Texas DPS Permit Practice Test 8
Test 8 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 21 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Texas test.
- Questions30
- Correct to pass21
- Passing score70%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A wide solid white line separates the through lanes from an exit lane. What does it tell drivers?
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Answer B: The choice of lane should already have been made
A channelizing line marks where the paths separate and crossing it is discouraged or prohibited, so the lane change has to happen upstream.
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2. A city transit bus at a stop ahead of you switches on its left signal. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow and let the bus pull back into traffic
A bus needs a long gap to rejoin traffic, and yielding to a signaling transit bus keeps the whole line of traffic moving safely.
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3. You are in a minor collision on a busy road. No one is hurt and both vehicles can be driven. What is the recommended thing to do?
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Answer C: Move the vehicles out of the travel lanes to a safe spot before exchanging information
Vehicles left in traffic after a minor crash invite a second, often worse, collision. Clearing the lane protects everyone, and you still exchange details and report as required.
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4. 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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5. You are approaching a traffic light that has been green for a long time. How should you treat it?
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Answer C: Expect it to change and be ready to stop
A light that has been green for a while is called a stale green light. Cover the brake and decide in advance where you could still stop safely.
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6. What minimum light transmission does Texas require for tint on the driver's side window?
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Answer D: 25 percent
Section 547.613(b)(2) requires at least 25 percent light transmission for driver-side window tint.
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7. Which of these stopped vehicles is covered by the Texas Move Over or Slow Down law?
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Answer A: A tow truck, a TxDOT maintenance vehicle or a utility service vehicle using the required visual signals
Texas extends the law to stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks, TxDOT and highway maintenance vehicles, utility service vehicles, solid waste and recycling trucks, toll project vehicles, animal control vehicles and parking enforcement vehicles that display the required signals.
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8. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
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Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
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9. In a work zone a flagger signals you to stop, but the sign beside the road says the lane is open. What should you do?
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Answer C: Obey the flagger
A flagger controls the work zone in real time and the instruction outranks the signs and markings, which cannot reflect what is happening at that moment.
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10. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 545.356, who may alter the prima facie speed limit on streets within a municipality?
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Answer C: The local authority governing that municipality
Section 545.356 grants the local authority of a municipality the power to alter prima facie speed limits on its own streets.
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11. You are waiting to turn and the traffic ahead has stopped. Where must you not come to rest?
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Answer D: On the crosswalk, which people need in order to cross the street
Stopping on a crosswalk forces pedestrians out into the traffic lanes to get around you, so you hold back before it instead.
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12. What is the minimum age for a Texas learner license?
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Answer A: 15 years old
Texas may issue a learner license to an applicant who is at least 15 and under 18, once the classroom phase of an approved driver education course is finished.
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13. Why is it worth planning your route before a long drive?
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Answer B: So that you are not reading a map or a screen while the car is moving
A driver who knows the route is not navigating at the wheel, which is one of the commonest sources of distraction.
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14. What does Texas equipment law require of a solid rubber tire mounted on a vehicle?
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Answer B: The rubber must extend above the edge of the wheel flange
Section 547.612(a) requires a solid rubber tire's rubber to extend above the flange edge of the wheel.
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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. You are approaching an uncontrolled intersection on a residential street where parked cars hide the cross street. What is the correct approach?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop and creep out until you can see
Without a sign or signal you still have to be able to yield, and you cannot yield to traffic you have not seen.
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17. What can a Texas county commissioners court establish for a county road or bridge, along with the authority to weigh vehicles for compliance?
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Answer D: Weight limits for that road or bridge
Section 251.153 lets a commissioners court establish load limits for a county road or bridge and authorize officers to weigh vehicles for compliance.
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18. In a work zone the temporary lane lines conflict with the old lines still visible on the pavement. Which do you follow?
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Answer C: The temporary markings, which show the current traffic pattern
Temporary markings define the traffic pattern in force, and the old lines are simply the layout that no longer applies.
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19. The inside of your windshield keeps fogging up on a cold, damp day. What clears it best?
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Answer B: The defroster with the air conditioning on, which dries the air
Fog on the inside is moisture from the cabin air. The air conditioner dries that air, and the defroster warms the glass, so together they clear it and keep it clear.
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20. What can a first driving while intoxicated conviction cost in Texas?
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Answer D: Up to a 2,000 dollar fine, up to 180 days in jail with three mandatory days, and a license suspension of up to one year
A first Texas DWI conviction can bring a fine of up to 2,000 dollars, as much as 180 days in jail with three days mandatory, and loss of the license for up to a year.
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21. How should a long trip be broken up to keep the driver alert?
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Answer D: Stop for a break every couple of hours and share out the driving
Regular breaks and a change of driver are the only reliable answers to fatigue; caffeine only postpones it.
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22. An overhead lane-use control signal shows a steady red X above the lane you are traveling in. What does it require?
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Answer D: Leave that lane, because it is closed to you
A steady red X means road users are not permitted to use the lane beneath it, so you must move into a lane that is open.
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23. Where should your hands normally rest on the steering wheel?
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Answer C: On opposite sides of the wheel, near the 9 and 3 positions
Hands placed opposite each other near the middle of the wheel give smooth, balanced control and keep the arms clear of a deploying air bag.
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24. A wheel comes off your car while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the gas and steer gently to the shoulder
A firm grip and a gradual slowing keep the vehicle straight, while hard or sudden braking makes a damaged corner pull the car out of line.
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25. Why is it risky to brake hard and steer sharply at the same moment?
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Answer C: The tires have a limited amount of grip that braking and turning must share
Each tire can deliver only so much grip, and asking it to slow the vehicle and change direction at once can exceed that limit and start a skid.
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26. Why should you not leave the engine running when you walk away from your vehicle?
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Answer C: Because the vehicle can be stolen or can move on its own
An unattended running vehicle is an easy theft and, if the transmission slips or is knocked out of park, it can roll away with nobody at the wheel.
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27. When must a Texas driver turn on the vehicle's required lighted lamps?
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Answer B: At nighttime, or whenever visibility is poor enough that a person or vehicle is not clearly discernible at 1,000 feet ahead
Transportation Code Section 547.302(a) requires lighted lamps at nighttime and whenever visibility is so limited that a person or vehicle cannot be clearly seen from 1,000 feet away.
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28. Once stopped for a Texas school bus, when may a driver legally proceed again?
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Answer A: Once the bus resumes motion, the driver is signaled by the bus driver, or the visual signal deactivates
Section 545.066 lists three separate ways the stopping duty ends: the bus moves, the bus driver signals the driver to proceed, or the visual signal deactivates.
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29. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?
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Answer B: Move into the lane to your left
An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.
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30. At a freeway exit ramp, this sign normally backs up which other regulatory sign posted nearer to the ramp terminal?
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Answer D: The sign that forbids entering that roadway at all
The two work as a pair at ramp terminals: one keeps drivers from turning in, and this one sits farther along to catch a driver who has already entered.