Alabama Driver Manual: study guide

Key rules by chapter

A few of the rules from each chapter that come up in our practice questions:

1. Your License to Drive

• Learners are issued a Class D license with a 'Y' restriction, meaning they must drive with a qualified licensed driver beside them.
• A 15-year-old learner must be accompanied by a licensed person 21 or older, or a licensed or certified driving instructor, in the seat beside the driver.
• After the 16th birthday, the learner may drive with any licensed driver in the seat beside them.

2. You May Lose Your License

• A reinstatement fee of not less than $100 must be paid before being relicensed.
• The Director must revoke a license for, among others, three reckless driving convictions within 12 months, vehicular homicide, a second DUI, or using a vehicle in a felony.
• After revocation, the driver may apply for a new license and must take and pass the complete examinations.

3. The Driving Task

• Passing a stopped school bus is 5 points, the same as failure to yield the right of way.
• Speeding 26 mph or more over the limit is 5 points; 1-25 mph over is 2 points.
• Speeding 1-25 mph over the limit is 2 points.

4. The Driver

• The manual says more than 90 percent of crashes come from driver-related causes such as mistakes, inattention, poor judgment, bad attitude, or physical or mental condition.
• Texting: $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, $75 for a third or later, with 2 points for each.
• Take regular breaks every 100 miles or every two hours to walk around and stretch.

5. Signs, Signals and Road Markings

• The first to stop goes first. When more than one arrive together, the vehicle furthest to the right goes first.
• The pennant is placed on the left side of a two-lane road to warn of the beginning of a no-passing zone.
• Milepost numbering normally starts at zero where a route enters the state on the south or west, or at the junction where the route begins.

6. Traffic Laws

• The statutory limit in an urban district is 30 mph.
• The statutory limit on an unpaved road is 35 mph.
• County paved roads have a 45 mph limit unless posted.

7. Adjust to Driving Conditions

• Approximately half of Alabama's fatal crashes occur during the hours of darkness, even though traffic is lighter.
• Under normal conditions, high beams light up about 350 feet of road, so at night drive slowly enough to stop within that distance.
• You must dim your headlights within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.

8. Driving the Freeways

• Dial *HP (*47) toll-free to contact Alabama State Troopers for emergencies, crashes and drunk drivers.
• A diamond interchange has four ramps, and left turns are made after leaving the freeway.
• A cloverleaf interchange uses loop connections for turns from four directions, eliminating left-turn and cross-traffic conflicts.

9. Your Vehicle

• Rearview mirrors must let the driver see 200 feet to the rear.
• High beams must illuminate objects at least 350 feet ahead; all lights must be visible from at least 500 feet.
• A tire is illegal if the tread is less than 1/16 inch deep.

10. Additional Information (Parent Teen Driving Agreement, GDL Summary)

• A restricted (Stage II) driver may carry at most one passenger from outside the family; the parent, guardian or supervising licensed driver 21+ doesn't count toward that limit.
• Restricted drivers may not drive between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. unless with a parent or guardian, or another exception applies (work, school or religious events, emergencies, or a licensee 21+ with parental consent).
• Violating GDL restrictions extends the restricted period by 6 months or until age 18. No points are assessed.

How to study the handbook

Read one chapter, then take a practice test. Every answer explanation names the handbook section it comes from, so when you get one wrong, go back to that section. Pay most attention to exact numbers and to the rules specific to Alabama, which are where most people lose points.