Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: Texas DPS written test practice
Rules to understand before practicing
Check signs, curb markings and road markings before parking or turning. Leave crossings, driveways and emergency access clear. When parked on a hill, wheel direction and the parking brake help keep a rolling vehicle out of traffic. Restraint requirements depend on a child's age and size and the state law; choose an appropriate seat and follow its installation instructions. A common mistake is applying a curb color or distance learned in another state without checking local rules.
19 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the Texas DPS written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.
2. Children under the age of 8 should generally be:
In the front seat, in any child restraint system
✓ In an appropriate car seat or booster seat in the back seat
Simply fastened with a waist belt, in the front or back
Only with an adult seat belt
Explanation: Under Texas law, children under 8 years of age (unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches) must use a car seat or booster seat, generally in the back seat.
6. Drivers under the age of 18 may use a cell phone while driving:
This is only possible in speakerphone mode
✓ It is not allowed at all, not even hands-free, except to report an emergency
You can drive freely, just like adult drivers
For navigation only
Explanation: In Texas, drivers under the age of 18 are completely prohibited from using a wireless device while driving, except to report an emergency.
13. You see a vehicle stopped on the shoulder with flashing lights—a police car, tow truck, or utility vehicle. What should you do?
Ignore this if you're driving in a different lane
✓ If possible, safely change lanes away from it, or slow down
Speed up to get through this section faster
Come to a complete stop in your lane
Explanation: Texas's Move Over/Slow Down law requires drivers to change lanes away from a stopped emergency, tow, or utility vehicle with flashing lights when it's safe to do so, or slow down significantly if changing lanes isn't possible.
17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:
Away from the curb
✓ Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Explanation: Turn the wheels toward the curb so that the car, as it rolls backward, comes to a stop against the curb rather than rolling out onto the roadway.
18. A school bus ahead has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, on a two-lane road with no physical median. You should:
Pass carefully at reduced speed
✓ Stop, regardless of which direction you're traveling, until the lights stop flashing
Stop only if you're behind the bus, not if you're approaching it
Proceed if no children are visible
Explanation: On undivided roads, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, and may only proceed once the lights stop flashing.
19. An emergency vehicle with sirens and flashing lights is approaching from behind. You should:
Speed up to clear the intersection first
✓ Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Stop immediately, wherever you are, even mid-intersection
Ignore it unless it's directly behind you
Explanation: Move as far right as safely possible and come to a stop (unless a police officer directs otherwise), clearing the way for the emergency vehicle.