Indiana BMV License Tests & Permit Practice

The vehicle approaching from the left must yield.

At a four-way stop, the rule is that the first vehicle to stop at the intersection is the first to proceed through the intersection. If you arrive at a four-way stop sign at the same time as another driver, the driver to the right has the right-of-way.

Drivers must use headlights between sunset and sunrise as well as at any other time in which visibility is less than 500 feet. Use your headlights in snow, rain, and fog to be seen by other drivers.

If you are involved in a traffic stop by law enforcement, following these simple rules will get you on your way quickly.

• Signal your intentions to pull safely to the shoulder of the road.
• Remain in your vehicle and roll down your window.
• Wait for the officer to approach.
• Turn on the dome light if you are stopped at night.
• Keep your hands on the wheel and instruct your passengers to keep their hands in view.
• Do not dig in the glove compartment or under the seat.
• Keep registration, insurance information, and driver’s license easily accessible.

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.

It is illegal for any vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle or a highway maintenance vehicle, to make a U-turn by crossing the median or crossover of an interstate highway.

If you miss an exit, you must drive to the next exit.

The state minimum insurance standard is:

• $25,000 for bodily injury to, or the death of, one individual.
• $50,000 for bodily injury to, or the death of, two or more people in any one accident.
• $25,000 for property damages in any one accident.

This is commonly referred to as 25/50/25 liability insurance.

Worn or bald tires can increase your stopping distance and make turning more difficult when the road is wet. Worn tires also increase the effect of hydroplaning and increase the chance of having a flat tire.

Signs of fatigue include:

• Trouble focusing your vision.
• Having no memory of the last few minutes of your drive.
• Beginning to drift out of your lane.
• Failing to maintain a constant speed.
• Head nodding and feeling as though you are about to fall asleep.

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.

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.

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.

When a crossbuck is displayed with a stop sign, you must come to a complete stop and proceed over the tracks only after making certain that a train is not approaching.

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.

You must also stop when an approaching train is plainly visible and is in hazardous proximity to the crossing.

When you are driving on a slippery surface, your tires may lose contact with the road. There may be no friction to brake, speed up, or turn. A gust of wind, a change of road level, or a slight turn can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

You can maximize your fuel economy by:

• Drive more efficiently by driving sensibly, observing the speed limit, avoiding hauling cargo on your roof and removing excess weight from your vehicle.
• Avoid rapid acceleration or sudden stops.
• Keep your vehicle in shape by properly maintaining your engine, keeping your tires properly inflated, and using the recommended grade of motor oil.
• Plan and combine trips. Your fuel economy is worse when your engine is cold than when it is warmed up. Several short trips from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip covering the same distance.

To alert and slow traffic, the flagger extends a red flag into the line of traffic, standing facing traffic and slowly waving the flag in a sweeping motion from shoulder level to straight down. The free arm is held down at the side of the body.

Slickness of pavement greatly affects a vehicle’s ability to stop.

Do not turn on your high beams in a hard rain, always use low beams.

Never drive faster than the posted speed limit. All speed limits are based on ideal driving conditions. If conditions are hazardous, you must drive slower. Driving at the posted speed limit during the following roadway conditions is dangerous:

• Bad weather and poor visibility.
• Slick or icy roads.
• Driving with worn tires.
• Unsafe vehicle conditions.
• Impaired physical condition.
• Hazardous conditions on road surface.

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.

It will not show green signals.

You must return to the right side of the road no less than 100 feet before any oncoming vehicle.

The primary factors in determining BAC are the amount of alcohol consumed, how quickly the alcohol is consumed, and body weight. BAC does not depend on what kind of alcoholic beverage you drink, how physically fit you are, or how well you can hold your liquor.

Food in the stomach causes alcohol to be absorbed more slowly, slowing down the rate and the amount of intoxication. It will not prevent the alcohol to get into your blood.

With a flat tire or blowout, you should hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the car going straight. Slow down gradually. Take your foot off the gas pedal, but do not apply the brakes. Let the car slow down, pull off the road and then apply the brakes when the car is almost stopped.

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.

You may not park your vehicle in a traffic lane next to a row of parked vehicles (double parking).

You must give a proper turn signal at least 200 feet before turning or changing lanes. If the speed limit is 50 miles per hour or more, you must give a proper turn signal at least 300 feet before turning or changing lanes.

Approaching vehicles must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to traffic in the roundabout.

Indiana law requires a driver and all passengers to use seat belts at all times when a vehicle is in operation.

Instead of driving between the car and the child, take one danger at a time. First, slow down and let the car pass. Then, move to the left to allow plenty of room before you pass the bicycle.

Drivers may pass a bicyclist when there is a safe amount of room beside the bicyclist (three-foot minimum) and when there is no danger from oncoming traffic.

A good rule for drivers to follow is to stay at least two to three seconds behind the vehicle ahead. When following a vehicle, watch for the vehicle ahead to pass a fixed object and estimate how much time elapses before you pass the same object.

The two-to-three-second rule is a minimum safe distance when road conditions are clear and dry.

Allow at least three or four seconds when following a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

When following behind a tractor-trailer, if you cannot see the tractor-trailer driver’s rear-view mirrors, the tractor-trailer driver cannot see you. Tailgating a tractor-trailer is dangerous.

If a collision looks possible, turn away from oncoming traffic, even if it means leaving the road. Do not enter the oncoming traffic lane.

Drive, rather than skid, off the road, allowing for more control. Choose to hit something that will give way, such as brush or shrubs, rather than something hard.

You must remain at the scene of the accident until you show you driver’s license, give your name and address, and the vehicle’s registration number to any person involved in the accident.

On the highway, slower vehicles should use the right lane. Leave the left-hand lane for faster moving or passing vehicles.

If you are facing a steady yellow light, your right-of-way is ending. Remember, you should stop for a yellow signal, unless you are too close to the intersection to stop safely. If you cannot stop safely, drive cautiously through the intersection after yielding the right of way.

Never speed up to beat the red signal.

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.

Many drivers falsely assume that a tractor-trailer driver can see the road better because they sit twice as high as the driver of a car. While tractor-trailer drivers do have a better forward view and bigger mirrors, they still have serious blind spots in which a car can completely disappear from view.

Tractor-trailers are designed to carry products long distances but are not designed to be as maneuverable as cars.