LA Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

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. The car ahead is weaving, straddling the center line and making wide turns. What does the guide say this may mean?

   1. The driver may be impaired
   2. The car may be low on fuel
   3. The driver may be lost
   4. The road may be under repair
   Show answer

   The driver may be impaired. Weaving, straddling the center line, making wide turns, stopping abruptly or reacting slowly to signals are signs that a driver may be impaired. Stay well away. The guide says to avoid an impaired driver by turning right at the nearest corner or leaving at the nearest exit. Then notify the police about a motorist driving suspiciously or recklessly; in Louisiana you can call *LSP (*577).

   Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving, fatigue and aggressive drivers

2. 2. You and an oncoming driver both signal left turns at the same intersection. How should each of you turn?

   1. To the right of the intersection's center
   2. The first to stop turns, the other waits
   3. To the left of the intersection's center
   4. Both wait for the light to turn yellow
   Show answer

   To the left of the intersection's center. When you meet an oncoming driver and both of you signal left turns, the guide says to be extra careful and, when it is safe, for each driver to turn to the left of the center of the intersection. That way the two turning paths do not cross. If you must stop before turning, keep your wheels straight so that a rear end hit does not push you into oncoming traffic. Waiting for yellow is not part of the rule.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses, turns and signals

3. 3. You are about to turn left on a green arrow when it changes to a steady yellow arrow before you reach the intersection. What should you do?

   1. Speed up to finish the turn before red
   2. Turn without looking, since it was green
   3. Pull in and wait for the next green arrow
   4. Stop if you can, ready to yield to traffic
   Show answer

   Stop if you can, ready to yield to traffic. A steady yellow arrow means the green arrow for your turn is ending. Louisiana's guide says to prepare to stop and to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic or pedestrians. If you have not yet entered the intersection and can stop safely, stop. Speeding up to beat the red, or turning as if you were still protected, puts you in conflict with the oncoming traffic and pedestrians you are supposed to yield to.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

4. 4. You see a fluorescent yellow-green warning sign ahead. Which road users should you expect?

   1. Farm equipment and slow trucks
   2. Highway workers and machinery
   3. Emergency vehicles leaving a station
   4. Pedestrians, bicyclists or schoolchildren
   Show answer

   Pedestrians, bicyclists or schoolchildren. Louisiana's guide says fluorescent yellow-green is the background color for pedestrian, bicycle and school warning signs, and it notes that school zone, school crossing and pedestrian crossing signs may use fluorescent yellow. The bright color stands out where people on foot or on bicycles may enter the road. Highway workers and machinery are announced with orange signs. Slow down and watch the roadside and crosswalks when you see this color.

   Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes and colors

5. 5. Heavy rain is making it hard to see the road clearly, but the posted limit is 55 mph. What does Louisiana's guide expect?

   1. Drive 55, since that is the posted limit
   2. Reduce your speed below the posted limit
   3. Drive 55 with your flashers on
   4. Keep up with the fastest traffic
   Show answer

   Reduce your speed below the posted limit. Speed limit signs show the maximum legal speed, and Louisiana's guide says the maximum should be driven only in ideal conditions. You must reduce speed when weather or traffic conditions require it, including when the road is slippery, during rain, snow, ice or fog, and anytime it is difficult to see the roadway clearly. Heavy rain that limits your view fits that description. Flashers do not make the posted speed safe, and matching faster drivers ignores the conditions.

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

6. 6. Driving on a road with a median, you see this sign. What is about to change?

   
   1. The divided highway ends ahead
   2. A divided highway begins ahead
   3. The right lane ends ahead
   4. A side road joins from the right
   Show answer

   The divided highway ends ahead. This is the Divided Highway Ends sign from the guide's group of warning signs. The median that has been separating you from traffic going the other way is about to end, so oncoming vehicles will soon be on the other side of the center line instead. Warning signs tell you about possible danger ahead, and the guide shows a separate sign for a divided highway that begins. Keep right and be ready for two-way traffic.

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

7. 7. You are leaving a Louisiana interstate at an exit with a deceleration lane. When should you slow to the ramp speed?

   1. Before you signal, while still in the right lane
   2. Only after you reach the stop at the ramp's end
   3. As soon as you see the first exit sign
   4. Once you are fully in the deceleration lane
   Show answer

   Once you are fully in the deceleration lane. Most interstate exits have a special lane for slowing down before the exit. The guide says never to slow down on the interstate itself; wait until you are fully in the deceleration lane, then reduce speed to the posted ramp speed. Slowing for an exit in the right hand lane is described as dangerous, and drivers are told to watch for others who suddenly slow there. After you exit, be aware of two-way traffic ahead.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

8. 8. You turn off the highway onto a long gravel road. How should you change your driving?

   1. Keep your speed but grip the wheel harder
   2. Slow down and leave more following distance
   3. Follow closer so dust does not block your view
   4. Speed up a little so the tires stay on top
   Show answer

   Slow down and leave more following distance. Tires do not grip gravel or dirt as well as concrete or asphalt. Because of that lost traction, a car on gravel takes much longer to stop, so the guide tells you to reduce your speed and increase your following distance. Skids can start when traction is lost, and rough, rippled stretches can upset steering. When gravel roads get dusty in dry weather, the guide adds low beam headlights to the same advice: slow down and leave more room.

   Study this in the handbook: Interstate and rural road driving

9. 9. Where does Louisiana require reduced speed limits to protect children?

   1. Near schools and playgrounds when children are present
   2. Only inside marked school zones during posted class hours
   3. At school bus stops during the morning and afternoon
   4. Only where an adult crossing guard is directing traffic
   Show answer

   Near schools and playgrounds when children are present. The guide lists places where reduced speed limits are required. One is streets near schools and playgrounds, along with locations marked with a school crossing sign, when children are present. The rule is not limited to class hours or to spots with a crossing guard, and it does not turn every bus stop into a reduced speed zone. The guide also says many young children do not follow safe crossing practices, so slow down whenever you see children playing near a roadway.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed laws

10. 10. When walking along a roadway, which way should pedestrians face when possible?

    1. With traffic, so cars come from behind
    2. Facing traffic coming toward them
    3. Toward the center of the road
    4. Whichever side has fewer cars
    Show answer

    Facing traffic coming toward them. The guide says pedestrians should walk facing traffic when possible and should never step into a roadway without checking for oncoming traffic. Cross at an intersection or crosswalk, look left, right and left again, and keep checking while crossing. Drivers, in turn, should slow down when people are walking along a road and give them as much room as they safely can.

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

11. 11. At an intersection posted DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION, which of these is not allowed at any time?

    1. Turning right after stopping
    2. Stopping inside the intersection
    3. Waiting behind the stop line
    4. Entering when the far side is clear
    Show answer

    Stopping inside the intersection. The Do Not Block Intersection sign tells you not to stop, stand or park at any time in the intersection. Louisiana's guide adds that you must not enter if traffic conditions will not let you clear it completely, and you must not block traffic entering from any other direction. Waiting behind the stop line until there is room, turning right after stopping and entering when the far side is clear all respect the sign.

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

12. 12. Your wheels leave the pavement onto a much lower shoulder. To what speed should you slow before returning?

    1. About ten miles per hour
    2. About twenty-five miles per hour
    3. About thirty-five miles per hour
    4. Maintain the traffic speed
    Show answer

    About ten miles per hour. A substantial drop from the pavement calls for slowing to about ten miles per hour before trying to return. Stay on the shoulder while reducing speed, then look for traffic in both directions before turning back. Immediately jerking the wheel at road speed can send the car into opposing traffic. The low shoulder is the important cue; the guide distinguishes it from a shoulder with no drop, where a gentler return is possible.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts and hydroplaning

13. 13. You stop behind the stop line at a stop sign. No cars are coming, but a pedestrian is crossing in front of your car. What should you do?

    1. Go now, since no vehicles are coming
    2. Honk so the pedestrian hurries across
    3. Wait until the pedestrian is clear, then go
    4. Go if the pedestrian is not in your lane yet
    Show answer

    Wait until the pedestrian is clear, then go. Stopping is only the first step at a stop sign. Louisiana's guide says you must stop behind the stop line or crosswalk, look for crossing vehicles and pedestrians in all directions, and yield the right of way. You may enter the intersection only when it is safe to do so. A person crossing in front of you has the right of way even when no cars are coming, so wait until the path is clear rather than hurrying the pedestrian or squeezing past.

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

14. 14. On a four lane interstate, a police car is parked on the right shoulder with lights flashing. The lane to your left is full of traffic. What should you do?

    1. Force your way into the left lane
    2. Stop in your lane until it is clear
    3. Slow to a reasonably safe speed as you pass
    4. Keep your speed since it is on the shoulder
    Show answer

    Slow to a reasonably safe speed as you pass. On an interstate or other highway with two or more lanes in your direction, you yield to a parked emergency vehicle with its lights on by moving into a lane not next to it, if you can do so safely. When traffic makes that lane change unsafe or impossible, the law says to slow to a reasonably safe speed while passing. Stopping in a travel lane or holding full speed beside the officer are not what the law describes.

    Study this in the handbook: Stuck pedals, fires, floods and crashes

15. 15. When may a Louisiana driver pass another vehicle on its right side?

    1. When two or more lanes move in your direction
    2. When the paved shoulder on the right is wide
    3. Whenever the other driver is going under the limit
    4. Only after sounding the horn twice to warn them
    Show answer

    When two or more lanes move in your direction. Passing on the right is allowed when the road has two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. It is never allowed by leaving the roadway and driving on the shoulder, paved or not, because other drivers may pull off without looking for you. A slow driver ahead does not make a shoulder pass legal. Even where passing on the right is allowed, take care, since the other driver may not see you and could change lanes into your path.

16. 16. What does a white painted curb mean in Louisiana?

    1. It is a fire zone with no stopping
    2. It is reserved for accessible parking
    3. It is a loading zone for deliveries
    4. Only short stops are permitted there
    Show answer

    Only short stops are permitted there. Louisiana's guide says painted curbs indicate parking restrictions beyond the general rules against parking on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway or in an intersection. A white curb means only short stops are permitted. Yellow marks a loading zone or some other restriction, red marks fire zone restrictions, and blue marks an accessibility restriction. Check the curb color before you stop or park.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and painted curbs

17. 17. You are behind a slow tractor on a two lane road, just before a curve that hides oncoming traffic. May you pass?

    1. Yes, if you sound your horn first
    2. Yes, if the center line is broken
    3. No, passing is illegal with the view blocked
    4. Yes, if the tractor waves you around
    Show answer

    No, passing is illegal with the view blocked. Louisiana law makes it unsafe and illegal to pass when a hill or a curve blocks your view of the road ahead. You cannot see whether an oncoming car is coming, so you cannot judge a safe gap. A horn, a broken center line or a wave from the slower driver does not change that. Passing is also illegal within one hundred feet of an intersection, railroad crossing, bridge or tunnel, on the shoulder, or with a solid yellow line in your lane.

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

18. 18. You realize you are in a turn-only lane, but you wanted to go straight. What should you do?

    1. Stop in the lane until you can merge over
    2. Change lanes quickly at the last moment
    3. Make the turn, then drive around the block
    4. Go straight if no one else is coming
    Show answer

    Make the turn, then drive around the block. Lanes marked for turning require you to turn. Louisiana's guide points out that other drivers will not expect a sudden lane change, and drivers behind you will not expect a sudden stop. Stopping to wait for a gap blocks traffic, so you must go ahead and make the turn. Then drive around the block and return to the street you wanted. Going straight from a turn-only lane, or cutting over at the last moment, creates exactly the surprise the guide warns about.

    Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts and traffic circles

19. 19. Your lane has painted white arrows pointing both left and straight ahead. Which moves may you make from this lane?

    1. Straight only; turns need their own lane
    2. Either a left turn or straight ahead
    3. Left only, since the turn arrow ranks first
    4. The move shown on an overhead sign
    Show answer

    Either a left turn or straight ahead. Directional markings are white arrows or words painted in the lane to show where you must go. Louisiana's guide says you may move only in the direction the arrows indicate, and when the arrows show more than one direction, you may choose any of them. A lane marked with both a left arrow and a straight arrow therefore allows either movement. Choose early, signal if turning, and avoid a lane whose arrows do not include the direction you want.

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

20. 20. Your car breaks down after dark and you pull off the road. If you carry flares, where should you place them?

    1. At least 10 feet behind the car
    2. At least 500 feet behind the car
    3. Right next to the front bumper
    4. At least 100 feet behind the car
    Show answer

    At least 100 feet behind the car. A stopped car at night is hard for other drivers to see. Once you are off the road, the guide says to make the car visible with reflective triangles or emergency flashers. If it is dark, turn on the interior dome light, and if you have flares, set them at least 100 feet behind the car. Do not try to flag down other vehicles, and do not stand behind or next to the car if it is still in the roadway.

    Study this in the handbook: Stuck pedals, fires, floods and crashes