Languages include:. The information in the DMV handbook will help you pass the written knowledge exam when you apply for a California driver's license. To obtain a hard copy of the driver's manual by mail, please contact your local CA DMV office or call between 8 a. Reading through the DMV handbook is a great way to refresh your memory on the driving rules and regulations in California.
You'll also find information in the driver's manual about the written and driving tests required for a CA driver's license. A perfect complement to studying the CA DMV Manual is preparing for the written exam with the help of an online practice test. These industry-leading study guides have been created to help you pass the test on your first attempt.
Our certified partner offers practice tests for all types of licenses, including motorcycle and commercial vehicle licenses, that help you learn the information in the driving manuals. The DMV handbook covers information including:. The motorcycle driver's manual also has some information about preparing for the written knowledge and driving exams.
If you need general information about driving in California, such as road signs and defensive driving practices, see the CA driver's handbook in addition to the motorcycle driving manual. In addition to studying the motorcycle driving manual, you can take online practice tests to help you prepare for the written exam.
This gives you space between your vehicle and the other driver, without having to slam on your brakes or swerve into another lane. Know What Is at Your Side Any time you come to a place where people may cross or enter your path or one line of traffic meets another, you should look to the left and right sides of your vehicle to make sure no one is coming.
Always look to each side at intersections, crosswalks, and railroad crossings. Some drivers do not obey traffic signals so before you enter an intersection, look left, right, and ahead for approaching traffic. The other driver may not see your vehicle and could change lanes and hit you. Another driver might crowd your lane or change lanes without looking and crash into you.
Drive either ahead of or behind the other vehicle. A driver may decide to exit suddenly or swerve back on to the freeway. Someone may step out from between them.
A vehicle door may open or a vehicle may pull out suddenly. Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcyclist or bicyclists.
Look over your shoulder to make sure you are not getting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter. Take a quick glance in your mirrors. Also check your mirrors when you are preparing to turn into a side road or driveway and when you are stopping to pull into a parking space. Watch for large vehicles because they can gather speed very quickly.
Backing up is always dangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. When you are backing out of a parking space: — check in front and behind the vehicle before you get in. Make sure they are away from your vehicle and in full view before moving your vehicle. As a safety measure, also look over your - 48 - right and left shoulders again while backing. Check traffic behind you often to know if you are being tailgated another driver is following too closely.
If you are being tailgated, be careful! Brake slowly before stopping. Tap your brakes lightly a few times to warn the tailgater you are slowing down. If this does not work, pull off the road when it is safe and let the tailgater pass. Clean Windows and Mirrors Keep your windshield and side windows clean inside and out. Bright sun or headlights on a dirty window make it hard to see out. Clear off ice, frost, or dew from all windows before you drive. Make sure you can see and be seen.
If you drive in rain or snow, you may have to stop sometimes to wipe mud or snow off your windshield, headlights, and taillights. Adjust Seat and Mirrors Adjust your seat before you put on your seat belt. You should sit high enough to see the road. If you still can not see, use a seat cushion. Adjust your rear and side mirrors before you start driving. The night setting reduces the headlight glare from the cars behind you and helps you see better.
How Well Can You Stop? If something is in your path, you need to see it in time to stop. Turn on your lights during the day, if it is hard to see or you can not see at least 1, feet ahead of you. You should consider postponing your trip until the fog clears. However, if you must drive, then drive slowly and use your low beam headlights.
The light from the high beams will reflect back and cause glare. Never drive with just your parking or fog lights. Increase your following distance and be prepared to stop within the space you can see ahead. Avoid crossing or passing lanes of traffic unless absolutely necessary. Listen for traffic you can not see. Use your - 49 - wipers and defroster as necessary for best vision. If the fog becomes so thick that you can barely see, pull completely off the road. Do not continue driving until you can see better.
Turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake pedal or someone may see your taillights, think you are moving, and drive into your vehicle. Make sure you can stop within the distance lighted by your headlights. Use your low beam headlights at night when it rains.
Use your high beams whenever possible in open country or dark city streets, as long as it is not illegal. Do not blind other drivers with your high beam headlights. Dim your lights when necessary. If you do, both of you may be blinded. Reduce your speed in highway construction zones. It could be a bicyclist or motorcyclist, but it could also be a vehicle with a missing headlight. Slow down at the first sign of rain, drizzle, or snow on the road.
Turn on your windshield wipers, headlights, and defroster. In a heavy rainstorm or snowstorm, you may not be able to see more than feet ahead. When you can not see any farther than that, you can not safely drive faster than 30 mph. You may have to stop from time to time to wipe mud or snow off your windshield, headlights, and taillights. Learn how to put the chains on before you need to use them.
When you come to a hill or curve, slow down so you can stop for any hazard. You must be going slowly enough to stop. Any time your view is blocked by a hill or a curve, you should assume there is another vehicle ahead. Only pass the vehicle if a hill or curve is at least one-third of a mile away, because you need at least that much room to pass safely. Do not drive on the left side of the road when coming to a curve or the top of a hill, because you can not see far enough ahead to know if it is safe to pass.
Tap your horn to alert another driver, who might turn in front of you and cause a collision. The driver may be ill, lost, intoxicated, or having problems with the vehicle. Your honking may cause them to make more mistakes or to become angry and retaliate. Remember that your horn sounds much louder outside a vehicle. If weather conditions require you to use your windshield wipers, you must turn on your headlights.
Other drivers may have trouble seeing you, too. This helps other drivers see you and - 51 - may help you avoid a head-on crash. Use Your Emergency Signals If you can see a collision ahead, warn the drivers behind you by turning on your emergency flashers or tapping your brake pedal quickly three or four times.
You can also use the hand signal when slowing and stopping. Never stop on the road, unless necessary for safety or to obey a law. If you need to stop, then start braking early as a signal to the cars behind you. If your vehicle breaks down on the road, make sure that other drivers can see it.
Do not stop just over a hill or just around a curve. Place emergency flares or triangles to feet behind the vehicle. This allows other drivers time to change lanes, if necessary. Be very careful when using flares.
They may cause fires, especially when used near flammable liquids. Be careful for your safety and stay off the road. Remember, do not try to change a tire if it means you have to stand in a traffic lane.
Instead of driving between the vehicle and the child, take one danger at a time. First, slow down and let the vehicle pass. Then, move to the left to allow plenty of room to pass the child. Splitting the Difference Sometimes there will be dangers on both sides of the road at the same time.
For example, there will be parked cars to the right and oncoming cars to the left. If one danger is greater than the other, give the most room to the most dangerous. Suppose there are oncoming cars to the left of you and a child on a bike to the right. The child is most likely to make a sudden move. Therefore, slow down, and - 52 - if safe, use as much of your lane to the left as possible until you pass the child.
Problem Drivers Increase your following distance and allow a bigger space cushion for drivers who may be potentially dangerous. You have to share space with traffic already on the road, and you must know how much space you need to merge with traffic, to cross or enter traffic, and to exit out of traffic.
Space to Merge Enter the freeway at or near the speed of traffic. Remember that the maximum speed allowed is 65 mph on most freeways. Freeway traffic has the right-of-way. Any time you merge with other traffic, you need a gap of at least four seconds, which gives both you and the other vehicle only a two-second following distance. Leave yourself a big enough space cushion. Use your mirrors and turn signals. Turn your head to look quickly over your shoulder before changing lanes.
Leave three seconds of - 53 - space between you and the vehicle ahead. Make sure you can stop safely if necessary. If you wait until all lanes are clear, you may cause traffic delays or a collision. Space to Cross or Enter Whenever you cross or enter city or highway traffic from a full stop, you will need a large enough gap from vehicles approaching in either direction to get up to the speed of other vehicles. If you are crossing lanes or turning, make sure there are no vehicles or people blocking the path ahead or to the sides.
You do not want to be caught in an intersection with traffic coming at you. Even if you have the green light, do not start across the intersection, if there are vehicles blocking your way.
When turning left, do not start the turn just because an approaching vehicle has its right turn signal on. The driver may plan to turn just beyond you, or the signal may have been left on from an earlier turn. This is particularly true of motorcycles.
Their signal lights often do not turn off automatically. Wait until the other driver actually starts to turn before you continue. Space to Exit When you plan to exit the freeway, give yourself plenty of time.
You should know the name or number of the freeway exit you want as well as the one that comes before it. Space and Speed to Pass Always signal before passing. Do not pull out to pass unless you know you have enough space to pull back into your lane. Avoid passing other vehicles, including motorcycles and bicycles, on two-lane roads.
It is dangerous. Every time you pass, you increase your chances of having a collision. Be patient when passing a bicyclist. Do not squeeze the bicyclist off the road. At highway speeds of 50 to 55 mph, you need a 10 to 12 second gap in oncoming traffic to pass safely. At 55 mph, you will travel over passINg other traffIc - 54 - feet in 10 to 12 seconds.
So will an oncoming vehicle. That means you need over 1, feet or about one-third of a mile to pass safely. It is harder to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles one-third of a mile away or more. Vehicles appear to move slower than they really are moving. A vehicle that is far enough away generally appears to be standing still. In fact, if you can see it moving closer to you, it is probably too close for you to start to pass.
Space to Return Before you return to your driving lane, be sure you are not dangerously close to the vehicle you have just passed. One way to do this is to look for the vehicle in your inside rear view mirror. When you can see both headlights in your rear view mirror, you have enough room to return to your driving lane.
Do not count on having enough time to pass several vehicles at once, or that other drivers will make room for you. Braking Large trucks take longer to stop than vehicles traveling at the same speed. The average passenger vehicle traveling at 55 mph can stop within feet. However, a large truck traveling at the same speed can take almost feet to stop.
Do not move in front of a large truck and suddenly slow down or stop. The trucker will not be able to stop quickly enough to avoid crashing into you.
Passenger vehicle drivers incorrectly assume that a trucker can see the road better because he or she is higher off the road.
While truckers do have a better forward view and bigger mirrors, they still have large blind spots, and your vehicle can get - 55 - lost in those blind spots. Generally speaking, if you can not see the truck driver in his or her side mirror, he or she can not see you. The longer the vehicle, the greater the difference.
This is why big rig drivers must often swing wide to complete a right turn. When you follow a big rig, look at its turn signals before you start to pass. If the truck appears to be turning left, check the turn signals again; the driver may actually be turning right but first swinging wide. Maneuverability Trucks are designed to transport products and they are not as maneuverable as passenger vehicles.
Large trucks have longer stopping and starting distances. They take more space for turns and they weigh more. On multilane highways and freeways, large trucks usually stay in the center portion of the lane to help the flow of traffic. Cutting into the open space in front of a truck is dangerous.
Slow down and take your turn entering the construction zone. Do not speed up to pass a truck so you can exit the roadway. Take a moment to slow down and exit behind a truck—it will only take you a few extra seconds. Always pass a large truck on the left side, and after you pass the truck, move ahead of it. Do not linger, otherwise you make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the trucker to take evasive action if an obstacle appears in the road ahead.
Tailgating a truck, or any vehicle, is dangerous because you take away your own cushion of safety if the vehicle in front of you stops quickly. A large tractor-trailer often appears to be traveling at a - 56 - slower speed because of its large size.
Many collisions involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck occur at intersections when the passenger vehicle driver did not realize how close the truck was or how fast it was traveling. When a bus, streetcar, or trolley is stopped at a safety zone or at an intersection where traffic is controlled by a police officer or traffic signal, you may pass at no more than 10 mph.
Do not overtake and pass any light rail vehicle or streetcar on the left side, whether it is moving or standing.
Light-rail vehicles have the same rights and responsibilities on public roadways as other vehicles. Although everyone must follow the same traffic laws, light-rail vehicles require exceptional handling ability because of their size. Buildings, trees, etc. Complete your turn only if a signal indicates you may proceed. NOTE: Light-rail vehicles can interrupt traffic signals, so do not proceed until the signal light indicates you may proceed. Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle s have passed.
However, never stop in an intersection. If you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection and then drive to the right as soon as you can and stop. Emergency vehicles often use the wrong side of the street to continue on their way. They sometimes use a loud speaker to talk to drivers blocking their path. Yield to emergency vehicles. If you drive for sight-seeing purposes to the scene of a fire, collision, or other disaster you may be arrested.
Casual observers interfere with the essential services of police, firefighter, ambulance crews, or other rescue or emergency personnel. Farm tractors, animal-drawn carts, and road maintenance vehicles usually travel 25 mph or less. It looks like the sign in the picture. Look for these vehicles and adjust your speed before you reach them. A Slow Moving Vehicle You must obey any traffic direction, order, or signal by a traffic or police officer or a fire fighter even if it conflicts with existing signs, signals, or laws.
Also, be aware that large trucks and small, underpowered cars lose speed on long or steep hills and take longer to get up to speed when entering traffic. Adjust your speed accordingly to accommodate them. Owners of registered NEVs and LSVs must comply with financial responsibility laws and a driver license is needed to operate the vehicle. It is a traffic offense to scare horses or stampede livestock.
Slow down or stop, if necessary, or when requested to do so by the riders or herders. While everyone must follow the same traffic laws, motorcyclists face unusual dangers because motorcycles require exceptional handling ability and are harder to see. Therefore, many motorcycles keep their headlight on even during daylight hours. Motorcyclists can do many things to make it easier for others to recognize them and increase their chances of being seen.
Also use your mirrors. You will need this space to avoid hitting the motorcyclist if he or she brakes suddenly or falls. Motorcycles generally can stop faster than passenger vehicles. Although it is not illegal to share lanes with motorcycles, it is unsafe. Potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement can cause motorcyclists to change speed or direction suddenly. If you are aware of the effect of these conditions and drive with care and attention, you can help reduce motorcyclist injuries and fatalities.
Respect the rightof-way of bicyclists because they are entitled to share the road with other drivers. Pass with caution, and only when safe. Merge first, then turn. If the bicyclist is traveling straight ahead, he or she should use a through traffic lane rather than ride next to the curb and block traffic making right turns.
Pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes with or without a red tip must be given the right-of-way at all times. These pedestrians are partially or totally blind. When these pedestrians are in your vicinity be especially careful when turning corners or backing up particularly if you are driving a quiet hybrid vehicle.
IMPORTANT: Drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles must be extra alert to blind pedestrians, as they may be unaware of your presence due to the nearly silent nature of these vehicles. Stop at all crosswalks where pedestrians are waiting. This forces the blind pedestrian to go around your vehicle and into traffic outside of the crosswalk. A blind pedestrian listens to all traffic sounds before deciding to cross the street.
Look for any pedestrians, especially a blind pedestrian or traffic before starting your turn. Blind pedestrians who have a green light are not expecting a driver to make a right turn in front of them. Turning may result in the blind pedestrian becoming disoriented and vulnerable to being hit by another right turning vehicle when attempting to cross the street.
The blind person has no idea who you are honking at and may be startled by the noise. Pay more attention where road work is being performed. Signs and message boards warn you of workers, slow moving equipment, and closed lanes ahead.
Merge as soon as it is safe to do so and without crossing the cones or drums. Reduce your speed and be prepared to slow down or stop for highway equipment. The most common cause of deaths and injuries in work zones is rear-end collisions.
In fact, most of the people killed in work zones are drivers and passengers. For your own safety and the safety of your passengers remember to slow down, allow extra following room between vehicles, merge early, expect sudden slowing or stopping, watch for drivers changing lanes at the last minute, and minimize distraction.
Keep your eyes on the road and other vehicles around you. Do not stop to watch the road work. Obey special signs or instructions from workers. Driving carefully through work zones improves safety for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and road workers. California Highway Patrol CHP or fire department officers know what to do if the load is accidentally spilled. Vehicles which display these signs are required to stop before crossing railroad tracks.
The law is designed to reduce the deaths of police officers, tow truck drivers, paramedics, and other emergency personnel who are aiding stranded or injured motorists. Use caution if lane changes are required. Avoid blocking passing lanes. Yield to faster traffic by moving to the right. Keep to the right as much as possible. Maintain appropriate following distance. Provide appropriate distance when cutting in after passing vehicles. Use headlights in cloudy, rainy, low light conditions.
Yield to pedestrians. Come to a complete stop at stop signs, etc. Stop for red traffic lights. Approach intersections and pedestrians at slow speeds. Follow right-of-way rules at four-way stops. Drive below the posted speed limit when conditions warrant. Drive at slower speeds in construction zones. Maintain speeds appropriate for conditions. Use vehicle turn signals for turns and lane changes. Make eye contact and signal intention where needed. Acknowledge intention of others.
Y N Use your horn sparingly. Avoid unnecessary use of high beam headlights. Yield and move to the right for emergency vehicles. Refrain from flashing headlights. Make slow, deliberate U-turns. Maintain proper speeds around roadway crashes.
Avoid returning inappropriate gestures. Avoid challenging other drivers. Try to get out of the way of aggressive drivers. Focus on driving and avoid distracting activities. Blocking the right-turn lane. Taking more than one parking space. Parking in a space designated for the disabled. Letting your door hit the vehicle parked next to you. Using the cell phone while driving. Stopping in the road to talk. Inflicting loud music on neighboring cars. Regardless of age, it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communication device to write, send, or read text messages, instant messages, and e-mail s.
NOTE: With certain exceptions, adults may not use a cell phone while driving unless hands-free equipment is used. Minors may not use a cell phone except in certain emergencies. Cell phones can be a lifesaver in emergency situations.
You can not see vehicles in these blind spots, if you only look in your mirrors. Turn your head to see if a vehicle is in one of these - 65 - blind spots. As quickly as you can, drop back or pass the vehicle. What is the Road Like The faster your speed, the less control you have of your vehicle.
Rather than driving at the legal posted speed limit, consider what else may affect the safe operation of your vehicle. For example, should you drive 35 mph the posted speed limit on a curve down an icy mountain road? Many inexperienced drivers do not adjust their driving speed for road conditions.
Curves On curves, there is a strong outward pull on your vehicle, especially when the road is slippery. Rain, mud, snow, ice and gravel make the road slippery. If a speed limit is not posted before a curve, you must judge how sharp the curve is and change your speed.
Slow down before you enter the curve. Braking on a curve may cause you to skid. Driving in Heavy Traffic Drive slower in heavy traffic, so you can stop within the distance you have. Traffic Speeds Collisions are more likely to happen when one driver goes faster or slower than the other cars on the road. If you drive faster than other traffic, you increase your chances of being involved in a collision.
Studies have shown that speeding does not save more than a few minutes in an hour of driving time. Driving slower than other vehicles or stopping suddenly can be just as dangerous as speeding, if not more dangerous because you may cause a rear end collision or cause other drivers to swerve to avoid hitting you.
If you notice that vehicles are passing you, move into the right lane and let them pass. If your vehicle starts to hydroplane, slow down gradually—do not apply the brakes. This is when many roads are the most slippery, because oil and dust have not washed away. A slippery road will not give your tires the grip they need. Drive more slowly than you would on a dry road. Some road surfaces are more slippery than others when wet and usually have warning signs.
These areas freeze first and dry out last. They can hide spots of ice. Heat causes oil in the asphalt to come to the surface. The oil makes the road slippery until it is washed off. Skids on Slippery Surfaces A road that is normally safe can become dangerous when it is slippery. Ice and packed snow on the road can cause your vehicle to skid, especially if you are driving too fast or going downhill.
If you can not control your vehicle on a slippery surface, try to find something to stop you. Try to get a wheel on dry pavement or on the shoulder of the road. You may have to edge slowly into a snow bank or some bushes to stop. Do not pump antilock brakes. If the brakes get wet, dry them by lightly pressing the gas pedal and brake pedal at the same time so that the vehicle drives against the pressure of the brakes.
Do this only until the brakes dry. To maintain control of a skidding vehicle, do not apply the brakes. Ease off the gas pedal and straighten the front wheels as the vehicle begins to straighten out.
Locked Wheel Skids This type of skid is usually caused by braking too hard at a high rate of speed and locking the wheels. The vehicle will skid no matter which way the steering wheel is turned. Take your foot off the brake to unlock the wheels. Then straighten the front wheels as the vehicle begins to straighten out. Slow the vehicle gradually until you are at a safe speed to continue driving. Most often in traffic, that is not the case. There may be a collision or other road emergency ahead.
Stop and give assistance if asked by anyone, or pass very carefully. If you must drive near a collision, do not stop or slow down just to look. You may cause another crash. Drive by carefully, watching for people in the road. Someone could be injured and need your help. Report the collision to the city police or, in unincorporated areas, to the CHP. Do not try to move an injured animal or leave an injured animal to die. The CHP or police will not make this report for you.
You must make this report whether or not you caused the collision, even if the collision occurred on private property. During the last three years of the suspension, your license can be returned to you if you provide a California Insurance Proof Certificate SR 22 and maintain it during the three-year period.
Minors, see page Cargo extending more than four feet from the back of the vehicle must display a inch red or fluorescent orange square flag or two red lights at night.
Convictions will result in penalties for both the driver and the person s riding in the trunk. Littering convictions show on your driving record. Do not hang objects on the mirror. If you have sun-sensitive skin you may use removable sun screens during daylight travel if you have a letter from your physician. A funeral procession is led by a traffic officer, and all vehicles taking part in the procession have windshield markers to identify them and have their headlights on.
These vehicles are not manufactured or designed for highway use, and they do not meet federal safety standards. Law enforcement may tow or impound your vehicle if it is left in an unsafe area and causes safety concerns. Please go online at www. If you can not see clearly, you can not judge distances or spot trouble, and you will not be able to make the best judgements.
You may see clearly and still not be able to judge distances. You need good distance judgment so you know how far you are from other cars. Some see poorly in dim light. Others may have trouble with the glare of headlights. Have your eyes checked every year or two. Where to Write. General Information. The California Driver License. Obtaining a Driver License. Driver License Classes.
The Examination Process. Special Section - Minors. Miscellaneous Licensing Information. Occupant Protection. Traffic Control. Laws and Rules of the Road. Safe Driving Practices. Vehicle Positioning. Sharing the Road.
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