LA Permit Practice Test 15

All 20 questions in test 15

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. You are inside a roundabout and a bus is circling in the lane next to you. What should you do?

   1. Stay beside it so the driver can see you
   2. Speed up and pass it inside the circle
   3. Keep away and avoid driving alongside it
   4. Move closer so it has room to swing wide
   Show answer

   Keep away and avoid driving alongside it. The guide says not to drive alongside large vehicles such as trucks and buses in a traffic circle or roundabout, and a sign may warn you to keep away from them. Large vehicles need extra room to turn. Inside a roundabout, do not change lanes or pass other vehicles, so speeding up to get around the bus is also wrong. Drop back, let it go ahead and keep moving toward your exit.

   Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts and traffic circles

2. 2. Which of these do flag persons use to direct traffic through a Louisiana work zone?

   1. Red flags or stop/slow paddles
   2. Green flags or hand lanterns
   3. White flags or flashing arrow panels
   4. Orange cones or hand whistles
   Show answer

   Red flags or stop/slow paddles. Flag persons are provided in highway and street work zones to stop, slow down or guide traffic safely through the area. The guide says they wear orange vests, shirts or jackets and use red flags or stop/slow paddles to direct traffic through the work zone. Look for these colors and tools when you approach road work, and follow the direction the flag person gives.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

3. 3. Your car stalls on railroad tracks, but no train is in sight and you are certain there is time. What may you do?

   1. Sit inside and keep cranking the engine
   2. Call 911 and wait inside the car
   3. Try to move the vehicle off the tracks
   4. Wait in the car for a train to stop
   Show answer

   Try to move the vehicle off the tracks. If your vehicle stalls on a railroad track and a train is approaching with immediate danger, get everyone out and walk quickly alongside the tracks toward the train, so debris does not strike you when the car is hit. The guide adds that if danger is not immediate and you are certain there is time, you may move your vehicle off the tracks. Do not try last minute heroics when a train is close.

   Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts and hydroplaning

4. 4. Just before a curve that hides the road ahead, you pass this sign. What should you expect?

   
   1. A stop sign ahead, so be ready to stop
   2. A yield sign ahead, so keep your speed
   3. The end of the road, so turn around now
   4. A railroad crossing, so look for a train
   Show answer

   A stop sign ahead, so be ready to stop. The red octagon on this yellow warning sign is the symbol for a stop sign, and the guide lists it as Stop Sign Ahead. Warning signs alert you to possible danger ahead and may tell you to slow down and be prepared to stop. Because a curve or hill can hide the stop sign itself until you are close, start slowing early so you can stop behind the stop line or crosswalk. You must come to a complete stop when you reach the sign.

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

5. 5. A group of wild deer is standing in the road ahead. How should you get past them?

   1. Honk the horn to scare them off
   2. Slow down and pass as far from them as you can
   3. Rev the engine to make them move
   4. Flash your high beams to clear them
   Show answer

   Slow down and pass as far from them as you can. For wild animals on the road, the guide says to slow down or stop, not to use the horn or rev the engine, and to pass as far away from the animals as possible. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may make an animal freeze in the road. Deer also travel in groups and may bolt or change direction at the last minute. A wandering domestic animal such as a cow is different: there, sounding the horn is usually enough.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

6. 6. You are driving 60 mph in patchy fog and can see only about 250 feet ahead. What does that mean?

   1. You are driving too fast for your visibility
   2. You are fine as long as you stay under the limit
   3. You should switch to high beams and hold speed
   4. You only need to slow down at intersections
   Show answer

   You are driving too fast for your visibility. At 60 mph you need to see at least 400 feet ahead. If you cannot, you are driving too fast for your visibility. At 30 mph the figure is 150 feet. Without enough visual lead, by the time you see something in your path it may be too late to stop. Staying under the posted limit does not solve this, and high beams make fog worse. Slow down until your stopping distance fits within what you can see.

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

7. 7. You are on a Louisiana interstate and realize you have just passed your exit. What should you do?

   1. Stop on the shoulder and back up to the ramp
   2. Continue to the next exit and come back
   3. Cut across the painted gore area onto the ramp
   4. Cross the grass median and turn around
   Show answer

   Continue to the next exit and come back. Missing an exit is an inconvenience, not an emergency. The guide says never to stop or back up on an interstate after passing an exit; doing so is against the law and is among the most dangerous things a driver can do there. Instead, drive on to the next exit, leave the interstate, get back on and return to the exit you wanted. Planning your route before the trip and checking your lane about a mile ahead help prevent the mistake.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

8. 8. A collision ahead seems likely and you must leave your lane. If you have to hit something, what should you aim for?

   1. A sturdy fence that will stop the car fast
   2. The oncoming lane, if it looks empty
   3. A parked car, hitting it head on
   4. Brush or shrubs that will give way
   Show answer

   Brush or shrubs that will give way. Turning quickly may be your only way to avoid a front end collision, even if that means leaving the road; drive rather than skid off it. The guide says to choose to hit something that will give way, such as brush or shrubs, instead of something hard, and to make any impact a glancing blow. A sideswipe is better than a head on collision. Never cross into the oncoming lane, because the other driver may swerve back into his own lane.

9. 9. You find an open curb space, but its front end is about 10 feet from a fire hydrant. May you park there?

   1. Yes, 10 feet is enough room
   2. Yes, if you stay in the car
   3. No, you need at least 15 feet
   4. No, you need at least 50 feet
   Show answer

   No, you need at least 15 feet. Louisiana law bans parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Ten feet is inside that zone, so the space is not legal, even if you stay in the car. Fire crews need clear access to the hydrant. Fifty feet is the distance the same law sets for a railroad crossing, not a hydrant. Other places listed as illegal include sidewalks, the front of a driveway, intersections and bike lanes.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and painted curbs

10. 10. You merge into a four second gap in traffic. How much following distance does that leave for you and for the car behind you?

    1. About one second each
    2. About four seconds each
    3. About three seconds each
    4. About two seconds each
    Show answer

    About two seconds each. The guide recommends a gap of four seconds when you merge into traffic. Splitting that gap gives both you and the car you merge in front of about a two second following distance. Squeezing into a smaller gap leaves one of you too close. Use your mirrors and turn signals, turn your head to look quickly to the side before changing lanes, and make sure you can stop safely if you must.

    Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

11. 11. On a two-lane road with a single broken yellow center line, you are behind a slow tractor and the oncoming lane is clear far ahead. What may you do?

    1. Pass on the right shoulder instead
    2. Stay behind; center lines may never be crossed
    3. Pass only if the tractor driver waves you on
    4. Cross the line and pass when it is safe
    Show answer

    Cross the line and pass when it is safe. A single broken yellow line marks the center of a two-lane road. Louisiana's guide says you must drive to the right of it, and when it is safe you may cross it to turn or to pass another vehicle. With a long clear stretch in the oncoming lane, you may pass the tractor after checking that the pass can be finished safely. The shoulder is not a passing lane, and you do not need a wave from the tractor driver.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

12. 12. Who may ride in the open bed of a pickup truck in Louisiana?

    1. Anyone who is seated
    2. Anyone over 16 on any road
    3. No one under twelve, and no one at all on an interstate highway
    4. Children only on local streets
    Show answer

    No one under twelve, and no one at all on an interstate highway. No person under the age of twelve may ride as a passenger in the open bed of a truck, and no person of any age may ride there when the truck is moving on an interstate highway. Being seated does not create an exception. Age over 16 does not allow interstate riding, because the interstate ban covers people of any age. Allowing children on local streets reverses the rule, which protects children first. Riding in a house trailer while it is being moved on a highway is also illegal.

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

13. 13. An X and RR are painted in your lane, and a solid yellow center line runs all the way to the tracks. A slow car is ahead. May you pass it before the crossing?

    1. Yes, if no train is in sight
    2. Yes, if you finish before the tracks
    3. Only if the slow car signals you around
    4. No, the solid line prevents passing there
    Show answer

    No, the solid line prevents passing there. Railroad crossing pavement markings include a large X and two R letters in the lane. Louisiana's guide adds that a solid yellow center line extends the entire distance to prevent passing, and a white stop line is painted across the lane. That solid line means you may not pass the slow car on the approach to the tracks, even if no train is in sight. Stay behind it and stop at the white line if a train is coming.

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

14. 14. Rain is so heavy that your wipers cannot keep the windshield clear at your speed. What does the guide say?

    1. Keep your speed and lean forward to see
    2. Turn on your high beams to see better
    3. Do not drive faster than the wipers can clear
    4. Follow closer to the taillights ahead
    Show answer

    Do not drive faster than the wipers can clear. In wet weather, do not drive faster than your windshield wipers can clear water from the windshield. If you cannot see through the glass, slow down. Keep wiper blades in good shape and replace them every year. Following taillights closely cuts your stopping room, and high beams do not clear water from the glass. In an especially heavy downpour, you may want to pull off the road until it is safe to continue.

15. 15. As you approach a railroad crossing, why does the guide say to put away your phone and headphones?

    1. They can keep you from hearing a train
    2. Crossing signals react to phone signals
    3. Railroads ban phones within a mile of tracks
    4. They keep you from reading the crossing sign
    Show answer

    They can keep you from hearing a train. The guide tells drivers to stay alert around railroad tracks and not to use cell phones, headphones or other distractions that would keep them from hearing an approaching train. Hearing a horn can be your warning when a train is hidden by trees, hills or buildings, or when warning lights are not working. Expect a train on any track at any time, look both ways, and do not cross until you are sure no train is coming.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings

16. 16. An overhead black and white sign above your lane shows only a left-turn arrow. What does it tell you?

    1. Your lane is for left turns only
    2. A left curve is coming up ahead
    3. Left turns are prohibited here
    4. Your lane is closing a short way ahead
    Show answer

    Your lane is for left turns only. Lane use control signs are black and white signs that tell you where you can go and where you can turn, often with an arrow symbol. Louisiana's guide says they may stand beside the road or hang over the lane they control, and arrows may also be painted on the pavement to back them up. A left arrow alone over your lane means the lane is for left turns. Curves are shown on yellow warning signs, and banned turns use a red circle and slash.

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

17. 17. After a drink is swallowed, about how long does the alcohol take to reach the brain?

    1. About 2 minutes
    2. About 90 minutes
    3. About 6 hours
    4. About 20 minutes
    Show answer

    About 20 minutes. Alcohol does not wait in the stomach. It passes into the bloodstream, travels to all parts of the body and reaches the brain in about 20 minutes, where it affects the parts that control judgment and skill. That is why a driver can feel fine right after a drink and be impaired soon after. Removing it takes far longer, about an hour for each normal drink, and nothing such as coffee speeds that up.

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

18. 18. You are driving at night on low beams, which light about 150 to 200 feet ahead. At about what speed can you still stop within that distance?

    1. About 25 mph
    2. About 45 mph
    3. About 65 mph
    4. About 75 mph
    Show answer

    About 45 mph. At night you must be able to stop within the distance your headlights show. Low beams let you see clearly about 150 to 200 feet ahead, and the speed that lets you stop within that distance is about 45 mph. High beams reach about 350 to 400 feet, which supports about 65 mph. Driving faster than your lights allow means an object can appear too late to stop. Reducing speed to match headlight distance is critical at night.

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

19. 19. You need fuel and a place to stay along the highway. Which sign color should you look for?

    1. Brown
    2. Blue
    3. Green
    4. Orange
    Show answer

    Blue. Service signs in Louisiana are blue, square or rectangular, with white lettering or symbols. They show the location of services such as rest areas, gas stations, hotels and hospitals. Green and brown signs are destination guide signs that show direction and distance, with brown used for recreational and cultural points of interest. Orange is the color of work zones. When you need fuel or lodging, watch for the blue panels before your exit.

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

20. 20. A motorcycle ahead has its turn signal blinking as you wait to pull out. What should you assume?

    1. Nothing until its turn has clearly begun
    2. It will turn at the next intersection
    3. It is pulling over onto the shoulder
    4. It is telling you that you may go
    Show answer

    Nothing until its turn has clearly begun. Motorcycle turn signals may not shut off automatically, and riders sometimes forget to cancel them after a turn. The guide says not to assume what a motorcyclist will do until the move has clearly started, such as a turn into an intersection or driveway. Riders also change lane position to prepare for turns or avoid hazards you may not see. Intersections are the most likely place for car and motorcycle crashes, usually because a driver turns into the rider's path.

    Study this in the handbook: Bicycles, motorcycles and big trucks