Texas DPS Permit Practice Test 22
- Questions30
- Correct to pass21
- Passing score70%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Federal law lets a state open its high-occupancy vehicle lanes to certain vehicles carrying only one person. Which of these is covered by that allowance?
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Answer B: Motorcycles
Federal law lets states allow motorcycles into high-occupancy vehicle lanes regardless of the number of occupants, because keeping riders in the flow is safer than the alternative.
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2. Why does a heavier vehicle need more room to stop than a light one from the same speed?
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Answer B: Because there is more mass in motion for the tires to slow down
More mass means more energy at the same speed, and the brakes and tires need more distance to get rid of it.
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3. What does the statewide Texas electronic messaging law prohibit?
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Answer D: Reading, writing or sending an electronic message on a portable wireless device while driving, unless the vehicle is stopped
Texas makes it an offense to read, write or send an electronic message on a portable wireless device while operating a vehicle that is not stopped, with defenses for navigation, emergencies and hands free use.
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4. The light ahead is green, but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up so far that you could not clear it. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Wait behind the stop line until there is room on the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks cross traffic and pedestrians, so you should hold your position until space opens on the other side.
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5. On a regulatory sign, what does a red circle with a diagonal slash drawn over a symbol mean?
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Answer D: The movement or action shown by the symbol is prohibited
A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard way of showing that the movement pictured inside it, such as a U-turn or a right turn, is not allowed.
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6. At which location is this sign normally installed?
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Answer D: Facing traffic that could turn into a one-way roadway or ramp against the flow
It is posted where a driver could otherwise enter a ramp or a one-way roadway from the wrong end, so it faces exactly the traffic that has to be kept out.
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7. A curb lane is marked BUS ONLY 7 AM TO 9 AM. What may the driver of a car do?
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Answer A: Use the lane outside those hours
A part-time bus lane is reserved only during the posted period, and outside it the lane serves general traffic like any other.
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8. What is the correct technique for backing a vehicle straight?
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Answer B: Check behind the vehicle before getting in, then turn and look through the rear window while backing slowly
Mirrors and cameras leave gaps close to the vehicle, so walk behind it first, then turn in your seat for a direct view and keep the speed low enough to stop instantly.
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9. A yellow diamond shows two lanes narrowing into one. What does it require of a driver?
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Answer D: Adjusting speed and merging before the lane disappears
The lane ends sign gives notice that one lane will be dropped, so drivers should adjust speed and blend into the continuing lane in good time.
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10. On loose gravel or deep fresh snow, how does an antilock system affect the stopping distance?
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Answer D: It can lengthen it, although you keep the ability to steer
On loose surfaces a locked wheel piles up a wedge of gravel or snow that helps it stop, so the antilock stop can be longer even though steering still works.
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11. What is the purpose of a wide solid white line painted straight across your lane on the approach to an intersection?
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Answer C: It shows the point where a required stop must be made
A stop line indicates the point at which the stop required by a signal or a stop sign is to be made, ahead of the crosswalk and the intersection.
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12. How soon after becoming a Texas resident must a vehicle owner apply for vehicle registration?
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Answer A: Not more than 30 days after becoming a resident
Section 502.040(a) requires a new resident to apply for registration not more than 30 days after becoming a Texas resident.
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13. What does a tire with worn tread do on a wet road?
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Answer B: It loses grip and it hydroplanes at a lower speed than a good tire
Tread grooves carry water away from the contact patch, and a worn tire cannot do that, so it floats on the water sooner.
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14. A warning sign showing two children on a see-saw is posted beside a residential street. What does it mean?
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Answer D: A play area lies beside the road and children may run out
The playground sign warns that children are present next to the roadway and may enter it without looking, so drivers should cover the brake and slow down.
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15. What fine applies to a second or subsequent Texas school bus passing offense committed within five years of the first?
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Answer D: $1,000 to $2,000
Section 545.066 raises the fine range for a repeat offense committed within five years, well above the first-offense range.
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16. Your car has side curtain airbags. What should you avoid doing?
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Answer B: Resting your head against the window or the door pillar
A side airbag deploys from the pillar or roof rail, so a head leaning against that area is directly in its path.
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17. A school bus ahead of you has its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. What are you required to do?
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Answer A: Stop and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the bus starts moving
Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm mean children are getting on or off, so traffic must stop and wait until the bus withdraws the signals and moves again.
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18. How does braking distance change if you double your speed?
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Answer D: It grows much more than twice as long
Braking distance increases with the square of speed, so doubling speed roughly quadruples the distance needed to stop.
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19. You are driving through a residential area where parked cars hide the side streets. What is the safest approach?
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Answer C: Slow down and cover the brake as you pass each opening
Where parked vehicles hide side streets and driveways, lower speed and a covered brake buy the time you lose in sight distance.
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20. The added lane warning sign tells a driver that
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Answer A: an extra lane begins ahead, so entering traffic does not have to merge into an existing lane
Where a lane is added, traffic entering the roadway gets a lane of its own, so merging is not required, although drivers should still watch the vehicles beside them.
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21. What is worth carrying in the vehicle during a winter trip?
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Answer A: A blanket, a flashlight, a scraper and a small shovel
A winter kit keeps you warm and visible if you are stopped for hours, and lets you clear glass and dig the wheels out. Hot water can crack cold glass.
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22. School warning signs use which background and legend colors?
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Answer A: A black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background
School warning signs carry a black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background, a shade chosen so they stand out from ordinary yellow warning signs.
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23. Why is heavy braking a poor idea while two wheels are still on a soft shoulder?
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Answer B: The two sides have different grip, so the vehicle can pull sharply
With one pair of wheels on pavement and the other on loose material, hard braking slows one side more than the other and swings the vehicle around.
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24. At what blood alcohol concentration is a Texas driver legally intoxicated?
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Answer C: 0.08 percent
Texas sets legal intoxication at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, although a driver impaired at a lower level can still be charged.
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25. You are stopped at a stop sign on a two-way stop intersection and the cross street has no stop signs at all. What does that mean for you?
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Answer A: You yield to all cross traffic no matter how long that takes
At a two-way stop only your direction is controlled, so there is no taking turns; you wait for a gap big enough to enter safely.
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26. Your vehicle stalls on railroad tracks and you see a train approaching. What should you do?
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Answer D: Get everyone out and run toward the train at an angle away from the tracks
Leave the vehicle at once. Running toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks keeps you clear of the wreckage, which is thrown forward in the direction the train is moving.
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27. Where is signing of this kind normally placed along a freeway?
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Answer D: Ahead of the interchange and again at the exit, so a driver can reach the correct lane in time
Guide information for an interchange is repeated on the approach and at the ramp, because a driver who learns about the exit only at the last moment has no room left for a safe lane change.
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28. You have just had bad news and you feel very upset. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until you have calmed down, or else let somebody else drive
Strong emotion takes attention away from the road as surely as alcohol or fatigue, so it is a reason not to drive yet.
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29. What is the classification and minimum jail term for a Texas DWI when the driver has one prior intoxication conviction?
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Answer B: Class A misdemeanor with at least 30 days
With one prior intoxication-related conviction, DWI becomes a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum confinement of 30 days.
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30. A sign with a black legend on a fluorescent pink background is used for
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Answer A: traffic incident management
Fluorescent pink is set aside for signing that manages traffic around a crash, a spill or another unplanned incident, so it stands apart from routine work zone orange.