Iowa DOT Permit Practice Test 14

1. You have driven at 70 mph for an hour and then exit onto a town street. What is the common risk?

• A Your engine will be too hot to idle safely at the lower speed in town
• B Your sense of speed adapts, so 35 mph feels slow and you drive too fast
• C Your brakes will not work properly until they have cooled down completely again
• D Your tires lose air quickly whenever the road speed drops by a large amount

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

• A Shift into neutral and coast until the brake pads are dry
• B Stop and wait at least ten minutes before driving any farther
• C Pump the brake pedal hard several times at highway speed to shake off the water
• D Drive slowly while lightly applying the brakes until they dry and work normally

3. You are turning left from a two-way street onto another two-way street. Where should you begin and end the turn?

• A Begin from the right-hand lane and cut across the intersection to reach the far left lane of the new street
• B Begin in the lane just right of the center line and finish just right of the center line of the new street
• C Begin from the oncoming lane, because starting there gives you more room to complete the turn
• D Begin from whichever lane is moving and finish in the far right lane of the new street

4. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?

• A Neither is affected, because three drinks is a small amount
• B They reach exactly the same level, since the amount is equal
• C The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level
• D The slow drinker ends up more impaired by the end of the night

5. You are turning right onto a one-way street. Which lane of that street should you enter?

• A Any lane you like, because a one-way street has no lane rules for turning
• B The lane closest to the left curb, since all the lanes run the same way
• C The lane closest to the right curb
• D The center lane, so that you are clear of vehicles parked at the curb

6. Your tires drop into deep slush that has built up between the travel lanes. What should you do?

• A Accelerate briskly so the wheels climb out of the slush onto clean pavement
• B Ease off the accelerator and grip the wheel, since slush tugs the vehicle
• C Brake firmly right away so the slush cannot build any more speed under you
• D Turn the wheel sharply toward the clear lane to get out of the slush at once

7. A white regulatory sign near a state line reads BUCKLE UP IT IS THE LAW. What is it doing?

• A Reminding occupants that belt use is required
• B Warning that a checkpoint is operating a short distance ahead
• C Telling drivers that belts are required only on that highway
• D Advising that children must ride in the rear seats of the vehicle

8. A yellow curve warning sign carries a yellow plaque showing a speed. What does that number mean?

• A A regulatory speed limit that applies to the whole road ahead of the sign
• B The minimum speed required to hold the vehicle through the curve
• C The speed at which the curve was surveyed and has no meaning for drivers
• D The recommended maximum safe speed for the curve under ideal conditions

9. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?

• A That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass
• B That the vehicle ahead has signaled that it is safe for you to overtake it
• C That you can reach a speed at least twenty miles an hour above the other vehicle
• D That a paved shoulder is available in case oncoming traffic appears suddenly

10. Besides its height, what else matters about a head restraint?

• A That it can be removed easily to give the rear passengers a view
• B That it is set as high as it will go, the same for every driver
• C That it is close to the back of the head, and not far behind it
• D That it is padded enough to be comfortable on a long journey

11. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?

• A Complete the turn once every opposing vehicle has cleared the intersection
• B Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way
• C Wait for a gap in traffic and then complete the turn
• D Complete the turn as soon as the signal above the intersection shows green

12. It is dark, it is raining and you are towing a trailer. How should you set your following gap?

• A Keep the usual three seconds, since the trailer has brakes of its own
• B Add extra seconds for each condition, well beyond three
• C Drop to two seconds so that the trailer does not swing out behind you
• D Use car lengths instead of seconds, counting one length per condition

13. A pedestrian waiting at a curb faces a steady upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

• A Do not start to cross in that direction
• B Cross quickly, because the signal is about to change
• C Cross only if no vehicle is turning into the crosswalk
• D Wait for the countdown to reach zero and then cross

14. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?

• A Stay stopped until they have crossed your path
• B Turn quickly in front of them before the stroller reaches your lane
• C Turn behind them as soon as the stroller has passed the center line
• D Edge forward so that they wait

15. You are in the right-hand lane of a multilane street and that lane becomes a right-turn-only lane ahead, but you want to go straight. What should you do?

• A Continue straight from that lane, because the arrow applies only to drivers who choose to turn
• B Change into a through lane before you reach the markings for the turn lane
• C Stop at the line and wait for a gap so that you can move over once you are in the intersection
• D Turn right and then make a turn at the next opportunity to get back onto the route you wanted

16. Why should heavy objects in the passenger compartment be secured?

• A Because loose objects fly forward in a crash and can injure the people
• B Because the suspension of the vehicle wears out very much more quickly
• C Because the load will shift the headlight beams upward when on a hill
• D Because the fuel consumption of the vehicle rises with any loose cargo

17. Besides emergency vehicles, which stationary vehicles trigger Iowa's move over duty when they display flashing lights?

• A Only towing and recovery vehicles, because no other stationary vehicle is covered
• B Only highway maintenance vehicles operated by the state or by a county road department
• C Tow, utility, municipal and highway maintenance, construction, and solid waste or recycling collection vehicles
• D Any vehicle parked at the roadside or on the shoulder, whether or not it is displaying any flashing warning lights

18. On an undivided two-lane road you meet a school bus coming toward you with its red lights flashing and its stop arm out. What must you do?

• A Slow down and pass with care
• B Continue, because the requirement applies only to traffic behind it
• C Stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing
• D Stop only if you can see children stepping out onto the roadway

19. A live power line is lying on your car and the car has caught fire, so you must get out. How should you leave it?

• A Step down slowly with one foot at a time while holding on to the door frame
• B Climb out of a window and lower yourself gently on to the ground beneath
• C Walk away with long strides so that you spend less time near the vehicle
• D Jump clear without touching the car and ground at once, then shuffle away

20. Why is hard braking the wrong response to a tire blowout at speed?

• A Because the brake pedal goes to the floor when a tire has lost its air
• B Because the wheel rim will be damaged by the weight of the vehicle on it
• C Because it can pull the vehicle further out of line and start it spinning
• D Because the antilock braking system will refuse to work with a flat tire

21. Why can a motorcycle ahead of you slow down without any warning light showing?

• A The brake light works only when the front brake is applied
• B The rider may slow by downshifting or rolling off
• C A motorcycle cannot slow at all without using its brakes
• D The tail light flashes on its own whenever the bike slows

22. You are approaching a yield sign and no other vehicle is anywhere in sight. What does the sign require?

• A Slow down and be ready to stop, but stop only if needed
• B Come to a complete stop every time, exactly as at a stop sign
• C Keep your speed, since a yield sign carries no legal requirement
• D Stop unless the road you are joining has a yield sign facing it too

23. What proof of insurance must an Iowa driver be able to produce while driving?

• A A proof of financial liability coverage card, on paper or displayed electronically
• B Only a paper card issued by the insurance company, never a phone image
• C Only the complete printed insurance policy for the vehicle being driven
• D Nothing at all, because the officer verifies the coverage electronically at the roadside

24. You wait in the aisle with your signal on for a space that is about to be vacated. What is the risk?

• A Your signal will time out and switch itself off before the space is free
• B The driver leaving the space is required by law to wait for you to arrive
• C The space becomes yours only once your front wheels are inside the lines
• D You block the aisle and drivers behind may try to squeeze past

25. How does higher speed affect the outcome of a crash?

• A It leaves less time to react and greatly increases the force of impact
• B It has no effect on the outcome once seat belts are properly worn
• C It only matters for vehicles that are heavier than an ordinary passenger car
• D It reduces the force of impact, because the collision itself is over sooner