Iowa DOT Permit Practice Test 16

1. Why should you not leave the engine running when you walk away from your vehicle?

• A Because the battery will be completely flat within a couple of minutes
• B Because the engine oil drains back into the sump while it is idling
• C Because the vehicle can be stolen or can move on its own
• D Because idling makes the tires lose pressure faster than driving does

2. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?

• A Only on a highway, and never on a street where there are street lights
• B Only when the vehicle in front of you has switched its own lights on
• C Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen
• D Only when the street lights of a town have already been lit for the night

3. A regulatory sign posted at the start of a road reads LENGTH LIMIT 30 FEET. What does it control?

• A The length of the space a vehicle may occupy when parked
• B The overall length of vehicle allowed on that road
• C The distance a load may hang beyond the rear of a vehicle
• D The gap a driver must leave when following another vehicle

4. The hood of your vehicle flies open while you are driving and blocks your view. What should you do?

• A Look through the gap beneath the hood or out the side window, slow down and pull off the road
• B Brake as hard as you can immediately and stop exactly where you are in the travel lane, then get out and close it
• C Speed up so the wind pushes the hood back down onto its latch
• D Open your door and lean out to see while keeping your speed steady

5. Your vehicle has a blind spot warning light in the door mirror. What should that mean for your habits?

• A You no longer need to look over your shoulder, since the sensor covers exactly that area
• B You still check the blind spot yourself, because the system can miss a rider
• C You may change lanes without signaling whenever the warning light is not lit up at all
• D You should watch the warning light instead of the mirrors while the vehicle is in motion

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

• A It lengthens the braking distance because the tires run much cooler
• B It makes the steering very heavy at low speed and in parking lots
• C It makes the tires wear on both edges and gives a much softer ride
• D It gives a harsher ride and a smaller contact patch

7. Your light turns green, but a vehicle is still in the middle of the intersection. What should you do?

• A Move ahead at once, because a green light gives you the right to enter
• B Sound your horn and edge forward so the other driver knows the light changed
• C Enter the intersection and pass behind that vehicle without changing speed
• D Wait until the intersection is clear before you move ahead

8. Smoke and flames appear from the engine compartment after you stop. What should you do?

• A Get everyone well away from the vehicle first, and then call the fire service
• B Open the hood fully and pour a bottle of water over the burning engine
• C Drive on to the nearest fire station so that they can put the fire out there
• D Stay in the car with the windows closed until the fire has burned itself out

9. For most Iowa drivers, how long is a regular driver's license valid?

• A 2 years
• B 4 years
• C 6 years
• D 8 years

10. Along a highway the reference markers count upward as you travel. Where does the numbering normally begin?

• A At the point where the highway was first opened to traffic
• B At the midpoint of the route, counting outward both ways
• C At the southern or western edge of the state
• D At the largest city that the highway passes through

11. A yellow diamond shows a car with wavy lines behind its rear tires. What is the warning?

• A The surface is loose gravel for the next few miles
• B The surface is grooved and will pull at the steering
• C The surface has ruts that fill with water in the rain
• D The surface loses grip badly when it is wet

12. You and an oncoming driver are both turning left at the same intersection. What is the usual rule?

• A Whichever driver arrived at the intersection first turns while the other waits
• B Both drivers pass behind each other, keeping right of the center of the junction
• C The larger vehicle turns first and the smaller one follows along behind it
• D Both turn in front of each other unless markings show otherwise

13. A yellow sign reads SOFT SHOULDER. What is it telling you?

• A The shoulder is reserved for bicycles along that stretch
• B The shoulder is being resurfaced further along the road
• C The shoulder may not carry the weight of a vehicle
• D The shoulder is paved but narrower than the one before it

14. May you exceed the posted speed limit in order to complete a pass?

• A Yes, as long as you return to the limit as soon as the pass is finished
• B Yes, but only on a road that has two or more lanes in your direction
• C No, the posted limit applies while you are passing too
• D Yes, provided the vehicle you are passing is traveling below the limit

15. Apart from giving you room to stop, what else does a longer following gap do for you?

• A It lets the engine run at a lower and more economical speed setting
• B It allows you to use the horn instead of the brakes in an emergency
• C It gives the driver behind you permission to pass on the right side
• D It widens your view of the road and the traffic ahead

16. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?

• A As close to the rails as you can, so following drivers see the crossing early
• B Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
• C Level with the crossbuck sign, whatever distance that leaves to the rails
• D Wherever the vehicle comes to rest, since a train stays on its own rails

17. On loose gravel or deep fresh snow, how does an antilock system affect the stopping distance?

• A It always cuts the distance roughly in half compared with locked wheels
• B It has no effect at all, because the system switches itself off below freezing
• C It shortens the distance because the wheels stay locked into the surface
• D It can lengthen it, although you keep the ability to steer

18. A train has just passed a crossing that carries more than one set of tracks. What should you do?

• A Cross as soon as the last car of the train has gone past the far side of the crossing
• B Wait until the warning devices stop and you can see clearly along every track
• C Cross behind the train straight away so the driver can see you
• D Follow the vehicle in front across the tracks without checking again

19. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?

• A Better concentration on one driving task at a time
• B Sharper depth perception in low light conditions
• C Faster and smoother responses to sudden hazards
• D Loss of muscle control and steady steering

20. Why is a sign reading BRIDGE ICES BEFORE ROAD worth heeding even when the road itself is merely wet?

• A Salt is never applied to a bridge deck during a storm
• B Bridge decks hold rainwater longer than a normal roadway
• C Cold air passes under a bridge as well as over it
• D Bridges are always built with a smoother surface than roads

21. You have just been involved in a crash on a city street. Which sequence of first steps is correct?

• A Stop where you are, check everyone for injuries, and then make the scene safe
• B Drive to the nearest parking lot, then telephone your insurance company
• C Photograph the damage, then drive on and report the crash the following day
• D Settle who was at fault first, then decide together whether to call anyone

22. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?

• A The far left lane, because it usually has the fewest entrances and exits along the route
• B The far right lane at all times, no matter how much traffic is entering and leaving there
• C The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic
• D Whichever lane happens to be empty at the moment, changing as often as needed to stay in it

23. Your power steering fails while you are driving. What happens and what should you do?

• A The wheel locks in place, so shut off the engine and brake to a stop at once
• B Steering becomes much harder but still works, so slow down and pull off the road
• C The vehicle will pull itself sharply to the right, so hold the wheel to the left and keep going
• D Steering feels lighter and quicker, so reduce speed only if the road is wet

24. What should you expect while driving through a parking lot?

• A That pedestrians will keep to the marked walkways between the rows of spaces
• B That drivers will back out one at a time in a reasonably orderly way
• C That speed matters little in a lot, because the distances involved are short
• D Pedestrians and vehicles moving from any direction, so drive slowly

25. A yield sign is posted where an entrance ramp meets the highway. What must you do?

• A Come to a complete stop at the sign every time before entering the highway travel lanes
• B Enter the highway first, because a vehicle on a ramp has priority at the point of the merge
• C Give way to the traffic already on the highway and merge into a gap
• D Hold your ramp speed and expect the highway traffic to change lanes in order to make room