Iowa permit test: emergencies & crashes
Vehicle failures, what to do at a crash and reporting requirements. 5 questions.
No officer investigated your Iowa crash. When must you send a written crash report to the Iowa DOT within 72 hours?
Keyboard: press 1–4 or A–D to answer, Enter for the next question, S to save, R to read aloud, P to pause reading, L to listen and answer.
Sample emergencies & crashes questions
No officer investigated your Iowa crash. When must you send a written crash report to the Iowa DOT within 72 hours?
- A Only when someone is injured or killed
- B When damage is more than $500
- C Injury, death, or damage of $5,000 or more
- D Only when you were at fault
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C. Injury, death, or damage of $5,000 or more
Since July 1, 2026, Iowa requires a written report to the DOT within 72 hours after a crash that causes injury, death or $5,000 or more in damage, or any crash if your vehicle is uninsured, unless police investigated it. Older materials still show $1,500.
Source: Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division website
You are in a minor crash with no injuries, and your car can still be driven. What does Iowa's Steer It-Clear It law require?
- A Move your vehicle out of the traffic lanes
- B Leave the cars exactly where they stopped for police
- C Stay in your car in the lane with hazards on
- D Wait for a tow truck before moving anything
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A. Move your vehicle out of the traffic lanes
If no one is hurt and the vehicle can be safely moved, Iowa law requires you to move it out of the driving lanes. Every minute a lane is blocked raises the risk of a secondary crash by about 2.8 percent.
Your brakes suddenly stop working. What should you try first?
- A Pull the parking brake as hard as you can
- B Pump the brake pedal several times
- C Turn off the engine
- D Shift into park
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B. Pump the brake pedal several times
Pump the brake pedal several times, which often builds enough pressure to stop. If that fails, apply the parking brake slowly, then shift to lower gears and look for a safe place to stop.
A police officer signals you to pull over. What should you do once you are stopped?
- A Get out and walk back to the officer
- B Search the glove box for papers before the officer arrives
- C Stop in your travel lane right away
- D Turn off the car and keep your hands visible on the wheel
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D. Turn off the car and keep your hands visible on the wheel
Pull over to a clear area when it is safe, not in the travel lane. Turn off the vehicle, keep your hands visible (ideally on the steering wheel), stay calm and follow the officer's instructions.