stopped, watch the bus, and check both sides before proceeding.

7. 7. What are Louisiana's penalties for simple littering?

   1. A $10 fine
   2. A $150 fine or eight hours of community service for a first offense, up to $900 or 20 hours for a second
   3. A warning
   4. Jail for a first offense
   Show answer

   A $150 fine or eight hours of community service for a first offense, up to $900 or 20 hours for a second. Under state law the penalties for simple littering range from a first offense of a $150 fine or eight hours of community service to a $900 fine or 20 hours of community service for a second offense. Louisiana spends $91.4 million a year on litter cleanup and prevention, and a roadside study counted over 143.8 million pieces of litter. Report littering to 855-LA-Litter.

8. 8. What does a steady DON'T WALK pedestrian signal tell a person at the curb?

   1. Cross if no vehicle is immediately visible
   2. Do not enter the roadway toward the signal
   3. Cross normally because the signal is not flashing
   4. Wait only for a vehicle to wave the pedestrian through
   Show answer

   Do not enter the roadway toward the signal. The steady DON'T WALK indication means pedestrians must not enter the roadway toward that signal. A person cannot replace the signal with a quick visual check or a driver's wave, because traffic can approach from outside the immediate view. The fact that the signal is steady does not make it permissive. Wait for a steady WALK indication before beginning, and continue checking traffic while crossing. For drivers, a person already in the crosswalk remains a roadway user who must be given space and time to finish safely.

9. 9. What hand positions does the Louisiana guide recommend on the steering wheel?

   1. 10 and 2 at all times
   2. 12 and 6
   3. 9 and 3 or 8 and 4, with 12 o'clock only while backing
   4. One hand at 12
   Show answer

   9 and 3 or 8 and 4, with 12 o'clock only while backing. The recommended positions are 9 and 3 or 8 and 4, which keep the arms clear of a deploying air bag and give balanced control. The only time 12 o'clock is recommended is when backing to the left or right and the driver must turn in the seat to see the path, and there is little need to reposition the hands during almost all open road driving.

10. 10. What does the yellow diamond shape tell a driver about this roadway sign?

    
    1. It gives the legal minimum speed for the lane
    2. It warns of an approaching condition or hazard
    3. It identifies a traveler service such as lodging
    4. It marks a route used only by commercial trucks
    Show answer

    It warns of an approaching condition or hazard. The pictured Lane Ends sign uses the yellow diamond warning format. The manual explains that diamond shaped signs warn about approaching hazards and conditions, while yellow diamond signs can alert drivers to curves, side roads, and traffic flow changes. The sign therefore gives advance notice that the roadway situation will change, allowing time to check mirrors, signal, and merge safely. It is not a speed limit, traveler service, or truck only designation. Treat the yellow diamond as an early warning and prepare before the lane markings end.

11. 11. What do red raised pavement markings or reflectors indicate?

    1. Passing is permitted if the roadway is dry
    2. The lane is reserved for buses traveling in either direction
    3. Travel is against the direction of traffic and the roadway must not be entered
    4. A parking area begins at the next intersection
    Show answer

    Travel is against the direction of traffic and the roadway must not be entered. Red raised markings or reflectors warn that a driver is facing the wrong direction of travel. The guide says this roadway must not be entered. They do not authorize passing, identify a bus lane, or mark parking. If red reflectors appear to face you, stop looking for a way forward, check the surroundings carefully, and correct the direction only when you can do so without entering opposing traffic or creating another hazard.

12. 12. What does a steady yellow traffic light mean?

    1. The signal is about to change to red, so stop if safely possible
    2. Speed up because the light will remain yellow for one minute
    3. Stop only after entering the intersection
    4. Treat it exactly like a flashing yellow light and continue
    Show answer

    The signal is about to change to red, so stop if safely possible. A steady yellow warns that the signal is about to change to red. The driver should slow and make a complete stop before the stop bar when that can be done safely. If already in the intersection, continue safely through rather than stopping in the conflict area. The speed-up choice increases risk, and a steady yellow is not the same as a flashing yellow caution. Check mirrors, brake smoothly, and avoid an abrupt stop when stopping would itself be unsafe.

13. 13. What should a driver do at a steady green traffic light if crossing traffic is still clearing the intersection?

    1. Enter immediately because green traffic always has priority
    2. Allow the crossing traffic to clear before going ahead
    3. Wait for the light to turn red, then drive through
    4. Use the shoulder to bypass the crossing traffic
    Show answer

    Allow the crossing traffic to clear before going ahead. A steady green allows movement only when the intersection is clear. If crossing traffic remains, the driver must allow it to clear before proceeding. Entering immediately can block the intersection and create a collision, while waiting for red is unnecessary once the path becomes safe. The shoulder is not a lawful bypass. Look through the intersection before moving, and keep the vehicle behind the stop line when there is not enough room to clear it.

14. 14. What score must a Louisiana learner's permit applicant get on the knowledge exam?

    1. At least 70% accuracy
    2. At least 90% accuracy
    3. At least 60% accuracy
    4. At least 80% accuracy
    Show answer

    At least 80% accuracy. Louisiana requires a learner's permit applicant to pass the vision exam and the knowledge exam with at least 80% accuracy. The road skills test for the intermediate license uses the same 80% standard. Seventy, 90 and 60 percent are not the Louisiana passing marks. The applicant must also be at least 15 and finish 30 classroom hours and 8 behind-the-wheel hours.

15. 15. About how much can a first DWI conviction cost a Louisiana driver, counting court costs, fines and lawyer fees?

    1. $4,500
    2. $500
    3. $250
    4. $25,000
    Show answer

    $4,500. The guide warns that your first DWI conviction could cost you $4,500 once court costs, fines, lawyer fees and similar expenses are added. The court fine is only one part of that total, so a figure near the fine alone understates the cost. Two hundred fifty and five hundred dollars are far too low, and $25,000 is not the guide's estimate. A first conviction also brings a criminal record and possible loss of license for a year.

16. 16. 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.

17. 17. How long are driving privileges suspended for a first refusal of Louisiana's alcohol analysis test?

    1. 365 days
    2. 180 days
    3. 730 days
    4. 30 days
    Show answer

    365 days. A first refusal to submit to the alcohol analysis test brings a 365-day suspension of driving privileges. The 730-day period applies to a second or subsequent refusal, while 180 days is associated with particular test results rather than the first refusal described here. Thirty days is not the stated consequence. The cue is to identify refusal before looking at the duration, then distinguish first offense, repeat offense, and a submitted test with a measured BAC.

18. 18. At a simultaneous intersection approach, which driver must yield?

    1. Both drivers must proceed together
    2. The driver on the right yields to the driver on the left
    3. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right
    4. The larger vehicle always goes first
    Show answer

    The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. When two vehicles approach an intersection together, the driver on the left yields to the vehicle on the right. This rule resolves a simultaneous-arrival conflict without relying on vehicle size or asking both drivers to enter together. Reversing the sides changes who must yield and is therefore unsafe. The cue is to locate your vehicle relative to the other one: if you are on the left, wait and allow the vehicle on your right to proceed.

19. 19. When do most teen crash deaths occur, according to the Louisiana guide?

    1. On weekday mornings
    2. During school hours
    3. On weekends, when 53 percent of all teen crashes occur
    4. In winter only
    Show answer

    On weekends, when 53 percent of all teen crashes occur. Most teenage deaths from motor vehicle collisions occur on weekends, as 53 percent of all teen crashes occur on the weekend. In 2016, 818 teen drivers and 569 passengers died in vehicles driven by teens, and 58 percent of those passengers were not buckled up. Weekend nights combine inexperience, passengers and fatigue, which is what the graduated license limits target.

20. 20. How may you cross double solid yellow center lines?

    1. The lines separate lanes traveling in the same direction
    2. Passing is required whenever the road ahead is open
    3. Only trucks may cross to overtake
    4. Passing across the lines is prohibited, but a turn may cross them
    Show answer

    Passing across the lines is prohibited, but a turn may cross them. Double solid yellow lines mark the center of a roadway with four or more lanes and prohibit crossing to pass. The manual allows crossing them for a turn, which is narrower than general permission to overtake. The lines do not require passing, grant a special privilege to trucks, or separate same-direction lanes. Use the color and pattern as a cue: yellow divides opposing traffic, and two solid lines mean stay put unless the movement is a lawful turn.