Washington DOL Permit Practice Test 25
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. When should most of your braking for a turn be finished?
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Answer B: Before you begin to turn the wheel
Slow to the right speed before the turn begins; braking hard while turning uses up the grip the tires need for steering.
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2. Why is a wet road at night harder to read than the same road in daylight?
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Answer A: The wet surface reflects light away and swallows the lane markings
A film of water sends your headlight beam onward instead of back to you, so lines, edges and people in dark clothing almost disappear.
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3. Why would a restriction like this one be applied to a stretch of road?
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Answer A: Because there is not enough visible road ahead to complete a pass safely
Limits on overtaking are set where a hill, a curve or an obstruction leaves too little sight distance for a driver to pull out, pass and return before meeting oncoming traffic.
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4. A yellow diamond shows a car with wavy lines behind its rear tires. What is the warning?
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Answer D: The surface loses grip badly when it is wet
The slippery when wet sign marks a stretch where traction falls off sharply in rain, so speed and braking must be reduced well in advance.
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5. A sign reads END SCHOOL ZONE. What does it tell a driver?
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Answer A: The regular limit for that road applies again
An end of restriction sign marks the downstream limit of a special zone, after which the ordinary speed limit for that road governs again.
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6. Two vehicles meet on a steep, narrow mountain road with no room to pass. Which driver should back up?
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Answer C: The driver heading downhill, who has more control while reversing
On a narrow mountain road the vehicle facing downhill yields, because backing uphill gives better control than reversing down a grade.
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7. What belongs in a basic emergency kit carried in a car?
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Answer D: A flashlight, a first aid kit, jumper cables and some warning devices
A useful kit lets you see, be seen, treat an injury and restart the vehicle; carrying loose gasoline is a fire risk.
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8. How does going a long time without sleep compare with drinking?
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Answer A: It can impair a driver in much the same way
Long periods awake produce slow reactions, poor judgment and lapses of attention that resemble the effects of alcohol, which is why fatigue counts as impairment.
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9. A driver hunting for an on-ramp meets this sign at the mouth of the pavement ahead. What is the correct action?
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Answer C: Keep out of that roadway and look for the proper approach elsewhere
The restriction is absolute and does not depend on how much traffic is present, so the driver has to reach the highway by an approach built for entering vehicles.
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10. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?
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Answer D: The driver will face traffic head on, because every lane comes the other way
Turning against the established direction puts the vehicle nose to nose with all the traffic on that street, which is why the mistake has to be corrected at once.
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11. A yellow sign reading DEAD END is posted at the entrance to a street. What does it mean?
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Answer D: The street ends and there is no way through
A dead end street stops at its far end, so a driver who enters must come back out the same way.
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12. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path
A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.
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13. Heavy trucks have worn deep ruts into a highway lane and rain has filled them. What is the danger?
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Answer D: Water collects in them, so the tires can lose contact with the road
Ruts hold standing water long after the rest of the lane has drained, which makes them the most likely place to start hydroplaning.
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14. Under Washington's habitual offender law, how are multiple traffic offenses committed within six hours of each other counted on a first occurrence?
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Answer B: They are treated as a single offense on that first occasion
Washington's habitual offender statute treats multiple offenses committed within a six-hour period as one offense the first time this happens.
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15. Your vehicle does not have antilock brakes and you must stop quickly on a slippery road. What is the correct technique?
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Answer B: Apply the brakes firmly without locking the wheels, releasing slightly if they lock
Locked wheels slide and cannot steer. Squeezing the brakes to just short of lockup, and easing off if they lock, gives the shortest stop with control.
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16. Does using a hands free device remove the risk of distraction?
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Answer A: No, the conversation still takes attention away from driving
Hands free equipment removes the manual part of the distraction but not the mental part, and a driver deep in conversation can look straight at a hazard without registering it.
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17. Why is wearing headphones over both ears a problem while driving?
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Answer D: You may not hear horns, sirens or other warning sounds
Hearing is part of your awareness of traffic. Covering both ears blocks emergency sirens, horns and the sound of an approaching vehicle you cannot yet see.
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18. Two solid yellow lines are painted down the center of a two-way road. What do they mean?
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Answer B: Traffic in neither direction may cross them to pass
A double solid yellow line marks a no-passing zone that applies to traffic traveling in either direction.
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19. You are stopped at a steady red arrow pointing right, and no sign or state rule permits turning on a red arrow. May you turn right?
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Answer A: No, you must wait until the red arrow goes out and a green signal appears
A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to until a signal permitting it appears. Only a posted sign or a specific state rule allows a turn on a red arrow after a complete stop, so without one you must wait.
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20. 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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21. A traffic signal ahead is showing a flashing red light. What does it require?
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Answer C: Stop completely, then go when the way is clear, as at a stop sign
A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign: stop completely, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when it is safe.
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22. What is a driver being warned about here?
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Answer B: The pavement ahead carries vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
Beyond this point vehicles come the other way on the same pavement, which commonly happens where a one-way section or a separated stretch comes to an end.
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23. You must slow suddenly on a highway and a vehicle is following close behind you. What helps prevent a rear-end collision?
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Answer D: Tapping the brake pedal early so your brake lights flash a warning
Early brake light flashes give the driver behind more time to react, and slowing gradually instead of suddenly reduces the chance of being struck.
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24. You stop behind another vehicle at a traffic light. How much space should you leave?
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Answer D: Enough to see where its rear tires touch the pavement
Seeing the rear tires on the road leaves room to steer around the vehicle if it stalls, and gives a cushion if you are struck from behind.
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25. Under what road configuration can opposite-direction traffic in Washington pass a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing, even without three or more lanes?
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Answer B: On a divided highway with physically separate roadways
Washington also excuses opposite-direction traffic from stopping on a divided highway with physically separate roadways for each direction, apart from the separate three-or-more-lane exception.
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26. How should a turn at an intersection be taken on a wet road?
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Answer C: Slow earlier than usual and steer smoothly through the corner
Wet pavement leaves less grip, so the speed must come off before the turn and the steering must be gentle enough not to break traction.
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27. What is the minimum length of time a Washington driver must hold an ignition interlock restriction after a first DUI conviction?
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Answer D: One year
Washington requires a minimum one-year ignition interlock restriction following a first DUI conviction.
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28. Traffic is heavy and a truck is stopped in the lane on your right. How do you keep an out?
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Answer B: Keep space open ahead of you and avoid being boxed in on both sides at once
Being hemmed in on both sides with no gap ahead removes every option, so keep at least one direction open.
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29. You are joining a highway from a short ramp that has no acceleration lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stop or slow at the end of the ramp and wait for a safe gap
Without an acceleration lane there is no room to match speed, so you must yield at the end of the ramp and enter only when a gap allows it.
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30. You and an opposing driver reach a four-way stop at the same time and both of you are turning right. What should happen?
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Answer C: Both may turn at the same time into their own lanes
Two opposing right turns take drivers into different lanes without crossing, so both can proceed together once pedestrians are clear.
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31. A large truck ahead of you swings toward the left just before turning right at an intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay back and never try to move into the gap between the truck and the curb
Long vehicles need extra room and often swing wide to complete a right turn, so the space that opens on their right closes again as the trailer sweeps through it.
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32. You are making a U-turn at a signal on a green left arrow. Who must you still watch for?
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Answer D: People in the crosswalk you will cross as you come around
Even a protected arrow does not clear the crosswalk, and a U-turn sweeps across a crosswalk that pedestrians may already be using.
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33. Besides its height, what else matters about a head restraint?
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Answer C: That it is close to the back of the head, and not far behind it
A restraint that sits far behind the head lets the head snap back before it is caught, so a small gap is important.
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34. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?
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Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway
The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.
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35. 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.
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36. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
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Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
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37. In slow summer traffic the temperature gauge climbs into the red. What should you do first?
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Answer A: Turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heater to draw heat from the engine
The heater core acts as an extra radiator, and shutting off the air conditioner reduces engine load. If the gauge keeps climbing, pull over and shut off the engine, and never open a hot radiator cap.
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38. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?
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Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again
An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.
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39. For which violations do Washington automated traffic safety cameras record images?
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Answer C: Failing to stop at a steady red light, failing to stop at a railroad crossing signal, and exceeding the speed limit in a school zone
Washington automated cameras record failure to stop at a steady red light, failure to stop at a railroad crossing signal and speeding in a school zone, and the ticket is mailed to the vehicle owner.
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40. The left-turn signal facing you shows a flashing yellow arrow. What does it mean?
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Answer C: You may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow permits a left turn but gives no protection, so you must yield to oncoming vehicles and to people in the crosswalk.