Sharing the Road — California
California DMV practice test: 617 free practice questions (38 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 68 questions.
Pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Sharing the Road |
| License test | California Car learner's permit test (Class C) |
| Topic questions | 68 (11% of 617 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
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Questions (68)
1. What should you do when there is a school bus ahead that starts flashing yellow warning lights?
- Slow down and prepare to stop. ✓
- Stop immediately and remain stopped.
- Cautiously pass the school bus on the left.
Answer: A. Slow down and prepare to stop.
When a school bus ahead starts flashing yellow warning lights, slow down and prepare to stop. The California Driver Handbook says some school buses flash yellow lights when they are getting ready to stop and let children off. Those yellow lights are a warning, so your job is to ease off the gas and get ready to stop. The handbook ties the required stop to the bus's red lights, when you must remain stopped until the children are safely across and the lights stop flashing. That is why the yellow phase calls for slowing and preparing rather than stopping on the spot or going around.
2. What should you do if a pedestrian is still in the crosswalk after the “DON”T WALK” sign begins to flash and your light has turned green?
- Wait until the pedestrian is out of your path before proceeding.
- Wait until the pedestrian signals that it is okay for you to proceed.
- Wait until the pedestrian has crossed the street completely before proceeding. ✓
Answer: C. Wait until the pedestrian has crossed the street completely before proceeding.
Wait until the pedestrian has crossed the street completely, and only then proceed. The handbook says you must yield to pedestrians even when the DON'T WALK light is flashing, and a green light still means stopping for any pedestrian in the intersection. It also tells drivers to stop so a pedestrian can safely finish crossing, and to give slower pedestrians, like seniors or people with small children, extra time. That adds up to letting the person finish the whole crossing, not squeezing past once they clear your lane.
3. Which of the following is true about large trucks?
- They are made of many trailers, which make them more maneuverable than passenger vehicles.
- They have large blind spots, which makes it difficult for the truck driver to see other vehicles. ✓
- They have large and powerful emergency brakes, which gives them the capability to stop quickly.
Answer: B. They have large blind spots, which makes it difficult for the truck driver to see other vehicles.
Large trucks have large blind spots, so the truck driver often cannot see other vehicles around them. The handbook says truck drivers have a good view ahead and big mirrors, but they still have large blind spots it calls No Zones, where your vehicle can vanish from the driver's view. It gives a simple test: if you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, the driver cannot see you. That is why the statement about blind spots is the true one, and it is also why you should not linger beside a truck.
4. When can you drive in a bike lane?
- uring rush hour traffic if there are no bicyclists in the bike lane.
- When you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right. ✓
- When you want to pass a driver ahead of you who is turning right.
Answer: B. When you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right.
You may drive in a bike lane when you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right. The handbook says bicycle lanes are for bicyclists only, with limited exceptions. One exception is turning, and the right-turn instructions allow you to enter the bike lane within 200 feet of the turn. The same section tells you to check your blind spots for bicyclists. So the permission is tied to making a right turn near the intersection, not to traffic congestion or to passing someone.
5. Always stop before you cross railroad tracks when:
- You don't have room on the other side to completely cross the tracks. ✓
- The railroad crossing is located in a city or town that has frequent train traffic.
- You transport two or more young children in a passenger vehicle.
Answer: A. You don't have room on the other side to completely cross the tracks.
Always stop before crossing railroad tracks when you do not have enough room on the far side to clear the tracks completely. The handbook tells you never to stop on railroad tracks. If traffic ahead is backed up so that your car would end up sitting on the rails, wait before the crossing and do not start across until there is room for your whole vehicle on the other side. The handbook adds that being on the tracks puts you at risk of injury or death. So the deciding factor is space on the far side, not where the crossing is or who is riding with you.
6. Never make a U-turn:
- in residential districts.
- at or on a railroad crossing. ✓
- where there isn't a "No U-turn" sign posted.
Answer: B. at or on a railroad crossing.
Never make a U-turn at or on a railroad crossing. The handbook lists places where U-turns are never allowed, and one listed place is at or on a railroad crossing. It also says you may make a U-turn in a residential district when no vehicles are approaching within 200 feet, and at an intersection on a green light or arrow unless a NO U-TURN sign is posted. So the blanket rule applies to the railroad crossing, not to residential areas or to places where no sign is posted.
7. If a truck or bus is making a right turn where you also need to make a right turn, you should:
- Quickly turn before the truck or bus is able to.
- Wait until the truck or bus turns before you turn. ✓
- Squeeze between the truck or bus and the curb.
Answer: B. Wait until the truck or bus turns before you turn.
Wait until the truck or bus finishes its turn before you make your right turn. The handbook explains that on a large vehicle, the rear wheels track inside the path of the front wheels, and the longer the vehicle, the greater that difference. That is why trucks and buses often swing wide to complete a turn. If you move alongside or try to turn early, you can end up in the space the rear of the large vehicle is about to use. Waiting until it completes the turn keeps you clear of that moving path.
8. You should yield to a pedestrian:
- Only if they are in a crosswalk.
- At all times, even if the pedestrian is not obeying traffic laws. ✓
- Only if the traffic lights are in the pedestrian's favor.
Answer: B. At all times, even if the pedestrian is not obeying traffic laws.
You should yield to a pedestrian at all times, even if the pedestrian is not obeying traffic laws. The handbook tells drivers to yield to pedestrians whenever they are at or approaching traffic signals or signs (Section 7). It goes further on pedestrian signals: even when the DON'T WALK or raised hand light is flashing, drivers must still yield to pedestrians. So the duty to yield does not switch off just because the pedestrian's signal, or the pedestrian's own behavior, is not in their favor. The decision to give way rests on you as the driver, not on whether the person on foot is following the rules.
9. Which of these vehicles must always stop before crossing railroad tracks?
- Tank trucks with hazardous materials placards. ✓
- Motor homes or pickup trucks towing a boat trailer.
- Sport utility vehicles carrying four or more persons.
Answer: A. Tank trucks with hazardous materials placards.
Tank trucks with hazardous materials placards must always stop before crossing railroad tracks. The handbook says vehicles with a diamond-shaped hazardous load sign must stop before crossing train tracks. It also tells drivers to watch for vehicles that must stop, and it lists buses, school buses, and vehicles marked with a hazardous materials placard among them. A tank truck carrying a hazardous materials placard fits that group, so it must stop before crossing the tracks. The other choices are not described as vehicles with that stopping requirement.
10. When can you drive in a bike lane?
- During rush hour traffic if there are no bicyclists in the bike lane.
- When you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right. ✓
- When you want to pass a driver ahead of you who is turning right.
Answer: B. When you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right.
You can drive in a bike lane when you are within 200 feet of a cross street where you plan to turn right. The handbook treats bike lanes as reserved for bicyclists and lists only a few exceptions, including turning within 200 feet of an intersection. For a right turn, it says to drive close to the right edge and allows you to use the bike lane within 200 feet from the turn, while checking blind spots for bicyclists. That matches the choice about being within 200 feet of a cross street where you intend to turn right. Traffic congestion or an empty bike lane does not create a separate exception.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · 38 official sample questions · Official driver handbook