Indiana BMV License Tests & Permit Practice

If a motorist is sharing the left turn lane with a bicyclist, stay behind the cyclist until they has safely completed the left turn.

Drive with a full tank of gas so that if stranded, the heater can remain in use for as long as possible.

The glare of oncoming headlights may reduce vision. To avoid the effects of glare, do not look directly into the lights of an approaching vehicle, but focus on the right side of the road.

Make sure the passing lane is clear of traffic. Check behind and to the left of your vehicle to make sure that another vehicle is not attempting to pass you.

You must stop when you approach a school bus with flashing red lights activated and stop arm extended.

If you are driving on a highway that is divided by a barrier or unimproved median, you are required to stop only if you are traveling in the same direction as the school bus.

Fog can greatly reduce your visibility of other vehicles, pedestrians and traffic signals. Drive cautiously and at reduced speeds.

A roundabout is a circular intersection in which traffic enters or exits only through right turns and proceeds in a counter-clockwise direction.

Reversing is more difficult than driving forward because your field of vision is blocked by the vehicle itself, and it is more difficult to control your speed and direction. To reverse, turn your body to the right to look through the back window. Never use only the rear-view mirror for reversing. Go slowly, watching carefully in all directions.

If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system (ABS), keep your foot on the brake pedal, maintaining firm and continuous pressure while steering normally. Do not pump the brakes. A mechanical sound or noise and vibration or increased resistance in the brake pedal indicates your ABS is working.

Move or merge left. Begin your merge well in advance of the sign.

Tractor-trailer drivers often swing out as the first step in making a tight turn. When following a tractor-trailer, watch its turn signals before trying to pass, especially to the right. If the tractor-trailer appears to be moving to the left, wait a moment to check and see which way the driver is signaling and watch for a right turn.

If a judge finds that probable cause exists, such that a person operated a vehicle while intoxicated, they may face a suspension of driving privileges. A motorist who refuses to submit to a chemical test will face a suspension of driving privileges for up to two years. In addition to a probable cause suspension, a court may suspend a person’s driving privileges following a conviction for operating while intoxicated.

The pedestrian hybrid beacon is dark unless it has been activated by a pedestrian. Once activated by a pedestrian, the pedestrian hybrid beacon will display a flashing yellow light to allow drivers to clear the crossing. The flashing yellow will be followed by a steady yellow light to warn drivers that their right of way is ending. Then, two steady red lights will be displayed while the pedestrian crosses and then the two red lights will flash to allow drivers to proceed through if crossing is clear of pedestrians. The pedestrian hybrid beacon will then go dark until activated again by a pedestrian.

If the accident results in the injury or death of another person, you must give reasonable assistance to each person injured in or entrapped by the accident. You must get help by making sure local police, county sheriff, or a 911 telephone operator is notified.

Do not move an injured person unless it is absolutely necessary. Never give injured persons anything to drink, not even water.

The right lane should remain open for traffic entering and leaving the highway as much as possible. Drivers already on the interstate should make allowances for those entering. However, drivers entering an interstate must yield the right of way to vehicles on the interstate.

When you see a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights, you must slow down and move into a lane that is not adjacent to the emergency vehicle, if it is possible to do so safely. If it is not possible to do so safely, you must slow down and proceed with caution.

A rider of a horse or horse-drawn vehicle has the same rights and responsibilities of a motor vehicle driver when riding on a public highway.

If the rear wheels begin sliding sideways, ease off the gas pedal. Turn the steering wheel in a controlled manner in the direction the rear of the car is sliding. Do not make a fast turn away from the direction of the skid and do not steer too far, which could cause a spin.

A steady red light means stop. Do not go until the light turns green. You may turn right through an intersection with a red light, when permissible. You must come to a full stop, check to make sure that there are no vehicles and pedestrians in the path of your turn or about to enter the path of your turn. Check that there is not a No Turn on Red sign and use the correct lane. You may also turn left through an intersection with a red light if you are turning from a one-way street onto a one-way street.

To turn left, be in the far-left lane for your direction of travel. You must give a proper turn signal at least 200 feet before turning. Always check your mirrors and blind spots at intersections. Before entering an intersection, make sure the intersection is clear before you proceed. Only one vehicle at a time may move into an intersection to turn left.

White lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in the same direction. Most roads with more than two lanes have broken white lines to separate then lanes. You may cross a broken white line when it is safe to change lanes, but you should not cross a solid white line.

A single solid white line means that changing lanes is discouraged. Double solid white lines mean that changing lane is prohibited.

When you park facing downhill, turn your vehicle’s wheels toward the curb. When you park facing uphill, turn your vehicle’s wheels away from the curb. If there is no curb, turn your vehicle’s wheels away from the street.

Yellow lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in opposite directions. You may cross a broken yellow line to pass another vehicle when it is safe, but you must not cross a solid yellow line except to turn.

Remember, it is dangerous and illegal to try to pass other vehicles when a solid yellow line is marked on the driver’s side of the center line of the road.

Carbon monoxide gas from a vehicle engine can harm or kill you or your passengers. Carbon monoxide is most likely to leak into a vehicle when its heater is running, when the exhaust system is not working properly, or in heavy traffic where exhaust fumes are breathed from other vehicles.

How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Have your vehicle’s exhaust system checked regularly.
• Be alert for any unusual roar from under the car.
• Never let your vehicle’s engine run in a closed garage.
• In congested traffic, close the fresh-air vent.
• On highways in cold weather, open the fresh-air vent.

Certain people are exempt from the seat belt law. They include certain commercial, postal and newspaper carriers who have to make frequent stops to deliver goods and services.

When there are active warning bells, flashing lights, or lights and gates, you must stop and not proceed until the active warning is canceled or you are directed to proceed by a law enforcement officer or railroad flagman. Remember, it is illegal to drive around a crossing gate that is down.

Defensive driving means that you should look out for the actions of other drivers and anticipate dangerous situations. Never think another driver will not make a driving mistake. Always expect the unexpected. Know what to do if something happens suddenly.

Follow these rules and guidelines when pedestrians are in the vicinity:

• Always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
• Do not make a turn that causes a pedestrian to stop, slow down or make some other special effort to avoid a collision.
• If children are in the vicinity, take special care, because children are not fully aware of the dangers of traffic.
• Be respectful of others who have difficulty in crossing streets, such as elderly persons or persons with a visual disability.

Do not attempt to open a door. The weight of the water will make it nearly impossible to open a door and water will flood the passenger compartment through an open door. Open a window. Exit the vehicle and move to the roof. Swim for shore only as a last resort. Never re-enter the vehicle to gather possessions.

Areas near the left (or right) rear corner of your car are called blind spots because you cannot see them through the mirrors. When changing lanes, briefly turn your head towards the lane that you are entering to make sure that there is no vehicle in your blind spot and that there is sufficient room to move into the adjacent lane.

Because of their size, motorcycles and motor driven cycles can be hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick shoulder check. Always check your mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.

Don’t linger in the blind spots on the sides and in the rear of large vehicles.

A law enforcement officer may direct traffic at an intersection or elsewhere. The officer’s command may be different from a traffic signal or sign. In such a case, the law enforcement officer’s command is the one that must be obeyed.

According to Indiana code 9-21-8-49, anyone who does not follow the traffic directions given by a police officer, flagman or school crossing guard has committed a class C misdemeanor.

If you have a probationary driver’s license you may not operate a motor vehicle while using a telecommunication device, such as a cell phone, unless the device is being used to make a 911 emergency call. A person with a standard license may not use a telecommunications device to type, transmit or read a text message or an electronic mail message while operating a moving motor vehicle unless the device is used in conjunction with hands free or voice operated technology, or unless the device is used to call 911 to report a bona fide emergency.

You will be subject to a delinquent fee if your license is renewed after the expiration date.

If you are renewing a driver’s license that has been expired for at least 180 days but not more than three years, you must pay a delinquent license fee, pass a knowledge test and pass a standard vision screening test.

If you are renewing a driver’s license that has been expired for three or more years, you must pay a delinquent license fee. Additionally, for a driver’s license renewal, you must pass a knowledge test, a driving skills test and a standard vision screening test.

Signaling does not give you the right to make the indicted maneuver. You must check to insure that it can be safely completed without interfering with other traffic.