Driver’s license knowledge test (Class C) · California DMV
Seeing and being seen
Questions and answers
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How far ahead of your vehicle should you scan the road?
At least 10 seconds ahead
Scanning 10 seconds ahead gives you time to react and avoid last-minute moves.
Section 8 · Scan Your Surroundings ↗ -
Which rule helps you keep a safe following distance?
The three-second rule
Following at three seconds gives you time to react if the driver ahead brakes suddenly.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
A tailgater is behind you. What should you do?
Keep your course and speed, then merge right when safe to let them pass
Create more space in front of you, hold your speed, and move right when it is safe.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
A vehicle merges in front of you too closely. What should you do?
Take your foot off the accelerator
Easing off the accelerator opens space between you and the vehicle ahead.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
How do you check your blind spots?
Look over your shoulder, turning only your head
Look over your right and left shoulders out of the side windows. Do not turn your body or the wheel.
Section 8 · Blind Spots ↗ -
At night an oncoming vehicle’s headlights are too bright. Where should you look?
Toward the right edge of your lane
Look toward the right edge of your lane and watch the other vehicle out of the corner of your eye.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
At night a vehicle with one light is coming toward you. What should you do?
Drive as far to the right as possible
It could be a bicyclist, a motorcyclist, or a vehicle with a missing headlight.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
You are leaving a brightly lit place at night. What should you do?
Drive slowly until your eyes adjust to the darkness
Your eyes need time to adjust after bright light.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
Within what distance of an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
500 feet
Dim to low beams within 500 feet of a vehicle coming toward you.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Within what distance of a vehicle you are following must you dim your high beams?
300 feet
Dim to low beams within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
When must your headlights be on in the evening?
Beginning 30 minutes after sunset
Headlights are required from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
You need your windshield wipers because of rain. What else must you turn on?
Low-beam headlights
If weather requires wipers, low-beam headlights must be on.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Is it legal to drive using only your parking lights?
No
Driving with only parking lights is illegal.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
You must use your headlights when it is too dark to see from how far away?
1,000 feet
Turn headlights on when it is too dark to see from 1,000 feet away.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
On a narrow mountain road, when should you use your horn?
When you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead
The horn alerts oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads where you cannot see 200 feet ahead.
Section 5 · Using Your Horn ↗ -
May you wear a headset or earplugs in both ears while driving?
No, it is illegal
You must be able to hear horns and sirens. Covering both ears is illegal.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
You see a collision ahead. How can you warn the drivers behind you?
Turn on your emergency flashers or tap your brake pedal three or four times
Use emergency flashers, light taps on the brake pedal, or a hand signal when slowing.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
Bright sunlight makes your signal lights hard to see. What should you do?
Use hand-and-arm signals
If signal lights are not working or are hard to see, use hand-and-arm signals.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
Where should your hands start for hand-to-hand (push/pull) steering?
At 9 and 3 o’clock or 8 and 4 o’clock
Start at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 and do not cross your hands over the middle of the wheel.
Section 5 · Hand-to-Hand Steering (Push/Pull) ↗ -
Should you signal if you do not see any other vehicles around you?
Yes, always signal
Signal even when you do not see other vehicles. Someone you have not noticed may be there.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
Should you look both ways at an intersection where cross traffic has a red light?
Yes
Look both ways even where other traffic has a red light or stop sign.
Section 8 · Know What is At Your Side ↗ -
What should your eyes be doing as you drive?
Moving all the time, scanning the road ahead
Keep your eyes moving and scan at least 10 seconds ahead.
Section 8 · Scan Your Surroundings ↗ -
Why scan well ahead of your vehicle?
To give yourself time to react and avoid last-minute moves
Looking far ahead gives you time to react to hazards without sudden moves.
Section 8 · Scan Your Surroundings ↗ -
How does tailgating affect what you can see?
The vehicle in front blocks your view of the road ahead
Following too closely hides the road ahead and leaves no time to react to sudden braking.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
What does a safe following distance give you if another driver makes a mistake?
Enough time to react
Space ahead is time to react to another driver’s mistake.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
Someone is tailgating you. Where should you create more space?
In front of your vehicle
With a tailgater behind, open up more room ahead, hold your course and speed, and merge right when safe.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
You are following a motorcyclist onto a bridge grating or a gravel surface. What should you do?
Leave more space in front of your vehicle
Give motorcyclists extra room on metal surfaces such as bridge gratings and railroad tracks, and on gravel.
Section 8 · Tailgating (Following Too Closely) ↗ -
You notice you are driving in another driver’s blind spot. What should you do?
Move out of it instead of staying there
Do not linger where another driver cannot see you.
Section 8 · Know What is At Your Side ↗ -
Where should you avoid positioning your vehicle on a multilane road?
Directly alongside other vehicles
Driving right next to another vehicle leaves neither of you room to maneuver.
Section 8 · Know What is At Your Side ↗ -
You are on a freeway and have the right-of-way. A vehicle is entering from a ramp. What should you do?
Make space for it anyway
Make room for vehicles entering a freeway even when you have the right-of-way.
Section 8 · Know What is At Your Side ↗ -
How should you drive past a row of parked vehicles?
Keep space between your vehicle and them
Leave space between your vehicle and parked vehicles.
Section 8 · Know What is At Your Side ↗ -
What is a blind spot?
An area around the vehicle you cannot see looking straight ahead or in the mirrors
Every vehicle has areas the driver cannot see when facing forward or using the mirrors.
Section 8 · Blind Spots ↗ -
Where are the blind spots on most vehicles?
At the sides, slightly behind the driver
On most vehicles the blind spots are at the sides, a little behind the driver.
Section 8 · Blind Spots ↗ -
What should you avoid while checking a blind spot?
Turning your whole body or the steering wheel
Turn only your head to look over your shoulder. Keep your body and the wheel still.
Section 8 · Blind Spots ↗ -
Which of these moves calls for a blind spot check first?
Pulling out from the curb
Check blind spots before pulling out, changing lanes, merging, turning at an intersection, backing up, parking, or opening your door.
Section 8 · Blind Spots ↗ -
Which kind of collision does knowing what is behind you help you avoid?
Rear-end collisions
Checking behind you often helps prevent rear-end collisions.
Section 8 · Know What is Behind You ↗ -
How do you check the traffic behind you?
With the rearview mirror, the side mirrors, and by turning your head
Use the rearview mirror, the side mirrors, and a turn of the head.
Section 8 · Know What is Behind You ↗ -
You are about to slow down. What should you check first?
The traffic behind you
Check behind you before you reduce your speed, so you are not hit from the rear.
Section 8 · Know What is Behind You ↗ -
Which of these is a time to check the traffic behind you?
Before turning into a side road or driveway
Check behind before turning into a side road or driveway, stopping to park, backing up, or changing lanes.
Section 8 · Know What is Behind You ↗ -
Where should you use high-beam headlights at night?
On open country roads or dark city streets
High beams are for open country roads and dark city streets, where they are legal and no one is blinded.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
How fast is too fast at night?
A speed at which you cannot stop within the distance your headlights light up
At night you must be able to stop within the stretch of road your headlights show.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
An oncoming driver keeps their high beams on. Should you switch yours on in return?
No, that makes it harder for both of you to see
Do not answer bright lights with your own high beams. Both drivers end up seeing less.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
While looking toward the right edge of your lane, how do you keep track of an oncoming vehicle with bright lights?
Out of the corner of your eye
Do not look into the headlights. Watch the vehicle out of the corner of your eye.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
Who is much harder to see at night?
Motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists
Motorcycles, pedestrians, and bicyclists are much harder to see in the dark.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
You drive through a highway construction zone at night. What should you do?
Reduce your speed
Highway construction can go on at night, so slow down in construction zones.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
A single light comes toward you at night. What might it be?
A bicyclist, a motorcyclist, or a vehicle with a missing headlight
Because you cannot tell which it is, drive as far to the right as possible.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
Why should you dim your high beams for oncoming traffic?
To avoid blinding the other driver
High beams can blind the driver of an oncoming vehicle.
Section 8 · Darkness ↗ -
Which windshield care helps with sun glare?
Keeping it clean inside and outside
Keep both the inside and the outside of the windshield clean.
Section 8 · Sun Glare ↗ -
What kind of sunglasses help you manage sun glare?
Polarized sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses are recommended for sun glare.
Section 8 · Sun Glare ↗ -
When should you try to avoid driving because of sun glare?
During sunrise and sunset
When you can, plan your driving outside sunrise and sunset.
Section 8 · Sun Glare ↗ -
What should you check about your car visor to prepare for sun glare?
That it works and nothing restricts its use
The visor should work and be free of anything that gets in the way of using it.
Section 8 · Sun Glare ↗ -
In strong sun glare, who should you take special care to look for?
Pedestrians, who may be hard to see
Glare can hide pedestrians, so be aware of them and keep enough space around your vehicle.
Section 8 · Sun Glare ↗ -
How can fatigue and drowsiness affect your driving?
They can affect your vision and slow your reaction to hazards
Fatigue and drowsiness can affect vision and lengthen the time you need to react.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Can over-the-counter medications make you an unsafe driver?
Yes, just as prescription medications can
Both prescription and over-the-counter medicines can make you unsafe. Some cause sleepiness.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Who is responsible for knowing how your medication affects you?
You are
Knowing the effects of the medications you take is your own responsibility.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Physicians must report patients to DMV for conditions that may affect safe driving, starting at what patient age?
14
The reporting duty covers patients who are at least 14 years old.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Which medical condition is given as an example of what physicians must report to DMV?
Lapse of consciousness
Physicians report conditions that may affect safe driving, such as lapse of consciousness.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
What must your vision let you do as a driver?
Notice hazards in different lighting, judge distances, and read road signs
You need to see hazards in different lighting, judge distances, adjust to traffic speed, and read signs.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Why does hearing matter for driving?
Horns, sirens, or screeching tires may alert you to hazards
Sounds such as horns, sirens, motorcycles, or screeching tires can warn you of a hazard.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
Which of these is illegal while driving?
Wearing earplugs in both ears
A headset or earplugs in both ears is illegal while driving.
Section 5 · Section 5: An Introduction to Driving ↗ -
How many hands should be on the steering wheel whenever possible?
Both hands
Keeping both hands on the wheel whenever possible is critical for control.
Section 5 · Controlling the Vehicle ↗ -
In hand-to-hand (push/pull) steering, what must your hands not do?
Cross over the middle of the steering wheel
With this method the hands never cross the middle of the wheel.
Section 5 · Hand-to-Hand Steering (Push/Pull) ↗ -
In hand-to-hand steering, what happens to your hand positions during a turn?
They stay the same
The hands keep their positions even while turning.
Section 5 · Hand-to-Hand Steering (Push/Pull) ↗ -
When is hand-over-hand steering used?
Turning at low speeds, parking, or recovering from a skid
Hand-over-hand is for low-speed turns, parking, and skid recovery.
Section 5 · Hand-Over-Hand Steering ↗ -
Where do your hands start for hand-over-hand steering?
At 8 and 4 o’clock
Hand-over-hand steering starts with the hands at 8 and 4 o’clock.
Section 5 · Hand-Over-Hand Steering ↗ -
Which steering method has you reach across the wheel to grasp the opposite side?
Hand-over-hand steering
In hand-over-hand steering one hand reaches across, grips, and pulls while the other lets go.
Section 5 · Hand-Over-Hand Steering ↗ -
How many situations may call for steering with one hand?
Only two
One-hand steering is for turning while backing up and for operating a control that needs a hand.
Section 5 · One-Hand Steering ↗ -
You are turning while backing up and steering with one hand. Where does that hand go?
At the 12 o’clock position
Place the hand at 12 o’clock while you look behind you.
Section 5 · One-Hand Steering ↗ -
Apart from turning while backing up, when may you steer with one hand?
While operating a vehicle control that needs the other hand
Using a control that requires taking a hand off the wheel is the other accepted situation.
Section 5 · One-Hand Steering ↗ -
Which of these actions call for a signal?
Slowing down or stopping, as well as turning and changing lanes
Signal whenever you turn, change lanes, slow down, or stop.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
You switch on your signal about 50 feet before your turn. Is that early enough?
No, signal at least 100 feet before the turn
The signal should start at least 100 feet before the turn.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
On a freeway you signal and move over two seconds later. Is that correct?
No, signal for at least five seconds first
On a freeway, signal at least five seconds before changing lanes.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
You are about to pull away from the curb. Should you signal?
Yes, and also before pulling next to the curb
Signal before pulling up to the curb and before pulling away from it.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
What should you do with your signal once you no longer need it?
Turn it off
Remember to switch the signal off when you are done.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
How may a bicyclist signal a turn?
With the arm held straight out, pointing the way of the turn
A bicyclist may point the arm straight out in the direction of the turn.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
Your signal lights have stopped working. How do you signal?
With hand-and-arm signals
When signal lights fail, use the hand-and-arm signals for left turn, right turn, and slow or stop.
Section 5 · Signaling ↗ -
What is the horn for?
Letting other drivers know you are there or warning of a hazard
Use the horn to make others aware of you, to warn of a hazard, and to avoid collisions.
Section 5 · Using Your Horn ↗ -
The horn warning on narrow mountain roads applies when you cannot see how far ahead?
200 feet
Sound the horn to alert oncoming traffic where you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead.
Section 5 · Using Your Horn ↗ -
Your high beams are on and an oncoming car is 400 feet away. What must you do?
Dim to low beams now
High beams must be dimmed within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
You are 200 feet behind another vehicle at night. Which beams should be on?
Low beams
Within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following, use low beams.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Until when must your headlights stay on in the morning?
Until 30 minutes before sunrise
Headlights are used from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Sunset is at 7:00 p.m. From what time must your headlights be on at the latest?
7:30 p.m.
Headlights are required beginning 30 minutes after sunset, and earlier if it is too dark to see.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
On a sunny day you drive a mountain road and pass through a tunnel. Should your headlights be on?
Yes, even on sunny days
Use headlights on mountain roads and in tunnels, even when the sun is shining.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
In full daylight a road sign states that headlights must be on. What do you do?
Turn your headlights on
When a sign requires headlights, turn them on whatever the time of day.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Why use headlights when the sun is low on the horizon?
To help other drivers see your vehicle
Headlights make your vehicle easier for others to see, especially with a low sun.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Clouds, dust, or smoke keep you from seeing other vehicles. What should you do?
Use your headlights
Turn on headlights whenever conditions keep you from seeing other vehicles.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Sunset was ten minutes ago, but it is already too dark to see from 1,000 feet away. Should your headlights be on?
Yes, it is too dark to see from 1,000 feet
Darkness that hides things 1,000 feet away calls for headlights on its own, whatever the clock says.
Section 5 · Using Your Headlights ↗ -
Besides emergency flashers and tapping the brake pedal, how can you warn drivers behind you of a hazard ahead?
Use a hand signal when slowing and stopping
A hand signal while slowing or stopping is the third way to warn drivers behind you.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
To warn drivers behind you of a hazard, how many times do you lightly tap the brake pedal?
Three or four times
Three or four light taps on the brake pedal warn the drivers behind.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
Your vehicle has trouble and has no emergency flashers. What should you use?
Your turn signals
Without emergency flashers, use the turn signals.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
You must stop because of vehicle trouble. Where is the best place?
Off the road, away from all traffic
If you can, pull off the road and away from all traffic.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
Your vehicle has trouble and you cannot get completely off the road. Where should you stop?
Where people can see you and your vehicle from behind
Stop where drivers coming from behind can see you in time.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
Why should you not stop just over a hill or just around a curve?
Other drivers may not see your vehicle in time
A vehicle hidden by a hill or curve may not be seen in time to avoid a collision.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
After stopping for vehicle trouble, what should you do?
Call for roadside assistance and stay in your vehicle until help arrives
Call for emergency roadside assistance and wait inside the vehicle.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗ -
What signal do you give when vehicle trouble forces you to stop?
Turn on your emergency flashers
Emergency flashers tell others your vehicle is in trouble.
Section 5 · Using Your Emergency Flashers ↗