Alabama ALEA Permit Practice Test 38
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. You are turning left from a two-way street onto a one-way street. Which lane should you enter?
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Answer C: The first lane open to traffic on the left side of the one-way street
Turn left from the lane closest to the center line and finish in the first available lane on the left of the one-way street, then change lanes if you need to.
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2. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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3. At highway speed, a large object suddenly appears in your lane and there is open space beside you. Which response is often the most effective?
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Answer B: Steer around it, since at speed you can often turn quicker than you can stop
Above roughly 25 mph, stopping distance is long while a lane change takes only a moment. When space is available, a controlled steer around the hazard avoids the impact.
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4. What should you do about snow and ice on your vehicle before driving?
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Answer C: Clear all glass, mirrors and lights, and the roof and hood as well
Snow left on the roof or hood slides onto your windshield when you brake and blows into the path of drivers behind you, and covered lights make your vehicle hard to see.
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5. A driver stopped on suspicion of impaired driving refuses to take a chemical test. What happens?
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Answer D: A license penalty follows for the refusal itself
Under implied consent, holding a license means agreeing to testing, so a refusal brings its own suspension separately from anything the court decides.
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6. Which practice matches current child passenger safety guidance?
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Answer D: Keep a child rear facing until the top height or weight limit of the seat is reached
A rear facing seat spreads crash forces across the child's whole back, so it should be used as long as the seat allows, and never in front of an active passenger air bag.
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7. Why does the speed of the right-hand lane of a freeway change so often?
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Answer B: Vehicles entering and leaving the highway all use that lane
Entrance and exit ramps feed into the right lane, so traffic there is constantly slowing to leave or speeding up to join.
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8. You are hosting a party and a guest who has been drinking wants to drive home. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop serving and arrange a ride or a bed
Only time removes alcohol, so a host who wants to prevent a crash has to remove the driving, not try to speed up sobering that cannot be sped up.
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9. You have stopped on the shoulder of a highway and want to rejoin the traffic. What is the correct way?
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Answer D: Signal, build up speed along the shoulder, then merge into a gap
Entering a fast lane at a slow speed is what causes the conflict, so the shoulder is used to gain speed before the merge in the same way as an acceleration lane.
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10. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?
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Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself
You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.
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11. Are court costs assessed on an Alabama hands free conviction?
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Answer B: No, no court costs may be assessed
The Alabama hands free statute provides that no court costs may be assessed for a violation of the section.
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12. How long must an ignition interlock stay fitted after a second Alabama DUI conviction?
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Answer C: Two years
A second Alabama DUI conviction carries a two year ignition interlock requirement, which begins after 45 days of the suspension have been served.
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13. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?
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Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane
A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.
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14. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?
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Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass
Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.
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15. How do strong emotions affect driving?
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Answer B: They narrow your attention and make risky decisions more likely
Anger, worry and excitement all take attention away from the driving task and push drivers toward decisions they would not normally make.
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16. What does a sign showing a bicycle inside a red circle with a diagonal slash prohibit?
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Answer D: Riding a bicycle on that roadway
This is a selective exclusion sign, used where bicycles are banned from a road such as a freeway or a tunnel.
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17. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?
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Answer D: Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer
Loose gravel gives far less grip than pavement, so speed must come down for both steering and stopping.
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18. How often should you check your mirrors while driving?
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Answer C: Every few seconds, so you always know what is around you
Traffic behind and beside you changes constantly. Frequent, brief mirror checks keep a picture of your surroundings current so nothing surprises you.
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19. A law enforcement officer is directing traffic and waves you forward while the signal facing you shows red. What should you do?
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Answer A: Follow the officer's direction and proceed
Directions given by an officer controlling traffic take priority over signals, signs and pavement markings.
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20. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?
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Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp
The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.
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21. A warning sign showing two children on a see-saw is posted beside a residential street. What does it mean?
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Answer D: A play area lies beside the road and children may run out
The playground sign warns that children are present next to the roadway and may enter it without looking, so drivers should cover the brake and slow down.
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22. In slow summer traffic the temperature gauge climbs into the red. What should you do first?
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Answer A: Turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heater to draw heat from the engine
The heater core acts as an extra radiator, and shutting off the air conditioner reduces engine load. If the gauge keeps climbing, pull over and shut off the engine, and never open a hot radiator cap.
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23. In plain words, what is oversteer?
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Answer C: The rear of the vehicle slides out and the car turns too sharply
Oversteer means the rear tires have lost grip first, so the tail swings out and the vehicle turns more than you asked it to.
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24. You are approaching the entry of a modern roundabout. Who must you yield to?
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Answer C: Traffic already circulating in the roundabout, which approaches from your left
Traffic in a United States roundabout circulates counterclockwise, so drivers entering must look left and yield to vehicles already in the circulating roadway.
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25. Which statement best describes what the basic speed law requires of you?
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Answer C: That you never drive faster than is reasonable and safe for the conditions
Nearly every state has a basic speed law that makes the conditions the real limit: weather, traffic, light and road surface can all require a speed well below the posted number.
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26. A grade crossing is marked only with a crossbuck and has no lights or gates. What does the crossbuck require of you?
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Answer C: Yield to rail traffic and cross only when no train is approaching
The crossbuck requires road users to yield the right-of-way to rail traffic, so you must look and listen and be ready to stop.
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27. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?
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Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle
Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.
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28. A sign beside the signal reads STOP HERE ON RED. What does it tell you?
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Answer B: Stop at that point on red, not closer to the intersection
The sign marks the required stopping point, which is set back from the corner so that turning vehicles and sight lines are not blocked.
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29. A police officer is directing traffic at an intersection and waves you through a red light. What should you do?
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Answer C: Follow the officer, whose directions come before signs and signals
Directions given by a police officer or an authorized flagger override signs, signals and pavement markings.
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30. You are traveling beside another vehicle on a multilane highway at nearly the same speed. Why is this a poor position?
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Answer B: You may be sitting in that driver's blind spot with nowhere to go if they move over
Driving alongside removes your side escape route and often puts you where the other driver cannot see you. Speed up or drop back to open space beside you.