California Driving Exam

Which statement is most true regarding minors under the age of 18? A) You can get a job driving for hire, like taxi or pizza delivery. B) You must have parents, or a legal guardian sign the application, since they will be financially responsible for you. C) You can get a license as early as 15 1/2. D) Your faster reflexes and general health will make you a better driver.

Driver education classes can: A) Give you the basic knowledge needed to hone your skills when you begin driving. B) Teach you how to skid through a corner. C) Make you a good driver. D) None of these answers are correct.

Driving in a safe and courteous manner: A) Will increase your chances of being in a collision. B) Can lower the cost of law enforcement and insurance. C) Will get you run over by aggressive drivers. D) None of these answers are correct.

Your driver license is: A) A guaranteed right, granted to all California citizens. B) A privilege -- an earned and special right -- granted by the state. C) Proof that you are a good driver, since you passed the DMV driving test. D) None of these answers are correct.

Failure to YIELD is ranked as one of the top ______ of collisions: A) 10 B) 3 C) 7 D) 5

At its height, what percentage of American workers were employed in an automotive-related industry? A) 10% B) 40% C) 20% D) 33%

By the early 1960's, the rate of car ownership in America was: A) 1 car for every 20 people B) 1 car for every 7 people C) 1 car for every 10 people D) 1 car for every 3 people

from 1908 until 1927, the Ford Motor Company sold over: A) 15,000,000 cars B)1,000,000 cars C)10,000,000 cars D)5,000,000 cars

Future changes in automobile technology are likely to include: A) Increased fuel efficiency and new industries to support it. B) Improved safety through engineering research and development (both vehicle and road). C) Increased sophistication of controls and instruments, many of which will contribute to safety. D) All of these choices are correct.

By the 1920's, the worlds largest automobile manufacturer was: A) Ford Motor Company B) General Motors C) Mercedes-Benz D) Volkswagen

The colorless, odorless and poisonous gas from the exhaust is called: A) Carbon Peroxide B) Carbon Dioxide C) Carbon Monoxide D) Carbon Hydroxide

When listening to your car radio, or other audio devices: A) You should keep the volume low enough to hear outside noises. B) It is illegal to wear stereo (over each ear) headphones. C) You should keep at least one window partially open, to hear outside sounds, like emergency vehicles. D) All of these choices are correct.

Your field of vision is: A) What you can see directly ahead of you. B) Everything you can see with your central and peripheral vision. C) How well you can read 3/8-inch letters from an area (field) of 20 feet away. D) None of these choices are correct.

The "P" in the SIPDE process stands for: A) Predict B) Permit C) Pass D) Prepare

A vehicles' "blind spots" are: A) Areas where the headlights don't reach for illumination. B) Areas you can't see, because they are in FRONT of what your mirrors show, but behind your peripheral vision. C) Areas hidden by the fenders and bumpers. D) None of these choices are correct.

The primary factor in decreasing the Kinetic energy of an object is to: A) Decrease the velocity. B) Decrease the direction. C) Decrease the mass. D) Decrease the stopping distance.

Centrifugal force: A) Is a powerful force of nature. B) Doesn't really exist. C) Makes you go straight on a highway. D) Makes your car turn better.

The best way to maximize the traction of your tires is to: A) Slightly over-inflate them. B) Slightly under-inflate them. C) Inflate them to the recommended pressure. D) None of these choices are correct.

According to the formula for stopping distance, how many feet will it take you to stop, from 60 mph? A) 120 B) 180 C) 360 D) 600

Gravity: A) Is only important on mountain roads B) Has a constant effect on your car, its traction, and its speed on hills. C) Has no effect on your car, since it will always weigh the same. D) None of these answers.

A WHITE line, parallel to your lane, on the right, indicates: A) A lane that can be used for passing on the right. B) A NO PARKING area. C) The edge of the vehicular portion of a road way, and may not be crossed. D) None of these answers.

A WHITE, transverse line across your lane means: A) You are in a lane that is being dropped. B) You must stop with your entire vehicle behind this line. C) You are in a restricted lane for buses, bikes, or other vehicles. D) None of these answers.

The Yield sign means: A) Give the right-of-way to traffic on the road you are entering or crossing. B) Keep a steady speed and check traffic both ways, with caution. C) Stop and check traffic both ways before proceeding. D) None of these answers.

A center lane with solid and broken yellow lines that is used by vehicles making left turns in both directions is called a: A) Two-way Left-Turn lane. B) Median strip with driving allowed. C) Shared passing lane. D) None of these answers.

When does a CURVE become a TURN? A) When it can be safely navigated at a speed slower than 35 mph. B) When you must stop first. C) When it is at a right angle (90 degrees). D) None of these answers.

The "PROVISIONS" of your provisional license include the following, EXCEPT: A) Your parents can revoke it by calling the DMV. B) Less than .05% BAC C) No driving with passengers under the age of 20, without an adult licensed driver, for one year. D) No driving after 11:00 pm, until 5:00 am, without an adult licensed driver, for one year.

You will be listed as a "Negligent Operator" if you get: A) 8 points within any 36-month period. B) 6 points within any 24-month period. C) 4 points within any 12-month period. D) All of these answers are correct.

Which of the following is NOT on the permit test: A) Commercial License requirements. B) Sharing the road with other vehicles. C) Knowledge of basic Vehicle Code laws. D) Understanding Signs.

If you have trouble reading, even if in English, you may take an audio permit test: A) Only in another language. B) Provided you also pass a test of sign meanings in English. C) Provided you prove your need. D) None of these answers.

The best way to prepare for the drive test is to: A) Read the California Driver Handbook. B) Take a driving course and practice as many hours as you can. C) Ask friends how their test went, and get hints from them. D) Be ready for tricky commands from the examiner.

The ALTERNATOR: A) Provides an alternate source of ignition. B) Starts the car C) Alternates between regular breaks and anti-lock brakes. D) Produces the electrical needs of the car once the engine has started.

The minimum tread thickness for passenger car tires is: A) 1/8 inch B) 1/16 inch C) 1/32 inch D) None... as long as you can still see tread bars.

The oil warning light means that: A) Your oil is a quart low. B) Your oil dipstick is loose. C) Your oil pressure has dropped. D) Your oil filter needs changing.

Disc brakes work by: A) Stopping the drive axle. B) Pressing outward from a disc, to stop a drum from rotating. C) Stopping a disc inside the transmission. D) Pressing inward, on a disc, to stop it from turning.

The engine in your car is sometimes called: A) An external combustion engine. B) A 2-stroke engine. C) A 4-stroke engine. D) None of these answers.

You must use your turn signal A) When changing lanes. B) When turning into your own driveway. C) When parking at the curb. D) All of these answers are correct.

Entering an intersection before you can safely cross through it, and blocking it: A) Is illegal and will get you a gridlock ticket. B) Is legal, as long as the light was green when you entered. C) Is legal when there are no signals. D) None of these answers are correct.

A right-turn-on-red can be made, at a red arrow: A) From a one-way street turning onto a one-way street. B) After stopping completely first. C) After yielding to all traffic first. D) Never.

The minimum speed limit in California is: A) 15 mph B) 20 mph C) 40 mph D) There is no minimum speed limit.

In California, changing lanes in the middle of an intersection: A) Is legal. B) Is legal only in an emergency. C) Is only legal when lane lines extend into the intersection. D) Is illegal.

If you are distracted for one second going at 30 mph, how far will you travel "blindly"? A) 45 feet B) 30 feet C) 60 feet D) 90 feet

If you have a tire blowout: A) Turn on your emergency flashers immediately to warn other drivers. B) The car will suddenly pull in the direction AWAY from the blowout. C) Use the brakes to get off the road immediately. D) The car will suddenly pull in the direction TOWARDS the blowout.

Teenage drivers have a total accident rate that is ____ times that of adults: A) 2 B) 3 C) 4 D) 6

To avoid tailgating, and help avoid a rear-end collision, you should give yourself a gap of how many seconds behind the car in front of you? A) 3 seconds B) 7 seconds C) 10 seconds D) 5 seconds

Failure to yield is the primary cause of what percentage of fatal and injury collisions? A) 40% B) 16% C) 20% D) 32%

Pedestrians comprise about what ratio of traffic fatalities? A) 1-in-10 B) 1-in-15 C) 1-in-3 D) 1-in-6

An orange triangular sign on the back of a vehicle means: A) It has right-of-way in some lanes. B) It has right-of-way in all lanes. C) It has hazardous cargo. D) It is a slow-moving (under 25 mph) vehicle.

If you fail to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights: A) You can go to jail for 30 days. B) You may be fined up to $1000.00. C) You can have your license revoked. D) None of these answers are correct.

The most common collision in a work zone is from: A) Tailgating B) Improper Passing C) Failure to Yield D) Speeding

In the United States, a bicyclist is killed: A) Every week B) Every 12 hours C) Every 6 hours D) Every day

If you are under 21, the zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving will revoke your license even if your BAC is as low as: A) 0.08% B) 0.01% C) 0.10% D) 0.5%

If you are under 21 years of age: A) You can transport alcohol, in the trunk, if it is a part of your employment duties. B) You can transport alcohol, as long as the container is unopened. C) You can only transport alcohol in the trunk. D) You cannot transport alcohol, period.

Designated Drivers: A) MUST be at least 21 B) Are legally responsible for their passenger's actions. C) Are limited to one, 8-ounce drink per hour. D) Cannot have ANY alcoholic drink during an outing.

BAC stands for: A) Biggest Alcohol Content B) Body Alcohol Consumption C) Blood Alcohol Concentration D) None of these answers.

Alcohol is a: A) Flammable substance B) Poison C) Central Nervous System Depressant D) All of these answers are correct.

Kaitlyn's law makes it illegal for any child, under what age, to be left alone in a vehicle, unless another child at least 12 years old accompanies them? A) 3 B) 4 C) 6 D) 8

Overdriving your headlights at night is dangerous because: A) Your headlights may become overworked and thus stop working at all. B) You won't be able to see if it becomes foggy. C) You may blind oncoming drivers. D) You cannot stop withing the distance illuminated by your headlights.

If your headlights ever fail, you should: A) Try turning the light switch on and off rapidly. B) Trust your parking lights to make yourself visible to other vehicles. C) Try using your high beams, so you can still see. D) None of these answers are correct.

A large diamond painted in a lane means: A) This lane is reserved for special traffic. B) This lane may not be used, except by emergency vehicles. C) Stopping, standing, or parking is prohibited in this lane. D) This lane will become an entrance lane in a few hundred feet.