South Carolina SCDMV Permit Practice Test 26
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A hands free phone conversation is which kind of distraction?
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Answer C: Cognitive, because your mind leaves the road
Hands free equipment removes the manual and visual parts of a call but not the mental load, and it is the mental load that makes a driver miss hazards.
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2. What actually lowers the amount of alcohol in a person's blood?
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Answer D: The passage of time
The body eliminates alcohol at its own steady rate, so only time reduces blood alcohol. Coffee or a cold shower may make a person feel more awake while still impaired.
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3. What does this sign tell a driver about the road ahead?
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Answer A: The roadway changes direction ahead, so speed should be reduced before reaching it
It gives advance notice of a change in alignment so the driver can slow down before entering, since braking inside a bend uses up grip that is needed for steering.
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4. Some crosswalks are marked with two transverse lines and others with a row of wide bars laid along the direction of travel. Why is the second pattern used?
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Answer B: It is far easier for an approaching driver to see
Longitudinal bar patterns are used where extra visibility is wanted, such as an uncontrolled crossing or one near a school, because they show up much better from a car.
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5. You are entering a freeway using an on-ramp with an acceleration lane. What is the correct technique?
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Answer C: Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of traffic, then merge into a gap while yielding to traffic already on the freeway
The acceleration lane exists so you can match the speed of freeway traffic before merging, and drivers already on the freeway have the right-of-way.
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6. You come up behind a bicyclist who is descending a steep hill in the middle of the traffic lane. What should you take into account?
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Answer D: The rider may be moving at close to the speed of the traffic
A bicycle can reach the speed of traffic on a descent, so there is little to gain from a pass and the rider needs the whole lane to steer around surface hazards.
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7. Is it acceptable to drive with your vehicle straddling the line between two lanes?
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Answer D: No, you must drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane
A vehicle astride the line takes up two lanes and leaves the drivers around it unable to predict where it will go.
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8. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?
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Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine
The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.
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9. You are pulling out of a farm entrance onto a rural highway. What is your obligation?
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Answer C: Yield to every vehicle already on the highway before you enter the roadway
A driver entering a highway from a private road or driveway yields to every vehicle already on the highway.
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10. How does heavy cargo on a roof rack change the way a vehicle handles?
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Answer D: It raises the center of gravity, so the vehicle tips more in turns and needs gentler steering
Weight carried high makes the vehicle lean more and roll over more easily, and extra weight lengthens stopping distance. Drive slower and steer smoothly with a loaded roof.
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11. A regulatory sign reads TURN ON HEADLIGHTS NEXT 15 MILES. What does it require?
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Answer C: Low beam headlights on for that stretch, day or night
Such a section is signed where a road is hard to see along, and the requirement is to run headlights, not just daytime running lamps, through the whole stretch even in bright daylight.
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12. A yellow diamond reading DIP warns a driver about
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Answer A: a short, sharp depression in the road surface
A dip is an abrupt low point that can jolt a vehicle or scrape its underside, so speed should be reduced before reaching it.
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13. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
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Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
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14. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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15. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
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Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
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16. You want to stop briefly and the only space is in the travel lane alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb. Is this allowed?
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Answer D: No, double parking blocks a travel lane and is prohibited
Stopping in the roadway beside a parked vehicle removes a lane from traffic and forces other drivers to swerve around you, which is why double parking is prohibited.
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17. Your light turns green and a driver on the cross street enters against a red. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hold back and let that vehicle go through
Giving up a right of way you are entitled to is the only way to avoid a crash with a driver who has already failed to yield.
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18. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe
Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.
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19. You have a green light and an ambulance with lights and siren enters the intersection against its red. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop and let the ambulance go through
An emergency vehicle answering a call may cross against a red, and every other driver yields to it whatever their own signal shows.
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20. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?
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Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews
A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.
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21. What penalty does South Carolina impose for violating the move-over law when approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle?
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Answer D: A misdemeanor fine of not less than 300 dollars nor more than 500 dollars
Section 56-5-1538(H) makes the violation a misdemeanor punishable by a fine between 300 and 500 dollars.
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22. What does a steady yellow traffic light tell the driver facing it?
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Answer A: The green movement is ending and a red indication is about to appear
A steady yellow warns that the related green movement is being terminated and that red will follow, so you should stop if you can do so safely.
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23. The light turns yellow when your front wheels are already past the stop line inside the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Keep going and clear the intersection without speeding up
Once you are legally in the intersection the safest and correct action is to continue through and clear it, without accelerating.
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24. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?
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Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it
Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.
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25. What is the recommended minimum distance between the driver's breastbone and the center of the steering wheel air bag cover?
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Answer C: About 10 inches
An air bag inflates extremely fast, and keeping that much space lets it deploy fully before it reaches the driver, which is why the seat should be moved back as far as still allows comfortable control of the pedals.
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26. Cones and drums mark a shifted lane through a work zone. What should you do?
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Answer A: Follow the path that they mark and stay inside it
Channelizing devices define the temporary travel path, and the space on the other side of them belongs to the workers.
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27. Where is signing of this kind normally placed along a freeway?
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Answer D: Ahead of the interchange and again at the exit, so a driver can reach the correct lane in time
Guide information for an interchange is repeated on the approach and at the ramp, because a driver who learns about the exit only at the last moment has no room left for a safe lane change.
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28. Do hazard lights make it legal to leave your vehicle in a no parking zone?
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Answer A: No, they warn other drivers but do not permit the parking
Hazard lights are a warning device, not a permit; the parking restriction applies whether they are flashing or not.
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29. May a South Carolina judge suspend any part of the minimum jail sentence for a DUI conviction under Section 56-5-2930?
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Answer B: No, no part of the statutory minimum sentence may be suspended
Section 56-5-2930(B) states that no part of the minimum sentences in that section may be suspended.
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30. What should a driver do first after passing this sign?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and stay there
Traffic returns to two-way operation, so the driver keeps to the right of the centerline and stops treating the left side as available.