Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: Florida FLHSMV written test practice
19 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the Florida FLHSMV 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.
1. Children under 2 years of age should generally be:
In a child booster seat
In the front seat with a lap belt
✓ In a rear-facing car seat in the back seat
Facing any direction—at the driver's discretion
Why: Children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they already weigh 40+ pounds or are taller than 40 inches.
2. Under Florida's child restraint law, children must be secured in an approved car seat or booster seat until what age (with specific requirements changing by age)?
Under age 3 only
✓ Under age 6 — children 0-3 require a separate carrier/car seat, ages 4-5 may use a car seat or booster
Under age 12, always in a rear-facing seat
There is no age requirement in Florida
Why: Florida law requires children under 6 to be secured in a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint—children ages 0-3 in a separate carrier or car seat, and ages 4-5 in a car seat or booster seat.
3. Florida's seat belt law requires that:
Only the driver must wear a seat belt
✓ The driver and all front-seat passengers must wear seat belts, and passengers under 18 must buckle up anywhere in the vehicle — enforced as a primary offense for front-seat occupants
Seat belts are only mandatory on highways
Seat belt use is optional for adults in the back seat but never enforced
Why: Florida requires the driver and all front-seat occupants to wear seat belts, and passengers under 18 must be buckled up no matter where they sit. Front-seat violations are primary enforcement, meaning an officer can stop a vehicle for that alone.
4. The recommended following distance from the vehicle ahead under good conditions is:
1 second
✓ 3 seconds
10 seconds
One car length, regardless of speed
Why: The 3-second rule scales with speed, unlike a fixed distance in "car lengths," and allows time to react.
5. Drivers 18 years of age or older may hold a phone in their hand while driving only to:
Talk freely while holding the phone in your hand
✓ With a single tap or swipe, turn on speakerphone or navigation when the phone is mounted in the holder
Texting at a traffic light
Using the Internet while stuck in traffic
Why: The phone must be secured in the holder; you may tap it once to activate speakerphone, but you may not hold or use it in your hand.
6. In Florida, drivers under 18 are prohibited from:
✓ Using any wireless communications device at all while driving, including hands-free
Only using the device to text, but calls are allowed
Using a device only in school zones
There is no special rule for drivers under 18
Why: Florida bans all texting while driving as a primary offense for every driver, and additionally bans drivers under 18 from using any wireless communications device—handheld or hands-free—while driving, plus school bus drivers in school and work zones.
7. In Florida, headlights must be turned on:
Only when it is completely dark outside
✓ From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and anytime windshield wipers are in use due to rain
Only on highways
Only when requested by law enforcement
Why: Florida law requires headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, as well as any time visibility is poor enough that wipers are needed for rain, fog, or other conditions.
8. At a railroad crossing with flashing signals, you must stop no closer than:
5 feet from the nearest rail
✓ 15 feet from the nearest rail
50 feet from the nearest rail
All you have to do is slow down
Why: Stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail and wait until the signals stop flashing and the crossing is safe.
9. A driver may make a U-turn in Florida:
Anywhere at any time
✓ Wherever it can be done safely and it is not prohibited by a sign, and not in a business district if it cannot be made safely
Only at intersections with traffic lights
Only if no other vehicles are on the road
Why: U-turns are legal in Florida when they can be made safely and are not prohibited by a posted sign; they are restricted in business districts and anywhere visibility or safety is compromised.
10. How many penalty points does a typical traffic violation—such as speeding—add to a driver's record?
0 points
✓ 1 point
3 points
5 points
Why: Most violations are worth 1 point; more serious ones (reckless driving, DUI, fleeing the scene of an accident) are worth 2 points.
11. After accumulating how many points over a 12-month period can a driver be deemed a “negligent driver” and have their license suspended?
2 points
✓ 4 points
8 points
12 points
Why: The thresholds are as follows: 4 points for 12 months, 6 points for 24 months, or 8 points for 36 months.
12. When another driver honks to signal that they want to pass you, you should:
Speed up so you don't miss it
✓ Maintain your speed (or slow down slightly) and stay in your lane
Pull over to the side of the road
Flash your high beams at him
Why: Allow the driver who is passing you to complete the maneuver safely—do not accelerate or get in their way.
13. Under Florida's Move Over law (as updated effective January 1, 2025), when approaching a stopped vehicle displaying hazard lights, flares, or emergency/utility/tow markings on a multi-lane road, a driver must:
Only move over for police cars, never for tow trucks or utility vehicles
✓ Move over one lane if it can be done safely, or if not, slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit (5 mph below if the posted limit is 20 mph or less)
Come to a complete stop in the travel lane
There is no requirement unless lights are flashing red and blue
Why: As of January 1, 2025, Florida's expanded Move Over law covers not just emergency vehicles but also disabled vehicles, utility, sanitation, and tow trucks displaying hazard lights or flares—drivers must move over a lane when safe, or slow to 20 mph under the posted limit (5 mph under if the limit is 20 mph or less).
14. A red curb means:
Short-term parking is permitted
✓ Stopping, standing, and parking are prohibited at all times
This is the loading zone for trucks
Parking for people with disabilities only
Why: Red always indicates a complete ban on stopping, standing, and parking—with no exceptions.
15. A blue curb is intended for:
Commercial loading
✓ Vehicles with a valid disability placard or license plate
For taxis only
For buses only
Why: Blue curbs are for vehicles with a disability placard or license plates; parking there without one is a serious violation.
16. When parking uphill on a street with a curb, you should turn the front wheels:
✓ Away from the curb
Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls backward, it will come to rest against the curb.
17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:
Away from the curb
✓ Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: 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
Why: 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
Why: 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.