Alabama ALEA Permit Practice Test 15
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. You are waiting to enter a two-lane roundabout and traffic is circulating in both lanes. What must you do?
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Answer A: Yield to traffic in both circulating lanes before you enter
Every entry to a roundabout is a yield point, and at a two-lane roundabout that means giving way to vehicles in either circulating lane.
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2. Beside an accessible parking space there is an area painted with diagonal stripes. What is it for?
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Answer C: It is an access aisle for wheelchairs and lifts, and no vehicle may park or stop in it
The striped access aisle gives the room a ramp or lift needs to deploy, so blocking it makes the adjacent accessible space unusable.
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3. After the holder of an Alabama learner license reaches the sixteenth birthday, who must occupy the seat beside the driver?
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Answer C: Any licensed driver
Until the sixteenth birthday the supervising person must be 21 or older or a driving instructor; from that birthday any licensed driver may occupy the seat beside the holder.
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4. Some drivers believe they can multitask while driving. What does research show?
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Answer C: The brain switches rapidly between tasks and driving performance suffers
The brain does not truly do two attention-demanding tasks at once; it alternates between them, and the driving task gets less attention each time.
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5. You have turned right into the nearest lane but you need the left lane soon. When should you move over?
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Answer A: After the turn is finished, once you have checked mirrors and blind spot
Complete the turn in the proper lane first, then make a normal lane change with mirror and blind spot checks once you are established on the new street.
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6. How do worn tires and worn brakes affect your ability to stop?
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Answer C: They lengthen the stopping distance, especially on a wet road
Worn tread cannot clear water and worn brakes cannot produce full force, so both stretch the distance needed to stop.
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7. You turn the wheel but the front of the vehicle keeps sliding straight ahead on a slippery road. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and reduce the steering angle until the front tires grip again
A front-wheel skid means the tires are asking for more grip than the surface can give. Less speed and less steering angle let them regain traction.
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8. At what age may an Alabama driver move up to Stage III, the unrestricted license?
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Answer B: 17
Alabama allows a driver to move to the Stage III unrestricted license at 17, provided Stage II has been held for at least six months.
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9. Smoke from a nearby fire is drifting across the highway. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down, use low beams, and close the windows and vents
Smoke cuts visibility like fog and can make your eyes water. Low beams, a much lower speed and closed vents protect both your view and the air in the car.
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10. A city transit bus at a stop ahead of you switches on its left signal. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow and let the bus pull back into traffic
A bus needs a long gap to rejoin traffic, and yielding to a signaling transit bus keeps the whole line of traffic moving safely.
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11. What do yellow lines painted on a roadway separate?
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Answer D: Traffic moving in opposite directions
Yellow markings separate opposing streams of traffic, and they also mark the left edge of a divided highway or a one-way roadway.
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12. You are about to descend a long steep grade. How should you control your speed?
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Answer D: Select a lower gear before starting down and use the brakes in firm, brief applications
Engine braking in a lower gear carries most of the load down the grade, while continuous brake pressure overheats the brakes and reduces their effectiveness.
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13. What is the safe way to carry a dog in a car?
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Answer C: In a secured crate, or in a harness attached to a seat belt anchor
An unrestrained animal distracts the driver and becomes a heavy projectile in a crash, so it should be crated or harnessed.
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14. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?
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Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way
The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.
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15. A yellow diamond in which one line joins another at an angle warns that
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Answer B: traffic from another roadway will merge into the driver's lane ahead
The merge sign warns that another traffic stream will join the same lane ahead, so drivers on both roadways must adjust speed and spacing.
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16. You are turning left from a divided highway through a median opening into a business on the other side. Who has the right of way?
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Answer C: The traffic on the roadway you are crossing
Turning through a median opening means crossing the opposite roadway, so you yield to all traffic on it before you go.
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17. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?
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Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone
Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.
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18. You want to pass on a two-lane road where several people are walking on the narrow shoulder ahead. What should you consider?
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Answer D: There is no escape room if the pass goes wrong, so wait for a better place
A pass depends on having somewhere to go if it goes wrong, and a shoulder occupied by pedestrians removes that option for both vehicles.
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19. How do stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine typically affect driving?
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Answer D: They can make the driver overconfident and more willing to take risks
Stimulants create a false sense of alertness and encourage aggressive, risky driving. When they wear off, sudden fatigue can follow.
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20. What fine does a first violation of the Alabama Move Over Act carry?
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Answer C: 200 dollars
A first violation of the Alabama Move Over Act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of 200 dollars.
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21. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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22. 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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23. You have fitted small convex blind spot mirrors to the door mirrors. What is true of them?
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Answer A: They help a good deal, but you should still look over your shoulder as well
Add-on mirrors reduce but do not remove the blind spot, and they make vehicles look smaller and further away.
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24. What actually lowers the amount of alcohol in a person's blood?
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Answer D: The passage of time
The body eliminates alcohol at its own steady rate, so only time reduces blood alcohol. Coffee or a cold shower may make a person feel more awake while still impaired.
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25. Does an Alabama open container conviction add points to the driving record?
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Answer C: No, it is not a moving violation and carries no points
The Alabama open container statute states that the violation is not a moving violation and has no effect on driver license points.
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26. How does driving on overinflated tires affect the vehicle?
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Answer D: It gives a harsher ride and a smaller contact patch
An overinflated tire bulges in the middle, so less rubber touches the road, grip suffers and the ride becomes hard. The center of the tread wears first.
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27. You wait in the aisle with your signal on for a space that is about to be vacated. What is the risk?
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Answer D: You block the aisle and drivers behind may try to squeeze past
A stopped vehicle turns a two-way aisle into a bottleneck, and drivers who try to get around it pass close to pedestrians and reversing cars.
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28. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?
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Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks
Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.
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29. On a regulatory sign, what does a red circle with a diagonal slash drawn over a symbol mean?
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Answer D: The movement or action shown by the symbol is prohibited
A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard way of showing that the movement pictured inside it, such as a U-turn or a right turn, is not allowed.
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30. What should you do before you back out of your own driveway at home?
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Answer A: Walk around the vehicle and check behind it for children or objects
A small child, a bicycle or a toy can sit entirely inside the blind area behind a vehicle, and a walk-around is the only way to be sure it is clear.