TX Permit Practice Test 21

All 20 questions in test 21

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. What does Texas say about drugs and driving?

   1. Any drug can impair; mixing with alcohol courts disaster
   2. Drugs never affect driving
   3. Mixing drugs is safe
   4. Only alcohol impairs
   Show answer

   Any drug can impair; mixing with alcohol courts disaster. Every drug is a driving question mark. Texas warns any drug might affect driving ability, and mixing drugs, especially sedatives with alcohol, courts trouble on and off the road. Never, safe-mixing, and alcohol-only readings deny the pharmacology. The cue is the medicine cabinet: each pill plus each drink compounds the risk. Pharmacists can flag driving risks for every prescription you take home. Ask directly before the first dose, not after a crash.

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

2. 2. How should Texas drivers treat bicycles when turning right?

   1. Cut them off to teach them
   2. Squeeze past closely
   3. Never cut across a bicycle's path
   4. Chase them off the road
   Show answer

   Never cut across a bicycle's path. Right turns must respect the bike lane's straight-through riders. Texas warns drivers the wrong way is cutting across a bicycle's path. Cutoffs, squeezes, and chases all endanger cyclists. The cue is the bike beside or ahead: merge right behind it, not through it. Signal your right turn early so the cyclist can plan around you safely. Patience at one turn prevents a lifetime of regret.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, phones and distracted driving

3. 3. What tire standard does Texas require?

   1. Bald tires are fine
   2. Only winter tires count
   3. Proper safe tires with at least 2/32 inch tread
   4. Tires are optional
   Show answer

   Proper safe tires with at least 2/32 inch tread. Tread depth is law, not advice. Texas requires proper safe tires with at least 2/32 inch of tread. Bald, winter-only, and optional readings all fail inspection and safety. The cue is the wear bar: at 2/32 the tire is legally done. Check tread monthly with a penny: Lincoln head fully visible means replacement time. Uneven wear signals alignment or pressure problems too.

   Study this in the handbook: Exams, insurance and vehicle inspection

4. 4. Which vehicles skip Texas turn-signal requirements?

   1. All cars need them regardless of age
   2. Wide pre-1960 cars and trucks are exempt
   3. Narrow cars built before 1980 are exempt
   4. Narrow pre-1960 cars and trucks are exempt
   Show answer

   Narrow pre-1960 cars and trucks are exempt. Antique narrow cars predate signal mandates. Texas exempts passenger cars and trucks under 80 inches wide built before 1960 from electrical turn signals. All-cars, wide-car, and 1980 readings miss the vintage exception. The cue is the classic car: hand signals legally substitute on these narrow antiques. Hand signals remain legal for turns and stops on these exempt classics. Practice them, since modern drivers rarely recognize the gestures.

   Study this in the handbook: Exams, insurance and vehicle inspection

5. 5. When entering a modern roundabout, what should a driver do before joining the circulating traffic?

   
   1. Slow down and yield to traffic already in the circle
   2. Stop inside the circle until every approach is empty
   3. Travel clockwise to reach the nearest exit
   4. Enter first because circulating vehicles must yield at the entry
   Show answer

   Slow down and yield to traffic already in the circle. Texas describes a modern roundabout as a one-way circle controlled by yield signs instead of traffic lights. The entering driver slows down, gives priority to vehicles already circulating, waits for an acceptable gap, and then travels counterclockwise. Entering ahead of circulating traffic reverses the yield rule, while stopping in the circle creates a new obstruction. Clockwise travel is also contrary to the direction described in the handbook. Use a simple approach cue: reduce speed, check the circle, yield, enter counterclockwise, then signal for the exit.

6. 6. If a vehicle cannot be moved off the road after a breakdown, what should happen first?

   1. Have everyone remain seated until another driver stops
   2. Get everyone out of the car and off the road
   3. Stand behind the car and wave at traffic
   4. Leave the vehicle in the travel lane with no warning
   Show answer

   Get everyone out of the car and off the road. When a disabled vehicle cannot be moved off the road, the handbook says to get everyone out of the car and off the road. People near a stranded vehicle are exposed to passing traffic, so moving them away reduces the immediate danger. The occupants should not wait inside a travel lane for help, stand in the lane to signal, or leave the vehicle without warning devices. Portable warning devices can alert approaching drivers, but protecting people from the roadway comes first in the sequence described.

   Study this in the handbook: Breakdowns, skids and crashes

7. 7. How should you drive on Texas loose gravel?

   1. Go slow, keep control, avoid sudden brakes or turns
   2. Speed up to float over gravel
   3. Brake hard to test grip
   4. Swerve to find pavement
   Show answer

   Go slow, keep control, avoid sudden brakes or turns. Loose gravel rolls under tires like ball bearings. Texas says to go slow enough for complete control, without sudden braking or sharp turns. Floating, grip tests, and swerves all break traction at once. The cue is the crunch under your tires: straighten the wheel, bleed speed gently, and steer like the road is made of marbles. Following distance should double on gravel, since stops stretch far beyond normal.

8. 8. A Texas school warning sign appears beside the road. What response does its description call for?

   1. Keep speed unless a crossing guard enters the road
   2. Stop at the sign and wait for a school bus
   3. Maintain speed if no flashing beacon is attached
   4. Slow down, watch for children, and prepare to stop suddenly
   Show answer

   Slow down, watch for children, and prepare to stop suddenly. The school warning description tells drivers they are near a school and should slow down, watch for children, and prepare to stop suddenly if necessary. The instruction is not limited to a crossing guard’s presence or an attached flashing beacon. It also does not direct every driver to stop at the warning sign and wait for a bus. Look for children while approaching the area and be prepared for the possible need to stop.

9. 9. Where should you stop for Texas law enforcement?

   1. Stop in the travel lane
   2. Park on the right shoulder, or a lighted side street or lot
   3. Drive to the next county
   4. Park on a bridge
   Show answer

   Park on the right shoulder, or a lighted side street or lot. Traffic stops need safe harbor off the flow. Texas says to park on the right shoulder if available, or else a nearby well-lighted side street or parking lot away from heavy traffic. Lane stops, county flights, and bridge parks all endanger everyone. The cue is the flashing lights behind: exit the flow promptly to the nearest safe shoulder or lot.

10. 10. What condition does the winding-road warning sign indicate?

    
    1. A bridge that narrows immediately
    2. A mandatory detour around construction
    3. A series of curves ahead
    4. A straight road with a passing lane
    Show answer

    A series of curves ahead. The winding-road symbol means that several bends are ahead, not just one isolated turn. The handbook advises driving slowly and carefully and not passing through this section. A narrow bridge, construction detour, or straight passing lane would be shown by a different warning. Treat the first curve as the beginning of the hazard, keep a consistent position, and look through the bends for changing roadway conditions. The useful cue is the repeated shape of the arrow, which signals that the need for control continues after the first turn.

11. 11. What lights should a broken-down Texas car show?

    1. Emergency flashers, or taillights if flashers are missing
    2. No lights at all
    3. High beams into traffic
    4. Brake lights only by pumping
    Show answer

    Emergency flashers, or taillights if flashers are missing. A dead car must glow to survive. Texas breakdown guidance says to switch on emergency warning lights, or taillights if warning lights are absent, plus the dome light at night. Darkness, blinding beams, and pump-only brakes all hide or confuse. The cue is the silent engine: light every lamp you own before anything else. Raise the hood as an extra distress signal when no cloth is handy. Stay belted inside if the shoulder is narrow and fast.

    Study this in the handbook: Night and highway driving

12. 12. Why must Texans never contest a train at crossings?

    1. They stop instantly
    2. They swerve around cars
    3. They cannot start or stop quickly
    4. They always yield
    Show answer

    They cannot start or stop quickly. Steel wheels and tons of mass defy quick moves. Texas warns that trains cannot start or stop quickly regardless of traffic flow. Instant stops, swerves, and yielding are fantasies. The cue is the approaching train: it will occupy the crossing on its own schedule, so never contest it. A loaded freight needs well over a mile to halt from track speed. Your car cannot win any argument with that mass.

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

13. 13. How does an uphill grade often affect a truck you are preparing to pass?

    1. The truck gains momentum and speed
    2. The truck loses speed, which can make it easier to pass
    3. The truck always holds exactly the same speed
    4. The truck must stop before the top of every hill
    Show answer

    The truck loses speed, which can make it easier to pass. On an upgrade, a truck often loses speed, making it easier to pass than a car. Texas contrasts that with a downgrade, where the truck’s momentum can increase its speed. Identify which way the road slopes before judging the movement of the truck. The guidance does not say trucks maintain a fixed speed or stop at every hilltop. Any passing decision still needs enough time and distance to finish safely.

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

14. 14. What alcohol-related conduct does Texas zero tolerance prohibit for a minor?

    1. Purchasing alcohol is allowed if it is not consumed
    2. Possessing alcohol is allowed with a parent present
    3. Consuming alcohol is allowed when the minor is not driving
    4. Purchasing, consuming, or possessing an alcoholic beverage
    Show answer

    Purchasing, consuming, or possessing an alcoholic beverage. Texas says a minor may not purchase, attempt to purchase, consume, or possess an alcoholic beverage. The prohibition covers the conduct itself, and the handbook lists no parent exception for possession, while not driving does not make consumption lawful. When reviewing a minor scenario, identify any purchase, consumption, or possession first, then apply the zero-tolerance rule to that conduct. The same section also bars a minor from falsely claiming to be 21 or older to a seller of alcoholic beverages.

    Study this in the handbook: Zero tolerance alcohol laws for minors

15. 15. A driver fails to yield and causes bodily injury to another. What fine applies?

    1. A $50 ticket with no other consequence
    2. A fine of $500 to $2,000
    3. A written apology to the injured person
    4. Points only, with no fine
    Show answer

    A fine of $500 to $2,000. Failing to yield that hurts someone draws a heavy fine. Texas penalizes a driver who commits a traffic offense with failure to yield as an element and causes bodily injury with a fine of $500 to $2,000, rising to $1,000 to $4,000 for serious bodily injury. A $50 ticket and points-only outcomes badly understate the law. A written apology is not a penalty. The cue is the injury link: yield violations alone are bad, but a yield violation that injures another person triggers this specific fine range.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

16. 16. As you approach workers and equipment in a Texas work zone, what should you be prepared to do?

    1. Slow down or stop
    2. Speed up to clear the zone
    3. Close your windows and hold speed
    4. Move to the oncoming lane
    Show answer

    Slow down or stop. Orange zones demand readiness to halt. Texas tells drivers entering a construction and maintenance work zone to be prepared to slow down or stop as they approach workers and equipment. Speeding through to clear the zone endangers people on foot. Holding speed with closed windows ignores the hazard. Swerving into oncoming traffic trades one danger for a worse one. The cue is the first cone, barrel, or vest: cover the brake, drop speed early, and be ready to stop completely for a flagger or a worker stepping near your lane.

17. 17. At a railroad crossing with flashing red lights, what must a driver do?

    1. Slow down, then cross before the gates begin to lower
    2. Stop and remain stopped until the train passes and the lights stop flashing
    3. Stop only if the train is already visible
    4. Drive around the gate after checking the nearest track
    Show answer

    Stop and remain stopped until the train passes and the lights stop flashing. Flashing red lights at a railroad crossing require a stop. If a train is approaching, the driver must remain stopped until the train passes and the lights stop flashing. Trying to beat a gate or relying only on whether the train is visible ignores the warning system and the possibility of another track or obstructed view. Driving around a lowered gate is especially dangerous. The cue is red crossing lights: stop before the crossing, wait through the warning, and proceed only after release.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

18. 18. A truck is passing your car. What speed adjustment does the Texas handbook recommend to make the pass easier?

    1. Slightly reduce your speed
    2. Increase speed a little to stay beside the truck
    3. Brake sharply to a much lower speed
    4. Match each change in the truck’s speed
    Show answer

    Slightly reduce your speed. Texas recommends slightly reducing speed to help a truck driver complete a pass. This adds a specific helpful adjustment to the instruction not to speed up while being passed. The same guidance says to keep to the far side of your own lane. A sharp drop in speed is not the described adjustment. As the truck passes, expect its driver to signal before returning to your lane.

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

19. 19. How close to a fire hydrant may a vehicle be parked in Texas?

    1. No closer than 5 feet
    2. No closer than 30 feet
    3. No closer than 50 feet
    4. No closer than 15 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 15 feet. Texas says that, whether occupied or not, you must not park or allow a vehicle to stand idling within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. The same list bars parking in front of a public or private driveway, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet on the approach to a flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic signal at the side of the road, and within 20 feet of a fire station driveway. Five feet is too close, and 30 and 50 feet belong to other rules.

    Study this in the handbook: Where you may not park

20. 20. According to the Texas handbook, how far does an average passenger car at 55 mph need to stop, compared with a fully loaded tractor trailer?

    1. About 100 feet for the car; 150 feet for the truck
    2. The same distance for both
    3. About 240 feet for the car; more than 400 feet for the truck
    4. About 400 feet for the car; 240 feet for the truck
    Show answer

    About 240 feet for the car; more than 400 feet for the truck. The Texas handbook says an average passenger car at 55 mph can stop in about 240 feet, roughly three fourths of a football field, while a fully loaded tractor trailer may need more than 400 feet, well over a football field. The distances are not equal, and the truck needs more, not less, so the reversed choice is wrong. One hundred feet is far too short for a car at highway speed. Never cut in front of a truck and then slow down.

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