Sharing the Road — Indiana
Indiana CDL practice test: 431 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 18 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 | Indiana CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 18 (4% of 431 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (18)
1. Which of the following is not an example of a driving hazard?
- An accident on the roadway
- An open road ✓
- A police car assisting a motorist on the side of the road
- An ice cream truck
Answer: B. An open road
An open road is not an example of a driving hazard. The handbook defines a hazard as any road condition or other road user that could be a possible danger. It also tells drivers to look for an open spot away from other traffic, which treats open space as the safer condition rather than the danger. An accident on the roadway is a road condition you would need to react to. A police car helping a motorist is an emergency vehicle stopped at the roadside, and the handbook says to approach that situation with caution. An ice cream truck is another vehicle and driver on the road. The open road is therefore the choice that is not itself a hazard.
2. If driving a school bus, your four-way flashers should:
- Be activated before crossing railroad tracks. ✓
- Never be used.
- Only be used after crossing railroad tracks.
- Only be used near railroad tracks if a train is approaching.
Answer: A. Be activated before crossing railroad tracks.
Your four-way flashers should be activated before crossing railroad tracks. The handbook lists the steps a school bus driver should follow at railroad crossings. As the vehicle approaches the crossing, the driver activates the four-way flashers. Later steps include stopping within the required distance, setting the parking brake, and looking and listening for a train. The same section says to deactivate the flashers after the vehicle crosses the tracks. Together these show the flashers are on during the approach and crossing, so they must be turned on before crossing, not only afterward or only when a train is approaching.
3. In a school bus, where is the overhead inside rearview mirror located?
- Above the windshield on the driver’s side of the bus ✓
- Above the door on the passenger side of the bus
- Above the emergency door in the rear
- Under the driver's seat
Answer: A. Above the windshield on the driver’s side of the bus
4. If driving a truck that requires a CDL for operation:
- You do not need to wear a seat belt.
- You are required to wear a seat belt, but only if transporting more than 500 pounds of cargo.
- You are always required to wear a seat belt. ✓
- You are only required to wear a seat belt when driving a tank trailer.
Answer: C. You are always required to wear a seat belt.
If you drive a truck that requires a CDL, you are always required to wear a seat belt. The handbook's vehicle-inspection material tells you the driver's seat should have a seat belt and that you should always use it for safety. That instruction is not tied to a particular load, trailer type, or cargo weight, so nothing in it gives a CDL driver a pass to skip the belt. The rule applies to the driver every time the vehicle is moving, whatever you happen to be hauling.
5. An active railroad crossing:
- Has a traffic control device installed at the crossing. ✓
- Does not have any traffic control devices installed at the crossing.
- Is characterized by having at least 10 vehicles cross the tracks every hour.
- Should be avoided.
Answer: A. Has a traffic control device installed at the crossing.
An active railroad crossing is one that has a traffic control device installed at the crossing. The handbook separates crossings into passive and active. A passive crossing has no traffic control device, while an active crossing does. The handbook gives flashing red lights, with or without bells, and flashing red lights with bells and gates as examples of active devices. Since the definition depends on whether a control device is installed, the correct choice is the one describing a crossing with a device. The passages do not set a vehicle-count threshold for active crossings.
6. A danger of a large truck swerving to avoid a hazard is:
- The truck may miss the object.
- The truck may flip over. ✓
- The truck may stay in the same lane.
- Other vehicles may do the same thing.
Answer: B. The truck may flip over.
7. A commercial motor vehicle should:
- Not be equipped with a fire extinguisher, unless transporting hazardous materials.
- Not be equipped with a fire extinguisher, unless the vehicle will be traveling through remote areas.
- Never be equipped with a fire extinguisher.
- Always be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher. ✓
Answer: D. Always be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher.
8. When approaching a railroad crossing while operating a school bus, you should generally:
- Stop between 15 and 50 feet before the nearest rail. ✓
- Stop 100 feet before the nearest rail.
- Stop 10 feet before the nearest rail.
- Continue across the tracks without stopping.
Answer: A. Stop between 15 and 50 feet before the nearest rail.
Stop between 15 and 50 feet before the nearest rail. The handbook says a school bus must come to a complete stop at a railroad crossing, and it gives a specific stopping window: within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail. It repeats that when there is no painted stop line, vehicles required to stop must stop no closer than 15 feet and no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail. Since a school bus is required to stop, that same 15-to-50-foot range applies.
9. What should you do if your vehicle gets stuck on railroad tracks?
- Stay in the vehicle.
- Get out of the vehicle and call for assistance. ✓
- Continue trying to remove the vehicle from the tracks.
- Walk down the tracks to look for an oncoming train.
Answer: B. Get out of the vehicle and call for assistance.
Get out of the vehicle, move away from the tracks, and call for help, using 911 or another emergency number. The handbook warns that certain trailers, such as low slung units and a single-axle tractor pulling a long trailer, can get stuck on raised crossings. If you get stuck on the tracks for any reason, the instruction is to leave the vehicle and get clear of the tracks. Then you check the signposts or signal housing at the crossing for emergency notification information and call 911 or another emergency number. When you call, you give the crossing location using any landmarks you can identify, especially the DOT number if it is posted.
10. A school bus stop:
- Can be added by the driver if students are given notice of the change.
- Should be voted on by the students and parents.
- Should change frequently.
- Should be established by the school and not changed. ✓
Answer: D. Should be established by the school and not changed.
A school bus stop should be established by the school and not changed. The handbook says each school district sets official routes and official school bus stops. All stops should be approved by the school district before the stop is made. It also says you should never change a bus stop location without written approval from the appropriate school district official. That means a driver does not create or move stops on their own. The passage says nothing about students and parents voting or about changing stops often.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook