TX Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

Every question below comes from the Texas 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 should you alert a Texas driver before passing?

   1. Flash high beams to blind them
   2. Tailgate until they move
   3. Pass on the shoulder silently
   4. Tap the horn when necessary to alert them
   Show answer

   Tap the horn when necessary to alert them. A short horn tap announces a pass the mirrors may miss. The Texas passing sequence says to tap the horn when necessary to alert the driver ahead, after checking distance and before moving left. Blinding beams, tailgating, and silent shoulder passes all skip the courtesy signal. The cue is the drowsy or drifting leader: a light tap says a pass is coming before you commit to the left lane.

   Study this in the handbook: Signaling, passing and turning

2. 2. What causes most Texas motor vehicle crashes?

   1. Bad luck and fate
   2. Alien interference
   3. Speeding, failure to yield or stop, and alcohol
   4. Too many traffic signs
   Show answer

   Speeding, failure to yield or stop, and alcohol. Three behaviors dominate the Texas crash toll. The handbook says most crashes result from speeding, failure to yield or stop appropriately, and driving under the influence. Fate, aliens, and sign counts dodge responsibility. The cue is every crash report: one of these three choices sits behind the wheel in most of them. Each of the three is a choice, which means most crashes were preventable by drivers. Mastering speed, yield, and sobriety prevents the vast majority.

   Study this in the handbook: Breakdowns, skids and crashes

3. 3. Which vehicles must Texas drivers yield to when signaled?

   1. Police cars and fire trucks, but not ambulances or other emergency vehicles
   2. Only police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances that are using a siren
   3. Police, fire, and ambulance vehicles during daylight hours with a siren sounding
   4. Police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency vehicles with siren, bell, or red light
   Show answer

   Police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency vehicles with siren, bell, or red light. Every flavor of emergency response owns the right-of-way when signaling. Texas requires yielding to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles sounding a siren or bell or flashing red. Readings limited to police and fire, to sirens only, or to daylight narrow the list illegally. The cue is any emergency signal behind or ahead: siren, bell, or flashing red means clear a path at once.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles and the move over law

4. 4. According to the Texas handbook, about how long does it take the body to get rid of each drink?

   1. About 15 minutes
   2. About one hour
   3. About three hours
   4. It depends only on drinking coffee
   Show answer

   About one hour. The Texas handbook says it takes about one hour for the body to rid itself of each drink. Only time lowers the effect of alcohol, and the rate depends on body weight, number of drinks, and food intake. Fifteen minutes is far too quick, and three hours overstates the average. Black coffee, cold showers, and exercise do not make a person sober. If someone has been drinking, a person who has not been drinking should drive.

   Study this in the handbook: DWI, open containers and implied consent

5. 5. A Texas school bus without a commercial inspection runs an unnumbered rural highway. What is its limit?

   1. 70 mph, like passenger cars
   2. 55 mph, like a city arterial
   3. 60 mph, like inspected buses
   4. 50 mph
   Show answer

   50 mph. Uninspected buses on unnumbered roads sit at the bottom of the table. Texas sets 50 mph for school buses that have not passed a commercial vehicle inspection or that travel on highways not numbered by Texas or the U.S. The 70 mph car limit and the 60 mph inspected-bus limit both require conditions this bus lacks. The 55 figure appears nowhere in the Texas table. The cue is the combination: no inspection sticker plus no route number means 50, the lowest rural highway speed in the table.

   Study this in the handbook: Suspensions, revocations and license penalties

6. 6. Which record can lead Texas DPS to suspend a license, after a hearing, for repeated traffic violations?

   1. Two traffic convictions within any 12 month period
   2. Three traffic convictions within any 36 month period
   3. Four or more traffic convictions within any 12 month period
   4. Ten traffic convictions within any 5 year period
   Show answer

   Four or more traffic convictions within any 12 month period. DPS may suspend or revoke a license after a hearing for repeated violations: four or more separate traffic convictions within any 12 months, or seven or more within any 24 months. Two convictions in 12 months is the threshold for drivers under 18, not for all drivers. Three in 36 months and ten in five years are not Texas thresholds. A reinstatement fee is required for these discretionary suspensions.

   Study this in the handbook: Suspensions, revocations and license penalties

7. 7. When a stop line is present at a traffic sign or signal, where must the driver stop?

   1. Behind the stop line
   2. After the crosswalk or intersection
   3. Only beside the curb
   4. On top of the stop line
   Show answer

   Behind the stop line. White stop lines are painted across pavement lanes at traffic signs or signals, and drivers are required to stop behind the line. Stopping on or beyond it can place the vehicle into the crosswalk, intersection, or path controlled by the signal. The curb is not the reference point supplied by the marking. If no stop line is present, the handbook separately explains where to stop in relation to a crosswalk. Look for the painted line early and complete the stop before reaching it.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and lanes

8. 8. At an uncontrolled intersection you legally hold the right-of-way. What must you still do?

   1. Make sure the other driver actually yields before proceeding
   2. Proceed at once since the law is on your side
   3. Flash your lights and claim the intersection
   4. Stop and wave every other driver through first
   Show answer

   Make sure the other driver actually yields before proceeding. Being legally right is not the same as being safe. At an intersection with no signs, signals, multiple lanes, or pavement markings to assign priority, you may technically hold the right-of-way yet still must confirm the other driver yields before you go. Charging ahead because the law favors you invites a crash with a driver who misjudges or ignores the rule. Flashing lights and waving everyone through are not the guidance. The cue is uncertainty: watch the other vehicle, confirm it is yielding, then proceed.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

9. 9. What details must you give the owner after damaging a Texas roadside fixture?

   1. Your name, address, and vehicle registration number
   2. Your Social Security number and employer
   3. Your insurance policy number only
   4. Your date of birth and home phone only
   Show answer

   Your name, address, and vehicle registration number. When a Texas crash damages only a fixture, landscaping, or a structure on or next to a highway, the driver must take reasonable steps to find the owner or the person in charge and notify them of the crash. The driver must give a name, an address, and the registration number of the vehicle being driven, and show a driver license if the owner asks and it is available. Employer and Social Security details are not part of the duty. Knowing the three items is what lets the owner trace the damage, so keep them ready after any roadside collision.

   Study this in the handbook: Breakdowns, skids and crashes

10. 10. Which side should Texans use entering parked cars?

    1. Enter from the traffic side
    2. Use the curb side when possible
    3. Climb through windows
    4. Exit into moving lanes
    Show answer

    Use the curb side when possible. The curb side shelters car entries and exits. Texas says to get in and out on the curb side when possible. Traffic sides, windows, and moving lanes all expose bodies to strikes. The cue is the parked car: circle to the curb before opening any door. Children should exit only after the car fully stops at the curb. Adults must model the curb-side habit every single trip.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians

11. 11. What factors control how time reduces alcohol effects?

    1. The car's paint color
    2. The day of the week
    3. Body weight, drink count, and food intake over time
    4. The driver's shoe size
    Show answer

    Body weight, drink count, and food intake over time. Sobering up runs on biology, not tricks. Texas says only time, based on body weight, number of drinks, and food intake, can minimize alcohol's effects. Paint, weekdays, and shoe sizes are nonsense factors. The cue is the personal math: heavier bodies, fewer drinks, and full stomachs shorten the impairment curve, but only the clock finishes it. Eating first and spacing drinks only softens the peak; the total time stays the same.

    Study this in the handbook: DWI, open containers and implied consent

12. 12. You hit an unattended Texas car. What must you do?

    1. Drive away quietly
    2. Stop and find the owner or leave a visible written notice
    3. Deny everything later
    4. Move their car too
    Show answer

    Stop and find the owner or leave a visible written notice. Empty cars still have owners with rights. Texas says that hitting an unattended vehicle means immediately stopping and either finding the operator or owner to give your name and address, or leaving a secure visible written notice. Drive-offs, denials, and moving their car all compound the wrong. The cue is the empty dented car: stop, search, and if nobody appears, write and attach.

    Study this in the handbook: Breakdowns, skids and crashes

13. 13. To fight highway hypnosis on a long trip, how often does the Texas handbook say to stop?

    1. Every four hours or 250 miles
    2. Only once you start to feel sleepy
    3. Every eight hours
    4. At least every two hours or every 100 miles
    Show answer

    At least every two hours or every 100 miles. Highway hypnosis is drowsiness or unawareness brought on by the steady sounds of wind, engine, and tire hum. The handbook's first defense is to stop often: even if you feel well, stop at least every two hours or every 100 miles, get out, walk around, and let your muscles relax. It also says not to drive more than eight hours per day and to keep shifting your eyes between near and far objects.

    Study this in the handbook: Night and highway driving

14. 14. What does Texas say about parking across a curb ramp?

    1. Block it briefly while loading groceries
    2. Never block an access or curb ramp
    3. Use it as a shortcut ramp for carts
    4. Park across it if no wheelchair is near
    Show answer

    Never block an access or curb ramp. Curb ramps are doorways for wheelchair users. Texas forbids blocking an access or curb ramp, with no allowance for quick loading, cart shortcuts, or the apparent absence of wheelchair users. A blocked ramp strands people in the street or forces long detours. The cue is the sloped cut in the curb: keep it and its landing zone fully clear at all times, treating it like a driveway that must never be blocked.

    Study this in the handbook: Where you may not park

15. 15. What does a solid yellow line on your side of the road mark?

    
    1. A no-passing zone
    2. A passing lane that must be used
    3. A pedestrian-only crossing
    4. A lane reserved for parking
    Show answer

    A no-passing zone. A solid yellow line on your side marks a no-passing zone. The marking warns that crossing to overtake is prohibited there, so a driver should remain behind the vehicle ahead until a legal passing opportunity appears. It is not a parking boundary, a mandatory passing lane, or a pedestrian crossing. Broken yellow lines have a different meaning and may permit passing or changing lanes when safe. Check the pavement on your side of the road before beginning any maneuver that would cross the center line.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and lanes

16. 16. A green arrow appears at the same time as a red light. What may the driver do?

    1. Proceed without checking because the arrow grants absolute priority
    2. Remain stopped until every signal turns green
    3. Turn in any direction permitted by the lane
    4. Proceed in the arrow's direction after yielding to traffic and pedestrians
    Show answer

    Proceed in the arrow's direction after yielding to traffic and pedestrians. A green arrow shown with a red light permits movement in the arrow's direction, but the driver must proceed carefully after yielding to other vehicles and pedestrians. The arrow controls the permitted direction; it does not erase the duty to check the intersection. Remaining stopped until every signal changes would ignore the protected movement, while turning elsewhere exceeds what the arrow authorizes. The visual cue is the combination of signals: follow the arrow, scan the path, yield as required, and then complete only that movement.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and arrows

17. 17. What limits the packages a bicyclist may carry while riding?

    1. The rider must be able to keep at least one hand on the handlebars
    2. The rider may release both handlebars if the package is light
    3. Both hands may carry a package while the bicycle coasts
    4. A short trip permits carrying a package with both hands
    Show answer

    The rider must be able to keep at least one hand on the handlebars. A package, bundle, or other article must not prevent the bicyclist from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars. Texas states the restriction in terms of the rider’s ability to maintain that hand position, rather than the weight of the package or the length of the trip. Coasting is not an exception. Before carrying an item, check whether holding it would require taking both hands away from the handlebars.

18. 18. How should Texans walk around a stopped train?

    1. Walk between the cars
    2. Climb over the couplers
    3. Never walk in front of, between, or behind a train
    4. Race across the tracks
    Show answer

    Never walk in front of, between, or behind a train. Stopped trains move without warning. The Texas light-rail table orders never walking in front of, between, or behind a train. Weaving, climbing, and racing all gamble with silent steel. The cue is the standing train: give it a full berth and cross only at marked points. Freight yards post the same rule for workers and visitors alike. Treat every rail car as if it could roll any second.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians

19. 19. What maneuver is prohibited where a no left turn sign is posted?

    
    1. Turning left at that intersection
    2. Making a U-turn at every location nearby
    3. Going straight through the intersection
    4. Turning right after yielding
    Show answer

    Turning left at that intersection. The no left turn sign applies to a left turn at the intersection where it is posted. It does not automatically prohibit going straight, turning right, or making a U-turn at every nearby location. Read the pictured movement rather than treating the red slash as a ban on all travel. A driver who reaches this sign should choose another permitted direction, check signals and traffic, and avoid beginning the prohibited turn even if the road appears empty.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign shapes, colors and meanings

20. 20. What kind of license carries the Phase Two GDL driving restrictions?

    1. A standard unrestricted license
    2. A commercial learner permit
    3. A provisional license
    4. A motorcycle license with no restrictions
    Show answer

    A provisional license. The handbook defines a provisional license as a driver license issued to persons 16 to 18 years of age with Phase Two graduated driver license restrictions applied. It is marked provisional and expires on the holder’s 18th birthday. A standard unrestricted license does not identify this teen phase, a commercial learner permit is different, and the motorcycle choice incorrectly removes restrictions. Look for the word provisional when the question describes Phase Two passenger and time limits.

    Study this in the handbook: Learner license and the graduated license program