Safe Vehicle Operation — Indiana Driver's License Practice Test

This is the manual's largest section, covering the everyday skills of operating a vehicle safely — lane use, passing, turns and intersections, speed and following distance, handling bad weather, and sharing the road. A defensive driver watches what other drivers do and anticipates problems before they happen. Mastering these habits is what keeps you and others safe on the road.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions and white lines separate traffic moving the same way; change one lane at a time, and always check your mirrors and blind spot before signaling. Passing is illegal in many places, such as on a solid yellow line on your side, near intersections and railroad crossings, and approaching a hill or curve. Speed limits vary by road type, and a good following rule is to stay at least two to three seconds behind the vehicle ahead. At intersections, yield as required, and remember that in a roundabout you enter to the right, travel counterclockwise, and yield to traffic already circulating.

Adverse conditions demand extra care — slow down in rain to avoid hydroplaning, use low beams in fog, and never drive where water is over the road. Fatigue and distraction are as dangerous as impairment: going 18 hours without sleep impairs you about as much as a .08 BAC, and taking your eyes off the road to text is like crossing a football field blind at 55 mph. Share the road by giving trucks, motorcycles, and bicyclists room — pass a bicyclist with at least three feet of clearance, remember a truck's large blind spots, and always yield to pedestrians, especially a visually impaired person using a white cane or guide dog. Indiana's Move Over Law also requires you to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles.