Ohio BMV Permit Practice Test 18
- Questions40
- Correct to pass30
- Passing score75%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?
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Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled
Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.
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2. What is the correct technique for backing a vehicle straight?
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Answer B: Check behind the vehicle before getting in, then turn and look through the rear window while backing slowly
Mirrors and cameras leave gaps close to the vehicle, so walk behind it first, then turn in your seat for a direct view and keep the speed low enough to stop instantly.
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3. You have brought the vehicle under control after a blowout. What should you do next?
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Answer A: Signal and coast well off the road before stopping
Let the speed fall, signal, and leave the roadway as far from traffic as you can before you stop. Driving on a failed tire ruins the wheel and risks control.
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4. A hands free phone conversation is which kind of distraction?
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Answer C: Cognitive, because your mind leaves the road
Hands free equipment removes the manual and visual parts of a call but not the mental load, and it is the mental load that makes a driver miss hazards.
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5. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?
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Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it
Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.
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6. A yellow lamp flashes above a warning sign at a sharp curve. What does it ask of a driver?
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Answer D: Slow down and pass the point with extra care
A warning beacon draws attention to the sign it is mounted with, and the message of the sign is what the driver must act on.
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7. Reaching for a drink in the cup holder is which kind of distraction?
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Answer A: Manual and visual at the same time
Your hand leaves the wheel and your eyes flick down to find the cup, so a task that feels trivial takes away two of the three things driving needs.
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8. You have turned onto a ramp at night and your headlights pick out large white arrows painted on the pavement pointing straight back at you. What do they mean?
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Answer C: You are traveling against the flow and must turn back
Wrong-way arrows are laid so that a driver going the correct way never sees them head on, so an arrow pointing at you means you are on the ramp backwards.
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9. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?
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Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it
Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.
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10. What does a booster seat do for a child?
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Answer B: It lifts the child so that the adult belt crosses hips and shoulder
A booster raises the child so the adult belt lies on the strong parts of the body instead of the neck and the abdomen.
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11. How many BMV points does a third distracted-driving offense within a two-year period carry in Ohio?
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Answer D: 4 points
Ohio's point schedule assesses 4 points for a third or subsequent distracted-driving offense within two years, the highest tier in that escalating schedule.
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12. How should the inside rearview mirror be adjusted?
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Answer B: So you can see the entire rear window without moving your head
The inside mirror is for the view straight behind you. Framing the whole rear window from your normal seating position gives the widest useful view.
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13. You are on an entrance ramp merging onto a freeway. Who has to give way?
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Answer B: You must yield and fit into a gap in the traffic already on the freeway
Traffic entering a highway must yield to traffic already on it. Use the acceleration lane to match speed and merge into a gap.
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14. A driver reaching a stop sign is required to do what?
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Answer D: Come to a complete stop and then proceed only when it is safe
A stop sign requires a full stop before the stop line, crosswalk or intersection, after which the driver may go on once the way is clear.
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15. On a school speed limit sign, the part carrying the word SCHOOL is shown
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Answer A: in black on a fluorescent yellow-green background
The SCHOOL portion of the school speed limit sign uses the same fluorescent yellow-green background as school warning signs, while the speed portion keeps the standard regulatory appearance.
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16. You know in advance that you will be drinking at an event. What is the most reliable plan?
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Answer A: Arrange a driver who will not drink, or another way home, before the event begins
A decision made before drinking is not affected by alcohol, while judging your own fitness afterward relies on the very ability alcohol impairs first.
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17. You need to reverse direction on a busy street. Which choice is usually safest?
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Answer D: Driving around the block and using the intersections instead
Going around the block uses normal turns at controlled intersections instead of stopping across live traffic lanes.
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18. The gates at a railroad crossing are down, and you can see that the road beyond them is clear. What is the correct action?
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Answer A: Wait until the gates rise completely and the lights go out
Lowered gates mean rail traffic is expected, and driving around them removes the only protection the crossing provides.
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19. 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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20. Your left-turn lane shows a flashing yellow arrow. What does that indication allow?
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Answer B: A left turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow marks a permissive left turn: the movement is allowed, but oncoming vehicles and pedestrians keep the right-of-way.
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21. You have finished parallel parking at the curb. How should the vehicle sit?
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Answer A: Close to the curb, so that it does not stick out into the traffic lane
A parked vehicle must sit close enough to the curb that it does not intrude into the path of passing traffic; the exact maximum distance is set by each state.
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22. A turn restriction sign at the corner shows a range of times below the symbol. What does that mean?
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Answer A: The turn is banned only during the hours shown on the sign
Times posted under a regulatory symbol set the period during which the restriction applies; outside those hours the movement is permitted.
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23. How much following distance should you keep behind a motorcycle?
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Answer C: At least three to four seconds
A motorcycle can slow or stop very quickly and is easily upset by a surprise, so allow three to four seconds instead of the usual car gap.
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24. A lane along the right edge is set off by a solid white line and marked with a bicycle symbol. How should a driver treat it?
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Answer B: Stay out of it except for the short distance needed to turn or cross where that is allowed
A marked bicycle lane is set aside for bicycle traffic, and motor vehicles may enter it only briefly where turning or crossing is permitted.
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25. You are approaching a multilane roundabout. When should you choose your lane?
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Answer C: Before you enter, using the lane-choice sign on the approach
You select your lane on the approach the way you would at any multilane intersection, then stay in that lane all the way around, because changing lanes inside a roundabout creates side-impact conflicts.
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26. On the Interstate system, what do the odd-numbered one and two digit routes have in common?
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Answer D: They run mainly north and south
Odd numbers are given to north and south Interstates and even numbers to east and west ones, with the numbers rising toward the north and the east.
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27. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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28. 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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29. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe
Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.
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30. May you stop briefly across the sloped ramp that joins the sidewalk to the street at a corner?
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Answer B: No, that ramp must stay clear for people using wheelchairs
A curb ramp is the only way many people can get from the sidewalk to the crosswalk, so blocking it even briefly is prohibited.
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31. Besides the traffic behind you, what else must you check before moving into the next lane?
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Answer D: That there is room ahead in the new lane for your normal following distance
Moving into a gap that is too short leaves you tailgating the vehicle ahead with a vehicle close behind you.
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32. How do extra passengers affect a driver, especially a new one?
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Answer A: They increase the chance of distraction and of crashes
Conversation, laughter and horseplay pull a driver's attention away from the road. Crash risk for young drivers rises with each additional passenger.
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33. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What should you do before driving onto the tracks?
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Answer D: Wait behind the tracks until there is room to clear them completely
Never enter a crossing until you are certain you can drive completely across without stopping, because a vehicle trapped on the tracks cannot get out of a train's way.
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34. Which trailer lights must work before you drive away?
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Answer B: The tail lights, brake lights and turn signals
The trailer hides the vehicle lights from anyone behind, so its own tail, brake and turn signals have to work before you move.
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35. A steady downward green arrow is displayed over a lane. What does it indicate?
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Answer C: The lane is open to traffic in your direction
A steady downward green arrow means the lane it points to is open to traffic traveling in your direction.
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36. You have signaled and pulled up level with the car in front of an empty curb space. What comes next?
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Answer A: Reverse slowly while turning the wheel toward the curb
From alongside the forward car you back in on a turn toward the curb, then straighten and swing the front in as the rear reaches the space.
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37. How long can cannabis affect a driver?
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Answer A: For hours after the strongest effects have passed
Slowed reactions, poor tracking and weak judgment of distance can last for hours, well beyond the point where the user believes the effects are over.
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38. The vehicle you have borrowed is larger and heavier than your own. How should you drive it?
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Answer B: Allow more room for stopping and for turns until you are used to it
Extra weight and length mean longer stopping distances and wider turns, so give yourself more room until you are used to it.
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39. An angry driver is following you closely and gesturing at you. What is the safe response?
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Answer B: Drive to a police station or to a busy public place and call for help
Never stop to confront an aggressive driver and never lead one home; go somewhere public and get the police involved.
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40. 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.