Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation — Texas
Texas permit practice test: 580 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation: 32 questions.
Brakes, tires, lights, mirrors, seat belts, child seats and basic vehicle control.
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 | Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation |
| License test | Texas Car learner's permit test |
| Topic questions | 32 (6% of 580 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
Texas Driver Handbook (dps.texas.gov, DL-7) ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (32)
1. Vehicle stopping distances never depend on:
- Your own reaction time.
- The time of day. ✓
- The condition of your vehicle's brakes.
- The condition and type of your vehicle's tires.
Answer: B. The time of day.
2. When a vehicle with an Anti-Lock Braking System starts to lose traction on a slippery road, drivers should:
- Pump the brakes.
- Press and hold the brake pedal. ✓
- Press and hold the gas pedal.
- Lightly tap the brakes.
Answer: B. Press and hold the brake pedal.
3. To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, drivers should:
- Have their exhaust system checked regularly to be sure it does not leak.
- Keep their car turned off when it is enclosed in a garage.
- Close vents when following closely behind another car.
- All of the above. ✓
Answer: D. All of the above.
All of the above — every one of these habits helps prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, so do all of them. The handbook warns that cars make carbon monoxide, a deadly gas, and lists what not to do: leave the motor running in a garage, leave vents open when you are following another car closely, run the motor with the windows shut while parked, drive with a bad muffler or exhaust system, or run the heater or air conditioner in a parked car with closed windows in an enclosed space. Checking the exhaust for leaks, shutting the car off in a garage, and closing the vents behind another car all match that list.
4. If you are stopped by a police officer, you should:
- Unbuckle your seat belt and lower your window.
- Get your paperwork ready before the officer reaches your car.
- Stay in your vehicle with your hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer to approach you. ✓
- Get out of your car and walk toward the patrol car.
Answer: C. Stay in your vehicle with your hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer to approach you.
Stay in your vehicle with your hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer to approach you. Texas guidance for a stop says to stay in the car, lower the driver's window only if you feel safe, and keep both hands clearly visible on top of the steering wheel while you wait for the officer's instructions. It also says you should not exit unless asked and should not reach or search for your license or insurance before or while the officer is approaching. Staying put with your hands visible fits that guidance and avoids being seen as a threat.
5. The most effective thing you can do to reduce your risk of being injured or killed in a traffic crash is to:
- Wear your seat belt. ✓
- Limit your driving to weekdays.
- Stay in the right lane on multilane highways.
- Limit your driving to hours between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Answer: A. Wear your seat belt.
Wear your seat belt; the handbook says safety belts help keep you from being thrown from your car and in better control, which lowers your chance of being killed in a crash. The handbook lists what safety belts do in a crash: they keep you from being thrown out, keep you from hitting the dashboard too hard, and help you stay in control. It also states that your chances of being killed are five times greater if you are thrown from your car. Among the choices given, that is the only action tied in the passages to reduced injury or death risk. The other choices are not described as crash-survival measures.
6. If one of your tires blows out as you are driving, you should:
- Brake hard immediately.
- Try to steer straight while gradually slowing by removing your foot from the gas pedal. ✓
- Maintain your current speed and steer straight.
- Swerve back and forth to alert traffic behind you.
Answer: B. Try to steer straight while gradually slowing by removing your foot from the gas pedal.
Try to steer straight and gradually slow down by taking your foot off the gas pedal. The Texas handbook's flat tire or blowout section says not to brake suddenly or hard. Instead, it tells you to take your foot off the gas pedal, apply the brakes gently, and steer straight ahead to a stop. That matches the choice about steering straight while gradually slowing by releasing the gas. The key is to keep the car pointed straight and let speed come down smoothly rather than making a sudden, hard stop.
7. A leaky exhaust system in your vehicle is dangerous because it can cause:
- A loss of hearing.
- Pollution.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning. ✓
- Poor engine performance.
Answer: C. Carbon monoxide poisoning.
A leaky exhaust system is dangerous because it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. The handbook warns that cars produce carbon monoxide, a deadly gas, and lists driving with a defective muffler or exhaust system among the things not to do. That places a leaky exhaust directly in the carbon monoxide warning. The passage does not say a leaky exhaust causes hearing loss, pollution in general, or poor engine performance; it ties exhaust defects to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
8. A seat belt should be adjusted so that it:
- Is loose.
- Is buckled snugly across your hip bones and lower abdomen. ✓
- Is hidden beneath the seat.
- Keeps the seat belt buzzer or light from operating.
Answer: B. Is buckled snugly across your hip bones and lower abdomen.
9. You are driving on a busy street and your vehicle’s accelerator sticks open. You should:
- Blow your horn.
- Slam on your brakes.
- Turn on your four-way flashers.
- Turn off your ignition, taking care not to engage the steering wheel locking mechanism. ✓
Answer: D. Turn off your ignition, taking care not to engage the steering wheel locking mechanism.
10. Who is required to wear a safety belt in a motor vehicle?
- Only the driver
- Only adult passengers
- All of the vehicle's occupants ✓
- Only child passengers
Answer: C. All of the vehicle's occupants
All of the vehicle's occupants must wear a safety belt — the driver and every passenger, no matter their age. The handbook says the driver and all passengers, regardless of age, must use safety belts when they sit in a seat in a vehicle that has belts. It adds that this covers pickups, SUVs, and trucks. The penalties section backs this up: a driver can be cited for not wearing a belt and for not having each child under 17 properly secured, and anyone at least 15 can be cited for riding unbelted. So the requirement applies to everyone in the vehicle, not just one group.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook