DMV Test Flashcards
- It is illegal for a person 21 years of age or older to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is ____ or higher.
> 0.08% – Eight-hundredths of one percent
- California’s “Basic Speed Law” says you must:
Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions.
Basic Speed Law” states that you may never drive faster than is safe for current conditions. For example, if you drive at 45 mph in a 55 mph zone during a dense fog, even though you are below the posted limit, you may be cited for driving “too fast for
conditions.”
- Driving under the influence of any medication which impairs your driving is permitted:
It is illegal to drive under the influence of any substance that impairs your ability to drive safely. This includes alcohol, prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and illegal drugs
- You may drive a motor vehicle in a bike lane:
If making a right turn, you may enter the bicycle lane no more than 200 feet before the corner or driveway. Drivers of motor vehicles should not enter a bicycle lane at any other time
- If your cell phone rings while you are driving and you do not have a hands-free device, you should:
Let the call go to voicemail. Drivers should not use a cell phone without a hands-free device. For minors, it is illegal to use any cell phone while driving, except in an emergency. Even if you do have a hands-free device, it is recommended that you let calls go to voicemail while driving to avoid distractions
- A solid yellow line next to a broken yellow line means that vehicles:
Next to the broken line may pass. Yellow lines separate lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions. A broken yellow line next to your driving lane means that you may pass
- You want to park uphill on a two-way road and there is no curb. Which direction do you turn your front wheels?
Right, toward the side of the road
When parking either uphill or downhill on a road that has no curb, you should turn your wheels so that the vehicle will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.
- You are involved in a minor collision at an intersection. There are no injuries and there is very little vehicle damage. You should:
Move your vehicle out of the traffic lane, if possible. After a collision, if no one has been injured or killed and you can safely do so, you should move your vehicle out of the traffic lane
- Smoking inside a vehicle with a person younger than 18 years of age is:
In California, it is illegal to smoke in a vehicle at any time when a minor is present.
- If there is no crosswalk and you see a pedestrian crossing your lane, you should:
Drivers must always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in the roadway, even if there is not a marked crosswalk
- You are driving on the freeway behind a large truck. You should drive:
It is necessary to follow farther behind a large truck than you would if following a passenger vehicle because trucks have larger blind spots
- You must yield to a pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog
Pedestrians who use guide dogs or white canes (with or without a red tip) must be given the right-of-way at all times
- To see vehicles in your blind spots, you should check:
By definition, blind spots are areas that cannot be seen using your mirrors. To check your blind spots, you should look over your shoulders
- You are on the freeway and traffic is merging into your lane. You should:
When traffic permits, you should make room to allow vehicles to merge into your lane
- If a traffic signal light is not working, you must:
If a traffic signal is not working and no lights are showing, you should proceed cautiously as if the intersection is controlled by stop signs in all directions.
- Extra space in front of a large truck is needed for:
Because they are larger, trucks take longer to stop than cars traveling at the same speed. Other drivers should not pull in front of a truck and then slow down or stop
- When passing another vehicle, it is safe to return to your lane if you
Before returning to your original lane after passing, you must make sure you are not dangerously close to the vehicle you have just passed. When you can see both of the vehicle’s headlights in your rearview mirror, you may have enough room to return to the lane
- You consent to take a chemical test for the alcohol content of your blood, breath, or urine:
By driving in California, you consent to have your breath, blood, or urine tested if you are arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
- When driving at night on a dimly lit street, you should
You should drive more slowly at night than during the day because it is not possible to see as far ahead at night. You should make sure that you can stop within the area illuminated by your headlights
- You may drive off of the paved roadway to pass another vehicle:
You may never drive off the paved or main-traveled portion of the road and onto the shoulder to pass another vehicle
- You are approaching a railroad crossing with no warning devices and are unable to see 400 feet down the tracks in one direction. The speed limit is
Within 100 feet of a railroad crossing where you cannot see 400 feet down the tracks in both directions, the speed limit is 15 mph. However, you may drive faster if the crossing is controlled by gates, a warning signal, or a flagger
- When parking your vehicle parallel to the curb on a level street
When parking alongside the curb on a level street, the front and back wheels of your vehicle must be parallel with and within 18 inches of the curb
- When you are merging onto the freeway, you should be driving
When merging onto a freeway, you should enter at or near the speed of traffic
- To avoid last-minute moves, you should be looking down the road to where your vehicle will be in about:
To avoid last-minute moves, you should scan the road 10 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle. This allows you to see hazards before meeting them
- You should signal at least how many feet before you turn?
You should signal at least 100 feet before you turn, before every lane change, at least five seconds before you change lanes on a freeway, before pulling next to the curb or away from the curb, even when you do not see other vehicles around you, and when you are almost through the intersection if you plan to turn shortly after crossing the intersection. Remember to turn off your signal when you no longer need it
- Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in a residential area is
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in business and residential districts is 25 mph
- If you are involved in a traffic collision, you are required to complete and submit a written report to the DMV:
If a collision results in death, any minor or major injury, or more than $1,000 in damage
to anyone’s property, each driver involved must file a report with the DMV within 10 days. In some cases, the driver’s insurance agent, broker, or legal representative may file the report to represent the driver
- You may not park your vehicle:
No stopping, standing, or parking is permitted next to a red painted curb. However, buses may stop in a red curb zone marked for buses
- Two sets of solid double yellow lines that are two or more feet apart:
Two sets of solid double yellow lines spaced two or more feet apart are considered a barrier. You may not drive on or over this barrier, or make a left turn or U-turn across it, except at designated openings
- You are driving on a freeway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. Traffic is traveling at 70 mph. You may legally drive:
On most California highways, the maximum speed limit is 65 mph. You may drive at 70 mph only if the speed limit is posted as such
If you plan to pass another vehicle, you should:
Even when you signal, you should not assume that the space you want to occupy is free or that other drivers will give you the right-of-way
A large truck is ahead of you and is turning right onto a street with two lanes in each direction. The truck:
When a vehicle makes a turn, the rear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels. The longer the vehicle, the bigger the difference between the paths of the front and rear wheels. Therefore, long trucks often have to swing wide to complete a right turn
Always stop before crossing railroad tracks when:
Expect a train on any track, at any time, traveling in either direction. If you need to stop after crossing the tracks, wait until you can completely cross the tracks before proceeding. Make sure your vehicle clears the tracks before you stop
You should use your horn when:
Only use your horn when it is necessary to avoid collisions. Do not use your horn if a driver or bicyclist is moving slowly and you want him or her to drive faster or get out of your way
If you drive more slowly than the flow of traffic, you will most likely:
You must drive more slowly than usual when there is heavy traffic or bad weather. However, if you block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic by driving too slowly, you may be cited. You should match the speed of traffic, unless the speed of traffic exceeds the legal speed limit
When changing lanes on a freeway, you should:
Signal at least five seconds prior to a changing lanes on a freeway. Always signal when turning left or right, changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping to let other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians know your intentions
Allow extra space in front of your vehicle when following a:
Allow for extra space when driving behind a motorcycle. Motorcycles can stop more quickly than other vehicles can and you must have adequate room to stop if the motorcyclist brakes or falls off. Also, remember that motorcycles are difficult to see at night because they only have one tail light.
You must show proof of insurance to law enforcement:
You must have evidence of financial responsibility, such as proof of insurance, with you whenever you drive. You must always show proof of insurance and your license to an officer upon request after a traffic stop or collision
If you drive 55 mph in a 55 mph zone, you can be given a speeding ticket:
California has a “Basic Speed Law,” which means that you may never drive faster than would be safe in current conditions. Even if your speed is slower than the posted limit, you may still be cited if you are going too fast for conditions. When deciding how quickly to drive, drivers should take multiple factors into account, such as the speed of surrounding vehicles, the condition of the road surface, the presence of bicyclists and pedestrians, and weather conditions
It is legal to drive with an alcoholic beverage container that has been opened only if the container is:
Any opened alcoholic beverage container must be kept in the trunk of the vehicle, or in another place where passengers do not sit. Keeping an opened alcoholic drink in the glove compartment is specifically prohibited. However, in a bus, taxi, camper, or motor home, these restrictions do not apply to non-driving passengers
You want to turn left at an upcoming corner. Yield the right-of-way to:
When making a left turn, you must yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, or other vehicles moving on their green light
There is a vehicle stopped on the right shoulder of the road with its hazard lights on. You should:
If you see a vehicle’s hazard lights ahead, slow down. There may be a collision or other road emergency ahead. Stop and give assistance if asked by anyone, or pass very carefully
Before you change lanes, you should check your mirrors and:
Before changing lanes, it is very important to check behind you. You should look over your shoulder to ensure that you are not getting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter. Before changing lanes, you should also ensure that no drivers are attempting to drive into the same spot from a different lane
You want to park downhill on a two-way road and there is no curb. Which way do you turn your front wheels?
When parking facing downhill on a road with or without a curb, or when facing uphill on a road without a curb, turn your front wheels toward the edge of the road so your vehicle will roll away from traffic if the brakes fail. However, when parking uphill on a road with a curb, turn your wheels toward the center of the road so the vehicle will roll into the curb if the brakes fail
You want to pass a bicyclist in a narrow traffic lane when an oncoming vehicle is approaching. You should
In this situation, you should take on one danger at a time. Rather than trying to squeeze between the bicyclist and the other vehicle, you should slow down to let the other vehicle pass, and then pass the bicyclist when it is safe to do so
Drivers must use their seat belt:
drivers must always wear seat belts and may be cited for failure to do so.
Always carefully look for motorcycles before you change lanes because:
You should check carefully for motorcycles when changing lanes because their small size makes it easy for them to disappear into your blind spots
You should not start across an intersection if you know you will block the intersection when the light turns red:
Even if the signal is green, you must not enter an intersection unless you can get completely across before the light turns red. If you block the intersection, you can be cited
A pedestrian starts to cross the street after the “Don’t Walk” signal begins to flash. The pedestrian is in the middle of the street when your signal light changes to green. You should
At a green light, you must give the right-of-way to any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian in the intersection. If a pedestrian begins crossing the street after the traffic signal light starts flashing, wait until they have crossed the street before proceeding.
A vehicle suddenly cuts in front of you, creating a hazard. What should you do first?
If a vehicle merges in front of you too closely, take your foot off of the accelerator. This will create space between you and the vehicle ahead without requiring you to slam on your brakes or swerve into another lane
A safety zone is a specially marked area for passengers to get on or off of buses or trolleys. You may not drive through a safety zone:
You may never drive through a safety zone. This space is set aside for pedestrians
A red arrow pointing to the right on a traffic light means you may:
A red arrow means “stop.” You must remain stopped until a green light or green arrow appears. Do not turn against a red arrow
An orange and red triangular sign on a vehicle always means
Slow-moving vehicles, such as farm tractors, road maintenance vehicles, and animal- drawn carts, display an orange and red triangle on the back
You must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle that is using its siren and flashing lights by:
You must yield the right-of-way to any emergency vehicle that is using its siren and flashing lights. Do this by driving to the right edge of the road and stopping, taking care not to stop in an intersection. You may move again after the emergency vehicle has passed
When a school bus is stopped on the road ahead to load or unload children, you must:
When a school bus is stopped on the road ahead with its lights flashing and its stop arm extended, you must come to a complete stop and wait to proceed until the lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is withdrawn. Even after the bus begins to move again, do not proceed until you are sure no children are crossing the road ahead of you
You must look for bicyclists in the same lanes used by motor vehicles because they:
Bicyclists have the right to operate on the road and may lawfully be permitted to ride on certain sections of freeways where there is no alternate route and bicycling is not forbidden by a sign. Watch for bicyclists and share the road when they are present
You may make a left turn on a red light only from a:
You may turn left against a red light when you are turning from a one-way street onto a one-way street. Make sure there is no sign prohibiting the turn. Yield to other vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists who have a green light. Look both ways and turn when it is safe
When should you yield your legal right-of-way?
Never assume other drivers will give you the right-of-way. Yield your right-of-way whenever it helps prevent collisions
When may you legally drive around or under a railroad crossing gate?
Do not go around or under any lowered gate at a railroad crossing. Once the gate is raised, do not proceed across the tracks until you can see clearly in both directions and are sure there are no trains coming
If you are convicted of driving with an excessive blood alcohol concentration (BAC), you may be sentenced to serve:
If you are convicted of DUI for the first time and you have an excessive BAC level, you may be sentenced to serve up to six months in jail and may be required to pay a fine between $390 and $1,000. Your vehicle may be impounded and is subject to storage fees.