Florida FLHSMV Permit Practice Test 9

Test 9 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Florida test.

A long bridge highway over turquoise water with palm trees, a typical landscape of Florida
  1. 1. You arrive at a four-way stop after two other vehicles have already stopped there. When is it your turn?

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    Answer A: After both of the earlier vehicles have gone

    Vehicles clear a four-way stop in the order they arrived, so the third driver to stop is the third to go.

  2. 2. How is a violation of Florida's texting-while-driving law classified for a first and a second offense?

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    Answer C: A nonmoving violation first, then a moving violation if repeated within five years

    A first offense is a nonmoving violation; a second or subsequent offense within five years of the last one is punished as a moving violation.

  3. 3. Why is this restriction used so often on a divided road just before a crest or a bend?

    A white square showing a U shaped arrow inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer A: Because a vehicle turning across the median there stays hidden from approaching drivers until it is too late

    The maneuver needs a long gap and good visibility, and where sight distance is short an approaching driver has no time to react to a vehicle turning across the road.

  4. 4. You feel drowsy, so you open a window and turn the radio up. What does that achieve?

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    Answer B: Very little, because the drowsiness comes back

    Cold air and loud music are not sleep, so the alerting effect lasts a minute or two and the driver is soon just as sleepy and closer to a lapse.

  5. 5. During the first three months with a Florida learner's license, when may the holder drive?

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    Answer B: Only during daylight hours, with a licensed driver 21 or older in the closest seat to the right

    Florida limits a new learner's license holder to daylight driving with a licensed driver 21 or older seated closest to the right of the driver, and allows driving until 10 pm after three months.

  6. 6. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What should you do before driving onto the tracks?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the tracks until there is room to clear them completely

    Never enter a crossing until you are certain you can drive completely across without stopping, because a vehicle trapped on the tracks cannot get out of a train's way.

  7. 7. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you

    A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.

  8. 8. There is a stop sign but no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?

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    Answer A: Before entering the intersection, where you can see cross traffic

    With no line or crosswalk, stop before you enter the intersection at the point where you can see traffic on the cross street.

  9. 9. Where among these is parking specifically prohibited?

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    Answer A: On a bridge, in a tunnel or on railroad tracks

    Bridges and tunnels have no safe refuge and cannot be widened, and a vehicle left on railroad tracks cannot be avoided by an approaching train.

  10. 10. Within how many days must a Florida licensee obtain a replacement license after changing address or legal name?

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    Answer C: 30 calendar days

    Florida requires a licensee to obtain a replacement license or identification card reflecting a new address or name within 30 calendar days of the change.

  11. 11. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?

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    Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background

    In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.

  12. 12. Which action becomes clearly more risky beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing two black arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down
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    Answer A: Using the left side of the roadway to overtake

    With vehicles coming the other way on the same pavement, overtaking on the left needs enough clear road to pull out, pass and return, which is often not available.

  13. 13. 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.

  14. 14. A square sign with a red field, a wide white horizontal bar and the words DO NOT ENTER tells a driver that

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    Answer B: the roadway ahead must not be entered from that point

    The do not enter sign is posted at the end of a one-way roadway or ramp to keep traffic from driving into it against the flow.

  15. 15. 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.

  16. 16. At an intersection where turning right on red is permitted and no sign prohibits it, what must you do before turning?

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    Answer A: Come to a complete stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic

    A right turn on red is allowed only after a full stop, and the turning driver must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to traffic already using the intersection.

  17. 17. You are in a passing zone that continues over the crest of a hill ahead. May you start a pass?

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    Answer B: Only if you can finish it well before the crest

    Beyond the crest you cannot see oncoming traffic, so any part of the pass that happens there is being made blind.

  18. 18. What credential must a Florida golf cart operator who is under 18 hold?

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    Answer A: A valid learner's driver license or a valid driver license

    Florida requires a golf cart operator under 18 to hold a valid learner's driver license or driver license before driving on a designated public road.

  19. 19. Why does this warning matter more on a motorcycle than in a car?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer B: Because a sudden jolt can unsettle a two-wheeled machine and the rider can lose control

    A jolt can push a motorcycle off line or lift a wheel, so a rider slows early, comes slightly off the seat and keeps a relaxed but firm hold on the handlebars.

  20. 20. How does driving on overinflated tires affect the vehicle?

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    Answer D: It gives a harsher ride and a smaller contact patch

    An overinflated tire bulges in the middle, so less rubber touches the road, grip suffers and the ride becomes hard. The center of the tread wears first.

  21. 21. What is the rule about leaving a child or a pet in a parked vehicle?

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    Answer A: Never do it; the inside can turn deadly hot very quickly

    The inside of a parked vehicle heats far faster than the air outside, and cracking a window does not prevent it, so a child or animal must never be left there.

  22. 22. Which tow truck triggers the Florida Move Over duty?

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    Answer A: A wrecker displaying amber rotating or flashing lights

    The Act covers a wrecker performing a recovery or loading operation while displaying amber rotating or flashing lights.

  23. 23. How does a lap and shoulder belt protect you in a crash?

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    Answer B: It holds you to the seat and spreads the force over the strong bones

    The belt keeps you with the vehicle as it slows and puts the load on the hips and the chest rather than on soft tissue.

  24. 24. When should you arrange your way home if you plan to drink?

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    Answer C: Before the first drink

    Judgment is the first thing alcohol weakens, so the plan has to be made while you can still make a good one.

  25. 25. You have signaled and pulled up level with the car in front of an empty curb space. What comes next?

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    Answer A: Reverse slowly while turning the wheel toward the curb

    From alongside the forward car you back in on a turn toward the curb, then straighten and swing the front in as the rear reaches the space.

  26. 26. How long must a Florida applicant under 18 hold a learner's license before a Class E driver license can be issued?

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    Answer A: 12 months, or until the 18th birthday, whichever comes first

    Florida requires 12 months with a learner's license or the arrival of the 18th birthday, whichever happens first, along with a clean record of moving violations.

  27. 27. What are the minimum liability limits that satisfy Florida's proof of financial responsibility requirement?

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    Answer B: $10,000 per person, $20,000 per crash and $10,000 for property damage

    Florida defines proof of financial responsibility as coverage of $10,000 for injury to one person, $20,000 for two or more, and $10,000 for property of others.

  28. 28. You are approaching the entry of a roundabout and a pedestrian is crossing the marked crosswalk on your approach lane. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop before the crosswalk and let the pedestrian cross

    Roundabout crosswalks sit a short distance back from the yield line, and drivers must yield there before they ever reach the circulating lanes.

  29. 29. You have just driven through a deep puddle and your brakes feel weak. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Drive slowly while lightly applying the brakes until they dry and work normally

    Wet brakes grip poorly and may pull to one side. Gentle braking at low speed generates heat that dries the pads and discs quickly.

  30. 30. You are following closely behind a vehicle you intend to pass on a two-lane road. What should you do first?

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    Answer D: Drop back to give yourself room to build speed before you pull out

    From close behind you cannot see far enough ahead and you have no room to gather speed, so the pass takes longer and starts blind.

  31. 31. What is the maximum jail term for an ordinary first Florida DUI conviction?

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    Answer B: 6 months

    An ordinary first conviction carries imprisonment of up to six months, rising to nine months where the level was .15 or higher or a minor was aboard.

  32. 32. You are turning right on a red light where that is permitted. What does the law require first?

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    Answer B: A full stop, then yielding to traffic and pedestrians

    A right turn on red is allowed only after stopping completely and giving way to everyone who has the green, including people in the crosswalk.

  33. 33. How long is a Florida driver license valid when it is issued or renewed to a licensee younger than 80?

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    Answer B: Eight years, expiring on the licensee's birthday

    A Florida driver license issued or renewed to a licensee under 80 runs for eight years and expires at midnight on the birthday that falls eight years later.

  34. 34. Why does safety guidance say a child should ride in the back seat rather than in front of an active passenger airbag?

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    Answer D: Because the airbag inflates with enough force to injure a small child badly

    Airbags deploy at very high speed and are sized for adults, so a child seated close to one can be badly hurt by the bag itself, which is why the back seat is recommended for children.

  35. 35. What does Florida law say about wearing headphones or a headset while driving?

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    Answer A: It is prohibited, apart from a hearing aid or a single-ear headset

    Florida bans operating a vehicle while wearing a headset or headphone, exempting hearing aids and headsets that deliver sound to only one ear.

  36. 36. A small plaque mounted under this sign shows a numeral such as 2 or 3. What does that numeral report?

    Two white crossed boards forming an X, with black lettering along each board
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    Answer A: How many sets of tracks the crossing carries

    The plaque states the number of tracks at that location, which is a warning that a second train may be running on another track behind the first.

  37. 37. After an hour on a hot highway your tire pressure reads higher than it did in the morning. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Nothing, because pressure rises when tires heat up

    Air expands as the tire warms, so a hot reading is normally above the cold setting. Bleeding air off would leave the tire underinflated once it cooled.

  38. 38. 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.

  39. 39. How long is a Florida license suspended after 12 points are accumulated within a 12-month period?

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    Answer A: 30 days

    Florida suspends the license for 30 days at 12 points in 12 months, for 3 months at 18 points in 18 months and for 1 year at 24 points in 36 months.

  40. 40. The steering suddenly becomes very heavy while you are driving. What has happened and what should you do?

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    Answer C: The power steering has failed, so steer with more effort and pull over

    Loss of power assistance leaves the steering usable but very heavy. Keep both hands on the wheel, slow gradually and pull off the road to check it.

  41. 41. Yellow signs each showing one large black arrowhead, installed in a row along the outside of a curve, are

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    Answer D: chevron alignment signs marking the change of direction of the curve

    Chevron alignment signs are placed on the outside of a curve so that several are in view at once, letting the driver judge how sharply the road turns.

  42. 42. Two left-turn lanes are available and you must turn right again a short distance after the turn. Which of the two should you use?

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    Answer D: The right one, so you finish nearer the right side of the new street

    Each turn lane feeds the matching lane of the new street, so choosing the right-hand of the two left-turn lanes leaves you closer to the side you will need.

  43. 43. What should you do with the key and your belongings when you leave the vehicle in a public lot?

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    Answer D: Take the key with you, lock up and put valuables out of sight

    Most vehicle thefts are opportunistic: a key left behind or a bag in plain view is the invitation.

  44. 44. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?

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    Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment

    An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.

  45. 45. Your exit from a three-lane highway is about a mile ahead on the right, and you are in the left lane. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Start moving right now, one lane at a time

    Plan ahead and change lanes one at a time well before the exit, so you never have to cut across several lanes at the gore.

  46. 46. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?

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    Answer C: Because it cuts the little space they have and can cause a crash

    Brake checking removes the small margin the tailgater has left and can provoke a collision; add space in front of you instead and let them pass.

  47. 47. Why are eating, drinking and personal grooming risky behind the wheel?

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    Answer B: They occupy hands, eyes and attention that driving requires

    Each of these tasks takes a hand off the controls and attention off the road, and a spill or a dropped item can pull the driver's eyes away entirely.

  48. 48. What is the right speed for a normal right turn at a city corner?

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    Answer C: Slow enough to hold your lane and stop for a pedestrian

    A city right turn is tight and crosses a crosswalk, so the correct speed is one that keeps you inside your lane and still allows a stop.

  49. 49. A driver passes this sign and the signal beyond it is already showing green. What is the safest response?

    A yellow diamond showing a traffic signal with three stacked lights
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    Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and be ready to stop, because an indication that has been showing for a while is about to change

    A signal that has been displaying the same indication for some time is close to changing, so arriving at a controlled speed with the brake covered is safer than accelerating to beat it.

  50. 50. 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.