Iowa DOT Permit Practice Test 29
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. Some toll facilities use signs and markings with a purple background or a purple stripe. What do they identify?
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Answer D: Lanes reserved for vehicles with an electronic toll account
Purple is assigned to lanes and ramps restricted to vehicles with a registered electronic toll collection account, so drivers without one must stay out.
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2. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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3. Which situation does Iowa law list as requiring a driver to reduce speed to a reasonable and proper rate?
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Answer D: Approaching and passing through a road work zone
Iowa Code section 321.288 lists approaching and passing through a road work zone among the situations in which a driver must reduce speed to a reasonable and proper rate.
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4. At an intersection where every approach carries this sign, two drivers arrive at exactly the same instant. Which of them goes first?
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Answer C: The driver on the right
Order of arrival decides who goes first, and when two vehicles arrive together the driver on the right proceeds while the other gives way.
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5. Where should your hands normally rest on the steering wheel?
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Answer C: On opposite sides of the wheel, near the 9 and 3 positions
Hands placed opposite each other near the middle of the wheel give smooth, balanced control and keep the arms clear of a deploying air bag.
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6. You are descending a long steep grade with a loaded truck close behind you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold a steady speed and let it pass when it can
Gravity pushes a loaded truck downhill and it cannot slow quickly, so give it a predictable speed and room to get by rather than braking in front of it.
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7. Iowa caps the highway speed of a self-propelled implement of husbandry with flotation tires used to apply plant food or agricultural chemicals. What is the cap?
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Answer C: 35 miles per hour
Iowa Code section 321.285 forbids operating such an implement on a highway at a speed in excess of thirty-five miles per hour, notwithstanding any other speed restriction.
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8. You have a green left-turn arrow but a pedestrian is still walking in the crosswalk you must cross. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until the crosswalk is clear before turning
A green arrow protects you from other vehicles, but it never removes the duty to yield to a person already in the crosswalk.
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9. A trailer that sways badly at speed is often loaded the wrong way. What is the usual fault?
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Answer A: Too much of the load sits behind the trailer axle
Weight behind the axle lightens the hitch and lets the trailer wag the vehicle. Most of the load should sit ahead of the axle to keep weight on the hitch.
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10. 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.
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11. A person with a guide dog is standing at the corner facing the street you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop well back and wait quietly for them to decide
Blind pedestrians rely on engine sound to judge traffic, so stop back from the crossing and avoid the horn, which only confuses them.
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12. A United States numbered route is normally marked with
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Answer C: black numerals on a white shield
The U.S. route marker is a white shield carrying black numerals, which sets it apart at a glance from the red, white and blue Interstate shield.
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13. A sign showing a figure with an outstretched thumb inside a red circle with a slash means that
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Answer B: soliciting a ride is prohibited there
The no hitchhiking sign bars standing beside the road to solicit a ride, and it is common along freeway ramps and shoulders.
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14. In Iowa, what is the speed limit for all vehicular traffic where no other speed restriction applies or is posted?
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Answer C: 55 miles per hour
Iowa Code section 321.285 sets fifty-five miles per hour as the speed limit for all vehicular traffic unless another restriction in that section applies.
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15. A bus stopped at the corner hides the crosswalk you are about to turn across. What should you do?
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Answer C: Turn slowly, ready to stop for anyone stepping out in front of it
People often step into the road from in front of a stopped bus, so approach the hidden crosswalk slowly and be ready to stop.
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16. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
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Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
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17. You park on level ground in a lot. Where should the front wheels be pointing?
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Answer C: Straight ahead, so the car would not veer if it moved
On the level the wheels go straight so that the car stays in its own space, and so that a shunt from behind does not send it across a lane.
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18. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?
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Answer B: After the through movement has run
A lagging left turn phase runs at the end of the green rather than the start, so a driver waiting to turn should not assume the arrow has been missed.
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19. What limit does Iowa place on the number of passengers in a car driven by an instruction permit holder under eighteen?
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Answer D: The number of passengers may not exceed the number of passenger safety belts in the vehicle
Iowa Code section 321.180B states that a permittee shall not operate a motor vehicle if the number of passengers exceeds the number of passenger safety belts in the vehicle.
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20. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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21. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?
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Answer C: Oncoming vehicles will turn across your path, so you must wait
A green ball is permissive, so when the oncoming side receives a protected arrow those vehicles have priority and you must yield until they clear.
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22. A sign warns that your exit leaves from the left side of the freeway. What should you do?
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Answer D: Move into the left lane in good time before you reach the exit
Left-hand exits are unusual, which is exactly why they are signed well in advance and why the lane changes should be finished early.
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23. The signal ahead turns yellow while you are approaching it. What does the yellow light mean?
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Answer C: The red is coming; stop if you can do so safely
A steady yellow warns that the red is next. Stop if you can do so safely; enter the intersection only when stopping would be dangerous.
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24. A front tire blows out at highway speed. What should you do?
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Answer B: Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and slow gradually before leaving the road
A blowout pulls the vehicle toward the failed tire, and hard braking or sharp steering can turn that pull into a spin, so a firm grip and gradual slowing keep the vehicle straight.
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25. The signal turns green as you approach an intersection. What is the safest practice?
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Answer B: Look left, then right, then left again, and make sure the intersection is clear before entering
A green light gives permission but does not guarantee the intersection is empty, and a quick scan catches a vehicle running the red or a pedestrian still crossing.