Driver’s License Exam Study Guide
Prepare confidently for your driver's license exam with these essential rules, tips, and safety practices.
🧊 Challenging Conditions & Vehicle Safety
- In snow: Use chains or snow tires for traction.
- In heavy snow/fog: Use low-beam headlights for visibility.
- Suspension check: If the car sways or bounces, have the suspension system inspected.
- Following distance: Apply the two-second rule to avoid tailgating.
- Brake drying: Gently press the brakes after driving through water.
- Skidding: Steer in the direction the rear of the car is sliding.
- Brake failure: Shift to a lower gear, release clutch (if manual), and use the emergency brake.
⚠️ Hazard Awareness & Emergency Protocols
- Wet roads: Most slippery when it first begins to rain or drizzle.
- Railroad crossings: Always slow down and prepare to stop.
- Truck blind spots: Avoid lingering in “No Zones” (sides and rear of trucks).
- Crash protocol: If safe, move your vehicle off the road and call the police.
🛣️ Traffic Rules & Regulations
- School buses: Must stop at all railroad crossings.
- Passing a stopped school bus: Adds 5 points to your driving record.
- At 4-way stops: Yield to the car on your right.
- Pedestrians: Have the right of way at uncontrolled intersections.
- Curves: Slow down before entering, not during.
- Turning right on red: Permitted after a full stop, unless posted otherwise.
🚦 Speeds & Signals
- Default speed limits:
- Cities/towns: 35 mph
- Outside cities (unless posted): 55 mph
- Signal turns at least 200 feet in advance when driving at 45 mph.
- Speeding at 70+ mph in a 55 zone may lead to license revocation.
🚛 Large Vehicles & Rural Roads
- Farm equipment: Travels at 15–25 mph—pass only when safe.
- Tractor-trailers: Have large blind spots; avoid sudden lane changes around them.
🧠 Defensive Driving Tips
- Check mirrors every 10 seconds.
- Stay alert in city traffic for sudden stops.
- Plan rest stops every 100 miles on long trips.
- Avoid high beams when following or approaching other vehicles.
- Shoulder check before turning or changing lanes—quick glance over the shoulder
🔧 Vehicle Maintenance & Safety
- Tire pressure: Important for safety and fuel economy.
- Exhaust leaks: Can allow toxic fumes—repair immediately.
- Annual inspections: Required every 12 months.
🍷 Alcohol & Legal Offenses
- Alcohol-related deaths: Account for 38% of highway fatalities.
- BAC of 0.08% or more: Immediate license revocation.
- Refusing a chemical test: May result in a 12-month suspension.
- Underage alcohol violations: 1-year license revocation.
- Driver Improvement Clinics: Can deduct 3 points after accumulating 7 or more points.
🗑️ Other Legal Considerations
- Littering fines: Range from $250 to $1,000.
- Interstate merging: Use the acceleration lane to match traffic speed before merging.
- Accidents occur most often: At intersections.
- Leaking exhaust pipe: May let dangerous fumes into the vehicle.