Florida CDL: Passenger Vehicles Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is don't talk with riders.

While driving, stay focused on the driving task. Keep an eye on your riders, but don't talk with them or engage in any other distracting activities.

Not quite. The answer is If you turn on your headlights, you don't need to turn on the red emergency door light.

If an emergency door has a red emergency exit light, it must work properly. However, you only need to turn it on when visibility is poor enough that you have switched on your headlights (such as at night or in poor weather).

Not quite. The answer is No, not in space occupied by people.

Passenger buses can carry up to 100 pounds of each class of hazardous materials and up to 500 pounds total. However, there are some exceptions. Division 2.3 (poison gas) and liquid Class 6 (poison) cannot be carried in any amounts. Explosives and radioactives cannot be carried in the passenger area. Riders sometimes board a bus with an unlabeled hazardous material. Do not allow riders to carry on common hazards such as car batteries or gasoline.

Not quite. The answer is Your stopping distance quadruples if you double your speed.

You need about four times as much stopping distance when travelling at 40 mph compared to 20 mph.

Not quite. The answer is not shift gears

If your bus has a manual transmission, do not shift gears while crossing a raised railroad crossing. Shifting gears on a raised railroad crossing increases the chance that your vehicle will stall and get stuck on the tracks.

Not quite. The answer is safe for cars in good weather.

Each curve has a safe "design speed," which is its safe speed for cars in good weather. However, at that speed, a bus is more prone to rolling over. And it may not be safe for any vehicles to travel at that speed in bad weather. In particular, a bus could go sliding right off the road. For safety on curves, slow down below the posted speed. If your bus is leaning outward on a banked curve, you are driving too fast.

Not quite. The answer is Fire extinguisher and warning devices for stopped vehicles

Federal regulations require every commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to carry one of the following warning devices in case the driver must stop the CMV on the road: three reflective triangles or six fusees. Federal regulations also require every CMV to carry a fire extinguisher. Your state may also require extra emergency equipment, such as a first-aid kit, on certain vehicles.

Source: 49 CFR 393.95

Not quite. The answer is make things look smaller and farther than they really are.

A convex mirror has a wider field of view than a flat mirror. However, objects viewed in a convex mirror look smaller and farther away than they really are. Remember this when you're trying to judge the distance of an object that you're viewing in a convex mirror.

Not quite. The answer is All of the above

The North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria includes the following critical inspection items for passenger vehicles, such as buses and passenger vans: (1) All required emergency exits must be present, fully operative, and unobstructed. (2) No passenger seats may be loose. (3) There must be no bare cables exposed in the battery compartment or engine compartment. (In this context, a cable is the power-conveying part of a high-wattage or high-voltage electrical system.) If any of these critical criteria are not met, your bus can be put out of service.

Not quite. The answer is 5 seconds

The formula for following distance is one second for every ten feet of vehicle length, plus an extra second if you are traveling over 40 mph. Therefore, for a 40-foot vehicle traveling at 50 mph, you should leave a following distance of 40/10 + 1 = 5 seconds.

Not quite. The answer is it must be secured while the bus is being driven.

Emergency exit doors and windows must be securely closed whenever the bus is moving. Signage must be visible. If there is a red emergency door light above the emergency exit, it must work properly and be turned on whenever you use your headlights.

Not quite. The answer is Shift your attention back and forth, near and far.

While driving your vehicle, look ahead a full 12–15 seconds. Be aware of what is happening all around your vehicle, both farther from it and closer to it. Keep shifting your attention back and forth, near and far, left and right, so that you can constantly scan all these areas.

Not quite. The answer is railroad crossings marked as "exempt"

At unattended drawbridges and ordinary railroad crossings, you must stop and look before you proceed. However, a railroad crossing marked as "exempt" or "abandoned" has been abandoned, or its use has been discontinued. At such crossings, you don't have to stop, but you must slow down and check for other vehicles before proceeding.

Not quite. The answer is at intersections.

Bus accidents often happen at intersections, where there are many drivers and pedestrians doing different things. Use caution at intersections even if there are signs or signals that are supposed to control traffic. Also use caution at railroad crossings. Buses are required to stop at railroad crossings.

Not quite. The answer is Never

During your pre-trip inspection, make sure that the emergency exit doors and windows are closed. Never drive with them open. However, you are allowed to lock some emergency roof hatches in a partly open position for fresh air. Keep in mind that doing so adds to the height of the bus.

Not quite. The answer is Allow much more space than is needed under ideal driving conditions.

The usual formula for following distance under ideal conditions is one second for every ten feet of vehicle length, plus an extra second if you are traveling at over 40 mph. The only thing the CDL manual says about following distance on slippery roads is that you should allow "much more space to stop." The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recommends doubling your usual following distance under poor driving conditions.

Source: "CMV Driving Tips - Following Too Closely," FMCSA, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/cmv-driving-tips-following-too-closely

Not quite. The answer is only when the bus is stopped.

While you drive, give your driving your undivided attention. Adjust your mirrors, seat, radio, etc., before you start driving or when the bus is stopped.

Not quite. The answer is You need about four times as much braking distance at 40 mph as at 20 mph.

When you increase your speed, your braking distance increases as the square of the speed increase. If you double your speed, your braking distance will be four times as great.

Not quite. The answer is Passenger safety

As a bus driver, always remember that when you drive a passenger vehicle, your first responsibility is to ensure the safety of the passengers you're transporting. Passenger comfort and prompt arrival at the destination are important but secondary concerns.

Not quite. The answer is 100 pounds of any one class of allowed hazardous materials.

Passenger buses can carry up to 100 pounds of each class of hazardous materials and up to 500 pounds total. However, there are some exceptions. Division 2.3 (poison gases) and liquid Class 6 (poisons) cannot be carried in any amounts. Class 1 (explosives) and Class 7 (labeled radioactives) cannot be carried in the passenger area.