Louisiana OMV Permit Practice Test 19
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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2. You find yourself in a lane that must turn, you wanted to go straight, and you cannot change lanes safely. What should you do?
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Answer D: Make the required turn and find another route
Going straight from a mandatory turn lane surprises everyone around you, while a wrong turn costs only a few extra minutes.
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3. You have just been involved in a crash on a city street. Which sequence of first steps is correct?
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Answer A: Stop where you are, check everyone for injuries, and then make the scene safe
You are required to stop, and the first priority at the scene is people, followed by preventing a second collision.
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4. About how far does a vehicle travel in one second at 60 mph?
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Answer A: About 88 feet
At 60 mph you cover about 88 feet every second, which is why a glance of only two or three seconds means driving the length of several vehicles blind.
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5. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?
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Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time
Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.
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6. You are turning right from a one-way street onto a two-way street. Where should the turn end?
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Answer A: In the lane nearest the right curb of the street you are entering
A right turn starts and finishes as close to the right as practical, so you leave the one-way street from the right lane and arrive in the lane nearest the right curb.
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7. Why does a long downhill grade lengthen the distance you need to stop?
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Answer C: Because gravity keeps pulling the vehicle forward as you brake
On a downgrade gravity works with the vehicle and against the brakes, so the same speed needs noticeably more distance than it would on level ground.
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8. What is lane splitting?
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Answer B: A motorcycle riding between two lanes of traffic moving the same way
Lane splitting means riding along the line between two lanes of traffic going in the same direction rather than staying within a lane.
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9. 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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10. An orange sign reads RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. What is the correct response?
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Answer A: Move left in good time and keep a steady pace
The sign is placed well before the taper so that drivers can merge smoothly rather than braking hard where the lane actually closes.
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11. You are circulating in the inner lane of a two-lane roundabout, your exit is next, and a vehicle is beside you in the outer lane. What should you do?
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Answer C: Keep circulating around the island and take that same exit on your next time around
You may not cut across a vehicle in the outer lane; if you cannot exit safely, continue around the circle and try again.
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12. A strong wind is blowing across an open stretch of road. Besides the gusts, what else should you watch for?
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Answer A: Branches, dust and loose objects blown into your path
High wind strips branches, litter and dust onto the roadway and can push other vehicles out of their lane, so scan much further ahead than usual.
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13. You find that your shoulder belt has some slack in it. Why does that matter?
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Answer D: You travel further before the belt restrains you, so injuries are worse
Slack lets your body build up speed before the belt takes hold, which increases the forces on you and the risk of hitting the interior.
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14. What does the Louisiana move over law require when you approach a roadside incident?
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Answer C: Slow down and change lanes away from the incident
Louisiana's move over rule asks drivers both to reduce speed and to move out of the lane next to a roadside incident when they can do so safely.
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15. What is the what if habit of a defensive driver?
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Answer C: Thinking through what you would do if a hazard ahead of you turned bad
Rehearsing an answer before the hazard develops means you act at once instead of spending time deciding.
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16. A driver in the left lane of a freeway realizes only when level with this sign that the ramp beside it is the one they need. What is the correct action?
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Answer A: Carry on to the next interchange and turn back from there
There is no safe way back to a ramp once it has been reached from the wrong lane, so the driver keeps going to the next interchange, where the ramps are built for that movement.
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17. A flagger in a work zone turns a paddle so that the red octagonal face reading STOP is toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop completely and wait for the flagger to signal you forward
The STOP face of a flagger paddle requires a complete stop, and you may move again only when the flagger directs you to.
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18. What do yellow lines painted on a roadway separate?
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Answer D: Traffic moving in opposite directions
Yellow markings separate opposing streams of traffic, and they also mark the left edge of a divided highway or a one-way roadway.
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19. An orange sign reading END ROAD WORK is posted beside the highway. What does it mark?
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Answer C: The point where the work zone restrictions stop
The sign is installed at the downstream end of the temporary traffic control zone to tell drivers that normal conditions apply again.
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20. Alcohol is classified as which kind of drug?
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Answer B: A depressant that slows the central nervous system
As a depressant, alcohol slows the brain and nervous system, which lengthens reaction time and dulls the coordination that driving depends on.
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21. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?
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Answer B: A right turn
The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.
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22. What makes up the total distance needed to bring a vehicle to a stop?
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Answer A: The distance covered while you perceive the hazard, the distance covered while you react, and the braking distance
Total stopping distance combines the ground covered while you notice the hazard, the ground covered while you move your foot to the brake, and the ground covered while the brakes slow the vehicle.
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23. Which sign shape is reserved for one message only, the requirement to stop?
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Answer A: The octagon
The octagon is used for the stop sign and for no other message, so the outline alone identifies the requirement even when the legend is hard to read.
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24. Which statement about standard drinks is correct?
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Answer C: A standard serving of beer, of table wine and of distilled spirits each contain about the same amount of pure alcohol
Roughly 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of table wine and 1.5 ounces of 80 proof spirits each contain about the same amount of pure alcohol, so the type of drink does not change the effect.
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25. How does a Louisiana driver obtain the Veteran designation on a license?
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Answer D: By presenting a DD Form 214, at no additional charge
On request and on proof by DD Form 214, Louisiana prints the word Veteran below the photograph and charges no additional fee.
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26. Your passengers are being noisy and you are losing concentration. What should you do?
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Answer B: Ask them to settle down, or pull over safely until they do
The driver is responsible for the conditions inside the vehicle, and stopping is always better than driving distracted.
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27. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?
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Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves
On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.
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28. 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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29. You hold steady pressure on the brake pedal for the whole of a long descent. What is likely to happen?
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Answer B: The brakes overheat and fade, so they slow you less and less
Continuous braking heats the brakes until they fade and lose effectiveness; use a lower gear and short, firm applications instead.
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30. 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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31. What does a NARROW BRIDGE warning sign tell a driver?
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Answer A: The bridge is tighter than the road leading up to it
A narrow bridge still carries both directions, but with much less clearance than the approaches, so drivers should slow and hold their lane position carefully.
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32. How can you tell that a child safety seat is installed tightly enough?
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Answer C: It moves less than an inch side to side or front to back at the belt path
A correctly installed seat is nearly immovable where the belt or lower anchors pass through it. Excess movement lets the child's body travel farther in a crash.
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33. You and the driver facing you both have stop signs at a two-way stop. You are going straight and that driver is turning left. Who has the right of way?
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Answer B: You do, and the turning driver must wait
Between two opposing drivers who both stopped, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.
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34. Why does a dirty windshield matter much more at night than during the day?
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Answer C: Dust and streaks scatter oncoming light and increase glare
Film and streaks on the glass spread every oncoming headlight into a star of glare, so clean the inside as well as the outside before a night trip.
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35. 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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36. What may Louisiana do to a vehicle whose owner lets the required insurance lapse?
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Answer A: Revoke the registration, impound the vehicle and cancel the license plate
Louisiana may revoke the registration, impound the vehicle and cancel its license plate when the compulsory security is not maintained.
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37. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signal is completely dark because of a power failure. How should you proceed?
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Answer C: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop
When a signal shows no indication at all, drivers on every approach must stop and then take turns, exactly as at an all-way stop.
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38. Why is hard braking the wrong response to a tire blowout at speed?
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Answer C: Because it can pull the vehicle further out of line and start it spinning
With one tire gone the braking forces are uneven, so heavy braking increases the pull to one side and can spin the vehicle.
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39. On a busy multilane highway, where is the best place to travel?
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Answer B: In a gap in the traffic, with space open on both sides
Travelling in a gap keeps escape routes open on both sides, while riding alongside other vehicles removes the room you would need to swerve.
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40. You are crossing a divided highway with a wide median. How should you treat the two roadways?
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Answer D: As two intersections, waiting in the median only when your vehicle fits
Each roadway of a divided highway is a separate intersection, and you should wait in the median only if it is long enough to hold your vehicle clear of both roadways.