Alabama Permit Practice Test 2
A second full-length Alabama practice test: 30 fresh multiple-choice questions with zero repeats from Test 1. Check the ALEA site for the current question count and passing score.
Tap an answer. The explanation opens so you can learn it, then go on. Keyboard: A–D or 1–4 to answer, then Enter or Space.
Question 1 of 30
1. Leaving a one-way street, you see a yellow diamond sign with two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. What is it warning you about?
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Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic sign warns that the one-way section is ending and vehicles will now come toward you. Keep to the right and use extra care when passing. Two opposite arrows mean the road now flows both ways.
2. In which situations should you add extra following distance behind the vehicle ahead?
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Correct answer: C. Add following distance whenever stopping gets harder or seeing gets worse: slick roads, tailgaters behind you, big trucks blocking your view, or motorcycles that can stop quickly. More risk calls for more room ahead of you.
3. Unless a sign posts another limit, the usual residential or city default in Alabama is:
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Correct answer: A. Alabama's typical unposted residential / city default is 30 mph. School zones and work zones drop lower. If houses line the street and no sign argues, start at 30 mph and watch the next plaque.
4. Drivers under 21 in Alabama are held to a stricter alcohol standard than adults. What is the BAC threshold for these younger drivers?
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Correct answer: B. Adults have a higher per-se number, but the under-21 standard in Alabama is 0.02%. Alcohol is already off-limits for minors, so the driving rule matches: for young drivers, the practical limit is zero drinks.
5. A 30-year-old driver in Alabama takes a chemical test after a crash. Prosecutors can prove DUI from the test result alone once the BAC is at least which value?
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Correct answer: D. A test showing 0.08% or higher proves per-se DUI in Alabama without any other evidence of impairment. Lawmakers chose that threshold because crash risk climbs sharply near it, though alcohol degrades driving skills at lower levels too.
6. A white vertical rectangle reads SPEED LIMIT 55. What does that number legally mean?
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Correct answer: C. A white rectangular speed limit sign is a regulatory sign, so the number is the maximum lawful speed in ideal conditions. Rain, fog, or heavy traffic can make even that speed illegal. Treat the posted number as a ceiling, not a target.
7. When must Alabama drivers turn on headlights because of weather, besides night?
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Correct answer: A. Alabama law requires headlights when wipers are in use because of rain, sleet, or snow. Intermittent wiper use does not trigger the headlight rule. That intermittent exception is easy to miss if you only remember “wipers on, lights on.”
8. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Correct answer: D. A motorcycle is entitled to a complete traffic lane, and you may not squeeze past one inside that lane. Riders need the full width to dodge hazards. Treat a motorcycle's lane like a car's lane: whole and off-limits.
9. What driving does NHTSA say a learner’s permit allows?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA GDL guidance says A learner’s permit allows driving only while supervised by a fully licensed driver. An intermediate license allows unsupervised driving under certain restrictions. The leftover solo-practice claim is not on that page.
10. You want to park on a street just before a crosswalk. What minimum clearance do most handbooks require?
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Correct answer: B. A common handbook rule is 20 feet from a crosswalk so turning drivers and pedestrians can see each other. Parking closer hides people in the stripes. Twenty before the walk, then the hydrant's fifteen, is the pair testers expect.
11. Under Alabama's zero-tolerance law, what BAC level counts as a violation for a driver under 21?
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Correct answer: B. Alabama's zero-tolerance law sets the under-21 threshold at 0.02%, far stricter than the adult standard. Underage drinking is illegal to begin with, so the safest and simplest rule is zero alcohol before driving.
12. You are driving in Alabama on a divided highway with four lanes when a school bus stops in the opposite roadway with red lights flashing. What does Alabama law require of you?
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Correct answer: B. On an Alabama divided highway with four or more lanes allowing two-way travel, drivers meeting a school bus stopped across the divider need not stop. The barrier keeps children out of your roadway. Hook: divided road, divided duty.
13. Several vehicles reach a four-way stop at different times. Who has the right-of-way?
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Correct answer: B. At an all-way stop, the vehicle that arrives and stops first proceeds first, with others following in arrival order. This first-come, first-served system prevents confusion. Think of it as taking a number at a busy counter.
14. A traffic light turns steady yellow as you approach the intersection. What does this signal tell you?
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Correct answer: A. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do it safely; if you are too close to stop smoothly, continue through with caution. Yellow means prepare, not race.
15. A yellow diamond sign shows a truck tilted nose-down on a black slope. You are about to descend a long, steep grade. What is the proper technique?
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Correct answer: C. On a steep downgrade, shift to a lower gear before descending so engine braking holds your speed, and use the brakes sparingly. Constant braking overheats the pads until they fade and fail. Gears save brakes; brakes alone can quit.
16. A friend in Alabama says, 'I feel fine, so I can drive.' Feelings aside, the law sets the illegal BAC for drivers 21 and older at which number?
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Correct answer: B. Feeling fine proves nothing; alcohol dulls the very judgment you use to check yourself. In Alabama, 0.08% is the per-se limit for adults, and measurable impairment often shows up well before a driver reaches it.
17. You are parking near railroad tracks. What distance do most state manuals require from the nearest rail?
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Correct answer: C. Fifty feet from the nearest rail is the usual keep-clear distance so trains and crossing gates have room and drivers can see. Do not park on or immediately beside the tracks. Fifty for rails, thirty for signs, twenty for walks, fifteen for hydrants.
18. During a practice drive in Alabama, your mom asks: 'No sign here, so how fast can you legally go on this residential street?' What is the correct answer?
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Correct answer: B. With no sign posted, the residential default in Alabama is 30 mph. A good habit for new drivers: entering any neighborhood, assume the default, scan for signs, and let posted limits override it whenever they appear.
19. Your car starts to skid on a wet curve. What is the first correct response?
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Correct answer: B. In a skid you need the tires to grip again: ease off the gas, avoid a hard stab at the brake if you can, and steer toward your intended path. Sudden inputs make the slide worse. Slow hands, slow feet, look where you want to go.
20. You are studying for the Alabama permit knowledge exam and want to schedule it as early as the law allows. You can hold a learner's permit beginning at which age?
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Correct answer: C. In Alabama, 15 is the earliest age for a learner's permit, so plan your knowledge exam around that date. Study the official handbook, since permit questions come from it, and arrive with the required documents ready.
21. If your car stalls on a railroad track, what does NHTSA say to do first?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA railroad-crossing guidance says If your car stalls on a track, quickly get everyone out — even if you don’t see a train coming. Run away from the tracks and your car to avoid being hit by flying debris. Call the number on the blue emergency notification system sign.
22. The posted limit is unchanged, but traffic, weather, and light have all gotten worse. What does the basic speed rule require?
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Correct answer: C. The basic speed rule says you may not drive faster than conditions safely allow, no matter what the sign posts. Rain, darkness, and crowds shrink your margin for error. Conditions set the real limit; the sign sets the ceiling.
23. A horizontal black sign with a white arrow and the words ONE WAY points to the left at an intersection. What does it tell you?
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Correct answer: C. A ONE WAY sign means every vehicle on that street must travel in the arrow's direction. Driving against it puts you head-on into traffic. Before turning onto any city street, glance for the arrow and follow where it points.
24. What do open-container laws prohibit, according to NHTSA?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA open-container guidance says Open container laws prohibit the possession of any open alcoholic beverage container and the consumption of any alcoholic beverage by motor vehicle drivers or passengers. Those laws typically exempt passengers in buses, taxis, and the living quarters of mobile homes.
25. You see a red-and-white triangular sign reading YIELD as you approach a traffic circle. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B. A yield sign tells you to slow down, check for traffic with the right-of-way, and stop only when necessary to let it pass. It keeps merges smooth without forcing pointless stops. Think of yield as give way, not a full stop every time.
26. Two cars arrive at a four-way stop at the same time, facing each other, and the car across from you is going straight. You want to turn left. Who should go first?
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Correct answer: B. At a four-way stop, through traffic goes before a facing left turn when you arrive together. The left-turner would otherwise cut across the straight path. Straight first, then the left — same idea as an unprotected green.
27. Drivers under 21 in Alabama are over the youth alcohol limit at which level?
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Correct answer: A. Alabama uses a zero-tolerance style rule for under-21 drivers: 0.02%. Adult limits do not apply to a teen permit holder. If you are under 21 in Alabama, treat alcohol and keys as incompatible.
28. What penalty does official NHTSA impaired-driving guidance say the laws should establish for failing or refusing a BAC test?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA Uniform Guidelines for State Highway Safety Programs say The laws should establish effective penalties that include Administrative license suspension or revocation for failing or refusing to submit to a BAC or other drug test. The leftover implied-consent mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official national refusal-penalty sentence is.
29. Your younger sibling asks when they can get a learner's permit in Alabama. What age do you tell them?
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Correct answer: A. Tell them 15; that is when Alabama allows a learner's permit application. Until then, driving on public roads is off the table. Graduated licensing phases in privileges so new drivers gain experience under lower-risk conditions.
30. You are passing a slow truck on a Alabama highway posted at the state's maximum limit. Even while passing, your legal ceiling stays at which speed?
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Correct answer: B. Passing grants zero extra speed allowance; in Alabama the ceiling on those top-posted highways stays 70 mph. If you cannot complete the pass within the limit, wait for a better gap. The limit binds every maneuver.
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