Iowa CAR DMV Practice Test 17

At a railroad crossing marked with this sign, a driver should look both ways, listen for any trains, and be prepared to stop if any trains are nearby. Never try to outdrive an oncoming train.

A "No standing" sign means that you may only make a temporary stop to load or discharge passengers.

This sign indicates that the road ahead changes direction at an extreme angle (in this case, to the right). Before you reach such an extreme curve, you should slow down as much as you would when making a turn at an intersection.

White lines are used to separate traffic moving in the same direction. Solid lines indicate that drivers are not permitted to pass.

Drivers must always yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian when the pedestrian is a blind person who is using a white cane or guide dog.

Come to a full stop at an intersection controlled by this sign. Stop at the marked stop line or before entering the crosswalk or intersection. Let other vehicles or pedestrians pass if they are in your path, then proceed.

When exiting a highway, you should get into the exit lane well in advance. Do not begin to slow down until after you have moved into the exit lane.

Safety belts can double your chance of surviving a crash and more than double your chance of avoiding serious injury. Airbags, when used properly with safety belts, provide additional protection in a front-end crash. You should wear both shoulder and lap belts.

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.

A double solid yellow line down the center of a two-way road means that it is prohibited for traffic from either direction to cross the center to pass.

Distractions cause drivers to react more slowly to traffic and hazards on the roadway. Distracted driving is never safe.

Backing requires extra caution because it is difficult for drivers to see behind their vehicles. Before entering a vehicle to back up, walk to the back of the vehicle to check for children and small objects.

When you hear the siren or see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle coming from behind your vehicle, you must create a clear path for the emergency vehicle and stop. Reduce your speed and safely pull over to the side of the road. If the emergency vehicle is directly behind your vehicle when you are in heavy traffic, keep moving slowly until you can get out of its way.

When roads are wet, cars take a longer distance to stop and may skid on quick turns. Do not use cruise control when driving under wet or icy conditions. Reduce your speed and drive with caution.

After coming to a full stop, vehicles should proceed through a four-way stop in the order in which they arrive to the intersection. If multiple vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.

Do not stop at an accident scene unless you are involved or emergency help has not yet arrived. Keep your attention on your driving and keep moving, watching for people who might be on or near the road. Never drive to the scene of an accident, fire, or other disaster just to look.

If you are being followed too closely by another driver, merge into a different lane. If there is no lane available for merging, wait until the road ahead is clear and slowly reduce your speed. This will encourage the tailgater to drive around you.

When intending to back up, always check behind your vehicle before getting in. Children and small objects are difficult to see from the driver’s seat. While backing, turn your head so you can see through the rear window. Do not depend only on your mirrors or sensors.

Look over your shoulder to check your blind spot every time you want to change your vehicle's position. If you are turning, changing lanes, or pulling toward or away from a curb, you should check your blind spots.

If you see an emergency vehicle approaching while using its flashing lights, pull over to the right edge of the road and stop. Position yourself parallel to the curb. On one-way streets, drive toward the road edge nearest you.

When changing lanes, you should check your vehicle's blind spots by looking over your shoulder in the direction that you want to move. Always check your mirrors and turn on your directional signal before beginning a lane change.

At an intersection controlled by a steady yellow light, you should bring your vehicle to a safe stop. If you are already within the intersection when the light changes from green to yellow, continue through the intersection at a safe speed.

Only the passage of time can remove alcohol and its impairing effects from the body.

Because of their size, trucks need longer distances to stop than smaller vehicles do.

If you must stop on the shoulder of the interstate or highway, turn on your emergency flashers to warn other drivers and stay inside your vehicle, if you can. The extremely high speed of traffic makes standing or walking along an interstate highway very dangerous.

If you are stopped at a railroad crossing with more than one track, do not start moving as soon as a train passes. Wait until you have a clear view down all tracks before you start across. Even where there is only one track, do not start across immediately after a train passes; check again for another train that may be approaching.

Alcohol reduces all of the important abilities you need to drive safely. Alcohol goes from your stomach to your blood, then from your blood to all other parts of your body. Alcohol affects the areas of your brain that control judgment and skill.

You must always bring your vehicle to a complete stop and yield to approaching traffic before proceeding past a stop sign. Don't feel pressured by surrounding traffic to avoid making a complete stop.

You should be extra careful when turning and stopping during the first half hour of rain. At this point, the oil from cars has not yet washed off the pavement and could be forming a slippery mixture with the rain.

Stopping suddenly can make it difficult for drivers behind you to avoid a rear-end collision. When stopping, release the accelerator to allow your vehicle to slow. Press the brake pedal by applying steady pressure, activating your brake lights and causing the vehicle to stop smoothly.

Fatigue causes errors related to speed and distance, increases your risk of being in a crash, and causes you to take more time to make decisions. When you are fatigued, you could fall asleep behind the wheel and crash, injuring or killing yourself or others.

Use low beam headlights when driving in rain, snow, sleet, or fog. High beam headlights in adverse weather conditions lower visibility by reflecting off the precipitation and back into the driver's eyes.

If you are being tailgated by another driver and there is a right lane, move over to the right. If there is no right lane, wait until the road ahead is clear and then reduce your speed slowly. This will encourage the tailgater to drive around you. Never slow down abruptly as this will only increase the risk of your vehicle being hit from behind.

To ensure that you will have time to react to hazards on the roadway, it is best to keep a cushion of space on all sides of your vehicle. Do not crowd vehicles to your left and right sides.

Legal medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can potentially impair your ability to drive. Always consult with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about how a particular drug or drug combination will affect your ability to drive. You should particularly make a point of talking with your doctor if they give you a prescription for a tranquilizer or sedative.