DMV California Drivers Handbook 2024 + Practice Test Questions

dim your high-beam headlights to low-beams within...

500 feet of an upcoming vehicle, and 300 feet behind a vehicle

use your headlights when its..

adverse weather, in tunnels and mountainous roads, its dark (can't see 1,000 feet away), 30 mins after sunset and before sunrise, and when signs tell you to do so

what is considered a barrier?

two sets of double yellow lines spaced 2 or more feet apart

On a multilane road, the _________ lane (______ ______ lane) is the lane closest to the center divider and is used to ______ other vehicles

PASSING lane or FAR LEFT lane, is used to pass other vehicle

Use the center left turn lane to make a ____ ______ or ___-______. You may only drive for _____ feet in the center left turn lane.

LEFT TURN or U-TURN.. may only drive 200 feet

You must use a ________ ______ to let other vehicles _____ when you are driving slowly on a ______-lane road, where passing is unsafe, and there are ______ vehicles following you.

use a TURNOUT area to LET OTHERS PASS YOU when your slow on a TWO-LANE road.. 5+ cars following you

You can drive in a bike lane within _______ feet from the turn

200 feet

Start signaling about _______ feet before turns

100 feet

use hand signals when signals not working.

left: _________

right: _________

stopping/slowing: _________

(view image)

when turning, stop behind the _____ _____ & look both ways (_____-______-_____)

stop behind LIMIT LINE, and look LEFT RIGHT LEFT

To make a U-turn, ______ and use the _____ ______ _____ lane or ____ _____ lane.

signal and use the CENTER LEFT TURN LANE or FAR LEFT LANE

You may make a U-turn: across a _______ _______ line, in ________ _______ if no vehicles are approaching within _____ feet, at an intersection on green light and arrow, and on a divided highway if a ________ ________ ________ is provided.

You may make a U-turn: across a DOUBLE YELLOW LINE, in a RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS if no vehicles are approaching within 200 feet, at an intersection on green light and arrow, and on a divided highway if a CENTER LEFT TURN LANE is provided.

Never make a U-turn: Where a ____ ____ _____ sign is posted, r______________, by crossing _____ _____ of ______ _______ _______, on a ____-_____ street, if you cannot see clearly for ______ feet in each direction, _____ _______ & _____ ________.

Never make a U-turn: Where a NO U-TURN sign is posted, RAILROADS, by crossing TWO SETS DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, on a ONE-WAY street, if you cannot see clearly for 200 FEET in each direction, FIRE STATIONS & BUISNESS DISTRICTS.

Make sure you can stop safely by leaving _______ _________ of space between you and the vehicle in front of you.

three seconds

When merging the freeway, be ______________ the speed of traffic.

at or near

When on freeway and in the proper lane, signal _____ ________ (approximately ______ feet) before you exit.

signal 5 seconds, approximately 400 feet

To merge, enter, or exit traffic, you need a space that is:

- Half a block on ______ _______, which is about ____ feet.

- A full block on ____ _________, which is about ____ feet.

To merge, enter, or exit traffic, you need a space that is:

- Half a block on city streets, which is about 150 feet.

- A full block on the freeway, which is about 300 feet.

Never start to pass if you're within ____-_____ of a ____ of a hill or curve.

one-third of a mile

Don't pass others within ____feet of any ______________, under a _______, in a _______, at ___________ crossings, d___________, and always pass on the _____, only pass on the _____ when the highway has _____+ lanes going in your direction, or the the driver ahead of you is _______ ________.

don't pass within 100 feet of any INTERSECTION, under a BRIDGE, in a TUNNEL, at RAILROAD crossings, DRIVEWAYS.. always pass on the LEFT, only pass on the RIGHT when the highway has 2+ lanes going in your direction, or if the driver ahead of you is turning left.

Parallel parking: find space at least ___ feet longer than your vehicle, pull up alongside the vehicle (___ feet between), back up in a ___ ________ angle, straighten out and you should be ___ _______ away from the curb

find space at least 3 feet longer than your vehicle, pull up alongside the vehicle (2 feet between), back up in a 45 degree angle, straighten out and you should be 18 inches away from the curb

when parking on a hill or down a hill, turn tires so your car doesn't roll if brakes fail.

(see image)

Curbs:

- White: Stop only long enough to ________________________________

- Green: park for ________________________

- Yellow: for _______ and ____________________ passengers

- Red: No _________, _________, or _________. Only exception are ________. if signs allow.

- Blue: parking for ____________________ with a __________________________________

white: stop only long enough to PICKUP/DROP OFF passengers

green: park for LIMITED TIME

yellow: for FREIGHT and LOADING/UNLOADING passengers

red: no parking, stopping, or standing, only buses can if signs allow

blue: disabled persons with a special placard/license plate

ILLEGAL PARKING: "_____________" sign, on or near____________, on or blocking a _____________, in front of a ____________, near ___________________________ near disabled, __________ and __________, ____ feet away from _________________ driveway, and on __________ zones (large white lines)

ILLEGAL PARKING: "no parking" sign, on or near CROSSWALKS, on or blocking a SIDEWALK, in front of a DRIVEWAY, on crosshatched parking spaces near DISABLED, TUNNELS and BRIDGES, 15 feet away from a FIRE STATIONS driveway, and on SAFETY ZONES (large white lines)

if law enforcement pulls you over...

signal right, open your window, turn your radio off, and keep hands in view... listen to all instructions even if the offer tells you to run a red light for example

Who has the Right A Way?

whoever came first at intersections, whoever is turning left must yield to all ongoing traffic, people going uphill, and pedestrians always, and the cars going uphill

roundabouts go in the ________________ direction, and you should drive _________... don't _______ or _______ others.

COUNTERCLOCKWISE direction, and you should drive SLOW... don't STOP or PASS others.

are bikers pedestrians??

NO their not, only people that WALK or are DISABLED.

Don't _____________ or ______ a light rail vehicle or streetcar on the _____ side, maintain a distance and never ________ in front of an approaching light rail vehicle.

don't overtake (speed around) or pass a light rail vehicle on the LEFT side, maintain distance and never TURN in front of it.

When an emergency vehicle has its sirens on and is flashing lights... pull over to the _______________ of the road and stop the vehicles have passed, it's illegal to follow within _____ feet of any emergency vehicle with its ____________________.

pull over to the right edge of the road, and stop until they passed. its illegal to follow within 300 feel of any emergency vehicle with its lights flashing.

slow moving vehicles display a ________________ symbol.

red and orange triangle-like shape.

__________________________________ (NEV) and _______________________________ (LSV) reach a maximum speed of ____ mph and are restricted from roads where the speed limit is greater than ____ mph.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, and Low Speed Vehicles reach a speed limit of 25 mph, and can't go on roads higher than 35 mph.

when passing a bicyclist that's in a travel lane you should...

merge/change into another lane.. when you can't change lanes leave at least 3 feet between.. if you can't do that then wait till three feet of clearance can be given.

fines are doubled in __________________________ and ______________ a ________________ worker can result in ______________ for up to one year.. and a fine of $_________.

fines are doubled in work zones, and assaulting a highway worker can result in imprisonment for up to one year.. and a fine of $2,000.

vehicles must stop before railroads if they are...

carrying hazardous loads.. they will carry signs such as.. (see image)

The speed limit is _____ mph within ______ feet of a school while children are outside or crossing the street. Some school zones may have speed limits as low as ____ mph.

the speed limit is 25 mph within 500 feet of a school... some have speed limits as low as 15 mph.

if you fail to stop when a bus flashes its red lights you will be fined $_______ and may have your _______________________________, unless your on the other side of the street and there's a barrier.

fined up to $1,000, and may have your driving privilege suspended.

The speed limit for a blind intersection(no stop signs) is....

AND the speed limit at railroad crossings where you can't see 400 feet in both directions is...

15 mph

Cargo that extends more than ___ feet from the back-rear bumper of the vehicle must display a ____-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag & At night, this cargo must be marked with ________________.

cargo that extends 4 feet from back rear bumper... must display a 12 inch orange/red flag... and at night must be marked with two red lights.

A person convicted of manslaughter faces _____________________________________.

4-10 years in state prison.

If an unlicensed person is caught driving your vehicle ... license impounded for _________________.

30 days.

Shift to ________________ before going down a _________ ________ to avoid skids and if in skid don't use your _________ and take your foot off the ______________.

shift to low gear when going down steep hill.. if in skid don't use your brake and take your foot off the accelerator.

If your wheels lock in _______ _________ antilock skid (ABS) then stop _________ and turn the steering wheel ___________________________ of the skid, in _________ __________ anti lock skid (ABS) stop ____________________, steer ________________________________,and _____________ the front wheels.

back wheel antilock skid (ABS): stop braking and turn INTO the direction of the skid

front wheel antilock skid (ABS): stop braking, steer where you want to go, and straighten the front wheels.

Slippery roads:

- Wet road: Reduce your speed by ____________.

- Packed snow: Reduce your speed by _____________.

- Ice: Reduce your speed to ____________________.

Slippery roads:

- Wet road: Reduce your speed by 5 to 10 mph.

- Packed snow: Reduce your speed by half.

- Ice: Reduce your speed to no more than 5 mph.

when your cars hydroplaning you should...

not use your brakes, and gradually slow down

when stuck in snow/mud __________________ and repeat ___________-___________ motion till vehicle rolls free.

when stuck in snow/mud shift to low gear and repeat forward-backward motion till vehicle rolls free.

if road is flooded its best to...

find another route or pull over and wait for storm to pass cause its hard to tell depth of water

seatbelt requirements quick breakdown:

under 2/under 40lbs/ under 3' 4: ________________________________

under 8/under 4' 9: __________________________________

at least 8/meets 4'9: _______________________________________

under 2/under 40lbs/ under 3' 4: rear facing child passenger restraint

under 8/under 4' 9: child passenger restraint

at least 8/meets 4'9: normal safety belt

you must ride at least _____________ from the airbag cover

10 inches

It's illegal to leave a child who is _____ years old or younger unattended in a vehicle... they must be under the supervision of a person at least _____ years old.

6 years old or younger.... supervisor must be at least 12 years old.

if your tire blows out what should you do?

release the accelerator, grasp the wheel tightly with both hands, gradually slow down and pull over

in extreme heat you should _______________, in extreme cold you should ____________________.

in heat turn off the AC, in extreme cold you should turn on your defroster. (see image .. defroster button)

If your vehicle acts up on freeway pull over to the ______________________ and _________________, use emergency flashers at your own discretion.

If vehicle acts up on freeway pull over to the right shoulder and dial 511, use emergency flashers at your own discretion.

It is illegal for you to drive if you have a BAC of:

- _______%or higher if you are over 21 years old.

- _______% or higher if you are under 21 years old.

- _______% or higher at any age if you are on DUI probation.

- _______% or higher if you drive a vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license.

- _______% or higher if you are driving a passenger for hire.

It is illegal for you to drive if you have a BAC of:

- 0.08% or higher if you are over 21 years old.

- 0.01% or higher if you are under 21 years old.

- 0.01% or higher at any age if you are on DUI probation.

- 0.04% or higher if you drive a vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license.

- 0.04% or higher if you are driving a passenger for hire.

what effects how much alcohol one can intake, and its effects?

a persons body weight

If a person is arrested for DUI:

- ________, _______, and _______ test may be taken

- driving suspended

- may receive a ______________________ license for ____ days

- may request a _______________________ within ____ days of arrest

- may be sentenced up to _______________ in jail

- may pay a fine

If a person is arrested for DUI:

- breath, blood, and urine test may be taken

- driving suspended

- may receive a temporary driver's license for 30 days

- may request a DMV admin. hearing within 10 days

- may be sentenced up to 6 months in jail

- may pay a fine

All DUI convictions remain on your driver's record for ____ years

10 years

If your under ____, you can't carry any ____________ beverage inside a vehicle unless accompanied by a person ____ or older. Even so, beverages must be _____, ________, and ________. If _______ _________ must be in the trunk... or where passengers don't sit. Only exception is if you're working for a person with a ____________________________.

If your under 21, you can't carry any alcohol beverage inside a vehicle unless accompanied by a person 21 or older. Even so, beverages must be full, sealed, and unopened. If opened alcohol must be in the trunk... or where passengers don't sit. Only exception is if you're working for a person with a off-site sales liquor license.

Your insurance must cover at least:

$_________ for a single death or injury.

$_________ for death or injury to more than one person.

$_________ for property damage.

Your insurance must cover at least:

$15,000 for a single death or injury.

$30,000 for death or injury to more than one person.

$5,000 for property damage.

Parents or guardians take on financial responsibility for drivers younger than ____ years old

Parents or guardians take on financial responsibility for drivers younger than 18 years old

If you are in a collision, you must report it to ______ within ____ days if:

The collision caused more than $________ in damage to property.

Anyone was _______ or ________. This applies even if the ________ were minor.

If you are in a collision, you must report it to DMV within 10 days if:

The collision caused more than $1,000 in damage to property.

Anyone was injured or killed. This applies even if the injuries were minor.

When you buy a vehicle, you have __________ to transfer ownership to your name and complete a ________________________ and ______________________ form to DMV

When you buy a vehicle, you have 10 days to transfer ownership to your name and complete a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability form to DMV

You have ____ days to register your vehicle after you become a resident or get a job in California.

You have 20 days to register your vehicle after you become a resident or get a job in California

the maximum speed limit on most California highways is ____ mph

the maximum speed limit is ____mph on two-lane undivided highways

the maximum speed limit on most California highways is 65 mph

the maximum speed limit is 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways

to get your driving permit if your a minor (under 18):

you must be at least 15 1/2 years old, you must complete a drivers ed program, have both parents sign/ approve financial responsibility, and you have to verify your permit after with your driving instructor before using it

to get your license if your a minor:

must complete 50 hours of practice under supervision of a person at least 25 years old, 10 hours being at night... and must have a permit for at least 6 months before your driving test

Placard abuse will result in:

Placard revocation, a fine, and/or jail time.

Placard abuse can result in the loss of special parking privileges, a fine of up to $1,000, and up to six months of jail time.

You are driving on a one-way street. You may only turn left onto another one-way street if:

Traffic on the street moves to the left.

When may you legally drive around or under a railroad crossing gate?

Never

At intersections, crosswalks, and railroad crossings, you should always:

Look to the sides of your vehicle to see what is coming.

You are crossing an intersection and an emergency vehicle is approaching while using its siren and flashing lights. You should:

Continue through the intersection, pull to the right, and stop.

A large truck is ahead of you and is turning right onto a street with two lanes in each direction. The truck:

May have to swing wide to complete the right turn.

A peace officer is signaling for you to drive to the edge of the roadway. You decide to ignore the officer's warning and flee the scene. You are guilty of a misdemeanor and can be punished by being:

Jailed in the county jail for no more than one year.

Animals may be transported in the back of a pickup truck only if:

They are properly secured.

If you are driving and the rear end of your car starts skidding to the left, you should:

Steer to the left.

(steer into skid direction.. remember?)

If the driver of an oncoming vehicle fails to dim their headlights:

Look toward the right side of the road.

This will keep you from being blinded by the other vehicle's headlights and allow you to see enough of the road to stay on course

how do you pass a large truck in middle of three lanes?

pass on the left and speed up and go in front of it

what's the speed limit of a car carrying a trailer behind it on the freeway?

55mph

if your at a red light and going to take a turn, and there's a pedestrian waiting to cross who has the right of way

the pedestrian