WA Permit Practice Test 12

All 20 questions in test 12

Every question below comes from the Washington 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. Besides the registered and legal owners, what vehicle details does a Washington Certificate of Ownership show?

   1. The Vehicle Identification Number and bank information when a loan exists
   2. The yearly tab fee and inspection grade
   3. The owner insurance agent and policy limits
   4. The odometer reading from the last sale only
   Show answer

   The Vehicle Identification Number and bank information when a loan exists. The Certificate of Ownership shows the registered and legal owners, the VIN, and bank information if there is a loan. Keep it in a safe place outside the vehicle. The title shows the registered and legal owner(s) of the vehicle, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and bank information (if there is a loan). The guide lists owners, the VIN, and bank information if there is a loan, not a yearly tab fee and inspection grade.

   Study this in the handbook: License exams, renewal and losing your license

2. 2. Where does Washington forbid making a U-turn for visibility reasons?

   1. Only inside marked parking lots
   2. At any intersection with a stop sign
   3. On a curve or approaching the crest of a hill
   4. On straight roads with clear views both ways
   Show answer

   On a curve or approaching the crest of a hill. You must have clear visibility in all directions before making a U-turn. Do not make a U-turn on a curve or when approaching the crest of a hill. In Washington, U-turns are generally allowed unless a sign prohibits them. For that reason, do not make a U-turn on a curve or when approaching the crest of a hill. Parking lots are not the visibility setting named.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, turns and roundabouts

3. 3. What can Washington digital advanced notification signs do besides posting speed changes?

   1. Open closed ferry lanes to general traffic
   2. Replace all fixed speed limit signs statewide
   3. Guide drivers around toll accounts automatically
   4. Quickly close entire lanes and warn drivers before slower traffic
   Show answer

   Quickly close entire lanes and warn drivers before slower traffic. Variable speed limit signs post changing limits to help distribute traffic flow. Digital advanced notification signs can quickly close entire lanes and warn drivers before they reach slower traffic. Digital advanced notification signs can also quickly close entire lanes and provide warning information to drivers before they reach slower traffic. The guide identifies lane closures and warnings before slower traffic as functions of these signs.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

4. 4. Why keep a paper copy of family and insurance phone numbers in a Washington emergency kit?

   1. The numbers still help if your phone battery dies and you must call from another phone
   2. Paper copies satisfy officers at every traffic stop
   3. Paper dials faster than a charged phone at a scene
   4. Insurers refuse claims reported from borrowed phones
   Show answer

   The numbers still help if your phone battery dies and you must call from another phone. It’s a good idea to keep a paper copy of important numbers (family members, insurance providers). The paper copy will be helpful if your phone battery dies and you need to call from a different phone. The guide recommends paper numbers as a backup if your phone battery dies and you need another phone. Paper serves as a dead phone backup, not a faster way to dial.

5. 5. What does Washington driving guidance say about using carpool lanes to pass?

   1. Carpool lanes are passing lanes for any driver
   2. A solo driver may pass in a carpool lane at the speed limit
   3. Carpool lanes are not passing lanes
   4. Carpool lanes become passing lanes outside rush hour
   Show answer

   Carpool lanes are not passing lanes. Carpool lanes are not passing lanes. On roads with multiple lanes in the same direction, the guide advises driving in the right lane and using the left lane to pass slower traffic. Obey speed limits even while passing. Follow speed limit laws, even when using the left lane to pass. Remember, carpool lanes are not passing lanes. Carpool lanes are reserved lanes and are not passing lanes for any driver.

   Study this in the handbook: Large vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and farm vehicles

6. 6. What can peripheral vision help a Washington driver notice while looking ahead?

   1. Vehicles and other possible trouble off to the side
   2. Fine detail in printed words directly ahead
   3. The exact speed of a vehicle far behind
   4. Objects hidden completely behind a large truck
   Show answer

   Vehicles and other possible trouble off to the side. Peripheral vision lets you spot vehicles and other potential trouble out of the corner of your eye while still looking ahead. The guide also emphasizes good vision for judging distance and speed. You can spot vehicles and other potential trouble out of the corner of your eye while you’re still looking ahead. The guide describes peripheral vision as noticing vehicles and potential trouble out of the corner of your eye while looking ahead.

7. 7. On which structures does Washington flatly prohibit parking?

   1. A marked downtown parking garage
   2. A gravel pullout beside a rural road
   3. A residential street with no signs posted
   4. A bridge, overpass, tunnel, or underpass
   Show answer

   A bridge, overpass, tunnel, or underpass. The guide prohibits parking on a bridge or overpass, or in a tunnel or underpass. Park in designated areas and check for signs prohibiting or limiting parking. On a bridge, overpass, or in a tunnel or an underpass. The guide explicitly lists bridges, overpasses, tunnels, and underpasses as places where parking is prohibited. The marked choice, A bridge, overpass, tunnel, or underpass, is the one that matches the guide on this point.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

8. 8. A Washington light turns yellow ahead of you. What speed move is specifically not allowed?

   1. Slowing down smoothly to prepare for a stop
   2. Continuing at the posted speed when already inside
   3. Watching for pedestrians while slowing
   4. Accelerating beyond the posted speed limit to enter or clear the intersection
   Show answer

   Accelerating beyond the posted speed limit to enter or clear the intersection. When a light turns yellow, slow down and prepare to stop. If already in the intersection, continue through at the posted speed. Accelerating beyond the posted speed limit to enter or clear the intersection on yellow is not allowed. You are not allowed to accelerate beyond the posted speed limit to enter or clear an intersection when the light is yellow. Slowing for yellow is the expected response.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and rules of the road

9. 9. What do the shape and color of route number signs indicate?

   1. The vehicle’s fuel type
   2. The driver’s license class
   3. The type of roadway
   4. The nearest emergency service
   Show answer

   The type of roadway. Route number signs use shape and color to indicate the type of roadway. Washington gives interstate, U.S., state, city, and county roads as examples of roadway categories. Those visual features do not identify a driver’s license class, fuel type, or an emergency service. Use route signs for navigation, then keep reading other signs that supply speed, lane, warning, or destination instructions.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

10. 10. A Washington curb is painted white. What parking does it allow?

    1. Loading without any time limit
    2. Only short stops are permitted
    3. Disabled parking with any placard
    4. All day parking for residents only
    Show answer

    Only short stops are permitted. White curbs mean that only short stops are permitted. Yellow or red curbs indicate a loading zone or some other restriction. Check signs prohibiting or limiting parking and make sure your parked vehicle is not a hazard. White means that only short stops are permitted. Yellow or red indicates a loading zone or some other restriction. White means only short stops are permitted, not unlimited loading.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

11. 11. Which vehicle counts as a roadside response vehicle in a Washington emergency zone?

    1. A delivery van double parked with its cargo door open
    2. A private car with a roof sign for a driving school
    3. A solid waste truck working at the roadside with flashing lights
    4. A parked camper with its awning extended for the night
    Show answer

    A solid waste truck working at the roadside with flashing lights. Roadside response vehicles could include tow trucks, solid waste trucks, incident response vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles, utility vehicles, law enforcement, fire trucks, and ambulances. As soon as you see a roadside response vehicle with flashing lights, move into a farther lane or slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit. Never drive faster than 50 mph in an emergency zone.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings, emergency vehicles and emergency zones

12. 12. A Washington practice drill asks you to pick a road sign you think is far ahead, then count until you reach it. How far ahead should the marker feel?

    1. About 5 seconds ahead of your vehicle
    2. About 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle
    3. About 30 seconds ahead of your vehicle
    4. About 2 seconds ahead of your vehicle
    Show answer

    About 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle. Choose a sign or utility pole that feels 15 seconds away, guess first, then count the travel time until you pass it, and repeat until your guesses land close. Five seconds and two seconds both fall far short of the marker distance. Thirty seconds is not the marker distance in this drill. Eye lead time grows from this calibration: the farther you read the road accurately, the earlier hazards become decisions instead of surprises, and the smoother your braking and steering can stay.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed, following space and zipper merging

13. 13. You hook a boat trailer to your car in Washington. Whose rules must you follow for the tow?

    1. Only the trailer rental shop house rules
    2. Manufacturer agreements plus state laws and federal standards
    3. Only Washington law, since the trip stays in state
    4. Marina rules once the boat reaches the launch
    Show answer

    Manufacturer agreements plus state laws and federal standards. When towing a boat, trailer, camper, or anything else, follow manufacturers' agreements, state laws, and federal standards. Know and follow guidelines for weight limits, vehicle restrictions, tow cables and taillight hookups, service brakes, and licensing and documentation. If you’re towing anything, like a boat, trailer, or camper, you’re responsible for following all manufacturers’ agreements, state laws, and federal standards. You must follow manufacturers' agreements, state laws, and federal standards when towing.

14. 14. How must a Washington driver avoid passing a pedestrian or bicyclist unsafely?

    1. Drive into oncoming traffic to get around them
    2. Honk so they move onto the shoulder
    3. Squeeze past within the same lane quickly
    4. Wait until you can pass without driving into oncoming traffic.
    Show answer

    Wait until you can pass without driving into oncoming traffic.. Do not drive into oncoming traffic to pass a pedestrian or bicyclist. When passing a bicyclist on a road with one lane in each direction, the guide says to move into the other lane when there is no oncoming traffic. Wait until the pass is safe for both you and the bicyclist, and leave at least 3 feet between the bicyclist and the widest part of your vehicle.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses and transit buses

15. 15. At what ages may Washington residents opt to pre-register to vote when applying for a driver license or ID card?

    1. Ages 14 and 15
    2. Ages 16 and 17
    3. Only at age 18
    4. Only at age 21 or older
    Show answer

    Ages 16 and 17. Sixteen and seventeen year old applicants can opt to pre-register to vote while applying for a driver license or ID card, ahead of becoming eligible to cast a ballot. Registration itself also runs through the Secretary of State website at sos.wa.gov or at any driver licensing office. Waiting until age 18 ignores the early option the licensing visit offers, and ages 14 and 15 sit below the stated window. If a teen in your family is getting a first credential, the pre-registration choice can be handled on the same trip.

    Study this in the handbook: License exams, renewal and losing your license

16. 16. A vehicle ahead displays signs for hazardous materials. What should you do in Washington?

    1. Stay near it only on steep grades
    2. Be aware of it and avoid driving near it when possible
    3. Pass it on whichever shoulder is open
    4. Follow closely to read every placard word
    Show answer

    Be aware of it and avoid driving near it when possible. Be aware of vehicles with signs indicating that they carry hazardous materials. Avoid driving near them when possible. The guide says drivers need more time and space around large vehicles. Be aware of vehicles with signs indicating they’re carrying hazardous materials. The guide says to avoid driving near vehicles carrying hazardous materials when possible. Shoulder passing is unsafe and unrelated to hazmat spacing.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses and transit buses

17. 17. Passing a slow agricultural vehicle in Washington requires how much side clearance?

    1. Two full lanes in every case
    2. At least 1 foot at low speed
    3. At least 3 feet from the widest part of your vehicle
    4. Whatever space the lane leaves over
    Show answer

    At least 3 feet from the widest part of your vehicle. Leave at least 3 feet between the widest part of your vehicle and the agricultural vehicle when passing. If there are two lanes in your direction, move over one full lane. With one lane in each direction, look for oncoming traffic and proceed carefully. Agricultural and farm vehicles designed to go 25 mph or less have a triangle sign or emblem on the back. Be patient and slow down.

    Study this in the handbook: Large vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and farm vehicles

18. 18. The pictured Washington sign warns drivers about what ahead?

    
    1. A railroad gate with flashing lights
    2. Deer crossing the road
    3. A livestock auction entrance
    4. A zoo parking area
    Show answer

    Deer crossing the road. This sign warns of deer crossing. School zone speed limit Reduced speed limit ahead Railroad intersection Cross road Curve Deer crossing. The pictured sign warns of deer crossing. The sign warns of wild deer, not farm sales. It marks a road hazard, not a parking destination. The marked choice, Deer crossing the road, is the one that matches the guide on this point.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

19. 19. Where should the headrest sit behind a Washington driver to guard against whiplash?

    1. Even with your ears
    2. Low against the base of your neck
    3. Below your ears, against the base of your neck
    4. Removed so you can turn and look behind
    Show answer

    Even with your ears. Adjust the headrest so it is even with your ears to help protect against whiplash. After someone else has driven, make adjustments that keep you comfortable and safe. Protect yourself from whiplash by making sure the headrest is even with your ears. The guide specifies a headrest even with your ears, not at the base of your neck. The guide specifies ear-level placement, not a position below the ears.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, brake lights, tires and signals

20. 20. At what ages do vehicle lap and shoulder belts typically fit a Washington child properly after booster years?

    1. Typically between 8 and 12 years old
    2. Typically between 5 and 7 years old
    3. Typically between 13 and 15 years old
    4. As soon as the child turns 6 years old
    Show answer

    Typically between 8 and 12 years old. Booster support lasts until the vehicle belts themselves fit, and for most Washington children that fit arrives somewhere between eight and twelve years old, once height and build let the lap and shoulder straps land correctly. Outgrowing the booster at five, waiting into the middle teens, and a sixth birthday rule each substitute a calendar guess for an actual fit check involving the four foot nine inch size guide. Sit the child against the seat back, buckle up, and judge where each strap truly rests.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats, steering and braking