Louisiana permit test: distracted & drowsy driving
Phone and texting laws, other distractions and fatigue. 5 questions.
Under Louisiana's hands-free law, where is holding a phone while driving a primary offense, so police can stop you for that alone?
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Sample distracted & drowsy driving questions
Under Louisiana's hands-free law, where is holding a phone while driving a primary offense, so police can stop you for that alone?
- A Only on interstate highways
- B In a school zone or highway construction zone
- C On any road, at any time, anywhere in Louisiana
- D Only between sunset and sunrise
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B. In a school zone or highway construction zone
Louisiana law (R.S. 32:59) bars every driver from holding or using a wireless device while driving unless the vehicle is lawfully stationary. In a school zone or highway construction zone a violation is a primary offense with a $250 fine; elsewhere it is a secondary offense with a $100 fine.
Source: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (Department of Public Safety and Corrections) website
A 30-year-old was issued their first-ever Louisiana driver's license three months ago. What does Louisiana law say about this driver using a cellular phone while driving?
- A They may not use a cellular phone for any purpose while driving
- B They may use it hands-free, the same as other adult drivers
- C They have no special limit, because the first-year rule covers only drivers under 18
- D They may make calls but may not send or read texts
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A. They may not use a cellular phone for any purpose while driving
Louisiana bars anyone, regardless of age, from using a cellular phone for any purpose while driving during the first year after their first Louisiana driver's license is issued. A first offense brings a $100 fine or 16 hours of community service, or both. After that year, the general hands-free law still applies.
Source: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (Department of Public Safety and Corrections) website
How may an adult Louisiana driver use a phone or other wireless device while driving?
- A Only in hands-free mode
- B In the hand, to check social media in slow traffic
- C In the hand, if the call is short
- D Any way, since only teens are restricted
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A. Only in hands-free mode
The handbook says Louisiana law prohibits anyone from using any type of wireless communication device while driving unless it is hands-free. Even hands-free use still distracts your mind, so keep calls short or pull over.
Why is texting called the most alarming kind of distraction?
- A It only affects drivers at night
- B It only distracts your eyes
- C It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction
- D It is the only driver distraction that Louisiana makes illegal
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C. It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction
The three types of distraction are visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel) and cognitive (mind off driving). Texting involves all three at once, which is why it is so dangerous.