District of Columbia DC DMV Permit Practice Test 20
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. A driver stopped at a red signal wants to turn right and this sign is posted at the corner. What is permitted?
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Answer A: Nothing: the turn is barred whether the signal is red or green
The restriction works independently of the signal, so the usual permission to turn right after stopping at a red light does not exist where this sign is posted.
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2. 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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3. You notice at night that one of your headlights has burned out. What should you do?
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Answer B: Get it replaced promptly, because other drivers may take you for a motorcycle
A single light makes your vehicle look narrower and further away, so other drivers misjudge you, and one light is also illegal.
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4. Which common non-prescription medicine is most likely to make a driver drowsy?
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Answer C: A cold or allergy remedy containing an antihistamine
Antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies are a leading cause of drowsiness behind the wheel, which is why the label carries a warning.
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5. Traffic ahead of you has stopped in your lane while the next lane is still moving. What is the first thing to do?
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Answer C: Slow down first and check the next lane before moving over
Braking is the action that keeps you from hitting the stopped traffic, and the lane change is only safe once you have looked.
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6. You turn the wheel but the front of the vehicle keeps sliding straight ahead on a slippery road. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and reduce the steering angle until the front tires grip again
A front-wheel skid means the tires are asking for more grip than the surface can give. Less speed and less steering angle let them regain traction.
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7. What happens when tires are driven underinflated for a long time?
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Answer D: They wear at the edges, they run hot and they are more likely to fail
An underinflated tire flexes too much, which wears the shoulders and builds up heat that can destroy the tire.
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8. When does DC law require a child to travel in a rear-facing child restraint seat?
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Answer A: Under 2 years old and either under 40 pounds or under 40 inches
DC requires a rear-facing child restraint seat for a child under 2 years of age who weighs less than 40 pounds or measures less than 40 inches.
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9. You make eye contact with a driver waiting to pull out of a side street. What should you assume?
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Answer D: The driver may still not have seen you, so stay ready to slow or stop
Drivers can look directly at you and still not register your vehicle, especially a small one. Eye contact helps, but never rely on it.
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10. How much light must pass through the front side windows of an ordinary motor vehicle in DC?
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Answer C: At least 70 percent
DC prohibits front windshield and front side windows that allow less than 70 percent light transmittance on an ordinary motor vehicle; rear glass is held to 50 percent.
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11. You have a green light and are turning right. Pedestrians are stepping off the curb into the crosswalk you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let them cross before completing your turn
A green light does not release a turning driver from yielding to pedestrians already in the crosswalk of the street being entered.
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12. Your light turns green and a driver on the cross street enters against a red. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hold back and let that vehicle go through
Giving up a right of way you are entitled to is the only way to avoid a crash with a driver who has already failed to yield.
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13. What is wrong with steering through a turn using the palm of one hand on the wheel?
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Answer D: You have less control and cannot correct quickly if something goes wrong
One-handed palming gives poor leverage and slow response. Use hand-to-hand or hand-over-hand steering with both hands so you can react instantly.
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14. How long should a glance at a mirror or an instrument take?
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Answer A: A brief glance of about a second, returning your eyes to the road at once
Checks should be quick flicks of the eyes. At highway speed, a few seconds with your eyes off the road covers a distance long enough for a hazard to appear.
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15. The engine dies at speed and the dashboard lights go out on a dark road. What should you do?
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Answer C: Hold the wheel firmly, steer over to the shoulder and use the hazard lights
Never switch the ignition to lock, because the steering can lock; steer to the shoulder and warn traffic with the hazard lights.
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16. You reach a T intersection where the cross street has a ONE WAY sign pointing to the right. What may you do?
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Answer B: Turn right only, because the street carries traffic in that direction
The arrow shows the only direction traffic may travel, so the only legal movement from the terminating road is a right turn.
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17. What color scheme does a standard stop sign use?
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Answer B: White legend and border on a red background
The stop sign carries a white legend and border on a red background, the color set aside for stop, yield and prohibition messages.
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18. What is the first thing to do once your disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder?
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Answer A: Switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see the vehicle
Hazard lights are the fastest way to make a stopped vehicle visible, and everything else can follow once traffic has been warned.
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19. You have a green light at a school crossing, but the crossing guard steps out and holds up a stop sign toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop, because the crossing guard controls this crossing and outranks the signal
Directions from a crossing guard or a police officer take priority over signals and signs.
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20. On the Interstate system, what do the odd-numbered one and two digit routes have in common?
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Answer D: They run mainly north and south
Odd numbers are given to north and south Interstates and even numbers to east and west ones, with the numbers rising toward the north and the east.
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21. You are turning left out of a driveway onto a busy two-way street. What must you do?
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Answer D: Wait for a gap in both directions before you start to move
The turn crosses one direction of traffic and joins the other, so you need a gap in both before leaving the driveway rather than stopping across a lane.
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22. 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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23. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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24. Why should you dim the instrument panel and keep interior lights off when driving at night?
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Answer C: Bright light inside the vehicle reduces your ability to see the dark road ahead
Your eyes adapt to the brightest light they see. A bright cabin keeps them from adjusting to the darkness outside and creates reflections on the windshield.
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25. Which combination best reduces the chance of hydroplaning?
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Answer D: Good tread depth, correct tire pressure and lower speed in the rain
Tread channels water away, correct pressure keeps the tire's shape, and lower speed gives the tire time to push water aside. Hydroplaning can begin at surprisingly modest speeds.