Alabama CAR DMV Practice Test 24

A round sign always indicates that you are approaching a railroad crossing.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign indicates that there could be traffic merging from the right, so drivers should prepare to allow traffic to safely merge.

Regulatory signs provide notice to road users of traffic laws that must be obeyed. This particular sign tells you the maximum speed limit for the stretch of highway where it is posted. You may drive more slowly than the posted speed limit, based on road conditions, but it is illegal to drive any faster than the posted speed limit.

The color orange is used only for construction and maintenance warning signs.

If you are already within an intersection when the traffic light turns yellow, you should clear the intersection as quickly as possible.

Treat a flashing red light the same as a stop sign. Come to a complete stop at the stop line or, if there is no stop line, prior to the crosswalk and before entering the intersection. Yield to all other traffic and pedestrians.

An octagonal sign always means stop. When approaching a stop sign, you must come to a complete stop at the marked stop line and proceed only when it is safe to do so. If there is no stop line, stop before the crosswalk. If there is no crosswalk, stop before the intersection at a point from which you can see oncoming traffic.

When driving too quickly in wet conditions, your tires may lose all contact with the road surface. Loss of traction will cause the vehicle to ride on top of the water, which is called "hydroplaning." The best way to prevent this from happening is to drive more slowly in rainy or wet conditions than you would when driving during ideal weather conditions.

Your tires do not have as much traction on loose gravel and dirt roads as they do on concrete and asphalt roads. When driving on gravel or dirt, you must slow down. It will take you much longer to stop and it is much easier to skid when turning.

When approaching a railroad crossing, you must look, listen, slow down, and prepare to stop. Let any trains pass before you proceed.

Warning signs provide notice to road users of a situation that might not be readily apparent and are usually yellow with black markings. This sign tells drivers to be alert to crossing pedestrians.

When following a motorcyclist, allow for at least a three- to four-second following distance. Motorcycles can stop quickly and following them too closely endangers your life and that of the motorcyclist. If the motorcyclist should fall, you need extra distance to avoid the rider. The chances of a fall are greatest on wet and icy roads, gravel roads, and metal surfaces such as bridges, gratings, and streetcar or railroad tracks.

When driving in heavy rain at speeds as low as 30 mph, your tires may lose all contact with the road and instead ride up on a layer of water above the surface of the road. This is called "hydroplaning." If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, slow down gradually and do not apply the brakes.

If your vehicle has a two-part seat belt system, be sure to wear both the lap belt and the shoulder belt. Wearing either part alone greatly reduces your protection. If you have an automatic shoulder belt, be sure to buckle your lap belt as well.

Drivers should be alert to the presence of crossing guards when near a school and must always obey their instructions.

Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous because it occupies the user's eyes, hands, and mind. Even the most skilled drivers increase their risk of being involved in a crash by using a cell phone on the road.

Excessive vehicle speed can have disastrous effects. As a vehicle's speed increases, the potential impact of a collision also increases, elevating the possibility of serious injury and death. Increase your following distance as your speed increases to ensure that you will be able to stop safely if needed.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. Warning signs may alert drivers to areas where animals, people, and vehicles are likely to cross traffic.

Passing areas are based on how far ahead drivers can see. Allow the passing vehicle to re-enter the drive lane as easily as possible to help everyone avoid potential upcoming hazards.

Yellow lines separating lanes of traffic indicate that traffic is moving in opposite directions. Double solid lines indicate that passing is not permitted from either direction.

When approaching a school bus that is picking up or dropping off passengers, you must come to a complete stop before reaching the bus, regardless of your direction of travel.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign indicates the presence of a crosswalk, regardless of if it is marked on the pavement or not. Upon seeing this sign, you should be alert and allow any pedestrians to cross the road safely.

The speed at which you should drive your vehicle depends on road conditions, the weather, and the legal speed limit. You may never drive above the legal speed limit. Decrease your speed when anything makes conditions less than ideal.

Drivers making left turns must yield to oncoming traffic that is traveling straight. Drivers must always yield to pedestrians.

Before returning to your original lane after passing, you must make sure you are not dangerously close to the vehicle you have just passed. When you can see both of the vehicle's headlights in your rearview mirror, you may have enough room to return to the lane.

It is dangerous to move injured persons. In the event of a traffic collision, you should avoid moving the injured unless it is absolutely necessary to remove them from areas threatened by fire or other dangers. Keep the injured lying or sitting down until competent medical aid arrives.

Excessive speed is one of the most common contributing factors to vehicle crashes. Excessive speed does not save time and often leads to high-risk decision-making.

Because they are larger, trucks take longer to stop than cars traveling at the same speed. Other drivers should not pull in front of a truck and then slow down or stop.

The Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance Law says that no person shall operate, register, or maintain registration of a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public road or highway unless it is covered by a liability insurance policy. This protects consumers when they are involved in an accident.

If you become tired while driving, it is best to stop to rest or change drivers. Being tired dulls your mind and slows down your reactions, making driving hazardous.

When the center of the road is marked by a solid yellow line beside a broken yellow line, passing is permitted from the side next to the broken line and prohibited from the side next to the solid line.

When parking downhill, turn your front wheels toward the curb or edge of the road. When parking uphill on a road without a curb, turn your wheels toward the edge of the road. When parking uphill on a road with a curb, you must turn your front wheels away from the curb.

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measurement of the percentage of alcohol in the blood. The higher the BAC number, the more impaired a person is.

A wet, slippery road does not allow your tires the traction they need, so it is necessary to drive more slowly on a wet road than you would on a dry road. To reduce the risk of skidding, you should avoid fast turns or stops.

Never assume other drivers will give you the right-of-way. Yield your right-of-way whenever it helps prevent collisions.

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of the percentage of alcohol in a person's blood. The higher the BAC, the more impaired a person is.

"No zones" are areas around trucks or buses in which cars disappear into the larger vehicle's blind spots. "No zones" can also be defined as areas in which cars are so close to the larger vehicle that they restrict the truck or bus driver’s ability to stop and maneuver safely. A car being in a "No zone" greatly increases the potential for a crash.

When passing another vehicle on its left, you may move back into the right lane when the headlights of the passed vehicle can be seen in your rearview mirror. Always signal before changing lanes.

When approaching a yield sign, drivers must give the right-of-way to traffic already in the lanes that they intend to enter or cross. Drivers should be prepared to stop when approaching a yield sign but may continue without stopping if there is no conflicting traffic.

To avoid contributing to chronic traffic congestion, you should not "rubberneck." That is, you should not slow down to look at out-of-the-ordinary things.