California CDL — General Knowledge: Right-of-Way Practice Test

Question 1

At a gated railroad crossing, when may you finally drive across?

Accepted Answer

Once the gates have lifted and the red lights have stopped flashing — Stop as the lights start flashing and before the arm comes down, then wait it out. The gates rising and the lights going dark together are your sign that the crossing has been released.

Answer

As soon as the gate has risen far enough for your cab to fit under

Answer

As soon as the train's last car passes your position

Answer

As soon as the bells fall silent, whatever the gates are doing

Question 2

Students in the lower grades have to cross the road after leaving your school bus. What does California require of the driver?

Accepted Answer

Escort them across with an approved hand-held stop sign, walking them in front of the bus — For pupils from prekindergarten through eighth grade the driver leaves the seat and walks them over, carrying an approved hand-held stop sign, along a path in front of the bus where the driver can watch them the whole way.

Answer

Signal them across from the driver's seat once the mirrors look clear

Answer

Send the oldest student ahead to check for traffic

Answer

Keep the door shut until every approaching car has driven away

Question 3

As your vehicle is moving through an intersection, who has the prior claim to the space?

Accepted Answer

Any pedestrian or vehicle already inside the intersection — Rolling into an intersection does not clear it for you. Ease off, check every direction, and give way to people and vehicles that are already occupying that space before you claim it.

Answer

The largest vehicle present, because it needs the most room

Answer

Whoever entered the intersection most recently

Answer

Nobody, once your front wheels have crossed the line

Question 4

Under what condition may a bus driver cross a drawbridge without first coming to a stop?

Accepted Answer

When a green traffic light is showing, or an attendant or officer is controlling traffic — A drawbridge with no signal and nobody directing traffic gets a full stop. A green light, or a person controlling the bridge, replaces that stop — though you still slow down and make certain it is safe.

Answer

When the bridge deck looks visibly flat and level

Answer

When no boat is in sight on either side of the bridge

Answer

When the bus is running behind schedule

Question 5

You are ready to pull a bus away from a stop and back into moving traffic. What should you assume about the drivers behind you?

Accepted Answer

That none of them will brake for you, so you wait for a real gap — Buses lose mirrors and clip passing vehicles pulling out from stops. Know the size of gap your bus needs to get up to speed, then wait until that gap actually opens rather than counting on courtesy.

Answer

That your turn signal legally obliges them to let you in

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That the sheer size of the bus makes them slow automatically

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That the first driver to flash their headlights is committed to yielding

Question 6

Why is trying to beat a train across a crossing such a serious mistake?

Accepted Answer

A train's speed and distance are almost impossible to judge from the road — Because a train is so large, it looks slower and further off than it really is. That illusion is why the handbook says never to gamble on beating one — the train gets the crossing every time.

Answer

The crossing surface is usually too rough to accelerate over

Answer

Trains are legally obliged to yield, so racing serves no purpose

Answer

Your engine will lose power the moment it passes over the rails

Question 7

Traffic is backed up on the far side of an intersection you are about to enter. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Wait until there is room for your whole vehicle to get clear of the intersection — A long vehicle stranded across an intersection blocks every other direction and cannot be moved quickly. Hold back until there is genuinely enough space on the far side for your whole rig.

Answer

Enter anyway, since long vehicles are allowed to block the box

Answer

Enter and stop with the trailer resting over the crosswalk

Answer

Enter and switch on your four-way flashers to warn cross traffic

Question 8

The red lights at a crossing begin flashing as you approach, and more than one set of rails runs through it. What must you do?

Accepted Answer

Stop, let the train have the crossing, and confirm every track is clear before moving — Flashing red means a train is on the way and the train has the right-of-way. Where several tracks share a crossing, one train can screen another, so nothing moves until you have checked every track.

Answer

Cross quickly on whichever track is empty

Answer

Continue if the bells are silent, since lights alone are only advisory

Answer

Stop only if a gate actually starts coming down

Question 9

When you turn left across oncoming traffic in a long commercial vehicle, what must you do?

Accepted Answer

Yield to oncoming traffic and allow extra time to clear the intersection — Yield to oncoming traffic and make sure you have enough of a gap, because a long, heavy vehicle takes extra time to clear the intersection. Do not turn unless you can complete it safely.

Answer

Turn quickly, since oncoming traffic must yield to trucks

Answer

Assume oncoming drivers will stop for you

Answer

Speed up so you spend less time in the intersection

Question 10

You are coming up on a police cruiser stopped on the shoulder with its emergency lights going. What does the move-over law ask of you?

Accepted Answer

Slow down and, where it can be done safely, move out of the lane beside the cruiser — The law exists to keep officers, medics, firefighters, and road crews from being struck. Give up the adjacent lane when traffic allows it, and where changing lanes would be dangerous, simply reduce speed and pass with care.

Answer

Stop completely and wait until the officer signals you past

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Sound your horn so the officer knows you are approaching

Answer

Hold your lane and your speed so that traffic keeps flowing

California CDL — General Knowledge: Right-of-Way practice test

Study questions with answers

1. At a gated railroad crossing, when may you finally drive across?

2. Students in the lower grades have to cross the road after leaving your school bus. What does California require of the driver?

3. As your vehicle is moving through an intersection, who has the prior claim to the space?

4. Under what condition may a bus driver cross a drawbridge without first coming to a stop?

5. You are ready to pull a bus away from a stop and back into moving traffic. What should you assume about the drivers behind you?

6. Why is trying to beat a train across a crossing such a serious mistake?

7. Traffic is backed up on the far side of an intersection you are about to enter. What should you do?

8. The red lights at a crossing begin flashing as you approach, and more than one set of rails runs through it. What must you do?

9. When you turn left across oncoming traffic in a long commercial vehicle, what must you do?

10. You are coming up on a police cruiser stopped on the shoulder with its emergency lights going. What does the move-over law ask of you?

More CDL — General Knowledge topics

Practice Right-of-Way in another state