South Carolina SCDMV Permit Practice Test 7
Test 7 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 24 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real South Carolina test.
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. You are making a U-turn at a signal on a green left arrow. Who must you still watch for?
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Answer D: People in the crosswalk you will cross as you come around
Even a protected arrow does not clear the crosswalk, and a U-turn sweeps across a crosswalk that pedestrians may already be using.
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2. What does a standard (basic) South Carolina driver's license authorize the holder to operate, beyond ordinary cars and light trucks?
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Answer B: Combinations up to 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, plus three-wheel motorcycles without a side car
Section 56-1-130(D) extends the basic license to combinations up to 26,000 pounds GVWR and to three-wheel motorcycles that lack a detachable side car.
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3. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
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Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
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4. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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5. You are traveling beside a tractor-trailer and cannot see the truck driver's face in any of the truck's mirrors. What does that tell you?
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Answer A: The truck driver probably cannot see your vehicle
Large trucks have deep blind spots on all four sides, so if the driver's face is not visible in a mirror the driver has no view of you. Move ahead or drop back until you are out of that area.
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6. You have just merged onto a freeway from an entrance ramp. What should you do next?
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Answer C: Settle into the right lane and build up speed before changing lanes
Crossing lanes while you are still below the speed of the traffic forces other drivers to brake, so the speed comes first and the lane change second.
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7. How does South Carolina increase the first-offense DUI penalty when the driver's alcohol concentration is 0.16 percent or more?
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Answer D: The fine rises to 1,000 dollars with 30 to 90 days imprisonment
Section 56-5-2930(A)(1) punishes a first offense at 0.16 percent or above with a 1,000 dollar fine or 30 to 90 days imprisonment.
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8. The red oil pressure warning light comes on while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer C: Pull over safely as soon as possible and shut off the engine
Loss of oil pressure means the engine is no longer being lubricated and can be destroyed within minutes. Stop, shut down and check before restarting.
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9. You want to turn left at an intersection with no signs or signals and a vehicle is coming straight toward you from the opposite direction. What must you do?
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Answer C: Yield and turn after the oncoming vehicle has passed
A driver turning left always gives way to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be a hazard, whether or not the intersection is controlled.
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10. How many points does a reckless driving conviction add in South Carolina?
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Answer C: Six points
Reckless driving carries six points, the same value as passing a stopped school bus or a hit-and-run causing only property damage.
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11. What is a microsleep?
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Answer D: A few seconds of sleep, sometimes with the eyes open
A microsleep is an involuntary lapse of a few seconds during which the driver is asleep and the vehicle travels blind, often without the driver knowing.
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12. The road is icy and visibility is poor, but you are driving at the posted speed limit. Is this acceptable?
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Answer A: No, because you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions
Under the basic speed rule a driver must travel at a speed that is reasonable for the actual conditions, so a legal posted speed can still be an unlawful and unsafe speed.
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13. What is the maximum posted speed on the interstate highway system in South Carolina?
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Answer B: 70 miles per hour
State law sets 70 miles per hour as the maximum on the interstate system and other freeways where signs give notice of that speed.
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14. How do extra passengers affect a driver, especially a new one?
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Answer A: They increase the chance of distraction and of crashes
Conversation, laughter and horseplay pull a driver's attention away from the road. Crash risk for young drivers rises with each additional passenger.
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15. The crossing gates begin to lower while your vehicle is still on the railroad tracks. What should you do?
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Answer B: Keep going forward and push through the gate if it should block your way
Gates are made to break away, and driving forward off the tracks is far safer than staying between them or backing up.
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16. What is the 'Uninsured Motorists Fund' established under South Carolina's motor vehicle financial security law?
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Answer C: A special state fund holding money collected under the chapter for use as the law provides, including administration of Title 38
Section 56-10-550 creates the Uninsured Motorists Fund, held by the State Treasurer for disbursement as provided by law, including administrative use under Title 38.
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17. What is the South Carolina statutory speed limit on unpaved roads, when no lower limit is separately posted?
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Answer C: 40 miles per hour
Section 56-5-1520(B)(3) limits unpaved roads to 40 miles per hour, lower than the 55 mph default for other unposted locations.
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18. You reach a red light with a sign reading NO TURN ON RED. What may you do?
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Answer D: Wait for the green; no turn is allowed while the light is red
That sign removes the usual permission to turn on red at the intersection, so you must wait for a green indication.
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19. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?
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Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.
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20. How does South Carolina's move-over law define 'emergency services personnel' for purposes of the endangerment offense?
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Answer C: Fire, police, or emergency medical services personnel responding to an emergency incident
Section 56-5-1538(I)(2) defines emergency services personnel as fire, police, or EMS personnel responding to an emergency incident.
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21. You want to reverse direction but the street is too narrow for a U-turn. What is the alternative?
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Answer D: Make a three-point turn, or go around the block in heavy traffic
Where there is not enough width for a U-turn, the three-point turn does the job in stages, and on a busy street going around the block is safer still.
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22. Once South Carolina requires a driver to file proof of financial responsibility (similar to an SR-22 filing), for how long must that proof generally be maintained before the department will waive the requirement?
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Answer A: Three years without a new qualifying conviction
Section 56-9-620 lets the department waive continued proof three years after it was required, if no new qualifying conviction occurred in that period.
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23. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible
Moving right gives the other driver space to recover and keeps you out of the lane they are most likely to return to. Braking reduces the force of any impact.
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24. Under South Carolina law, may a driver use a hand-held phone to report a crash they just witnessed?
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Answer B: Yes, reporting an accident, emergency, or safety hazard to a public safety official is exempted
Section 56-5-3890(C)(3) exempts reporting an accident, emergency, or safety hazard to a public safety official.
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25. Why is being predictable an important part of driving safely?
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Answer A: Because other road users are able to plan around what you are doing
Other drivers make their decisions from what they expect you to do, so surprises are what produce collisions.
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26. What is the purpose of a wide solid white line painted straight across your lane on the approach to an intersection?
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Answer C: It shows the point where a required stop must be made
A stop line indicates the point at which the stop required by a signal or a stop sign is to be made, ahead of the crosswalk and the intersection.
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27. When is a driver in South Carolina completely free of the mobile electronic device restrictions under the hands-free law?
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Answer A: When the vehicle is lawfully parked or stopped
Section 56-5-3890(C)(1) exempts an operator who is lawfully parked or stopped from the section entirely.
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28. Which of these is never a legal place to park?
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Answer C: In a crosswalk, on a sidewalk or within an intersection
Crosswalks, sidewalks and intersections must stay clear so that pedestrians can cross and drivers can see approaching traffic.
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29. You are circulating in a roundabout and a vehicle is waiting to enter ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going, because circulating traffic does not stop for entering vehicles
Stopping in the circle to be polite surprises the drivers behind you and defeats the design; entering traffic is the side that waits.
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30. Where is the best place in the car for a child safety seat?
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Answer A: In the rear seat, secured either with the belt or with the lower anchors
The rear seat is furthest from most impacts and from the front airbags, and the seat must be locked in with the belt or the anchors.