Washington DOL Permit Practice Test 2025

A red ‘X’ means that the lane is closed for traffic and that you should change lanes immediately. These lights are used over reversible lanes in Washington to help drivers determine which lanes are open or closed, and are often accompanied by double-dashed yellow lines. Reversible lanes are designed to help with rush hour traffic by carrying inbound traffic during the morning peak hours and outbound traffic during evening peak hours.

Drivers convicted of leaving a crash scene resulting in injury to another person will be charged with a Class C Felony. A Class C Felony in Washington is punishable by imprisonment for up to 5 years and expensive fines up to $10,000. In case of death, it will be treated as a Class B Felony punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years and $20,000 in fines.

Flashing amber lights are used by school buses in Washington and many other states to indicate that they are slowing down and preparing to stop. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop when they see these lights. The amber lights are generally activated 100-300 feet before the bus will stop depending on the speed limit.

If you crash into an unattended vehicle, you're expected to make a reasonable attempt to locate the owner of the vehicle. If unable to locate the owner, you should instead leave a note in a secure place with your contact information and details regarding the crash. Crashes in Washington must be reported in incidents of injury, fatality, or vehicle- or property damage exceeding $700. The deadline to file the report is 4 days.

In Washington, motorists from both directions have to stop for school buses loading or unloading passengers, which is often shown by flashing red lights and a mechanical stop arm. Do not proceed until the lights have stopped flashing and all pedestrians are clear. If the school bus stops to load or unload passengers at an intersection, traffic from all directions must stop. Fines are doubled for a driver that passes a stopped school bus and may not be waived or reduced. A stop is not required when driving on the opposite side of a roadway with three or more marked lanes that is divided by a median or physical barrier, but morotists should still display caution.

In Washington, the driver and all passenger must wear a seat belt or appropriate child safety seat. What is appropriate depends on the size, height and weight of the child. Violation of the seat belt law is a standard offense.

School buses, private carrier buses, vehicles carrying passengers for hire, and vehicles transporting hazardous material must stop at all railroad crossings in Washington. If you are driving behind any of these vehicles, you should be prepared to stop as well.

Studded tires have studs embedded in the tread that provide added traction. Studded tires are permitted in Washington between November 1 to March 31.

Texting or using a hand-held cell phone while driving is prohibited for all drivers in Washington. This is because any such use will severely distract you and increase the risk of a crash. In addition, novice drivers with a learner or intermediate license are prohibited from any use of a cell phone while driving.

The added weight of the trailer to your vehicle can drastically increase the distance needed to come to a full stop. For this reason, most states have laws regarding independent braking on trailers over a certain gross vehicle weight (GVW). In Washington, the gross weight limit is 3,000 lbs.

Washington is one of only a few states that does not use the point system to track dangerous drivers. However, the DOL records each moving violation against your record and will suspend your driver's license for 60 days if you accumulate 6 moving violations. Subsequent violations will carry harsher penalties. In addition, your insurance rates will rise.

Wearing any headsets or earphones that exclude other sounds is not permitted while driving in Washington. Some hands-free communication systems and motorcycle helmets with built-in headsets are exempt from this rule.

When exiting a freeway or interstate, you may cause a rear-end collision if you begin slowing down too early as other drivers may not expect it. Wait until after entering the deceleration lane before slowing down.

Passing is prohibited as the solid line is on your side of the road.

When driving downhill, selecting a lower gear gives increased engine braking. By engine braking, you prevent overheating the brakes.

By using neutral gear, you will pick up speed as your vehicle doesn’t engine brake at all. If you don’t let the engine share the work, you risk overheating your brakes which can be very dangerous.

Don’t panic in case of a tire blowout / flat tire! Focus on controlling your vehicle until you can safely stop.

Take your foot off the gas and begin braking gently once you have your vehicle under control. Don’t accelerate or brake hard as you may lose control over your vehicle.

Regulatory signs must be obeyed. This sign indicates that you must turn left or go straight ahead.

Think of the steering wheel as a clock and position your hands at 9 and 3 o’clock.

How to use hand-over-hand steering
Depending on which way you’re turning, one hand will push the wheel up as the other hand lets go and reaches across the other arm to grasp the steering wheel and pull up. Quick hand-movements are recommended on the entry of the manoeuvre - and slower movements upon completing the maneuver. 

Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists can be harder to spot, and are more vulnerable in a crash. Make sure you look for them, it can save lives.

A head-on collision is when two vehicles traveling in opposite directions drive straight into each other (front-to-front). Head-on collisions are relatively rare compared to other types of collisions, but they often leave both drivers with severe or even fatal injuries.