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Chapter 5
Your Vehicle
 These items will be checked before you take the
driving test for your license. If your tires, brake light, directional
signals, brakes, steering, horn or mirror are not in good condition,
you will not be allowed to take the driving test.
You may be stopped at any time by a law enforcement
officer for a vehicle inspection.
Equipment Standards
The equipment on your car must meet certain standards.
These are listed below.
Brakes:
Your car must have two braking systems. Each
must be able to stop the car alone. The parking or emergency brake should be strong
enough to hold the car on any hill. Your brakes must be able to stop
your car within the distance shown on the chart on the right.
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Braking Distance
You must be able to stop your car within the
distance shown by the black cars when you use the foot brake. For
safest driving, keep your brakes in such good condition that you
can stop within distance shown by the white cars.
It is important to note that the graph below
illustrates the braking distance AFTER YOU HAVE APPLIED YOUR BRAKES.
To this must be added a REACTION DISTANCE, which is the distance
you travel from seeing the danger to putting your foot on the brake
pedal. Since 3/4 second is the average reaction time, a motorist
will travel 11 feet for each 10 m.p.h. of speed before hitting the
brake. At 50 m.p.h. this distance would be 55 feet!
Lights:
Your car must have the following lights:
- Bright (high-beam) headlights which show objects
450 feet ahead.
- Dimmed (low-beam) headlights which show objects
150 feet ahead.
- Two red taillights mounted on the rear, visible
from 1,000 feet.
- A white light that makes the license plate visible
from 50 feet (The plate must be kept clean).
- Two red stoplights. They must be seen from 300
feet in the daytime, and must come on when the foot brake
is pressed.
All vehicles, including animal-drawn vehicles,
must have at least one white light visible from a distance of not
less than 1,000 feet to the front. They must also have two
red lights visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet
to the rear, or one red light visible to the rear for a distance
of 1,000 feet and two red reflectors visible from all distances
from 600 feet to 1,000 feet.
Other Equipment Standards
Horn: Your vehicle must have a horn which can be heard from
a distance of 200 feet.
Windshield Wiper: Your vehicle must have a windshield wiper
in good working order for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture
from the windshield.
Windshields: Must be safety glass and may
not be covered or treated with any material which has the effect
of making the windshield reflective or in any way non-transparent.
It must be free of any stickers not required by law.
Side windows: May not be composed of, covered
by, or treated with any material which has a highly reflective or
mirrored appearance and reflects more than 35% of the light.
Rear windows: When the rear window is composed of, covered
by, or treated with any material which makes the rear window non-transparent,
the vehicle must be equipped with side mirrors on both sides.
Directional signals: You must have electrical turn signals
if your vehicle measures more than 24 inches from the center of
the top of the steering post to the left outside limit of the body,
or when the distance from the steering post to the rear of the body
or load is greater than 14 feet.
Tires: Your tires should have visible tread
of at least 2/32 of an inch across the base with no worn spots showing
the ply. Smooth tires on wet roads contribute to thousands of serious
crashes.
Mirrors: Your car must have at least one rearview mirror
which gives a view of the highway at least 200 feet to the rear.
Keeping your Car in Good
Condition
No matter how well you drive, you are not safe
unless your vehicle is in good condition. If it is not, you could
have a serious crash.
Brakes: Check to see that the pedal stays well above the
floor when you step on it. If the car pulls to one side when you
use the brakes or you hear any scraping or squealing noises, your
brakes may need to be repaired.
Lights: Replace burned-out bulbs and clean lenses often.
Dirty headlights can cut your night vision by one-half. Burned out
signal lights or brake lights mean you can't tell other drivers
what you are doing. Keep your lights adjusted so that you don't
blind oncoming drivers.
Windows and Windshields: Keep the glass clean, inside and
out, to reduce glare.
Equipment Not Permitted
You may not have on or in your vehicle:
- Red or blue emergency lights. These are for
emergency and law enforcement vehicles only.
- A siren, bell or whistle.
- A very loud muffler or one that lets out smoke.
- Signs, posters or stickers on the windshield
or windows (except those required by law).
- A television which the driver can see.
- More than two spotlights, cowl or fender lights,
fog lights (in front), or other extra lights (in front).
- Headsets worn by driver while operating a vehicle.
Bumper Height Requirements
Owners of automobiles and pickup trucks are required
to have both front and rear bumpers mounted within certain height
levels. Height limitations are governed by the new shipping weight
of the vehicle; not the modified or altered weight. The maximum
allowable heights between the pavement and bottom of the front and
rear bumper, as provided by Section 316.251, Florida Statutes, are:
- Cars with a net weight of less than 2,500 pounds
- 22 inches front and rear;
- Cars 2,500 pounds or more but less than 3,500
pounds - 24 inches front and 26 inches rear;
- Cars 3,500 pounds or more - 27 inches front;
29 inches rear;
- Trucks under 2,000 - 24 inches front; 26 inches
rear;
- Trucks 2,000 pounds or more but less than 3,000
pounds - 27 inches front, and 29 inches rear;
- Trucks 3,000 pounds or more but not more than
5,000 pounds - 28 inches front; 30 inches rear.
Please Do not Tamper
It is illegal to tamper with, remove, or cause
not to work, any pollution control device on your vehicle. Those
who do are guilty of a first or second degree misdemeanor depending
on the offense.
Tampering with emissions control devices damages
your vehicle and can cause the following:
- Increased air pollution.
- Lower gas mileage and less vehicle efficiency.
- More maintenance costs.
- Respiratory (breathing) difficulties.
DO NOT EXHAUST FLORIDA'S FUTURE!
Anti-Locking Brake System (ABS)
Anti-locking brakes prevent skidding and allow
drivers to steer during an emergency, braking situation. ABS can
help improve vehicle stability (avoiding spinouts), steering ability
(directing the car where the driver wants to go) and stopping capability
(distance needed to stop the vehicle).
Many drivers learned the correct way to stop
in an emergency situation where traction is lost and the vehicle
slides is by pumping the brakes, while this is correct with conventional
brakes, with ABS it is different. All drivers need to do with vehicles
who have ABS is press down hard on the brake pedal, hold it and
steer out of danger. In an emergency situation, ABS pumps the brakes
for the driver and pumps the brakes at a much faster rate than the
driver ever could. Drivers should be aware that removing steady
pressure from the brake pedal or pumping the brakes will disengage
or "turn off" the ABS.
One of the most important benefits of ABS is
that driver can steer the vehicle away from hazards while braking.
Drivers should not turn the steering wheel hard or jerk the vehicle
in one direction. Control of the vehicle can be maintained by steering
where the driver wants to go. Drivers need to check that traffic
is clear when deciding where to steer and always remember to steer
back into the original lane as soon as the hazard is cleared.
Vehicles can be equipped with two different types
of ABS:
- Four-wheel-Passenger cars and some light trucks.
Always remember to brake hard and steer. It is important to keep
firm and constant pressure on the brake pedal while stopping.
- Rear-wheel-Only on some light trucks. It prevents
the rear wheels from locking up so that the back end of the vehicle
does not skid sideways. The front wheels can still lock up and
the driver will lose steering control if this happens. In this
situation, the driver should let up on the brake pedal with just
enough pressure to allow the front wheels to start rolling again
to regain control. When the driver feels that he has regained
steering control, the brake pedal should be again be firmly engaged.
Drivers can determine whether their cars have
ABS by looking for a lighted ABS symbol on the dashboard right after
starting the engine, checking the owners manual or asking the dealer.
Motorcycles
There is a separate written test and road test
for motorcycle operators. If you plan to operate motorcycles and
vehicles with four or more wheels, you must take the written test
and road test for motorcycles, and the regular written test and
road test for automobiles.
Extra information for motorcycle operators is
available in a separate handbook.
Ask for a copy of the motorcycle handbook if you will be operating
a motorcycle. Read and study this manual and the motorcycle handbook
before taking your license examination. All first time applicants
applying for motorcycle endorsements who are under 21 years of age,
must complete a department-approved motorcycle safety course before
they can be licensed to operate a motorcycle. Contact your local
Florida driver license office
for school locations.
Bicycles
Persons riding bicycles or mopeds on a roadway
have the same rights (with certain exceptions)and duties as drivers
of motor vehicles. Bicycle riders will receive traffic tickets for
traffic violations. Know and obey these laws:
- Bicyclists must obey all traffic controls and
signals.
- An adult bicyclist may carry a child in a backpack
or sling, child seat or trailer designed to carry children.
- You may not allow a passenger to remain in a
child seat or carrier when you are in immediate control of the
bicycle.
- Bicyclists and passengers under age of 16 are
required to wear helmets approved by ANSI, Snell or other standard
recognized by Florida. (Bicycle helmets are recommended for all
ages)
- Every bicycle must be equipped with a brake
or brakes which allow the bicyclist to stop within 25 feet when
traveling from a speed of 10 miles per hour on a dry, level, clean
pavement.
- A bicyclist on a sidewalk or crosswalk must
yield right of way to pedestrians and must give an audible signal
before passing.
- Keep at least one hand on the handlebars.
- On the roadway, check behind you before changing
lanes.
- For use between sunset and sunrise, a bicycle
must be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white light
visible from 500 feet to the front and both a red reflector and
a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from 600 feet
to the rear.
- If you are not traveling at the speed of other
traffic, stay on the the rightmost portion if the roadway except
when passing, making a left turn, avoiding hazards or when a lane
is too narrow for you and a car to share it safely.
- When operating a bicycle on a one-way street
with two or more traffic lanes, you may ride as close to the left-hand
edge of the roadway as practicable.
- Do not ride two abreast when this will impede
the flow of traffic.
- If you intend to make a left turn, you are entitled
to full use of the lane from which the turn is made.
- In addition to the normal vehicular-style left
turn, you may proceed in the new direction of travel.
- Signal your intent to turn to other vehicle
operators by pointing in the direction you are going to turn.
- Do not wear headphones or any other listening
device except a hearing aid while bicycling.
- Do not ride a bicycle when under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
Mopeds
Persons riding mopeds have the same rights and
duties as drivers of motor vehicles. Moped riders will receive citations
for traffic violations.
Know and obey these moped laws:
- You must be 16 years of age or older to operate
a moped on a public road.
- Operators of mopeds must have the minimum of
a Class E license. No motorcycle endorsement is required.
- Mopeds must be registered annually and a tag
purchased.
- Mopeds may not be operated on bicycle paths
or foot paths.
- No person may operate a moped at a speed greater
than 25 MPH.
- Moped operators do not have to carry PIP insurance.
- Operators 16 years age or older are not required
to wear helmets.
Vehicle Licensing
If you accept employment or engage in a trade,
profession or occupation in Florida or if you enroll your children
to be educated in a public school in Florida, the vehicle you own
must have a Florida registration certificate and license plate.
You must obtain the registration certificate and license plate within
20 days after the beginning of such employment or enrollment. You
also must have a Florida Certificate of Title for your vehicle,
unless an out-of-state financial institution holds the title and
will not release it to Florida.
Proving Ownership and Insurance
Coverage
To get your license plate and registration certificate,
you must prove that you own your vehicle and that you have Personal
Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage for your vehicle. You
must prove ownership by showing your certificate of title. You must
prove PIP coverage by showing an insurance identification card or
other acceptable proof. The vehicle identification number (VIN)
on any vehicle previously titled or registered in another state
must be verified by one of several designated officials before the
vehicle can be titled and registered in Florida. The VIN on any
new vehicle purchased from an out-of-state dealer to be initially
titled in Florida must also be verified.
Applying for title, license
plates and registration
Apply for title, license plates and registration
at any tax
collector's office in Florida. The cost of your license plate
will depend on the type and weight of your vehicle. Your vehicle
must always have a current license plate and you must always have
your vehicle's registration when you are driving. If you buy a vehicle
from a dealer in Florida, the dealer must apply for a certificate
of title, certificate of registration and license plate for you.
If you buy a vehicle from an individual, you must obtain the title
from the individual and apply for a certificate of title in your
name. You may apply for certificate of title, certificate of registration
and license plate at the same time. You cannot get a license plate
until you have a title to prove that you own the vehicle.
Renewal
Vehicle license plates and registration must
be renewed each year, on or before the birthday of the first owner
listed on the registration form. Each time you renew, you must prove
that you have the required insurance. You may renew by mail.
Registrations expire at midnight on the birthday
of the first owner listed on the registration form, except for:
- mobile homes - renew yearly by January 31.
- truck-tractors and semi-trailers - renew yearly
by December 31.
- vehicles owned by companies and corporations,
and some commercial vehicles - renew yearly by June 30.
For more information or assistance on motor vehicle
title and registration, contact your local tax collector's office.
Class E License and Restricted
Class E License Exam Questions
On your road rules examination, you will be given
20 questions and asked to choose the right answers for each. During
the written exam, you may not use books or notes, and you may not
talk to anyone except the examiner.
You should read each question carefully, and
read each of the four possible answers. Choose the best answer.
A sample question with the correct answer is shown below.
The main reason for examining persons before
issuing driver licenses is:
Your complete written examination will include
20 road signs and 20 questions on road rules. To pass, you must
choose the right answers to at least 15 road signs and 15 road rules
questions. Sample test questions are listed below. These questions
will not necessarily appear on the examination. Answers to all of
the sample questions can be found in this book.
- 1. What is the definition of a felony?
- 2. If you knowingly make a false statement in
an application for a driver license or identification card, can
you be fined and placed in prison upon conviction?
- 3. Can a person temporarily operate a farm tractor
on the highway without a driver license?
- 4. How many forms of identification must you
show the examiner when you apply for your first driver license
or identification card?
- 5. If your name has been legally changed, how
would you go about getting it changed on your driver license?
- 6. You must obtain a new license showing the
new address within how many days of moving?
- 7. If you lose your Florida driver license and
need a duplicate license, where do you apply for it?
- 8. If you failed to answer a traffic summons,
would you be able to renew your license?
- 9. What would happen to the license of a driver
who was involved in an accident and did not stop to help persons
who were injured?
- 10. If you receive twelve points within twelve
months, for how long will your license be suspended?
- 11. What are the penalties for driving under
the influence (DUI)?
- 12. Both your judgment and vision are affected
after drinking alcohol. Which is affected first?
- 13. What are the penalties for refusing to take
a test to determine whether you are intoxicated?
- 14. What type of insurance must you have on
motor vehicles with four or more wheels?
- 15. If your driver license is revoked for DUI
or suspended for too many points, what type of insurance must
you either purchase or prove that you had on the date of the violation
or effective date of the suspension?
- 16. What are the penalties for littering?
- 17. If you hit a parked car and are unable to
find the owner, what should you do?
- 18. When a crash results in property damages
of any amount, must the driver notify the Florida Highway Patrol,
the Sheriff's Department, or the City Police Department?
- 19. After a crash has been investigated by an
officer, does the driver need to send a written report to the
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles?
- 20. Who is required to wear seat belts when
riding in the front seat of a car or a pickup truck?
- 21. If a fourteen-year-old front-seat passenger
is not wearing a seat belt, who could be charged with the violation?
- 22. What is the maximum speed limit for passenger
cars on a two-lane highway during the daytime?
- 23. What is the maximum speed limit in a residential
area if there is no speed limit sign?
- 24. What is the maximum speed limit on an interstate
highway on a clear day? In a rural area?
- 25. When are you driving too slowly; can you
be issued a ticket?
- 26. What must you do when approaching a person
who is riding or leading a horse upon or near the roadway?
- 27. What must you do when you see a pedestrian
with a white cane in the street ahead of you?
- 28. To what ages does the Child Restraint Law
apply?
- 29. When you are entering a highway or street
from a private driveway and the way is clear, can you move forward
without stopping first?
- 30. Are vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
of school buses that have stopped to unload children on a divided
highway with a dividing barrier required to stop?
- 31. When a school bus stops to unload children
on a divided highway, should the vehicles traveling in the same
direction as the bus stop?
- 32. If a school bus stops to unload children
on a four-lane highway divided only by a four-foot paved strip,
must vehicles traveling in the opposite direction stop?
- 33. For how many feet before you start to turn
should you begin your turn signal when you are driving on a highway?
- 34. Suppose you are driving on a four-lane highway.
From which lane should you turn? Into which lane should you turn?
- 35. Is it a violation of the law to use turn
signals to let other drivers know it is safe to pass?
- 36. Is an arm signal for a left turn made by
extending the left arm straight out of the window?
- 37. When may you drive in the left lane of a
road with four or more lanes with two-way traffic?
- 38. After passing a vehicle, you must return
to the right side of the road before coming within how many feet
of an oncoming vehicle?
- 39. At what places is it unlawful to overtake
and pass?
- 40. Can a driver who crosses a solid line on
the right of the center line of the highway be issued a ticket
for the violation?
- 41. What is the recommended safe following distance?
- 42. Which way should you turn your wheels when
parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should
you turn them where there is not a curb?
- 43. Can you park your car on a sidewalk, within
an intersection, or on a crosswalk?
- 44. May you drive with just your parking lights
on, in place of your headlights?
- 45. Are motor scooters whose engines have less
than 150 cubic centimeter displacement allowed to be driven on
an expressway?
- 46. What should you do if you drive past the
exit on an interstate highway where you wanted to get off?
- 47. At what times should you use your headlights?
- 48. When approaching another vehicle from the
rear at night, within how many feet must you dim your bright headlights?
- 49. Within how many feet of an oncoming vehicle
should you dim your bright headlights?
- 50. Under what conditions must you use your
headlights when driving in the daytime?
- 51. If you approach a red light and a traffic
officer directs you to go through the intersection without stopping,
what should you do?
- 52. What does a green arrow showing at the same
time as a red traffic light mean you can do?
- 53. After a full stop at a red traffic light
may a driver turn right if the way is clear?
- 54. What does a red traffic light mean? What
does a flashing red traffic light mean?
- 55. Can you proceed with caution when you approach
a flashing yellow light?
- 56. Where do you usually find "YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY"
signs posted?
- 57. If more than one vehicle is approaching
a four-way stop sign and you are the first one to get there and
stop, do you have the right to move forward first?
- 58. What does a "PAVEMENT ENDS" sign mean?
- 59. What does a solid yellow line to the right
of the center line of the highway mean?
- 60. What does a double solid yellow line in
the center of the highway mean? What does a double solid white
line in the center of the highway mean?
- 61. What does a broken white line on the highway
mean?
- 62. When the foot brake is pressed, which light
must come on?
- 63. In addition to other equipment, is your
vehicle required to have a white light that makes the license
plate visible from 50 feet, a windshield wiper and a horn?
- 64. What is the maximum allowable height between
the pavement and bottom of a front and rear bumper for a truck
that weighs 4,000 pounds?
- 65. Are drivers allowed to wear headsets while
operating a vehicle?
- 66. What rights and duties do riders of bicycles
and mopeds have?
- 67. When a motorist preparing to make a right
hand turn move into a bike lane?
- 68. What is the proper passing procedure for
a motorist when a bicyclist is occupying too much space for you
to share the lane?
- 69. What is the legal definition of a bicycle?
- 70. What is the proper way to use anti-lock
brakes in an emergency situation?
- 71. What does anti-lock braking systems prevent
when used in an emergency stopping situation?
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Contents
| Foreword | Chapter
1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter
3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter
6
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