California Car / Permit practice
California Car / Permit: Sharing the Road practice test
Driving safely around motorcycles, bicycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and school buses — and knowing who has the right of way.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
13 questions · pass with 10 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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Study questions with answers
12 sample Sharing the Road questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
Show all 12 questions with answers
1. A large truck or bus is making a right turn in front of you and swings wide to the left first. You should:
Correct answer: Stay back and never squeeze to the right of the truck
Trucks and buses often swing wide (even into the left lane) to complete a right turn. Never try to squeeze between the vehicle and the curb — you could be crushed. Wait until the turn is complete.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks
2. When passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction, you must give a clearance of at least:
Correct answer: 3 feet
California's Three Feet for Safety Act requires at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist. If you cannot, slow down and pass only when it is safe.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Bicyclists
3. The vehicle in the lane next to you comes to a stop at a marked crosswalk. Before passing it, you should:
Correct answer: Slow or stop, because a pedestrian may be crossing
A vehicle stopped at a crosswalk may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot yet see. It is illegal to pass it, and doing so risks a 'multiple-threat' collision. Slow or stop until you are sure no one is crossing.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Pedestrians / Crosswalks
4. A pedestrian who is using a white cane or a guide dog is:
Correct answer: Always entitled to the right-of-way
A pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog is likely blind or visually impaired and always has the right-of-way. Stop and let them cross safely, and avoid honking.
5. When you are near a motorcyclist, you should remember that in California, motorcyclists:
Correct answer: May legally split lanes, so watch for them
Motorcycles are entitled to a full lane, and in California lane splitting (riding between lanes of traffic) is legal. Motorcycles are small and easy to miss, so check your mirrors and blind spots.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Motorcyclists
6. Large trucks have big blind spots (sometimes called "No-Zones"). To stay safe, you should:
Correct answer: Avoid lingering beside or close behind the truck
Trucks have large blind spots to the sides, front, and rear. Avoid lingering in them; if you cannot see the driver's mirrors, they cannot see you. Trucks also need much more distance to stop.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks
7. You come up behind a vehicle displaying an orange triangle with a red border (a slow-moving-vehicle emblem). You should expect that vehicle to:
Correct answer: Travel at 25 mph or less, so slow down and be patient
The orange triangle marks a vehicle that travels 25 mph or less, such as farm equipment. Slow down, stay back, and pass only when it is legal and safe.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road / Slow-Moving Vehicles
8. Traveling at 55 mph, an average passenger vehicle can stop within about 300 feet. A large loaded truck traveling at the same speed may need:
Correct answer: Up to 400 feet to stop
A heavy vehicle moving at 55 mph might need as much as 400 feet before it comes to rest, versus roughly 300 feet for an ordinary car — reason enough to never cut closely in front of one.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks
9. A streetcar, trolley, or bus has paused at a designated safety zone (or a traffic light) to let riders on and off. What is the fastest speed at which you may go around it?
Correct answer: 10 mph
Drivers passing this kind of stopped transit vehicle must keep their speed to 10 mph or below.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Buses, Streetcars, and Trolleys
10. When sharing the road with a horse-drawn vehicle or a person riding a horse, it is illegal to:
Correct answer: Intentionally scare the horse or livestock
Deliberately startling a horse or other livestock that is sharing the roadway with motor vehicles is a violation of state law.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Animal-Drawn Vehicles
11. A bicyclist is riding near the middle of a narrow traffic lane instead of hugging the curb. This is:
Correct answer: Allowed; pass only when there is room to do so safely
Bicyclists may legally use a full lane when it is too narrow to share safely or when avoiding hazards. Slow down and pass only with at least 3 feet of clearance when it is safe.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Bicyclists
12. A school bus ahead has stopped and is flashing red lights with its stop arm out. You must:
Correct answer: Stop until the red lights stop flashing
When a school bus flashes red lights, you must stop from both directions and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing. The exception: you need not stop if you are on the opposite side of a divided or multilane highway.
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Every California question is written from the official California driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free
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California Practice Test Pack — 2026 Printable Edition
$4.99 · One-time purchase. Instant download.
Our own printable edition — nobody paid us to show it to you, and everything in it is free to read here too.