Ohio BMV Permit Practice Test 19

  • Questions40
  • Correct to pass30
  • Passing score75%
  • Minimum age15 years 6 months

40 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 30 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Before the stop line

    A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.

  2. 2. What does electronic stability control do that ordinary brakes cannot?

    Show answer

    Answer C: It brakes single wheels to bring the vehicle back on your intended path

    The system compares where you have steered with where the vehicle is actually going, then brakes individual wheels to pull it back into line.

  3. 3. You are turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Which lane should you use?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Turn from the far left lane into the far left lane of the new street

    The general turning rule is to turn from the lane nearest the direction of the turn into the nearest lane of the new roadway, which on a one-way to one-way left turn means far left to far left.

  4. 4. Your left-turn lane faces a steady green ball and oncoming traffic is heavy. What are you allowed to do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Move into the intersection and turn when a safe gap appears

    A green ball permits the turn but gives no priority, so you may move into the intersection and wait there for a gap in the oncoming traffic.

  5. 5. You reach a T intersection where the cross street has a ONE WAY sign pointing to the right. What may you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Turn right only, because the street carries traffic in that direction

    The arrow shows the only direction traffic may travel, so the only legal movement from the terminating road is a right turn.

  6. 6. You are first in the queue at a red light with a marked crosswalk. Where should your vehicle stop?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Behind the stop line, so that the crosswalk stays clear

    Stopping short of the line keeps the crosswalk usable for people on foot and keeps your vehicle out of the path of turning traffic.

  7. 7. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?

    Show answer

    Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane

    Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.

  8. 8. An arrow panel at a work zone displays a flashing arrow pointing to the left. What does it require?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Move out of the closed lane into the lane on the left

    A flashing or sequential arrow on an arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane and into the lane the arrow points to.

  9. 9. Beside an accessible parking space there is an area painted with diagonal stripes. What is it for?

    Show answer

    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.

  10. 10. A line beside your lane is painted about twice the normal width. What does the extra width convey?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Greater emphasis on the restriction it carries

    Width is part of the marking code: a wide line carries more emphasis than a normal one, which is why it is used at gores and channelizing lines.

  11. 11. What does this sign warn a driver about?

    A yellow diamond showing two black lines joining into one as they go up
    Show answer

    Answer A: Traffic from another roadway will enter the same lane ahead

    Two traffic streams come together into one lane beyond this point, so drivers on both roadways have to adjust speed and spacing to fit together.

  12. 12. This sign is still standing late at night, and nobody is working. What should the driver assume?

    An orange diamond with black lettering
    Show answer

    Answer B: The layout may still be altered, so the same care and reduced speed apply

    Narrowed lanes, shifted alignments, dropped pavement edges and parked equipment remain overnight, so the hazard does not end when the crew goes home.

  13. 13. Under Ohio law, an opened bottle of wine purchased at a restaurant can avoid being treated as an open container in a vehicle if what two conditions are met?

    Show answer

    Answer C: It is securely resealed with visible tamper evidence and stored in the trunk or behind the last seat

    Ohio law treats a resealed wine bottle as something other than an open container only if it is securely resealed in a tamper-evident way and stored in the trunk, or behind the last upright seat if there is no trunk.

  14. 14. How should your following distance change in heavy rain?

    Show answer

    Answer D: It should be increased well beyond what you use on dry pavement

    Wet pavement lengthens stopping distance and rain cuts visibility at the same time, so a larger gap gives you the extra seconds needed to see a problem and stop for it.

  15. 15. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane

    Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.

  16. 16. You receive a phone call that you feel you must answer while driving. What is the safest way to take it?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Pull off the road, stop in a safe place and then answer

    No call is worth a crash. Stopping in a safe location removes the distraction completely, while every other option divides your attention.

  17. 17. Why should your thumbs rest along the rim rather than hook inside the spokes?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A jolt can spin the wheel and injure hooked thumbs

    A pothole or a dropped wheel can snap the wheel round violently, and thumbs hooked through the spokes are trapped when it happens.

  18. 18. You have just passed a vehicle on a two-lane road. When may you return to your lane?

    Show answer

    Answer B: When you can see the whole vehicle in your inside mirror

    Seeing the entire vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror shows there is room to pull back in without cutting it off.

  19. 19. A crash happens directly in front of you and vehicles are blocking both lanes. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stop at a safe distance, put on the hazards and warn the traffic behind

    The greatest danger after a crash is a second collision, so stop short of it and make sure the traffic behind you can see the problem.

  20. 20. You are approaching a yield sign on a ramp that joins a busy street. What does the sign require?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Slow down, be ready to stop, and let the other traffic go first

    A yield sign means you must slow, be prepared to stop and give way to traffic on the road you are entering; a full stop is required only when traffic makes it necessary.

  21. 21. A farm implement ahead of you on a two-lane road is wider than its own lane. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Hang back until you can see past it and pass only with a clear road

    Wide equipment hides the road ahead and may extend farther across the center line than it appears, so the pass needs more room and a much better view.

  22. 22. You hear a bang and one of the front tires deflates while you are on the highway. What happens to the vehicle?

    Show answer

    Answer D: It pulls strongly toward the side that failed

    The collapsed tire drags heavily on that corner, so the vehicle veers toward it. Hold the wheel firmly, keep your line and let the speed fall before leaving the road.

  23. 23. A sign reads END SCHOOL ZONE. What does it tell a driver?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The regular limit for that road applies again

    An end of restriction sign marks the downstream limit of a special zone, after which the ordinary speed limit for that road governs again.

  24. 24. During the first 12 months with an Ohio probationary driver license, what night driving rule applies to a driver under 18?

    Show answer

    Answer B: No driving from midnight to 6 a.m. unless an exception applies

    In the first 12 months of licensure an Ohio driver under 18 may not drive between midnight and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or traveling to or from documented work, school or religious events.

  25. 25. You notice that the driver ahead of you is holding a phone to the ear. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Assume slower reactions and leave extra space, or else hold back

    A driver on the phone reacts late and misses things, so the safe response is distance rather than a lesson.

  26. 26. How does higher speed affect the outcome of a crash?

    Show answer

    Answer A: It leaves less time to react and greatly increases the force of impact

    Speed shortens the time available to avoid a hazard and raises the energy released in an impact, so both the likelihood and the severity of a crash increase.

  27. 27. A car is coming straight at you in your lane and there is no time for it to move back. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Brake, sound the horn and steer to the right, toward the shoulder or ditch

    Steering right takes you away from the other vehicle even if its driver corrects course, and the shoulder or ditch is survivable.

  28. 28. The brake warning light stays on even though the parking brake is fully released. What does it indicate?

    Show answer

    Answer B: A possible brake system problem, so have the brakes checked promptly

    The brake warning light also signals low brake fluid or a failure in one part of the hydraulic system. Do not ignore it, because braking may be reduced.

  29. 29. What belongs in a basic emergency kit carried in a car?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A flashlight, a first aid kit, jumper cables and some warning devices

    A useful kit lets you see, be seen, treat an injury and restart the vehicle; carrying loose gasoline is a fire risk.

  30. 30. How far ahead should you normally be looking while driving?

    Show answer

    Answer D: About 12 to 15 seconds of travel ahead

    Looking that far ahead, roughly a block in town and much farther on a highway, gives you time to see a problem developing and adjust before it becomes an emergency.

  31. 31. May you stop in a marked bicycle lane to let a passenger out?

    Show answer

    Answer B: No, stopping there forces riders into the traffic lane

    A vehicle stopped in a bike lane pushes riders out into moving traffic, which is exactly what the lane exists to prevent.

  32. 32. Permanent signs must be retroreflective or lighted so that

    Show answer

    Answer A: they show the same shape and color at night as by day

    Retroreflective sheeting throws headlight light back to the driver, so a sign keeps its daytime shape and color after dark.

  33. 33. Your car begins to lose power on a freeway and you must stop. Where should you try to bring it to a halt?

    Show answer

    Answer A: As far off the right side of the road as you can get, beyond the edge line

    A disabled vehicle should be moved completely clear of the travel lanes, on the right, so that traffic can pass without changing course.

  34. 34. How should a pregnant driver or passenger wear a seat belt?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Lap belt below the belly across the hips, shoulder belt across the chest

    A properly worn belt protects both mother and baby. The lap portion goes low under the belly, snug across the hip bones, and the shoulder belt crosses between the breasts.

  35. 35. A school sign paired with a plaque showing a diagonal downward-pointing arrow is installed

    Show answer

    Answer D: at the school crossing itself, or as close to it as possible

    The diagonal downward arrow points at the crossing, so this assembly is placed at the crossing location rather than in advance of it.

  36. 36. An Ohio driver refuses a chemical test after an OVI arrest with no prior refusals or convictions. How long is the administrative license suspension?

    Show answer

    Answer B: One year

    A first refusal in Ohio brings a one-year administrative license suspension, while a first test over the limit brings a 90-day suspension.

  37. 37. You are driving through a long curve on a road with two lanes in your direction. What is correct?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Stay within your own lane all the way through, adjusting speed before you enter

    Wandering out of your lane in a curve puts you into the path of a vehicle you cannot see, and the slowing belongs before the curve rather than in it.

  38. 38. Warning signs such as stop ahead, yield ahead and signal ahead are installed mainly where

    Show answer

    Answer B: the traffic control device cannot be seen from far enough away

    These advance warning signs are used when a crest, curve or obstruction keeps the stop sign, yield sign or signal from coming into view in time for a driver to react.

  39. 39. The signal ahead turns yellow while you are approaching it. What does the yellow light mean?

    Show answer

    Answer C: The red is coming; stop if you can do so safely

    A steady yellow warns that the red is next. Stop if you can do so safely; enter the intersection only when stopping would be dangerous.

  40. 40. Children are playing close to the edge of a residential street. What is the right speed choice?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Well below the limit, slow enough to stop for a sudden dash

    Children can step out without warning, so the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.