Alabama ALEA Permit Practice Test 13
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Why is smooth, early braking better than hard, late braking?
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Answer D: It keeps you in control and gives the driver behind more warning
Braking early and gently keeps the tires well within their grip and gives following drivers time to react to your brake lights.
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2. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?
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Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway
The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.
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3. You reach a four-way stop after another driver has already stopped there. What should you do?
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Answer D: Let the driver who stopped first proceed before you go
At a four-way stop the vehicles proceed in the order they arrived, so a driver who stopped before you goes first.
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4. Which sign shape is reserved for one message only, the requirement to stop?
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Answer A: The octagon
The octagon is used for the stop sign and for no other message, so the outline alone identifies the requirement even when the legend is hard to read.
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5. Where does the restriction that starts at this sign come to an end?
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Answer D: Where the centerline markings show that overtaking is allowed again
The sign marks the start of the restricted section, and the centerline markings along the road show how far it runs and where overtaking becomes lawful again.
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6. What does the Y restriction on an Alabama learner license issued to a 15 year old mean?
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Answer C: The holder may drive only when accompanied by a licensed person aged 21 or older, or a licensed driving instructor, seated beside the driver
Alabama places a Y restriction on the learner license, and for a 15 year old it requires a licensed person aged 21 or older or a licensed or certified driving instructor in the seat beside the driver.
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7. A sign on a long descent points to a RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP a mile ahead. What is that ramp for?
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Answer C: Stopping a vehicle whose brakes have failed
An escape ramp climbs into deep gravel or sand to bring a vehicle with failed brakes to a halt, so no one should stop or park in it.
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8. A yellow diamond shows an arrow bent into a series of reversing turns. What does it warn about?
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Answer A: Three or more changes of direction close together
The winding road sign replaces a string of separate curve signs where several bends follow one another with only short straights between them.
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9. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?
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Answer C: Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen
Headlights are as much about being seen as about seeing, so they go on whenever visibility drops.
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10. What should you expect while driving through a parking lot?
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Answer D: Pedestrians and vehicles moving from any direction, so drive slowly
Parking lots mix walking people, reversing vehicles and poor sight lines, so low speed and constant scanning are the only reliable protection.
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11. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?
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Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment
An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.
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12. How long is an Alabama driver license valid from the date it is issued?
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Answer A: Four years
An Alabama driver license expires four years after it is issued, and the expiration date is printed on the card.
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13. How long must an Alabama applicant who is under 18 hold the Stage I learner permit before moving to Stage II?
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Answer D: Six months
An Alabama applicant under 18 must hold the Stage I learner permit for at least six months before a Stage II restricted license is issued.
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14. You must cross a stretch of water lying across the road that you know is shallow. What is the right technique?
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Answer A: Slow down before you reach it and cross steadily in a low gear
Slow before the water, then keep a steady low speed so you do not throw water over the engine or lose steering. Test the brakes gently once you are through.
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15. Your light is green but the traffic beyond the intersection is stopped and there is no room on the far side. What should you do?
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Answer A: Wait behind the line until you can clear the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks the cross traffic when their signal turns green, so you wait behind the line.
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16. The passenger-side mirror on most vehicles is convex. What does this mean for the driver?
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Answer D: Vehicles in that mirror are closer than they appear
A convex mirror gives a wider view but shrinks what it shows, so a vehicle looks smaller and therefore farther away than it really is. Allow for this before changing lanes.
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17. What is the benefit of looking far down the road rather than just ahead of the hood?
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Answer A: You steer with smaller corrections and you see trouble in plenty of time
A distant view steadies your steering and gives you time to plan, because you meet hazards after you have already seen them.
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18. A black on white regulatory sign at an intersection reads NO TURNS. What may a driver do there?
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Answer B: Only continue straight through the intersection
The NO TURNS sign bans turns in every direction at that intersection, so the only lawful movement from that approach is straight through.
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19. You come upon a person riding a horse on the roadway ahead of you. What is the correct way to pass?
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Answer A: Slow down, give plenty of room and do not use the horn
Horses startle easily, and a frightened horse can throw its rider into your path. Pass slowly and wide, and avoid any sudden noise.
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20. When is it appropriate to use cruise control?
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Answer B: On a dry, open highway with light traffic
Cruise control suits steady conditions where you rarely need to change speed. It is a poor choice in traffic, on curves, on slippery roads or when drowsy, because it removes you from the speed decision.
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21. You are in the middle of an intersection when you hear a siren and see an emergency vehicle approaching. What should you do?
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Answer A: Keep going, clear the intersection, then pull to the right and stop
Stopping inside an intersection blocks the emergency vehicle. Clear the intersection first, then pull over to the right and stop.
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22. Why should you not rest your foot on the brake pedal as you drive?
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Answer D: The brake lights stay on and the drivers behind cannot read you
Resting on the pedal keeps the brake lights lit and wears the brakes, so following drivers stop believing your brake lights.
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23. What is the purpose of carrying a first aid kit in your vehicle?
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Answer D: It lets you treat cuts and bleeding while the help is on its way
A kit is for simple first aid such as controlling bleeding until trained help arrives, not a substitute for calling for that help.
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24. A yellow diamond showing the silhouette of a deer warns that
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Answer D: large animals may cross the road in that area
The sign marks a stretch where animals are known to cross, so drivers should reduce speed and scan both roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk.
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25. You enter a work zone at night where one lane is closed and a flagger is on duty. What is the safest approach?
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Answer A: Slow early, merge before the closure and be ready to stop
Merging early at a reduced speed keeps the queue orderly and leaves you room to stop for equipment, workers or traffic that has halted ahead.
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26. Fog thickens until you can barely make out the vehicle ahead. What is the safest action?
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Answer A: Slow right down and, if needed, leave the road at a safe place
In heavy fog the only safe speed may be very low, and if it drops below what the road allows, the answer is to pull well clear of the traffic lanes.
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27. An upward-pointing pentagon with a yellow legend and border on a blue background is used as
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Answer D: a county route marker
The pentagon serves both the school warning series and county route markers, and the blue background with yellow legend identifies the county route version.
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28. An orange sign reading END ROAD WORK is posted beside the highway. What does it mark?
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Answer C: The point where the work zone restrictions stop
The sign is installed at the downstream end of the temporary traffic control zone to tell drivers that normal conditions apply again.
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29. What is true about driving away from a crash you were involved in?
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Answer B: It is a serious offense, even if the other driver has driven away too
Leaving the scene is a criminal offense in every state, and the behavior of the other driver does not excuse it.
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30. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?
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Answer C: Because it cuts the little space they have and can cause a crash
Brake checking removes the small margin the tailgater has left and can provoke a collision; add space in front of you instead and let them pass.