LA Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. Which BAC does the Louisiana guide identify as the legal limit for drivers age 20 and younger?

   1. 0.04%
   2. 0.02%
   3. 0.08%
   4. 0.10%
   Show answer

   0.02%. Louisiana lists 0.02% as the legal BAC limit for a driver who is 20 or younger. The 0.08% figure belongs to drivers 21 or older, and 0.04% is the listed limit for a commercial motor vehicle. The 0.10% choice is not one of the guide's three age or vehicle thresholds. This is an age based rule, so do not substitute the adult limit when the driver is under 21. A young driver should treat any alcohol before driving as unsafe, even though the legal table supplies a specific numerical threshold.

2. 2. What mandatory jail time does Louisiana list for a second DWI conviction?

   1. 48 hours
   2. 30 days
   3. None
   4. One year
   Show answer

   48 hours. Louisiana Revised Statute 14:98.2 sets a second DWI conviction at a fine of $750 to $1,000 and 30 days to six months in jail, and at least 48 hours of that sentence must be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. That 48 hour minimum is the mandatory jail time. Saying there is none ignores the statute. Thirty days is the bottom of the full jail range, not the part that can never be suspended. One year is the mandatory minimum for a third conviction, not a second.

3. 3. Which of these can cost a Louisiana driver the driving privilege?

   1. Failure to pay state income taxes
   2. Buying a new car
   3. Moving within the same parish
   4. Driving an older vehicle
   Show answer

   Failure to pay state income taxes. Louisiana's list of ways to lose the driving privilege includes failure to pay child support and failure to pay state income taxes, along with DWI, refusing an alcohol test, failing to stop for a school bus, three reckless driving convictions in 12 months, and driving with a suspended license. Buying a car, moving within a parish and driving an older vehicle are lawful and are not on the list. The same list covers altering information on the license, unlawful use of a license and making a false statement on an application, so the privilege depends on more than driving behavior.

4. 4. On a first offense, a Louisiana driver age 21 or older tests at 0.16% BAC. How long are driving privileges suspended?

   1. 180 days
   2. Two years (730 days)
   3. 365 days
   4. 90 days
   Show answer

   Two years (730 days). For a driver 21 or older who submits to the test, a BAC of 0.15% or greater brings a suspension of two years, or 730 days. The 180 day suspension is for 0.08% to 0.149%, which 0.16% exceeds. Three hundred sixty-five days is the first refusal suspension. Ninety days is not part of the rule. Refusing on a second or later offense also brings 730 days.

5. 5. Why may a driver need to travel below the posted speed limit?

   1. The general speed law requires a safe speed for road, traffic, light, and weather conditions
   2. Posted limits apply only when the road is straight
   3. A lower speed is required only on interstate highways
   4. The posted number is a target that drivers must never exceed or reduce
   Show answer

   The general speed law requires a safe speed for road, traffic, light, and weather conditions. A posted maximum is not a guarantee that the same speed is safe in every setting. Louisiana's general speed law calls for a safe, appropriate speed based on the area, roadway, traffic, light, and weather conditions. Rain, ice, fog, congestion, a hill, or a sharp curve can require a reduction below the number on the sign. The limit is not restricted to straight roads, and it is not a target that must be maintained. Choose a speed that lets you stop and steer as needed for what you can actually see.

6. 6. What should you do when a school bus activates its flashing red lights?

   
   1. Stop only when traveling behind the bus
   2. Pass slowly if no child is visible
   3. Stop and wait until the bus moves and the roadway is checked
   4. Use the opposite lane to pass before children exit
   Show answer

   Stop and wait until the bus moves and the roadway is checked. Flashing red lights and the bus stop sign mean the bus has stopped to load or unload children. Drivers must wait for the vehicle to move and scan before starting again, whether they are approaching from behind or meeting the bus. A child may be hidden from view, and passing on either side defeats the protection created by the stop. Do not decide based on whether you can see a child. Treat the bus signals as the instruction, stop at the required distance, and remain there until the bus is moving.

7. 7. What does a railroad crossbuck sign require a driver to do?

   1. Speed up before the train arrives
   2. Stop only if the train is already crossing
   3. Yield the right of way to a train
   4. Treat the tracks as a four-way stop
   Show answer

   Yield the right of way to a train. A railroad crossbuck is required at public railroad crossings and means the driver must yield the right of way to a train. The sign does not make stopping conditional on seeing the train already enter the crossing, and it does not authorize rushing across the tracks. A four-way-stop procedure is a different traffic control rule. The cue is the crossbuck's railroad setting: identify the train as the road user that receives priority before entering.

8. 8. What does a Louisiana Class E license permit?

   1. Operation of any single motor vehicle under 10,001 pounds, recreational vehicles and certain farm vehicles
   2. Motorcycles only
   3. Commercial trucks
   4. Any vehicle under 26,001 pounds
   Show answer

   Operation of any single motor vehicle under 10,001 pounds, recreational vehicles and certain farm vehicles. Class E permits the operation of any single motor vehicle under 10,001 pounds, recreational vehicles and certain farm use vehicles not defined as commercial vehicles. Class D is the chauffeur's license for a single vehicle used in commerce rated from 10,001 to under 26,001 pounds, and as long as the combined gross vehicle weight rating of truck and trailer is under 26,001 pounds, a Class D applies; that applicant must be at least 17. Motorcycles need a separate endorsement.

9. 9. What minimum following gap does the three second rule recommend in ordinary conditions?

   
   1. A fixed distance of ten feet
   2. One second at every speed
   3. At least three seconds
   4. Half a vehicle length
   Show answer

   At least three seconds. The three second rule creates a time based gap that works at any speed. Choose a fixed object, begin counting when the vehicle ahead passes it, and make sure your own vehicle does not reach that object in less than three seconds. A fixed number of feet changes meaning as speed changes, while one second leaves little room to perceive and react. If your count is short, ease back and count again at another object. Rain, darkness, slippery roads, or other risks call for more space.

10. 10. Under Louisiana's general speed law, which driving choice is prohibited?

    1. Checking the speedometer often on a clear road
    2. Driving below the posted limit when traffic is light
    3. Driving faster than is reasonable for the conditions
    4. Reducing speed when rain limits visibility
    Show answer

    Driving faster than is reasonable for the conditions. Louisiana's general speed law requires a reasonable speed that matches the area, roadway, traffic, lighting, and weather. A posted limit is not permission to drive that fast in every circumstance. The choice “Driving faster than is reasonable for the conditions” is prohibited because it ignores conditions and can leave the vehicle unable to stop or steer safely. Driving below the limit may be prudent, checking the speedometer helps the driver judge speed, and slowing for rain is specifically a sound response. Use the posted number as an upper boundary, then reduce speed whenever visibility, traction, or traffic makes that necessary.

11. 11. What do double solid yellow lines in the center of a roadway allow?

    1. Crossing only to change into a lane moving the same direction
    2. Crossing freely to pass whenever traffic is light
    3. Driving on top of the lines as a normal travel lane
    4. Crossing to make a turn, but not crossing to pass
    Show answer

    Crossing to make a turn, but not crossing to pass. Double solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic and may be crossed for a turn, but not to pass another vehicle. The light-traffic option still violates the stated passing restriction. These markings are not a normal travel lane and they do not separate same-direction lanes, which use white markings. Plan the turn carefully, signal, check for oncoming road users, and cross only for that turning movement.

12. 12. What must a driver do when pedestrians are in a marked crosswalk?

    
    1. Yield only when a crossing guard is present
    2. Continue if the vehicle is already within one car length
    3. Sound the horn and pass before the pedestrians reach the center
    4. Stop for the pedestrians because they have the right-of-way
    Show answer

    Stop for the pedestrians because they have the right-of-way. Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way over motor vehicles, so the driver must stop for them. A vehicle’s closeness does not erase that protection, and a horn does not replace yielding. A crossing guard is not required for the crosswalk rule to apply. Watch the road edges as well as the lane ahead, stop before the crossing, and remain stopped until the pedestrians are safely clear of the vehicle’s path.

13. 13. 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.

14. 14. 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.

15. 15. What does orange usually mean on a roadway sign?

    1. A recreational or cultural destination
    2. A hospital or medical service
    3. A permanent speed restriction
    4. A construction zone or temporary traffic control
    Show answer

    A construction zone or temporary traffic control. Orange is the basic color for temporary traffic control and construction signs. It tells the driver to expect workers, machinery, barricades, lane changes, or unusual roadway conditions and to be ready to slow or stop. Blue service signs identify places such as hospitals, while green and brown guide signs point toward routes or recreational destinations. A permanent speed restriction is shown by a regulatory sign. When orange appears, look beyond the sign for work-zone devices and changing traffic patterns.

16. 16. What is a two-way left turn lane used for?

    
    1. Waiting for a parking space to open
    2. Passing slower traffic in either direction
    3. Continuous travel through the center of the roadway
    4. Left turns only by vehicles traveling in either direction
    Show answer

    Left turns only by vehicles traveling in either direction. The shared center lane is designed for left-turn maneuvers from either direction. It is not a passing lane, a through lane, or a place to pause while searching for parking. Enter only when preparing for the turn, check opposing traffic and mirrors, signal, and keep the use brief. The guide also limits travel in this lane to no more than 200 feet. The key visual cue is yellow center markings paired with turn-only use, not a normal travel lane.

17. 17. What should a driver do when weather or traffic conditions make the posted maximum speed unsafe?

    1. Maintain the maximum because the sign overrides weather
    2. Reduce speed below the posted maximum as conditions require
    3. Drive at least the posted maximum to avoid blocking traffic
    4. Use the posted maximum only when following another vehicle
    Show answer

    Reduce speed below the posted maximum as conditions require. The manual gives slippery pavement, rain, snow, ice, fog, and poor visibility as reasons to reduce speed below the posted maximum. The choice that keeps the maximum because of the sign ignores those conditions and removes the driver's duty to adapt. A minimum pace is also unsafe when sight distance or traction is poor. Use the surface and visibility as cues: ease off before the hazard, increase following space, and preserve enough distance to stop smoothly.

18. 18. In Louisiana, how close may you park to a fire station driveway on the other side of the street?

    1. No closer than 20 feet
    2. No closer than 15 feet
    3. No closer than 500 feet
    4. No closer than 75 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 75 feet. Louisiana prohibits parking within 20 feet of a fire station driveway on the same side of the street, or within 75 feet of the driveway on the other side of the street. So 20 feet is the same side rule. Fifteen feet is the fire hydrant distance. Five hundred feet is how close you may not follow an emergency vehicle answering a call.

19. 19. What does Louisiana law prohibit a driver from doing on railroad tracks?

    1. Stopping before a lowered crossing gate
    2. Looking both ways before crossing
    3. Stopping a vehicle on the tracks
    4. Waiting until the gates are raised
    Show answer

    Stopping a vehicle on the tracks. Louisiana law prohibits stopping a vehicle on railroad tracks. Looking both ways, stopping before a lowered gate, and remaining stopped until the gate rises are safety actions required by the crossing guidance. The danger is not limited to a vehicle that is intentionally parked: a driver should avoid entering a crossing unless there is room to clear the tracks. If a vehicle stalls or becomes trapped, occupants should leave and move toward the approaching train, away from the tracks. Never treat the rails as a temporary stopping place.

20. 20. If a lane change away from a stopped emergency vehicle is unsafe, what should you do?

    
    1. Slow to a reasonably safe speed and pass carefully
    2. Stop beside the emergency vehicle in the adjacent lane
    3. Speed up to reduce time beside the vehicle
    4. Ignore the vehicle if its lights are flashing
    Show answer

    Slow to a reasonably safe speed and pass carefully. The emergency response rule allows a driver to slow to a reasonably safe speed when moving into a nonadjacent lane is not possible or safe. A sudden lane change can create a side collision, so safety and traffic conditions come first. Speeding up reduces reaction time and increases exposure to workers or responders. Check mirrors, reduce speed early, give the scene room, and move over later when a safe opening exists.