No stopping, standing, or parking — buses may stop at marked bus zones only

CA · STUDY GUIDE

Rules of the Road

Right-of-way, speed limits, lanes and turns, highway driving, and safe-driving practice — the largest share of the real exam. All 218 questions below cite the CA Driver's Manual section they come from.

Road Signs, Signals & Markings Penalties, Alcohol & Drug Laws Junior Operator Law & Licensing

1 · PROVISIONAL LICENSE

During the first 12 months of a provisional license, a minor may NOT drive:

✓ Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
· Between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
· On freeways
· Outside their home county

Provisional drivers can't drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first year, with exceptions (signed notes for medical, school, work, or family need) or when a licensed driver 25+ rides along.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 2 · Minor's Restrictions, p. 4

2 · PROVISIONAL LICENSE

For the first 12 months, a provisional driver may not carry:

✓ Passengers under 20, unless a licensed driver 25 or older is in the car
· Any passengers at all
· More than one passenger of any age
· Passengers after 6 p.m.

No passengers under 20 years old during the first year unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other California-licensed driver at least 25 years old (or a qualifying exception applies).

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 2 · Minor's Restrictions, p. 4

3 · TESTING PROCESS

How many attempts do you get to pass the knowledge test before reapplying?

✓ Three
· One
· Two
· Unlimited

You're allowed three attempts. Minors who fail must also wait seven days (not counting the failure day) before retaking it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Knowledge Test, p. 5

4 · TESTING PROCESS

A minor who fails the knowledge test must wait how long to retake it?

✓ Seven days
· One day
· 30 days
· There is no wait

Seven days, not including the day of the failure. For a failed behind-the-wheel test, the wait is 14 days.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Knowledge Test, p. 5

5 · TESTING PROCESS

During the knowledge test, using a cell phone or the handbook is:

✓ Not allowed — no testing aids of any kind
· Allowed for one question
· Allowed with permission
· Allowed for translations only

No testing aids are allowed during knowledge tests — that includes the California Driver's Handbook and your phone.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Knowledge Test, p. 5

6 · TESTING PROCESS

Your drive-test vehicle will be rejected if:

✓ It has a "donut" spare tire in use
· It is older than 15 years
· It has an automatic transmission
· It has only two mirrors

Donut tires aren't allowed on the drive test. Tires need at least 1/32-inch tread, both brake lights must work, and the examiner needs a clear windshield view — otherwise the test is rescheduled.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

7 · LANES AND TURNS

In California lane numbering, the "Number 1 Lane" is:

✓ The left (fast) lane
· The far right lane
· The center lane
· The carpool lane only

Lanes number from the left: Number 1 is the left lane, Number 2 is next, and so on. Use the left lane to pass or turn left; the right lane for entering and exiting traffic.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Choosing a Lane, p. 15

8 · LANES AND TURNS

You may use an HOV (carpool) lane when:

✓ You meet the posted minimum occupancy, display a DMV zero/low-emission decal, or ride a motorcycle
· You're running late
· Traffic in other lanes is stopped
· You're towing a trailer

HOV lanes are for the posted minimum number of occupants, DMV-decaled low/zero-emission vehicles, and motorcycles (unless posted otherwise). The lane is marked with a diamond symbol.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Carpool/HOV Lanes, pp. 15-16

9 · LANES AND TURNS

You may drive in a center left turn lane for no more than:

✓ 200 feet
· 50 feet
· 500 feet
· As long as needed

The shared center lane is only for preparing left turns or U-turns — merge fully into it, but travel no more than 200 feet. It is never a passing lane.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Center Left Turn Lanes, p. 16

10 · LANES AND TURNS

On a two-lane road, you MUST use a turnout area when:

✓ You're driving slowly, passing is unsafe, and five or more vehicles are following you
· Any single car follows you
· You want to check your phone
· The road curves

Driving slowly with five or more vehicles stacked behind you where passing is unsafe? You must use a turnout area or lane to let them pass.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Turnout Areas or Lanes, p. 16

11 · BICYCLISTS

Driving in a bicycle lane is legal only when:

✓ Parking where permitted, entering or leaving the road, or turning within 200 feet of an intersection
· Traffic is heavy
· No bicyclists are visible
· You're below 15 mph

Bike lanes belong to bicyclists. Cars may enter only to park (where allowed), enter or leave the roadway, or prepare a turn within 200 feet of the intersection — after checking blind spots.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Bicycle Lanes, p. 17

12 · LANES AND TURNS

Making a right turn, you should signal about ___ before the turn:

✓ 100 feet
· 25 feet
· 500 feet
· 10 feet

Start signaling about 100 feet before, look over your right shoulder, stop behind the limit line, and complete the turn into the right lane without swinging wide.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Right Turns, p. 18

13 · LANES AND TURNS

In a residential district, a U-turn is legal when:

✓ No vehicles are approaching within 200 feet
· Any time, without conditions
· Only at traffic lights
· Never

Residential U-turns are fine when no vehicle is approaching within 200 feet — also across double yellow lines, at green lights or arrows (unless posted), and through divided-highway openings.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · U-Turn, p. 20

14 · LANES AND TURNS

Which U-turn is ALWAYS illegal?

✓ Using a fire station driveway to turn around
· At a green light
· Across a single double-yellow line
· Through a divided-highway opening

Never use a fire station driveway to turn around. Also banned: where NO U-TURN is posted, at railroad crossings, on one-ways, with under 200 feet of visibility, and in business districts except at intersections or provided openings.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · U-Turn, p. 20

15 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

When entering a freeway, you should merge:

✓ At or near the speed of traffic — highway traffic has the right-of-way
· Well below traffic speed for safety
· By stopping and waiting for a large gap
· Anywhere, since entering traffic has priority

Highway traffic has the right-of-way. Enter at or near traffic speed, don't stop unless absolutely necessary, and cross one lane at a time.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Merging, p. 23

16 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

To merge into city traffic from a full stop, you need a gap of about:

✓ Half a block — about 150 feet (a full block, 300 feet, on the highway)
· Two car lengths
· A quarter block
· 50 feet everywhere

From a stop, you need roughly half a city block (150 feet) — and about a full block (300 feet) to enter highway-speed traffic.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Crossing or Entering Traffic, p. 24

17 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

Before exiting a freeway, signal for about:

✓ Five seconds — roughly 400 feet
· One second
· A quarter mile
· Ten flashes

Know your exit ahead of time, move over one lane at a time, and signal about five seconds (approximately 400 feet) before exiting. Don't cross solid lines to exit.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Exiting, p. 23

18 · PASSING

Do NOT pass within ___ of an intersection, bridge, tunnel, or railroad crossing:

✓ 100 feet
· 500 feet
· 50 feet
· 1,000 feet

No passing within 100 feet of intersections, bridges, tunnels, railroad crossings, or other hazardous areas — nor at crossroads and driveways.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Passing, p. 24

19 · PASSING

To pass safely near a hill or curve, you must be able to see ahead at least:

✓ One-third of a mile
· 100 feet
· One mile
· Three car lengths

The hill or curve should be at least one-third of a mile away — if you can't see whether traffic is approaching, don't pass.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Passing, p. 24

20 · PASSING

Passing on the right is allowed only when:

✓ The road has two or more lanes your way, the driver ahead is turning left, or you're on a one-way street
· The shoulder is paved
· The car ahead is slow
· You honk first

Open highway with two-plus lanes your direction, a left-turning driver ahead you can safely pass on the right, or a one-way street. Never drive off the paved roadway to pass.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · How to Pass, p. 25

21 · PASSING

When another vehicle is passing you, California says to:

✓ Maintain your lane position and your speed
· Speed up slightly
· Pull onto the shoulder
· Brake to help them by

Hold your lane position and speed and let them pass. Don't speed up — and don't drift.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Being Passed, p. 25

22 · PARKING

When parallel parked, your wheels must be within ___ of the curb:

✓ 18 inches
· 6 inches
· 3 feet
· 12 inches

Back in at about a 45-degree angle and straighten out within 18 inches of the curb. Look for a space at least three feet longer than your vehicle.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parallel Parking, p. 26

23 · ROAD TEST SKILLS

The drive test's straight-line backing maneuver requires backing:

✓ Three vehicle lengths, staying within three feet of the curb
· One car length anywhere on the road
· Around a corner
· Into a parallel space between cones

California tests straight-line backing: three vehicle lengths at a smooth, safe speed while staying within three feet of the curb — looking back over your shoulder, not at your mirrors.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Straight Line Backing, p. 27

24 · PARKING

Parked headed DOWNHILL with a curb, turn your front wheels:

✓ Into the curb (toward the side of the road)
· Away from the curb
· Straight ahead
· It doesn't matter with the brake set

Downhill: wheels into the curb. Uphill: wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back to gently touch it. No curb: wheels toward the shoulder so a rolling car leaves the road.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking on a Hill, p. 27

25 · PARKING

A WHITE curb means you may stop only:

✓ Long enough to pick up or drop off passengers
· For up to one hour
· To load freight
· If you're disabled

White: passenger pickup/drop-off only. Green: limited-time parking. Yellow: loading passengers or freight. Red: no stopping at all (except buses at bus zones). Blue: disabled parking with a placard or plate.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking at Colored Curbs, p. 28

26 · PARKING

A RED curb means:

✓ No stopping, standing, or parking — buses may stop at marked bus zones only
· Fire vehicles only
· 15-minute parking
· Loading zone

Red means no stopping, standing, or parking, period — the only exception is buses at red zones marked for buses.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking at Colored Curbs, p. 28

27 · PARKING

You may not park within ___ of a fire hydrant or fire station driveway:

✓ 15 feet
· 5 feet
· 10 feet
· 50 feet

15 feet from hydrants and fire station driveways. Also illegal: on crosswalks or sidewalks, within 3 feet of a disabled-access ramp, in crosshatched areas, and double parking.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 28

28 · PARKING

A vehicle left standing on a freeway for more than ___ may be removed:

✓ Four hours
· 24 hours
· One hour
· Ten days

Freeway stops are for emergencies only: park completely off the pavement, stay in the locked vehicle until help arrives — and after four hours the vehicle may be removed.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 29

29 · POLICE STOPS

When an officer signals you to stop, you should first:

✓ Turn on your right turn signal to acknowledge, and pull fully onto the right shoulder
· Stop immediately in your lane
· Pull to the left median
· Slow down but keep driving to a police station

Signal right to show you see the officer, move completely onto the right shoulder (even from a carpool lane), stop in a well-lit area, stay inside, and roll down your window.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Law Enforcement Stops, p. 29

30 · POLICE STOPS

When stopped by law enforcement, the driver must produce:

✓ Driver's license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration
· Only a driver's license
· Nothing without a warrant
· A passport

Drivers must produce license, insurance proof, and registration when stopped. In California, only FEDERAL officers may ask about immigration status — state and local officers are prohibited, and you may decline to answer them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Your Rights During the Stop, p. 30

31 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Two vehicles reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time. Who goes first?

✓ The vehicle on the right
· The vehicle on the left
· The larger vehicle
· Whoever honks first

First to arrive goes first; arriving together, yield to the vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian on your right. Never assume others will give you the right-of-way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Right-of-Way Rules, p. 39

32 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

At a T intersection without signs, who has the right-of-way?

✓ Traffic on the through (continuing) road
· The vehicle on the ending road
· Whoever arrives first, always
· The vehicle turning left

Vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians on the through road have the right-of-way over traffic entering from the road that ends.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · T Intersections, p. 39

33 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Before turning left, you must give the right-of-way to:

✓ Any approaching vehicle close enough to be dangerous, and all pedestrians
· No one if you signaled
· Only trucks
· Vehicles behind you

Left turns yield to pedestrians and any oncoming vehicle that's close enough to be dangerous — and don't assume an oncoming car with its blinker on will actually turn before reaching you.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Right-of-Way Rules, p. 39

34 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Entering an intersection you can't fully cross before the light turns red is:

✓ Against the law — wait until you can get completely across
· Fine if you entered on green
· Allowed during rush hour
· Allowed for left turns

It's illegal to stop or block an intersection when there isn't enough space to cross completely before the signal turns red.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Right-of-Way Rules, p. 39

35 · ROUNDABOUTS

Entering a roundabout, you must:

✓ Slow down and yield to all traffic already circulating, then enter to the right
· Stop completely even when empty
· Enter to the left, clockwise
· Take the right-of-way over circulating cars

Yield to traffic in the roundabout, enter heading right when there's a safe gap, travel counterclockwise, and never stop or pass inside. Miss your exit? Go around again.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Roundabouts, p. 40

36 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

Which of these counts as a pedestrian under California law?

✓ A person on a skateboard or in a wheelchair — along with anyone walking
· Only people in crosswalks
· Only children
· Bicyclists

Pedestrians include walkers, people on skates or skateboards, and people with disabilities using tricycles, quadricycles, or wheelchairs. When one is crossing — marked crosswalk or not — slow or stop to let them finish safely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrians, p. 41

37 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

A pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog:

✓ Has the right-of-way at ALL times
· Has the right-of-way only in crosswalks
· Must wait for traffic
· Should be honked at politely

Guide dogs and white canes mean right-of-way at all times. Never honk at a blind person, never stop in the middle of a crosswalk — and when they pull in their cane and step away, that usually means you may go.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrians Who Are Blind, p. 42

38 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Two cars meet on a steep, narrow mountain road where neither can pass. Who backs up?

✓ The vehicle facing DOWNHILL backs up until the uphill vehicle can pass
· The vehicle facing uphill
· The smaller vehicle
· Neither — both wait for help

The downhill-facing vehicle yields and backs up — it has more control backing uphill than the uphill car has backing down.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Mountain Roads, p. 42

39 · SHARING THE ROAD

If you can't see a truck's side mirrors:

✓ The truck driver can't see you — you're in a No Zone
· You're at a safe distance
· The truck is too close to you
· You should honk

Large vehicles have big blind spots called No Zones. No view of their side mirrors means no view of you. A car at 55 mph stops within ~300 feet; a large vehicle can need 400 — never cut in front and suddenly slow.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Blind Spots (the No Zone), p. 42

40 · SHARING THE ROAD

On a divided highway with four or more lanes one way, trucks may drive in:

✓ The two lanes farthest to the right
· Any lane
· The left lane only
· The carpool lane

Trucks keep to the two right-hand lanes. Don't linger beside them, don't cut in front to reach an exit, and expect wide swings on their turns.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Maneuvering, p. 43

41 · SHARING THE ROAD

Passing a streetcar or bus stopped at a safety zone, your maximum speed is:

✓ 10 mph
· 25 mph
· 5 mph
· 15 mph

When a bus, streetcar, or trolley is stopped at a safety zone or a traffic-lighted intersection, you may pass at no more than 10 mph — and never drive through a safety zone.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Buses, Streetcars, Trolleys, p. 43

42 · SHARING THE ROAD

Near light rail vehicles, never:

✓ Turn in front of an approaching light rail vehicle
· Drive within a block of the tracks
· Stop at their signals
· Cross their tracks anywhere

Light rail can interrupt traffic signals and can't swerve. Check for approaching trains before turning across tracks, and complete turns only when the signal allows.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Light Rail Vehicles, p. 44

43 · SHARING THE ROAD

Motorcycles riding between lanes of traffic ("lane splitting") in California is:

✓ Legal — give riders room and check mirrors before changing lanes
· Always illegal
· Legal only on surface streets
· Legal only under 25 mph

California is the rare state where lane splitting is legal. Give motorcycles the full lane when possible, keep a three-second following distance, and check for riders before opening doors or changing lanes.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Motorcycles, p. 44

44 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

An emergency vehicle approaches with siren on while you're inside an intersection. You should:

✓ Continue through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop
· Stop immediately where you are
· Reverse out of the intersection
· Speed through and keep going

Never stop inside the intersection — clear it first, then drive to the right edge and stop. And obey any direction from officers or firefighters, even against existing signs and signals.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Emergency Vehicles, p. 45

45 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Following a responding fire engine closer than ___ is against the law:

✓ 300 feet
· 100 feet
· 500 feet
· 50 feet

Stay at least 300 feet behind any emergency vehicle running its siren or flashing lights — and you can be arrested for driving to the scene of a fire or collision and getting in the way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Emergency Vehicles, p. 45

46 · SHARING THE ROAD

An orange-and-red triangle on the back of a vehicle means it usually travels at:

✓ 25 mph or less
· 45 mph
· 55 mph
· Highway speed

The triangle marks slow-moving vehicles like road maintenance rigs — typically 25 mph or less. Neighborhood electric vehicles max out at 25 mph and are banned from roads posted above 35.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Slow-moving Vehicles, p. 45

47 · BICYCLISTS

When you can't change lanes to pass a bicyclist, you must leave at least:

✓ Three feet of space — or slow down and wait until you can
· One foot of space
· Six feet of space
· A honk's warning

Pass with a full lane change when possible; otherwise leave at least three feet. Can't give three feet? Don't pass until you can — and never enter a bike lane more than 200 feet before your turn.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Passing a Bicyclist, p. 48

48 · BICYCLISTS

At night, a bicycle must have a front lamp visible from:

✓ 300 feet
· 500 feet
· 100 feet
· 1,000 feet

White front lamp visible from 300 feet, a red rear reflector or light visible from 500 feet, plus pedal/ankle reflectors visible from 200 feet and side reflectors or reflectorized tires.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicycling at Night, p. 47

49 · BICYCLISTS

Bicycle riders must wear a helmet if they are:

✓ Under 18
· Under 21
· Under 12
· Any age

Riders under 18 must wear helmets. Bicyclists follow the same signs, signals, and right-of-way rules as drivers, riding with traffic as near the right edge as practicable.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicyclist Responsibilities, p. 47

50 · WORK ZONES

Traffic fines in a work zone can reach:

✓ $1,000 or more — and assaulting a highway worker up to $2,000 and a year in jail
· $100 maximum
· Only warnings are issued
· $250 flat

Work-zone violations run $1,000+. Fines also double in posted Safety Enhanced-Double Fine Zones and in construction or maintenance zones when workers are present.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Fines and Double Fine Zones, p. 49

51 · SHARING THE ROAD

Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights, you must:

✓ Move over a lane away from it when safe — or slow down
· Maintain your speed and lane
· Stop behind it
· Flash your lights and continue

California's Move Over law covers stationary emergency vehicles and road work vehicles (including tow trucks) with flashing amber lights: change lanes away when you can, and slow down either way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Move Over and Slow Down, p. 49

52 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

Towing a trailer on a freeway, you must drive in:

✓ The far-right lane (or the two right lanes where four or more exist)
· Any lane you choose
· The left lane to stay visible
· The carpool lane

Vehicles towing trailers and trucks with three or more axles use the far-right lane or a marked slow-vehicle lane — or the two right lanes where the freeway has four or more your way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Towing, p. 50

53 · SPEED LIMITS

Within 500 feet of a school with children outside, the speed limit is:

✓ 25 mph — with some zones posted as low as 15 mph
· 20 mph everywhere
· 35 mph
· The normal posted limit

25 mph within 500 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing — and some school zones post 15. Watch for crossing guards and safety patrols and obey them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 50

54 · SCHOOL BUSES

A school bus ahead flashes its RED lights on an undivided road. You must:

✓ Stop from either direction until the children are safely across and the lights stop
· Slow to 10 mph and pass
· Stop only if you're behind the bus
· Honk and proceed carefully

Flashing reds stop traffic in BOTH directions. Fail to stop and you face a fine up to $1,000 and a one-year license suspension. Flashing yellows mean the bus is preparing to stop — slow down and get ready.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 51

55 · SCHOOL BUSES

The school bus with flashing reds is across a divided or multilane highway (two-plus lanes each way). You:

✓ Do not need to stop
· Must still stop
· Must slow to 25 mph
· Must pull over and wait

Traffic on the OTHER side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes each direction) doesn't stop — everyone on the bus's side still must.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 51

56 · SPEED LIMITS

The speed limit at a blind intersection (no stop signs, view blocked) is:

✓ 15 mph
· 25 mph
· 5 mph
· 35 mph

Blind intersections — no stop signs at any corner and a blocked view — carry a 15 mph limit. So do alleys and, in some cases, railroad approaches.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Blind Intersections, p. 51

57 · SPEED LIMITS

Unless posted otherwise, the limit in business and residential districts is:

✓ 25 mph
· 30 mph
· 35 mph
· 20 mph

25 mph unless signs say otherwise — one of the numbers the exam loves.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Business or Residential Districts, p. 52

58 · SPEED LIMITS

California's Basic Speed Law says you may never drive:

✓ Faster than is safe for current conditions — even below the posted limit
· Above 55 mph anywhere
· Below the posted limit
· Faster than surrounding traffic

Regardless of the posted limit, your speed must fit the conditions: traffic, road surface, weather, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The posted number is a ceiling, not a promise.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Manage Your Speed, p. 67

59 · SPEED LIMITS

Unless otherwise posted, the maximum on most California highways is _, and on two-lane undivided highways _:

✓ 65 mph / 55 mph
· 70 mph / 65 mph
· 60 mph / 50 mph
· 75 mph / 55 mph

65 mph is the ideal maximum on most highways; 55 on two-lane undivided highways and for vehicles towing trailers — unless signs post otherwise.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Manage Your Speed, p. 67

60 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Smoking in a vehicle with a minor present is:

✓ Illegal — you can be fined
· Legal with windows open
· A warning only
· Legal in your own car

You may not smoke when a minor is in the vehicle. Also illegal: throwing any flaming or glowing substance (like a cigarette) from your vehicle.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

61 · OCCUPANT SAFETY

Riding in the back of a pickup truck is:

✓ Illegal unless the vehicle has secure seats and safety belts back there
· Legal for adults
· Legal under 25 mph
· Legal on rural roads

No person may ride in the back of a pickup or other truck unless it has secured seats with safety belts. Animals in a truck bed must be properly secured too.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

62 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Cargo extending more than four feet past your rear bumper must display:

✓ A 12-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag (two red lights at night)
· Nothing under 6 feet
· A white towel
· Hazard flashers only

More than four feet of overhang requires a 12-inch red or fluorescent orange flag — and two red lights when driving at night.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

63 · PROVISIONAL LICENSE

A provisional driver with TWO at-fault collisions or convictions within 12 months:

✓ Cannot drive for 30 days unless accompanied by a licensed adult 25 or older
· Gets a warning letter only
· Loses the license for five years
· Pays a fine but keeps driving

One incident brings a warning; two means 30 days of driving only with a licensed adult 25+; three suspends you for six months with a year of probation.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Maintaining Your Minor's License, p. 55

64 · SAFE DRIVING

To avoid last-minute moves, scan the road ahead of your vehicle at least:

✓ 10 seconds
· 2 seconds
· 30 seconds
· 5 car lengths

Keep your eyes moving and scan at least 10 seconds ahead so hazards never become surprises.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Scan Your Surroundings, p. 57

65 · SAFE DRIVING

The recommended minimum following distance is:

✓ Three seconds
· One second
· One car length per 10 mph
· Five feet

Use the three-second rule — and add more space in bad weather, behind motorcyclists on metal surfaces or gravel, and when a tailgater is behind you (then merge right and let them pass).

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Tailgating, p. 57

66 · SAFE DRIVING

The correct way to check your blind spots is:

✓ Look over your right or left shoulder out the side window — turning only your head
· Trust your mirrors alone
· Turn your whole body and wheel
· Use the backup camera

Head over shoulder — not the whole body, and never turning the wheel with you. Check before lane changes, turns, merging, backing, parallel parking, pulling out, and opening your door.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Blind Spots, p. 58

67 · SAFE DRIVING

A vehicle with only ONE visible light drives toward you at night. You should:

✓ Keep as far right as possible — it could be a motorcyclist or a car missing a headlight
· Flash your high beams
· Assume it's parked
· Drive down the middle

One light could be a bicycle, motorcycle, or half-blind car — give it room by keeping right. Use high beams only where legal, and dim them for oncoming traffic.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Darkness, p. 59

68 · EMERGENCIES

Your car starts to skid on a slippery surface. You should:

✓ Ease off the gas, avoid braking, and steer in the direction of the skid
· Brake hard immediately
· Steer opposite the skid
· Accelerate out of it

Slowly remove your foot from the accelerator, stay off the brakes, turn the wheel in the direction of the skid, and let the tires regrip.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Surface Skids, p. 60

69 · EMERGENCIES

In a locked-wheel skid with four-wheel ABS, you should:

✓ Apply firm, steady pressure to the brake pedal
· Pump the brakes rapidly
· Use the parking brake
· Shift into reverse

Four-wheel ABS: press firmly and hold — the system pumps for you. No ABS? Pump the brakes quickly to a safe speed. Wet brakes after a puddle: dry them by pressing gas and brake lightly together.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Locked Wheel Skids, pp. 60-61

70 · WET WEATHER

On packed snow you should cut your speed by half; on ice, slow to:

✓ No more than 5 mph
· 25 mph
· 15 mph
· Half the limit

Wet road: 5–10 mph slower. Packed snow: half speed. Ice: crawl at 5 mph or less. Shady spots, bridges, and overpasses freeze first — and fresh rain lifts months of oil off the pavement.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Roads, p. 61

71 · WET WEATHER

In a heavy rainstorm where you can't see beyond 100 feet, don't drive faster than:

✓ 30 mph
· 45 mph
· 55 mph
· 20 mph

Can't see farther than 100 feet? Then it isn't safe above 30 mph — and consider pulling off until visibility improves.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Roads, p. 62

72 · WET WEATHER

If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you should:

✓ Slow down gradually — do not brake suddenly
· Brake hard to regain grip
· Swerve to dry pavement
· Accelerate through it

Ease off gradually; sudden braking can throw the car into a skid. Slow down around standing water — and listen for sloshing tires.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Hydroplaning, p. 62

73 · POOR CONDITIONS

Driving in heavy fog or smoke, use:

✓ Low-beam headlights — high beams reflect back and cause glare
· High beams for maximum light
· Parking lights only
· Hazard flashers while moving

Low beams (never parking or fog lights alone), slow down, add following distance — and it's best to postpone driving in heavy fog entirely. Too thick? Pull off and use your flashers.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Fog or Heavy Smoke, p. 64

74 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

A CHP officer weaves across freeway lanes with emergency lights on (a "traffic break"). You should:

✓ Turn on your flashers, slow to the officer's speed, and never pass the patrol vehicle
· Pass on the right shoulder
· Stop immediately in your lane
· Exit the freeway at once

Traffic breaks clear hazards ahead. Activate your flashers to warn drivers behind, match the officer's speed at a safe distance, and don't pass until the lights go off and traffic clears.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Law Enforcement Traffic Breaks, p. 64

75 · OCCUPANT SAFETY

You can be ticketed for a seat belt violation if:

✓ You're unbelted — or your passenger under 16 is unbelted
· Only if you're on a freeway
· Only in a collision
· Never; belts are optional

Everyone buckles up: you get the ticket for yourself and for any passenger under 16. Wear the shoulder harness across shoulder and chest — never under your arm or behind your back.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Seat Belts, p. 65

76 · CHILD SAFETY

A child under 2 (under 40 lbs and under 3'4") must ride in:

✓ A rear-facing child restraint system
· A booster seat facing forward
· The front seat with a belt
· A parent's lap

Under 2, under 40 pounds, and under 3 feet 4 inches: rear-facing restraint — and never in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Child Restraint System, p. 66

77 · CHILD SAFETY

Children must ride in a child restraint system in the back seat until they are:

✓ 8 years old or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall
· 6 years old
· 10 years old regardless of height
· 12 years old

Under 8 or under 4'9": secured in a child restraint in the rear seat (limited exceptions). At 8+ or 4'9"+, a properly fitted safety belt is allowed.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Child Restraint System, p. 66

78 · CHILD SAFETY

Leaving a child age 6 or younger alone in a vehicle is:

✓ Illegal — unless supervised by someone at least 12 years old
· Fine for under 10 minutes
· Legal with windows cracked
· Legal in parking lots

Never leave a young child unattended — it's illegal (supervision must be 12+), and hot-car temperatures rise fast enough to kill even with a window slightly open.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Unattended Children and Pets, p. 67

79 · EMERGENCIES

A tire blows out at speed. Your first moves are:

✓ Hold the wheel with both hands and gradually release the accelerator
· Brake as hard as possible
· Yank the wheel toward the shoulder
· Shift to park

Both hands on the wheel, ease off the gas — sudden braking or lifting off abruptly can cause loss of control. Stabilize, steer where you want to go, then slow and pull off safely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Tire Blowouts, p. 68

80 · EMERGENCIES

Your wheels drift off the pavement. You should:

✓ Grip the wheel firmly, ease off the gas, brake gently, then steer back when safe
· Jerk the wheel back onto the road
· Accelerate back on
· Slam the brakes

No sudden moves: firm grip, off the gas, gentle braking, check traffic behind you, and steer carefully back on — never pull the wheel with too much force.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Driving Off the Pavement, p. 68

81 · BREAKDOWNS

Your car dies on the freeway. Best practice is to:

✓ Pull to the right shoulder, dial 511 or use a call box, and stay in the vehicle belted until help arrives
· Stand behind the trunk waving
· Walk along the freeway to an exit
· Stop in your lane with flashers

Right shoulder, exit on the right side only if you must, then back in with your belt on. During commute hours, the CHP Freeway Service Patrol offers free help — gas, jump starts, flats, or a free tow off the freeway.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Disabled on the Freeway, p. 69

82 · DISTRACTED DRIVING

An adult driver may use a cell phone only:

✓ Hands-free — mounted, operated with a single swipe or tap
· Held below the window line
· At red lights
· For short calls

Hands-free mode only, mounted on the windshield, dashboard, or console without blocking your view, and operated with one swipe or tap. No reading or sending texts while driving.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Cell Phones and Texting, pp. 70-71

83 · DISTRACTED DRIVING

A driver under 18 may use a phone or wireless device while driving:

✓ Only to call for emergency assistance — hands-free doesn't matter
· In hands-free mode
· For navigation only
· With a parent's permission

Minors may not use phones or electronic wireless devices at all while driving — even hands-free. The only exception is calling for emergency help.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Minors and Cell Phones, p. 71

84 · DUI LAWS

It is illegal for a driver UNDER 21 to drive with a BAC of:

✓ 0.01% or higher
· 0.08% or higher
· 0.05% or higher
· 0.04% or higher

Zero tolerance: 0.01% for under-21 (and anyone on DUI probation). It's 0.08% for adults 21+ and 0.04% for commercial licenses and passengers-for-hire.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · BAC Limits, p. 73

85 · DUI LAWS

Refusing a blood or urine test when an officer suspects DUI means DMV will:

✓ Suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year
· Issue a warning
· Reduce the charge
· Nothing without a conviction

Driving means you've consented to testing. Refuse, and the DMV suspends or revokes your privilege for one year — separate from any court case.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Alcohol and Drugs, p. 72

86 · DUI LAWS

An opened container of alcohol in your car must be carried:

✓ In the trunk or somewhere passengers do not sit — never the glove box
· In the glove box
· Under a seat
· Held by a sober passenger

Containers must be full, sealed, and unopened — once open, trunk only (or where passengers don't sit). The glove box is explicitly illegal. Same rules apply to cannabis.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Alcohol or Cannabis in a Vehicle, p. 72

87 · DUI LAWS

A DUI conviction stays on your driver's record for:

✓ 10 years
· 3 years
· 5 years
· 1 year

Ten years — and a first conviction already means up to six months in jail, a suspended license, a DUI program, an SR-22, possibly an ignition interlock, and impound fees.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Convictions, p. 74

88 · DUI LAWS

An under-21 driver caught carrying unopened alcohol in the car (no adult 21+ present):

✓ Can have the vehicle impounded for up to 30 days and their license suspended for a year
· Gets a $50 fine only
· Faces no penalty if it's sealed
· Just has the alcohol confiscated

Under 21, carrying alcohol is illegal unless a person 21+ is in the vehicle (or you work for an off-site liquor licensee): up to 30 days' impound, fines, and a one-year suspension.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Drivers Under 21, p. 75

89 · INSURANCE

California's minimum liability insurance must cover at least:

✓ $30,000 one injury/death, $60,000 multiple, $15,000 property damage
· $15,000 / $30,000 / $5,000
· $100,000 across the board
· $10,000 / $20,000 / $10,000

The 30/60/15 minimums: $30,000 for a single death or injury, $60,000 for more than one person, $15,000 for property damage. Carry your proof whenever you drive — including the drive test.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Insurance Requirements, p. 76

90 · INSURANCE

A collision while driving uninsured — even one that isn't your fault — can suspend your license for up to:

✓ Four years
· 30 days
· Six months
· One year

Up to four years, fault irrelevant. After the first year, you can get it back by maintaining a California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR-22) for three years.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Driving Without Insurance, p. 76

91 · COLLISIONS

You must report a collision to DMV (form SR-1) within 10 days if:

✓ Damage exceeds $1,000 or anyone was injured or killed — regardless of fault
· Only if you caused it
· Only on public roads
· Only if police didn't come

Over $1,000 damage or any injury/death: SR-1 to DMV within 10 days, whether or not you caused it, even on private property. Skip it and your license gets suspended. Injuries also mean reporting to law enforcement within 24 hours.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Reporting a Collision, p. 78

92 · COLLISIONS

You hit a parked car and can't find the owner. You must:

✓ Leave a securely attached note with your name, phone, and address — and report it to law enforcement
· Wait 10 minutes, then go
· Nothing if damage looks minor
· Call your insurer only

Try to find the owner; otherwise leave a secured note with your details and report the collision to law enforcement. Leaving the scene invites hit-and-run charges.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · What to Do If You Are in a Collision, p. 77

93 · COLLISIONS

If you injure or kill an animal with your car, you should:

✓ Call the nearest humane society or law enforcement — and don't try to move an injured animal
· Move it off the road yourself
· Drive on; animals aren't reportable
· Take it to a vet in your car

Call the humane society or law enforcement, and never try to move an injured animal yourself. Don't leave it to suffer.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · What to Do If You Are in a Collision, p. 77

94 · SAFE DRIVING

Oncoming traffic to your left, a bicyclist ahead on your right. The handbook says:

✓ Take one danger at a time — slow, let the oncoming car pass, then move left to give the bicyclist at least 3 feet
· Split the difference between both
· Honk and hold your line
· Pass the bicyclist immediately

Give the most space to the greater danger, and deal with hazards one at a time: let the oncoming vehicle clear, then move left with at least three feet for the bicyclist.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Choose Between Hazards, p. 68

95 · SAFE DRIVING

Never start your car inside a closed garage because:

✓ Exhaust carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly
· It wastes fuel
· It sets off alarms
· The battery drains

All gas vehicles produce carbon monoxide — an odorless, deadly gas. Tiredness, yawning, dizziness, and nausea while driving can signal a leak; get your exhaust checked.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Carbon Monoxide, p. 71

96 · TESTING PROCESS

A minor who fails the behind-the-wheel drive test must wait ___ before retaking it:

✓ 14 days
· 7 days
· 30 days
· No wait

14 days, not counting the day of the failure — double the 7-day wait for a failed knowledge test.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

97 · TESTING PROCESS

In the pre-drive check, your horn must be:

✓ Designed for the vehicle, working, and audible from at least 200 feet
· Musical
· Louder than 100 decibels
· Mounted on the wheel

The examiner verifies a proper working horn loud enough to be heard from 200 feet — one of the many pre-drive checklist items.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

98 · TESTING PROCESS

When the foot brake is fully depressed, there must be at least ___ between the pedal and floorboard:

✓ One inch
· Three inches
· Half an inch
· No requirement

One inch of clearance under the depressed pedal — along with working right and left brake lights.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

99 · TESTING PROCESS

The drive-test vehicle must have at least ___ rearview mirrors:

✓ Two — one of them on the left side
· One, anywhere
· Three, including both sides
· Two, both inside

At least two rearview mirrors, one mounted on the vehicle's left side. The driver's window must also roll down and the windshield must give a full, unblocked view.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

100 · ROAD TEST SKILLS

Before the drive test begins, the examiner asks you to demonstrate:

✓ The three arm signals — left turn, right turn, and slowing or stopping
· Parallel parking
· A three-point turn
· Changing a tire

The pre-drive check includes turn/arm signals: left arm straight out for left, bent up for right, down for slowing or stopping.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

101 · TESTING PROCESS

Using a video or audio recording device during your drive test is:

✓ Prohibited — devices must be off, disabled, or blocked
· Encouraged for review
· Allowed with examiner permission
· Required by some offices

Recording is prohibited during the drive test. If a device can't be powered off, it must be blocked so there's no visual or audio recording.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 7

102 · TESTING PROCESS

During the drive test, automated parallel parking and lane-departure systems are:

✓ Not permitted — the test evaluates YOUR abilities, not the vehicle's
· Required if installed
· Allowed for parking only
· Allowed on freeways

ADAS features like automated parking and adaptive cruise stay off. Backup cameras and blind spot monitors may be used but never replace actually checking your mirrors and blind spots.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Other Things to Know, p. 7

103 · TESTING PROCESS

Taking your drive test in a rental car is allowed only if:

✓ Your name is on the rental contract and it doesn't exclude drive tests
· The rental company owns a DMV license
· It's never allowed
· You rent for at least a week

Rentals work when you're listed on the contract and the contract doesn't exclude behind-the-wheel tests. You also bring valid proof of insurance and registration.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

104 · LANES AND TURNS

If you miss your turn, the handbook says to:

✓ Keep driving until you can safely and legally turn around
· Stop and reverse
· Swerve across lanes to make it
· Make a U-turn immediately anywhere

Stay in one lane as much as possible, don't weave, and never make last-minute changes — miss the turn and fix it up the road. Started a turn? Follow it through.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Changing Lanes, p. 15

105 · LANES AND TURNS

The general lane-choice rule is:

✓ Left lane to pass or turn left; right lane to enter or exit traffic
· Any lane, any time
· Right lane for passing
· Center lane for exiting

Use the left (Number 1) lane for passing and left turns, the right lane for entering and exiting the road.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Choosing a Lane, p. 15

106 · LANES AND TURNS

In a lane marked for public transit buses only, you may:

✓ Cross it to make a right turn — but never drive, stop, or park in it
· Drive in it during rush hour
· Park briefly
· Use it to pass

Bus-only lanes are off limits for driving, stopping, parking, or leaving a vehicle — the one exception is crossing them to make a right turn.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Right Turn at a Public Transit Bus Lane, p. 18

107 · LANES AND TURNS

Turning right into a DEDICATED right-turn lane (no light for it), you may:

✓ Turn without stopping — even while through traffic has a red — unless a curb light or sign says otherwise
· Never turn on red there
· Stop for three seconds first
· Only turn when waved through

A dedicated right-turn lane — one that does not merge into another lane — lets you turn without stopping, even when straight-through traffic is held by a red. Obey any signal or sign posted on the right curb, and always yield to crosswalk pedestrians.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Right Turn onto a Dedicated Lane, p. 19

108 · LANES AND TURNS

Waiting to turn left, keep your wheels pointed:

✓ Straight ahead until it's safe to start the turn
· Toward the turn, ready to go
· Slightly right
· It makes no difference

Wheels straight: if you're rear-ended with wheels turned left, you'd be pushed into oncoming traffic.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Left Turns, p. 19

109 · LANES AND TURNS

Turning left from a two-way street onto a one-way street with three or more lanes, you may:

✓ End the turn in any lane that is safely open
· Only use the far-left lane
· Only use the center lane
· Not make this turn

Start from the lane closest to the middle; with three-plus lanes going your way on the new street, end in any open lane.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Examples of Turns, p. 21

110 · LANES AND TURNS

Turning left from a ONE-way street onto a two-way street, start from:

✓ The far-left lane
· Any lane
· The far-right lane
· The center lane only

Far-left lane, ending in the left lane closest to the middle going your direction — bicyclists may legally share that left-turn lane for their own lefts.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Examples of Turns, p. 21

111 · LANES AND TURNS

At a "T" intersection, turning from the CENTER lane of a one-way street onto a two-way street:

✓ You may turn either right or left from the center lane
· You may only go straight
· You must back up and change lanes
· Only right turns are legal

Traffic going straight through has the right-of-way, and from the center lane at the T you may turn in either direction.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Examples of Turns, p. 22

112 · LANES AND TURNS

Stopping behind another vehicle at a limit line, leave enough space to:

✓ See its rear wheels
· Fit a truck between you
· Read its license plate
· Open your hood

Don't cross the limit line, and when stopping behind a vehicle, keep enough space to see its rear wheels — room to pull around if it stalls.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Braking, p. 22

113 · BICYCLISTS

A "buffered" bike lane is one that:

✓ Uses chevrons or diagonal markings to add separation from traffic and parked cars
· Is painted red
· Allows cars during rush hour
· Is on the sidewalk

Buffered lanes add a marked cushion between bikes, traffic, and parking. Separated bikeways go further with physical barriers like posts or curbs.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Bicycle Lanes, p. 17

114 · BICYCLISTS

"Sharrows" (shared roadway bicycle markings) tell drivers:

✓ Bicyclists may occupy this travel lane — expect and allow them
· Bikes must leave the road
· A bike lane is a block away
· Bikes may only cross here

Sharrows mark lanes bicyclists legally share, helping them hold a safe position in traffic — no bike lane required.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Bicycle Lanes, p. 17

115 · PARKING

Parking on a sloping driveway, turn your wheels:

✓ So the vehicle can't roll into the street, with the parking brake set
· Straight, always
· Toward the house
· Any way with the engine on

On a sloping driveway: wheels positioned so a rolling vehicle leaves the street out of it, vehicle in park (or in gear for manuals), parking brake set.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking on a Hill, p. 27

116 · PARKING

A YELLOW curb is for:

✓ Loading and unloading passengers or freight — noncommercial drivers usually stay with the vehicle
· Free all-day parking
· Emergency vehicles only
· Motorcycle parking

Yellow = load/unload only, no longer than the posted time — and in a noncommercial vehicle you're usually required to stay with the car.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking at Colored Curbs, p. 28

117 · PARKING

A BLUE curb means parking is allowed only for:

✓ A disabled person (or their driver) with a special placard or plate
· Police vehicles
· Electric vehicles
· Delivery vans

Blue is reserved for disabled parking with a placard or special plate — and the crosshatched area beside those spaces is always off limits.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Parking at Colored Curbs, p. 28

118 · PARKING

Parking a gas car in a space marked for zero-emission vehicle charging is:

✓ Illegal unless you're driving a zero-emission vehicle
· Fine for under 30 minutes
· Fine at night
· Legal on weekends

Spaces designated for parking or fueling zero-emission vehicles are only for zero-emission vehicles. Local authorities may also reserve street spaces for EV charging.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 28

119 · PARKING

Parking on the street facing AGAINST the direction of traffic is:

✓ Illegal — you may not park on the wrong side except where specifically permitted
· Fine on residential streets
· Legal if within 18 inches of the curb
· Legal for quick stops

Never park on the wrong side of the street or on a freeway — the exceptions are emergencies, when an officer requires it, or where a stop is specifically permitted.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 29

120 · POLICE STOPS

During a traffic stop, before the officer reaches your window you should:

✓ Turn off the radio, stay inside, roll the window down, and keep hands in clear view
· Step out to meet them
· Gather your documents from the glove box
· Call a lawyer first

Radio off, remain in the vehicle unless directed out, window down after stopping, and everyone's hands in plain view before the officer makes contact.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · During a Law Enforcement Stop, p. 29

121 · POLICE STOPS

California law requires an officer making a traffic stop to:

✓ State the reason for the stop before questioning (unless withholding it protects against imminent threat)
· Issue a ticket in every stop
· Search the vehicle
· Call for backup

Officers must state the reason for a traffic or pedestrian stop before questioning about it, and the reason must be documented on any citation or report.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Law Enforcement Stops, p. 29

122 · SAFE DRIVING

For better fuel efficiency, the handbook recommends:

✓ Smooth speed-ups and slow-downs, steady speed, and properly inflated tires
· Coasting in neutral downhill
· Overinflating tires
· Frequent rapid acceleration

Drive smoothly at a steady speed, keep tires inflated, change oil and filters on schedule, and drop extra weight from the vehicle.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Driving Green, p. 29

123 · LANES AND TURNS

To make a legal U-turn, begin from:

✓ The far-left lane or a left-turn lane, after signaling
· The right lane
· The shoulder
· Any lane with a signal

Signal and start the U-turn from the far-left lane or the left-turn lane — never from the right side of the road.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · U-Turn, p. 20

124 · BICYCLISTS

A bicyclist may legally move away from the right edge and take more of the lane when:

✓ The lane is too narrow to share safely side-by-side, or to pass, avoid hazards, or turn left
· Never — bikes must hug the curb
· Only on weekends
· Only in groups

Slower bicyclists ride near the right edge EXCEPT when passing, preparing left turns, avoiding hazards, approaching right-turn areas, or when the lane is too narrow to share — then they may use the full lane.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicycling in Travel Lanes, pp. 47-48

125 · BICYCLISTS

Bicyclists on certain sections of California freeways are:

✓ Legal — where no alternate route exists and bicycling isn't forbidden by law
· Always illegal
· Legal only at night
· Legal with a permit

Bicyclists may legally ride on certain freeway sections where there's no alternate route and no prohibition — one more reason to expect bikes where you least expect them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicycles, p. 46

126 · SHARING THE ROAD

Before opening your door next to traffic, check for:

✓ Motorcyclists — including lane-splitters coming between lanes
· Only cars
· Nothing if parked legally
· Weather conditions

Check for motorcyclists before opening your door to traffic — with legal lane splitting, they can approach between lanes where you least expect them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Motorcycles, p. 44

127 · SHARING THE ROAD

You may pass a streetcar or trolley on its LEFT only when:

✓ The tracks are too close to the right side, you're on a one-way street, or an officer directs you
· It's moving slowly
· You honk first
· Never, under any conditions

Pass on the right normally. The left is legal only when the tracks sit too close to the right side, on one-way streets, or under an officer's direction.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Buses, Streetcars, Trolleys, p. 44

128 · SCHOOL BUSES

Near schools, school safety patrols and crossing guards must be:

✓ Obeyed at all times
· Treated as suggestions
· Obeyed only during school hours
· Waved through

Obey their directions at all times — and watch for stopped school buses, bicyclists, and children near schools.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 50

129 · SCHOOL BUSES

A school bus flashes YELLOW lights. That means:

✓ It's preparing to stop — slow down and get ready to stop
· You may pass quickly
· Children are already crossing
· The bus is broken down

Flashing yellow = the bus is preparing to stop to let children off. Slow down and be ready — flashing red means stop from either direction.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 50

130 · WORK ZONES

An orange THRU TRAFFIC MERGE LEFT sign tells you:

✓ A construction closure is ahead — move left as soon as it's safe
· Left turns are prohibited
· The detour has ended
· Trucks must exit

Orange = construction. Merge early and smoothly — don't race the closure and force in at the cone line.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Highway Construction Signs, p. 36

131 · WORK ZONES

ROAD MACHINERY AHEAD (orange) warns of:

✓ Construction equipment operating on or near the road
· A truck weigh station
· Farm equipment crossing
· A rest stop for trucks

Expect equipment, workers, and sudden slowdowns. The flagger-symbol sign warns a flagger is stationed ahead — obey their directions over everything else.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Highway Construction Signs, p. 36

132 · ROUNDABOUTS

In a MULTI-lane roundabout, going straight through, you should:

✓ Choose either lane and exit in the lane you entered
· Always use the left lane
· Always use the right lane
· Straddle both lanes

Straight through: either lane, exiting in the one you entered. Right turns: right lane. Left turns: enter left and circulate to your exit.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Roundabouts, p. 40

133 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

School crossings are sometimes marked with crosswalk lines painted:

✓ Yellow
· Red
· Blue
· Green

Most crosswalks are white; school crossings may be yellow — and not every crosswalk is marked at all. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in marked AND unmarked crosswalks.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Crosswalks, p. 41

134 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

A car ahead of you is stopped at a crosswalk. You should:

✓ Not pass — a pedestrian you can't see may be crossing
· Pass slowly on the left
· Honk, then pass
· Pass on the right

Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk — it may be stopped for someone crossing that's hidden from your view.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrians, p. 41

135 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

A pedestrian at the curb makes eye contact with you. The handbook says:

✓ They're ready to cross — yield to them
· They're letting you go first
· Honk to acknowledge
· Speed up before they step out

Eye contact signals intent to cross: yield. And give seniors, people with small children, and people with disabilities the extra time they need.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Pedestrians, p. 41

136 · SHARING THE ROAD

Behind a motorcycle, keep a following distance of at least:

✓ Three seconds
· One second
· Ten seconds
· One car length

A three-second gap protects riders who brake suddenly or fall — motorcycles disappear in blind spots, so double-check mirrors before lane changes and turns.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Motorcycles, p. 44

137 · SHARING THE ROAD

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are restricted from roads with speed limits above:

✓ 35 mph
· 25 mph
· 45 mph
· 55 mph

NEVs and low-speed vehicles top out around 25 mph and may not use roads posted above 35 — watch for NEV USE ONLY and NEV ROUTE signs.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · NEVs and LSVs, p. 46

138 · SHARING THE ROAD

Around horses and livestock on the road, it is illegal to:

✓ Intentionally scare or startle them
· Slow down for them
· Stop for the rider's signal
· Give them extra room

Horse-drawn vehicles and riders share road rights. Scaring horses or stampeding livestock on purpose is against the law — slow down, give space, follow directions from the person in charge.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Animal-drawn Vehicles, p. 46

139 · SPEED LIMITS

The speed limit in an alley is:

✓ 15 mph
· 25 mph
· 10 mph
· 20 mph

Alleys (roads no wider than 25 feet accessing rear entrances) carry a 15 mph limit — same as blind intersections.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Alleys, p. 51

140 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

A video monitor visible to the driver is legal only if it displays:

✓ Vehicle information, navigation, or a media player interface — not entertainment video
· Anything under 7 inches
· Movies at low volume
· Sports with captions on

Screens the driver can see may show vehicle info, GPS, or media-player controls — not video entertainment.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

141 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

A toll transponder or permitted sticker on the windshield may be placed:

✓ In a small designated square — like a 5-inch square in the driver's lower corner or 7-inch on the passenger side
· Anywhere on the glass
· Across the top edge
· In the center of the windshield

Windshield objects that block your view are illegal. Exceptions are small designated zones: a 7-inch square at the passenger's lower corner, 5-inch at the driver's lower corner, or a center-top area for toll devices.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 53

142 · SHARING THE ROAD

A funeral procession led by a traffic officer:

✓ Has the right-of-way — interfering with it can get you ticketed
· Must stop at every light
· May be joined to save time
· Yields to all other traffic

Procession vehicles carry windshield markers and drive with headlights on. Don't interfere — the procession has the right-of-way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 53

143 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

Driving with an illegible or altered license plate is:

✓ Illegal
· Fine if one plate is clear
· A parking offense
· Legal for classic cars

Plates must be legible and unaltered in any way.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 53

144 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Dumping or abandoning an animal on the highway is punishable by:

✓ A fine up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both
· A $50 fine
· A written warning
· Community service only

Abandoning animals on a highway is a crime: up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

145 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

Driving a vehicle so overloaded that you can't see ahead or to the sides is:

✓ Illegal — you must maintain control and a clear view
· Fine below 25 mph
· Fine with flashers on
· Legal for moving day

You may not drive a vehicle loaded beyond your ability to control it or see ahead and to the sides — and unsecured loads that create hazards are illegal too.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

146 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Throwing a cigarette or any burning substance from your vehicle is:

✓ Illegal — flaming or glowing objects may never be thrown from a vehicle
· Legal if fully extinguished
· Legal on highways
· A littering warning only

Never throw a cigarette, cigar, or any flaming/glowing substance from a vehicle — beyond littering, it starts wildfires.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Other Important Roadway Information, p. 52

147 · SAFE DRIVING

Give extra following room to motorcyclists when they're crossing:

✓ Metal surfaces like bridge gratings and railroad tracks, or gravel
· Painted lane lines
· New asphalt
· Intersections

Metal surfaces and gravel reduce a motorcycle's traction — expect sudden speed or position changes and add space.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Tailgating, p. 57

148 · SAFE DRIVING

A vehicle is entering the freeway near you. Even with the right-of-way, you should:

✓ Make space for it if you can — safety beats priority
· Hold your position at all costs
· Honk to assert your lane
· Speed up to close the gap

Make room for merging traffic even when the right-of-way is yours — and stay out of other drivers' blind spots while you do.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Know What Is at Your Side, p. 58

149 · SAFE DRIVING

Even with a green light, at every intersection you should:

✓ Look both ways — left, right, then left again — before crossing
· Trust the signal completely
· Watch only oncoming traffic
· Accelerate through quickly

Look both ways even where cross traffic faces a red light or stop sign — red-light runners don't announce themselves.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Know What Is at Your Side, p. 58

150 · NIGHT DRIVING

Use your high beams:

✓ On open country roads and dark streets — where legal — dimming for oncoming traffic
· In fog
· In all city driving
· Whenever other cars annoy you

High beams belong on open, dark roads. Dim them rather than retaliate against bright oncoming lights — two blinded drivers are worse than one. In rain, use LOW beams.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Darkness, p. 59

151 · NIGHT DRIVING

Leaving a brightly lit place at night, you should:

✓ Drive slowly until your eyes adjust to the darkness
· Use high beams immediately
· Close one eye
· Follow another car closely

Your eyes need time to adapt. Also reduce speed in night construction zones, and watch hard for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles — they're much harder to see.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Darkness, p. 59

152 · SAFE DRIVING

To manage sun glare, the handbook suggests:

✓ A clean windshield, polarized sunglasses, extra following space — and avoiding sunrise/sunset drives when possible
· Squinting and continuing normally
· Using your visor while looking down
· Following the car ahead closely

Keep the windshield clean inside and out, wear polarized lenses, leave space, make sure your visor works — and be extra aware of pedestrians you may struggle to see.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Sun Glare, p. 60

153 · SAFE DRIVING

Before driving down a steep hill in slippery conditions:

✓ Shift to a low gear
· Shift to neutral
· Turn off traction control
· Speed up for momentum

Shift low BEFORE the descent to let the engine slow you — and avoid fast turns, quick stops, and ice patches, wet leaves, oil, and standing water.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Surface Skids, p. 60

154 · WINTER DRIVING

Driving in snowy areas, you should carry:

✓ The correct number and type of tire chains for your vehicle
· A shovel only
· Extra washer fluid only
· Nothing special

Carry chains that actually fit your tires — chains give traction when conditions demand them, and chain-control zones can require them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Roads, p. 62

155 · WINTER DRIVING

Stuck in snow or mud, the rocking technique is:

✓ Low gear forward as far as possible, then reverse slowly, repeating without spinning the wheels
· Full-throttle forward until free
· Spinning the wheels to heat the tires
· Turning the wheel side to side rapidly

Rock it free: forward in low gear, reverse gently, repeat — avoid wheelspin. Deep stuck? Place boards or branches under the tires only while the vehicle is stopped.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Stuck in Snow or Mud, p. 62

156 · WET WEATHER

Facing a flooded road, your best option is to:

✓ Find another route — depth is deceptive, and dangers include collapse, debris, and electrocution from downed lines
· Cross quickly at speed
· Follow a truck's line through
· Cross with your hazards on

You can't judge depth by looking. If crossing is truly unavoidable, drive slowly and test your brakes afterward.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Flooded Roads, p. 63

157 · POOR CONDITIONS

In high winds you should reduce speed, grip the wheel firmly, and:

✓ Avoid using cruise control
· Use cruise control for stability
· Drive in the left lane
· Follow trucks closely for shelter

No cruise control in gusts — you need full accelerator control. Watch for debris, give large vehicles room, and consider waiting out the storm.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · High Winds, p. 63

158 · CHILD SAFETY

A rear-facing child seat may NOT be placed:

✓ In the front seat of a vehicle with an airbag there
· In the middle back seat
· Behind the driver
· In any back seat

Never put a rear-facing restraint in front of an active airbag — the back seat is where children ride.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Child Restraint System, p. 66

159 · CHILD SAFETY

A child under 8 may ride in the FRONT seat (properly restrained) only if:

✓ There's no rear seat, the rear seats are side/rear-facing, the restraint can't install back there, all rear seats are taken by kids 7 or younger, or medical reasons require it
· The child requests it
· The trip is under 10 minutes
· A parent sits beside them

Front-seat exceptions are narrow: no rear seat, jump/side-facing seats, impossible installation, rear full of young children, or medical need.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Child Restraint System, p. 66

160 · OCCUPANT SAFETY

For airbag safety, sit at least ___ from the steering wheel's airbag cover:

✓ 10 inches
· 4 inches
· 20 inches
· There's no guideline

Measure ~10 inches from the wheel's center to your breastbone (as long as you can still control the vehicle) — passengers should keep the same margin from the dash.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Air Bags, p. 67

161 · CHILD SAFETY

Leaving a child or pet in a parked car on a sunny day is dangerous because:

✓ Interior temperatures climb fast — even with a window slightly open — risking heat stroke and death
· The battery may die
· Only if the engine is off
· It's only risky above 100°F outside

Cabin heat rises rapidly even with a cracked window. It's dangerous, and for young children, illegal.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Unattended Children and Pets, p. 67

162 · EMERGENCIES

In extreme heat, if your engine temperature climbs, you should:

✓ Watch the gauge, avoid sustained high speeds, and turn OFF the air conditioner
· Turn the AC to maximum
· Ignore the gauge
· Rev the engine at stops

AC off reduces engine load in extreme heat. In extreme cold, watch the gauge too — and use the defroster to keep windows clear.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Overheating Conditions, p. 69

163 · BREAKDOWNS

The CHP Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) provides stranded drivers with FREE:

✓ A gallon of gas, jump starts, flat-tire changes, and tows off the freeway
· Full mechanical repairs
· Tows to any repair shop you choose
· Rental cars

During commute hours in covered areas, FSP gives free roadside basics and free tows to a CHP-approved location — it won't tow to private shops or move motorcycles. Dial 511 for help.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · CHP Freeway Service Patrol, p. 69

164 · DISTRACTED DRIVING

Common driving distractions listed by the handbook include:

✓ Looking at phones or navigation, adjusting music, children, pets — even applying makeup or shaving
· Only phone calls
· Only texting
· Talking to passengers, which is banned

Distraction is anything pulling eyes, hands, or mind from driving: screens, controls, kids, pets, grooming. If it needs attention, pull over safely first.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Do Not Drive Distracted, p. 70

165 · SAFE DRIVING

You see a vehicle's emergency flashers ahead. You should:

✓ Slow down — there may be a collision or road emergency ahead, then pass carefully
· Match their flashers
· Change lanes at speed
· Sound your horn continuously

Flashers ahead signal trouble: slow down, pass carefully, and avoid driving near collision scenes when possible — injured people get help faster when traffic doesn't clot around them.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Collisions, p. 77

166 · SAFE DRIVING

Driving significantly SLOWER than the flow of traffic:

✓ Can block normal traffic flow and get you cited — move right and let others pass
· Is always the safest choice
· Is required in rain
· Is only illegal on freeways

You must slow for conditions, but blocking normal and reasonable traffic flow by driving too slowly is citable. Slower than others? Drive in the right lane and move over for faster traffic.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Heavy Traffic or Bad Weather, p. 50

167 · SAFE DRIVING

Checking traffic behind you is especially important before:

✓ Slowing down, backing up, changing lanes, or pulling away from a curb
· Only before parking
· Only on freeways
· Turning the radio up

Use mirrors and head turns before you slow suddenly, back up, change lanes, turn into a side road, or leave a curb — rear-end collisions love surprises.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Know What is Behind You, p. 59

168 · DISTRACTED DRIVING

A legally mounted phone may be placed:

✓ On the windshield, dashboard, or center console — without blocking your view of the road
· In your lap
· On the steering wheel
· Held against the wheel rim

Mount it where it doesn't block your view, operate it with a single swipe or tap, and let calls go to voicemail — or pull off the road safely to respond.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Cell Phones and Texting, p. 71

169 · SAFE DRIVING

Vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS):

✓ May respond to road situations differently than a human would — learn your systems
· Drive themselves legally
· Never make mistakes
· Don't require driver attention

ADAS-equipped and self-driving-adjacent vehicles can react differently than you'd expect — know how your car behaves before you rely on any of it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Be Familiar with New Technology, p. 71

170 · SAFE DRIVING

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning while driving include:

✓ Tiredness, yawning, dizziness, nausea, headache, and ringing ears
· Improved alertness
· Cold hands only
· Blurred taillights

CO is odorless and deadly. Feel those symptoms? Get fresh air and have your exhaust system checked — and never run the engine in a closed garage.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Carbon Monoxide, p. 71

171 · SAFE DRIVING

If a vehicle merges in front of you too closely, you should:

✓ Take your foot off the accelerator to rebuild your three-second cushion
· Brake hard immediately
· Tailgate them to make a point
· Flash your high beams

Ease off the gas and let the space rebuild — the three-second rule only protects you when the three seconds actually exist.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Tailgating, p. 57

172 · DUI LAWS

For drivers 21 and older, the illegal BAC level is:

✓ 0.08% or higher
· 0.10% or higher
· 0.05% or higher
· Any measurable amount

0.08% for adults — but you can still be arrested and convicted of DUI below that if you're impaired. Almost everyone feels alcohol's effects under the legal limit.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · BAC Limits, p. 73

173 · DUI LAWS

Driving a vehicle requiring a commercial license, your BAC limit is:

✓ 0.04%
· 0.08%
· 0.01%
· 0.02%

0.04% for commercial-license vehicles and when driving passengers for hire — half the adult limit.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · BAC Limits, p. 73

174 · DUI LAWS

A driver of ANY age on DUI probation may not drive with a BAC of:

✓ 0.01% or higher
· 0.04% or higher
· 0.08% or higher
· 0.05% or higher

DUI probation means effectively zero tolerance: 0.01% or higher is illegal at any age.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · BAC Limits, p. 73

175 · DUI LAWS

California DUI law applies to:

✓ Alcohol AND any impairing drug — including prescriptions and over-the-counter medicine like cough syrup
· Alcohol only
· Illegal drugs only
· Only substances bought in bars

The law sees no difference between illegal drugs and impairing medications from a doctor or pharmacy — read labels and know the effects before driving.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Alcohol and Drugs, p. 72

176 · DUI LAWS

How much alcohol can you drink and still drive safely?

✓ There's no safe amount — even one drink affects your driving
· Two drinks in an hour
· One drink per 40 pounds
· Anything below 0.08%

Even one drink can affect your driving, and impairment starts well below legal limits. The BAC chart's only green zone is zero drinks.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · BAC Limits, p. 73

177 · DUI LAWS

Under the Administrative Per Se law, when you're arrested for DUI the officer may:

✓ Take your license and issue a 30-day temporary one
· Only give a warning
· Keep your car permanently
· Suspend your registration

DMV suspends your privilege administratively: the officer can take the license and hand you a 30-day temporary. You have 10 days from arrest to request a DMV hearing.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Arrests, p. 74

178 · DUI LAWS

After a DUI conviction, getting your license back requires filing:

✓ A California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22/SR 1P)
· A DMV apology letter
· A new vehicle title
· Nothing — just the fine

A DUI conviction means a one-year suspension, a DUI program, reissue fees, an SR-22 insurance filing — and possibly an ignition interlock device on your vehicle.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Convictions, p. 74

179 · DUI LAWS

Additional penalties for a DUI conviction can include:

✓ Up to six months in jail, fines, vehicle impound, and civil lawsuits if you injured someone
· Only community service
· A maximum $100 fine
· License points but nothing else

Jail up to six months, fines, impound and storage fees — and causing serious injury or death while impaired opens you to civil lawsuits on top of it all.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Convictions, p. 74

180 · DUI LAWS

While you drive, your PASSENGER drinking alcohol or using cannabis is:

✓ Illegal — no one may drink alcohol or smoke/eat cannabis products in the vehicle
· Legal for passengers over 21
· Legal in the back seat
· Legal with windows open

Nobody consumes in a moving vehicle — driver or passenger, alcohol or cannabis. (Bus, taxi, camper, and motorhome passengers are the exception.)

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Alcohol or Cannabis in a Vehicle, p. 72

181 · DUI LAWS

A 16-year-old convicted of riding a BICYCLE under the influence:

✓ Can have their driver's license suspended or delayed for one year
· Faces no driving consequences
· Only pays a bicycle fine
· Loses the bicycle

Ages 13–20 convicted of operating even a bicycle under the influence face a one-year suspension — or a one-year delay of eligibility if they don't yet have a license.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Alcohol and Drugs, p. 72

182 · DUI LAWS

An under-21 driver whose preliminary alcohol screening shows 0.05% or higher:

✓ May be required to take a breath or blood test — and can be arrested for DUI
· Is under the adult limit, so nothing happens
· Gets a warning only
· Loses the vehicle on the spot

At 0.05%+ the officer can require further testing and arrest for DUI; a conviction at 0.01%+ revokes an under-21 privilege for a year.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · Drivers Under 21, p. 75

183 · INSURANCE

If you can't afford liability insurance, California offers:

✓ The California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program
· A driving exemption
· Free state insurance
· Nothing — driving uninsured is your only option

The Low Cost Auto Insurance Program exists for eligible drivers — because driving uninsured risks up to a four-year suspension after any collision.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Low-cost Insurance, p. 76

184 · INSURANCE

Financial responsibility for a driver UNDER 18 belongs to:

✓ Their parents or guardians, who pay for damage the minor causes
· The minor alone
· The state
· The driving school

Parents and guardians accept financial responsibility when they sign the application; at 18, drivers take it on themselves.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Insurance Requirements, p. 76

185 · COLLISIONS

The SR-1 collision report to DMV is required:

✓ Whether or not you caused the collision — and even on private property
· Only if you were at fault
· Only on freeways
· Only when police request it

Qualifying collisions ($1,000+ damage, injury, or death) get an SR-1 within 10 days regardless of fault or location — you, your insurance agent, or your representative can file it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Reporting a Collision, p. 78

186 · COLLISIONS

Failing to file a required SR-1 collision report means:

✓ Your driving privilege will be suspended
· A $25 late fee
· Nothing if insurance paid
· A point on your record

No report, no license: DMV suspends you for failing to file — and law enforcement will not file it for you.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Reporting a Collision, p. 78

187 · COLLISIONS

If a collision injures or kills someone, you must report to law enforcement within:

✓ 24 hours
· 10 days
· One week
· No deadline

24 hours for the law-enforcement report when anyone is hurt or killed — on top of the 10-day SR-1 to DMV.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · Collisions, p. 77

188 · COLLISIONS

After a collision with no injuries, your vehicles should be:

✓ Moved out of traffic lanes, then call 911 if needed and exchange information
· Left exactly where they stopped
· Pushed to the center median
· Abandoned until police arrive

No one hurt? Move vehicles out of the traffic lane. Then exchange license, registration, insurance, and current address details with everyone involved.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · What to Do If You Are in a Collision, p. 77

189 · COLLISIONS

Leaving a collision scene without stopping is:

✓ Hit-and-run — with severe punishment if convicted
· Allowed for minor damage
· Allowed if you're late for work
· A civil matter only

You must stop — someone could be hurt and need help. Failing to stop is hit-and-run, and conviction brings severe penalties.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 10 · What to Do If You Are in a Collision, p. 77

190 · REGISTRATION

After BUYING a vehicle, you must transfer ownership to your name within:

✓ 10 days
· 5 days
· 30 days
· 90 days

Buyers have 10 days to transfer ownership; sellers must notify DMV within 5 days via a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 11 · Buying or Selling a Vehicle, p. 79

191 · REGISTRATION

After becoming a California resident (or taking a job here), register your out-of-state vehicle within:

✓ 20 days
· One year
· 6 months
· No deadline

20 days — and the vehicle must meet California requirements including emission controls, or DMV can't register it.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 11 · Out-of-State Vehicles, p. 79

192 · NIGHT DRIVING

Driving with only your parking lights on is:

✓ Never allowed — use headlights (low beams in rain)
· Fine at dusk
· Fine in the city
· Required in fog

Parking lights are for parking. When it rains, wipers on means low-beam headlights on — never parking or fog lights alone.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Darkness, p. 59

193 · WET WEATHER

In rain or snowstorms, turn on your:

✓ Windshield wipers, low-beam headlights, and defroster
· High beams and hazards
· Parking lights
· Interior lights

Wipers, low beams, defroster — and in snowy regions, carry the right chains. Stop when needed to clear mud or snow off windshield, headlights, and taillights.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Slippery Roads, p. 62

194 · PASSING

Passing another vehicle by driving off the paved roadway is:

✓ Never allowed
· Fine if dry
· Fine below 25 mph
· Allowed with a signal

Never leave the paved or main-traveled part of the road to pass — no shoulder passes, ever.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · How to Pass, p. 25

195 · BICYCLISTS

On a one-way street, a bicyclist may legally ride:

✓ Near the LEFT curb or edge
· Only on the sidewalk
· Against traffic
· In the exact center at all times

One-way, two-plus-lane roads let bicyclists choose the left curb or edge — one more place to check before turning.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicycles, p. 46

196 · BICYCLISTS

At an intersection, a bicyclist may choose to use a crosswalk by:

✓ Stopping and crossing as a pedestrian
· Riding through at full speed
· Ringing a bell twice
· They may never use crosswalks

Bicyclists can dismount and cross as pedestrians — expect bikes in crosswalks and yield accordingly.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Bicycles, p. 46

197 · SHARING THE ROAD

Driving through a marked safety zone (dotted white lines for transit passengers) is:

✓ Never allowed, under any condition
· Allowed when empty
· Allowed below 10 mph
· Allowed at night

Safety zones are set aside for pedestrians waiting for transit — do not drive through one, occupied or not.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Buses, Streetcars, Trolleys, p. 43

198 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

An oncoming car has its right-turn signal on. Before starting your left turn:

✓ Wait until the vehicle actually starts its turn — the signal might be a mistake or for a later turn
· Go immediately; the signal guarantees it
· Honk to confirm
· Flash your lights and go

Signals are intentions, not contracts. The driver may plan to turn beyond you or forgot the blinker — wait for the turn to actually begin.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Crossing or Entering Traffic, p. 24

199 · TESTING PROCESS

For the drive test, the driver's side window must:

✓ Roll down
· Be tinted
· Stay closed
· Have a sun shade

The driver's window must open — you'll use it for arm signals. The windshield must give a full, unblocked view; cracks can postpone the test.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

200 · TESTING PROCESS

Drive-test vehicle tires need at least ___ of uniform tread:

✓ 1/32 inch
· 2/32 inch
· 1/4 inch
· No minimum

1/32-inch uniform tread depth — and no donut spares during a drive test.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

201 · OCCUPANT SAFETY

The shoulder harness of your seat belt should be worn:

✓ Across your shoulder and chest — never under your arm or behind your back
· Under your arm for comfort
· Behind your back on hot days
· Loose, with several inches of slack

Across shoulder and chest with little slack, lap belt snug and low across the hips. Pregnant drivers: lap belt as low as possible under the abdomen.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Seat Belts, p. 65

202 · TESTING PROCESS

During the actual drive test, an interpreter:

✓ May help during the pre-drive inspection but may NOT ride along during the test
· Rides in the back seat
· Translates from the passenger seat
· Follows in another car

Interpreters can assist with identification and vehicle controls beforehand, but only the examiner accompanies you on the drive (training, service animals, and certain law-enforcement situations excepted).

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 7

203 · TESTING PROCESS

During the drive test, the examiner may give you:

✓ Two or more instructions at once — like "at the next street turn left, then take the first right"
· Only one instruction at a time
· Written directions
· A map to follow

Multi-step instructions test whether you can understand and follow directions while driving — listen fully before acting.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 5

204 · TESTING PROCESS

When RENEWING a license, instead of the knowledge test you may be offered:

✓ An eLearning course — a no-fail, self-paced interactive option with quizzes
· A phone interview
· An essay exam
· Nothing; renewal always requires the full test

The eLearning renewal alternative is interactive and no-fail, taken on a computer, tablet, or phone.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Knowledge Test, p. 5

205 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Driving to the scene of a fire or collision to watch:

✓ Can get you arrested — you're in the way of rescue workers
· Is fine if you park far away
· Is a civic duty
· Is legal with hazards on

You can be arrested for driving to a fire, collision, or disaster scene — it blocks firefighters, ambulance crews, and rescue personnel.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Emergency Vehicles, p. 45

206 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Failing to pull to the right for an emergency vehicle with siren and red lights can result in:

✓ A ticket
· Nothing — it's courtesy only
· License revocation on the spot
· Vehicle impound

Yielding is the law, not a courtesy: drive to the right edge and stop until it passes, and obey any order from officers or firefighters — even against existing signs.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Emergency Vehicles, p. 45

207 · LANES AND TURNS

Enter or exit an HOV lane:

✓ Only at designated entrances and exits — never across the double solid lines
· Anywhere the lane is visible
· By crossing the double lines carefully
· Only at freeway exits

HOV lanes are sealed by double solid lines between openings — use the designated entrances and exits only.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Carpool/HOV Lanes, p. 16

208 · SPEED LIMITS

Some California school zones post speed limits as low as:

✓ 15 mph
· 5 mph
· 20 mph
· 10 mph

The standard near schools is 25 mph within 500 feet when children are outside — but some zones post 15 mph. The sign wins.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 7 · Around Children, p. 50

209 · PARKING

The crosshatched (diagonal-lined) area next to a disabled parking space is:

✓ Never for parking — even with a disabled placard
· Extra parking on weekends
· Motorcycle parking
· A loading zone

The crosshatch is access space for wheelchair ramps and lifts — parking there is always illegal.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 28

210 · PARKING

Parking in a tunnel or on a bridge is:

✓ Illegal unless signs specifically permit it
· Fine during daylight
· Fine for photos
· Always legal on the right side

Tunnels and bridges are no-parking zones unless posted otherwise — there's nowhere for traffic to go around you.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 28

211 · PARKING

Double parking (stopping in the travel lane beside parked cars) is:

✓ Always illegal
· Legal for deliveries
· Legal under 5 minutes
· Legal with flashers

Double parking blocks a live lane — illegal no matter how quick the errand.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 6 · Illegal Parking, p. 28

212 · REGISTRATION

DMV cannot register a vehicle in California if it:

✓ Doesn't meet California requirements, including emission controls
· Is more than 10 years old
· Was bought out of state
· Has aftermarket wheels

All California-registered vehicles must meet state requirements — emission controls included, supporting the state's clean air standards.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 11 · Out-of-State Vehicles, p. 79

213 · DUI LAWS

After a DUI arrest, law enforcement may impound your vehicle, which means:

✓ You pay the storage fees
· Free storage for 30 days
· The state buys the vehicle
· Only rentals get impounded

Impound comes with storage fees out of your pocket — one more line on the long DUI bill.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Convictions, p. 74

214 · DUI LAWS

After a DUI conviction, the court or DMV may require your vehicle to have:

✓ An ignition interlock device (IID) that tests your breath before starting
· A speed limiter
· A dashboard camera
· Nothing mechanical

An IID keeps the car from starting until a clean breath sample — one of the standard post-DUI requirements alongside the program, fees, and SR-22.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Convictions, p. 74

215 · DUI LAWS

Even after passing a roadside breath screening, an officer may still require:

✓ A blood or urine test to detect drugs
· Nothing further
· A written exam
· A field interview only

The preliminary screening doesn't end it: blood or urine tests can be required to detect drugs, and refusing suspends your privilege.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 9 · DUI Arrests, p. 74

216 · TESTING PROCESS

If your vehicle doesn't meet the drive-test requirements:

✓ Your test is rescheduled
· You test in a DMV car
· You take a written test instead
· You pass automatically

Fail the vehicle check — brake lights, mirrors, horn, tires, seat belts — and the test gets rescheduled. Check everything the day before.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 3 · Behind-the-Wheel Test, p. 6

217 · BREAKDOWNS

While waiting for help disabled on the freeway shoulder, use your emergency flashers:

✓ At your discretion — they help other vehicles see you at night and in bad weather
· Never, they drain the battery
· Only when police arrive
· Only in daylight

Flashers make you visible, especially at night and in weather. If there's no safe space on the shoulder, it may be safer to stay away from the vehicle entirely.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Disabled on the Freeway, p. 69

218 · SAFE DRIVING

Your sun visor should be:

✓ Working and free of anything that would restrict its use
· Removed for visibility
· Decorated with photos
· Always folded away

A usable visor is part of glare management — along with clean glass, polarized sunglasses, and extra following space.

📖 CA Manual · Sec. 8 · Sun Glare, p. 60

📝 Quiz yourself on these ⏱️ Take the timed exam

Sample content — verify against the current CA Driver's Manual before relying on it.

Rules of the Road

During the first 12 months of a provisional license, a minor may NOT drive:

For the first 12 months, a provisional driver may not carry:

How many attempts do you get to pass the knowledge test before reapplying?

A minor who fails the knowledge test must wait how long to retake it?

During the knowledge test, using a cell phone or the handbook is:

Your drive-test vehicle will be rejected if:

In California lane numbering, the "Number 1 Lane" is:

You may use an HOV (carpool) lane when:

You may drive in a center left turn lane for no more than:

On a two-lane road, you MUST use a turnout area when:

Driving in a bicycle lane is legal only when:

Making a right turn, you should signal about ___ before the turn:

In a residential district, a U-turn is legal when:

Which U-turn is ALWAYS illegal?

When entering a freeway, you should merge:

To merge into city traffic from a full stop, you need a gap of about:

Before exiting a freeway, signal for about:

Do NOT pass within ___ of an intersection, bridge, tunnel, or railroad crossing:

To pass safely near a hill or curve, you must be able to see ahead at least:

Passing on the right is allowed only when:

When another vehicle is passing you, California says to:

When parallel parked, your wheels must be within ___ of the curb:

The drive test's straight-line backing maneuver requires backing:

Parked headed DOWNHILL with a curb, turn your front wheels:

A WHITE curb means you may stop only:

A RED curb means:

You may not park within ___ of a fire hydrant or fire station driveway:

A vehicle left standing on a freeway for more than ___ may be removed:

When an officer signals you to stop, you should first:

When stopped by law enforcement, the driver must produce:

Two vehicles reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time. Who goes first?

At a T intersection without signs, who has the right-of-way?

Before turning left, you must give the right-of-way to:

Entering an intersection you can't fully cross before the light turns red is:

Entering a roundabout, you must:

Which of these counts as a pedestrian under California law?

A pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog:

Two cars meet on a steep, narrow mountain road where neither can pass. Who backs up?

If you can't see a truck's side mirrors:

On a divided highway with four or more lanes one way, trucks may drive in:

Passing a streetcar or bus stopped at a safety zone, your maximum speed is:

Near light rail vehicles, never:

Motorcycles riding between lanes of traffic ("lane splitting") in California is:

An emergency vehicle approaches with siren on while you're inside an intersection. You should:

Following a responding fire engine closer than ___ is against the law:

An orange-and-red triangle on the back of a vehicle means it usually travels at:

When you can't change lanes to pass a bicyclist, you must leave at least:

At night, a bicycle must have a front lamp visible from:

Bicycle riders must wear a helmet if they are:

Traffic fines in a work zone can reach:

Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights, you must:

Towing a trailer on a freeway, you must drive in:

Within 500 feet of a school with children outside, the speed limit is:

A school bus ahead flashes its RED lights on an undivided road. You must:

The school bus with flashing reds is across a divided or multilane highway (two-plus lanes each way). You:

The speed limit at a blind intersection (no stop signs, view blocked) is:

Unless posted otherwise, the limit in business and residential districts is:

California's Basic Speed Law says you may never drive:

Unless otherwise posted, the maximum on most California highways is ___, and on two-lane undivided highways ___:

Smoking in a vehicle with a minor present is:

Riding in the back of a pickup truck is:

Cargo extending more than four feet past your rear bumper must display:

A provisional driver with TWO at-fault collisions or convictions within 12 months:

To avoid last-minute moves, scan the road ahead of your vehicle at least:

The recommended minimum following distance is:

The correct way to check your blind spots is:

A vehicle with only ONE visible light drives toward you at night. You should:

Your car starts to skid on a slippery surface. You should:

In a locked-wheel skid with four-wheel ABS, you should:

On packed snow you should cut your speed by half; on ice, slow to:

In a heavy rainstorm where you can't see beyond 100 feet, don't drive faster than:

If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you should:

Driving in heavy fog or smoke, use:

A CHP officer weaves across freeway lanes with emergency lights on (a "traffic break"). You should:

You can be ticketed for a seat belt violation if:

A child under 2 (under 40 lbs and under 3'4") must ride in:

Children must ride in a child restraint system in the back seat until they are:

Leaving a child age 6 or younger alone in a vehicle is:

A tire blows out at speed. Your first moves are:

Unless otherwise posted, the maximum on most California highways is _, and on two-lane undivided highways _: