Washington DOL Permit Practice Test 4
Test 4 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 32 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Washington test.
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A set of reversible express lanes is closed off with gates and signs while it runs the other way. What must you never do?
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Answer C: Enter past a closed gate or a sign showing the lanes are closed
When reversible lanes are closed they may already be carrying traffic in the opposite direction, so entering past a gate can put you head-on into that traffic.
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2. What is the standard reissue fee to reinstate a Washington driver's license after a suspension unrelated to DUI?
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Answer D: $75
Washington's standard reissue fee to reinstate a suspended license is $75.
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3. Your navigation device tells you to turn where a road sign says the turn is closed. What should you do?
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Answer B: Follow the signs and what you can see
A device works from stored data that can be out of date, while signs and the road in front of you show the situation now, so the road wins every time.
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4. In Washington, when may a driver traveling in the opposite direction skip stopping for a school bus with red lights flashing?
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Answer D: Only when there are three or more lanes and the lanes are separated by a median or barrier
Washington excuses opposite direction traffic only when there are three or more lanes and the lanes are separated by a median or barrier.
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5. Where is a U-turn most clearly unsafe and generally prohibited?
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Answer D: On a curve or near a hill crest, where other drivers cannot see you
U-turns are barred where approaching drivers cannot see you in time, such as on a curve or near the top of a hill.
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6. A bus stopped at the corner hides the crosswalk you are about to turn across. What should you do?
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Answer C: Turn slowly, ready to stop for anyone stepping out in front of it
People often step into the road from in front of a stopped bus, so approach the hidden crosswalk slowly and be ready to stop.
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7. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see
The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.
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8. What do the overhead signals over a Washington reversible lane mean?
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Answer D: A green arrow means use the lane, a red X means do not, and a steady yellow X means the lane is changing direction
In Washington a green arrow permits use of the reversible lane, a red X forbids it, and a steady yellow X signals that the lane is changing direction so drivers should move out when safe.
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9. Which of these is announced with the same family of signs as the facility shown here?
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Answer A: A rest area for travelers
A rest area belongs to the same motorist service series, which points travelers toward facilities such as fuel, food, lodging and medical care.
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10. 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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11. A black on white regulatory sign at an intersection reads NO TURNS. What may a driver do there?
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Answer B: Only continue straight through the intersection
The NO TURNS sign bans turns in every direction at that intersection, so the only lawful movement from that approach is straight through.
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12. How can a Washington intermediate license holder gain unrestricted hours and passenger limits before turning 18?
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Answer C: By keeping a clean record for 12 months after licensing
Washington lets an intermediate license holder drive without the usual hour and passenger restrictions after 12 months with no violations or at-fault accidents.
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13. A city transit bus ahead of you has stopped at the curb with its passenger door open. What does the law require of you?
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Answer D: Nothing special, but pass slowly and watch for people
The mandatory stop applies to a school bus showing red flashing lights, not to a transit bus, though a careful driver still slows for crossing passengers.
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14. How much supervised practice must a Washington applicant aged 16 or 17 complete before a first driver license?
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Answer C: 40 hours of day driving and 10 hours of night driving
Washington requires at least 40 hours of day driving and 10 hours of night driving with a licensed driver who has 3 or more years of experience.
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15. How far ahead should you normally be looking as you drive?
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Answer C: About 12 to 15 seconds ahead, well beyond the vehicle in front
Looking that far down the road lets you see a problem developing and slow smoothly, instead of discovering it in time only for hard braking.
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16. What is the highest speed limit Washington's Secretary of Transportation may set on a divided or limited access highway based on an engineering study?
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Answer D: 75 miles per hour
Washington authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to set limited access highway speed limits as high as 75 miles per hour when an engineering and traffic study supports it.
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17. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signals are completely dark after a power failure. What should you do?
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Answer A: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop and take turns
When a signal is dark or out of order, drivers on every approach must stop and proceed in turn, exactly as at a four-way stop.
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18. You are parking facing downhill on a street with a curb. Which way should the front wheels point?
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Answer A: Toward the curb, so the vehicle would roll into it if it moved
Turning the wheels toward the curb when facing downhill means a vehicle that starts to roll is stopped by the curb instead of entering the traffic lane.
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19. The signal turns green as you approach an intersection. What is the safest practice?
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Answer B: Look left, then right, then left again, and make sure the intersection is clear before entering
A green light gives permission but does not guarantee the intersection is empty, and a quick scan catches a vehicle running the red or a pedestrian still crossing.
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20. What kind of signals must a stationary authorized emergency vehicle be using to trigger Washington's move-over law?
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Answer B: Audible or visual signals meeting state equipment standards
Washington's move-over law requires a stationary authorized emergency vehicle to be using audible or visual signals that meet the state's equipment requirements for such vehicles.
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21. How does Washington's electronic device law treat a violation committed inside a marked crash prevention zone, such as a highway work zone?
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Answer B: The base penalty is doubled compared to a violation outside the zone
Washington doubles the base penalty for a personal electronic device violation committed inside a marked crash prevention zone.
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22. 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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23. Your low beams light about 250 feet of road, but at your speed you would need more than that to stop. What is that called?
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Answer D: Overdriving your headlights
When your stopping distance is longer than the stretch of road your headlights show, you cannot react to anything you finally see. Slow down until you can.
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24. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves
Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.
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25. A driver's blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limit, but the driver is visibly impaired. Can the driver be arrested?
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Answer C: Yes, driving while impaired by alcohol is an offense at any concentration
The per se figure, 0.08 percent in most states and 0.05 percent in Utah, is the level at which impairment is presumed. Impairment shown by driving behavior and field tests is enough on its own, because alcohol affects skills well before that number.
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26. You have to leave a trailer parked on a slope. What extra step protects it?
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Answer D: Chock the trailer wheels as well as setting the brake
Chocks physically block the wheels, which is the only thing that still holds if a brake or a coupling lets go.
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27. Under Washington's open container law, where may a driver lawfully store an alcoholic beverage that has already been opened?
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Answer B: In the trunk of the vehicle
Washington law treats the glove compartment as part of the area occupied by driver and passengers, so an opened container must instead go in the trunk or a similarly separate area.
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28. The sign over the leftmost lane reads LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT. You are in that lane and want to go straight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Move out of the lane before the intersection if it is safe
A mandatory movement lane control sign makes the turn compulsory for that lane, so a driver who wants another movement must change lanes in advance.
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29. What does a posted speed limit sign represent?
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Answer B: The maximum speed permitted under ideal conditions
A speed limit is an upper limit that assumes good weather, good visibility and light traffic, so the safe speed is often lower than the posted figure.
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30. You are following a tractor-trailer so closely that its rear doors fill your windshield. What is the main problem?
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Answer D: You cannot see the road ahead and the truck driver cannot see you
A truck has a deep blind spot directly behind it, and tailgating also hides everything in front of the truck from you. Drop back so you can see and be seen.
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31. On a rural road, the driver of a slow farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn even though there is no road or driveway in sight. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay behind the tractor, because it may be turning into a field entrance
Farm equipment often turns into fields through gaps you cannot see, and it may swing wide to do so. Passing a vehicle that is signaling a left turn is a common cause of crashes.
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32. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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33. You are entering a freeway using an on-ramp with an acceleration lane. What is the correct technique?
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Answer C: Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of traffic, then merge into a gap while yielding to traffic already on the freeway
The acceleration lane exists so you can match the speed of freeway traffic before merging, and drivers already on the freeway have the right-of-way.
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34. You have fitted small convex blind spot mirrors to the door mirrors. What is true of them?
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Answer A: They help a good deal, but you should still look over your shoulder as well
Add-on mirrors reduce but do not remove the blind spot, and they make vehicles look smaller and further away.
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35. 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.
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36. You feel fine twenty minutes after your last drink. Why is that a poor guide to driving?
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Answer B: Your blood alcohol level can still be rising
Alcohol keeps being absorbed for some time after the last drink, so a driver who feels able at the door can be more impaired a few miles down the road.
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37. A sign reads REDUCED SPEED LIMIT AHEAD. What does it tell you?
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Answer D: A lower limit begins further along the road
The sign gives advance notice so a driver can slow gradually, and the new figure takes effect at the speed limit sign that follows.
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38. What happens to a Washington driver's license if they default on an agreed installment plan for paying a court judgment from a crash?
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Answer A: The license is suspended until the judgment is satisfied
Washington suspends a driver's license when they default on an installment agreement for a judgment, and the suspension lasts until the judgment is satisfied.
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39. A pedestrian using a white cane or walking with a guide dog starts to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Yield and stay stopped until the person has finished crossing
A white cane or guide dog identifies a pedestrian who may not be able to see your vehicle, so you must yield and wait rather than maneuver around the person. The horn can confuse the pedestrian or the dog.
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40. When a Washington local authority lowers a speed limit through the general alteration process, how far can it go outside of intersections?
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Answer C: No lower than 20 miles per hour
Washington law bars a local authority from lowering a speed limit below 20 miles per hour outside of intersections through the general alteration process.