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Ohio: Cheat Sheet

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Licensing basics

  • The manual states the test is 40 multiple-choice questions.
  • The manual says the knowledge test needs a 75% passage rate.
  • The manual says to visit a Deputy Registrar License Agency within 60 days to purchase a TIPIC.
  • The manual says a driver under age 21 must complete driver education and logged driving hours.
  • The manual requires 50 logged hours of driving with an eligible licensed driver.
  • During the first 12 months the restricted hours are midnight to 6 a.m.
  • If you are under age 21, your Ohio Driver License expires on your 21st birthday.
  • Within 30 days of establishing residency, Ohio drivers must have an Ohio-issued Driver License.

Signals & vehicle controls

  • The manual says Ohio law requires headlights on from sunset to sunrise.
  • The manual says headlights must be on when visibility is poor and any time the wipers are in use because of precipitation.
  • The manual lists tires with a minimum of 1/16-inch tread depth.
  • Ohio law requires you to dim your high beam headlights for approaching traffic.

Pavement markings

  • White lines separate traffic traveling in the same direction.
  • A yellow solid line separates traffic traveling in opposite directions.
  • Passing is allowed for motorists in the lane with the broken line and prohibited for those in the lane with the solid line.

Freeway driving

  • The manual says to signal and use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of other vehicles and merge with the traffic flow.
  • The manual says to signal, move to the deceleration lane and slow your exiting speed.

Parking rules

  • The manual lists within 10 feet of a fire hydrant as a prohibited place to stop, park or stand.
  • The manual lists in or within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk as a prohibited place to stop, park or stand.

Sign shapes and colors

  • Warning signs are usually yellow with black lettering or symbols and are diamond shaped.
  • The manual says work zone signs generally have a distinctive orange background.
  • Guide signs may be square or rectangular, and their colors may be green, brown, or blue.

Road signs

  • Regulatory signs regulate the movement of traffic and give notice of traffic laws or regulations.
  • Prohibitory signs instruct the viewer that an action is prohibited.
  • The manual says the red circle with a slash represents the word NO.

Traffic signals

  • A yellow light indicates the color is about to change to red; use caution and prepare to stop.
  • A green arrow indicates you can turn in the direction of the arrow without stopping.
  • At a flashing yellow light you slow down, proceed with caution and be prepared to stop for traffic entering the intersection.
  • A flashing red light requires a complete stop, and you must be sure no traffic is crossing your path before entering.
  • Inoperable traffic lights are treated the same as a stop sign.

Right of way & turning

  • The manual lists the driver who is at or arrives before you at an intersection as someone to yield to.
  • The manual says to yield to drivers in the opposing traffic lane when you make a left turn.
  • At a four-way intersection, if both drivers arrive at the same time, you yield to the driver on your right.
  • The manual says to yield to drivers on a public highway if you are entering it from a driveway or private road.
  • The manual says a turn signal must be given at least 100 feet before the intended turn.
  • The manual says vehicles travel counterclockwise around a raised center island.
  • The manual says entering traffic yields the right-of-way to circulating traffic.
  • The manual says not to pass when your view is blocked by a curve or a hill.
  • The manual says never to pass on the shoulder, whether it is paved or not.

Railroad crossings

  • The manual says to stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the crossing when a train is approaching.
  • The manual says to slow down and be prepared to stop if you see or hear a train approaching.
  • The manual says vehicles carrying passengers for hire, school buses and vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids must stop at railroad crossings.

Pedestrian rights

  • You must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians entering or in a crosswalk.
  • The manual says pedestrians who are visually impaired or blind, carrying a white cane or using a guide dog, have the right-of-way.
  • In school zones you must obey a slower speed limit when lights are flashing or children are present.

Sharing the road

  • The manual says a driver must stop for a school bus when it is dropping off or picking up students.
  • The manual says traffic must stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the bus.
  • The manual says that with fewer than four lanes, all traffic approaching the bus from either direction must stop.
  • The manual says to maintain a safety zone of at least three feet between a motor vehicle and a bicycle.
  • The No Zone is the area around large trucks or buses where vehicles disappear from the driver's view, known as blind spots.

Speed & following distance

  • In less-than-ideal conditions, such as bad weather, poor road conditions or heavy traffic, a reasonable speed can be slower than the posted limit.
  • Ohio law prohibits a speed greater than what allows the driver to stop in the distance available, whatever the posted limit.
  • Hydroplaning occurs when the steering tires start to ride on top of pooled water, similar to the action of water skis.
  • The manual says not to drive through large bodies of standing water and to find another route if a road is flooded.
  • A space cushion is the space you allow between your vehicle and other roadway users, which gives you time to react.
  • The manual says to keep a minimum following distance of one vehicle length for every 10 miles per hour of travel.

Seat belts & child safety

  • The manual says the law requires drivers and front-seat occupants of most passenger vehicles to wear safety belts.
  • The manual says all children age 12 and younger should be properly restrained in the back seat.
  • Infants and children under age 4 and/or under 40 pounds must be restrained in a child safety seat.
  • A rear-facing child safety seat must never be placed in front of an active passenger airbag.

Distracted driving

  • The manual says it is illegal in most cases to use, hold, or physically support a cell phone or electronic wireless communications device while driving.
  • The manual says drivers over 18 may use hands-free technology as long as they do not hold or support the device or manually enter letters, numbers, or symbols.
  • The manual says it is illegal for drivers under 18 to use any electronic device while driving, even hands-free, or while sitting at a traffic light or in a traffic jam.

Emergencies and special situations

  • If your brakes fail, use the parking brake.
  • After a tire blowout, do not brake; slow down gradually.
  • By law, unless a law enforcement officer is directing traffic, drivers must treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop.
  • The manual says to use low beam headlights, not high beam lights, in fog.

Emergency vehicles & work zones

  • The manual says to move as far as possible to the right of the road and remain there until the emergency vehicle has passed.
  • Ohio law requires all drivers to move to an adjacent lane and/or slow down when approaching a stopped police or other listed vehicle with its warning lights activated.
  • The driver must quickly and safely pull to the right side of the road and stop.

Alcohol & drugs

  • The manual states that the legal drinking age is 21 years or older.
  • The BAC limit is .08% or higher at any age.
  • The limit for commercial drivers is .04% or higher.
  • The limit for drivers under age 21 is .02% or higher.
  • The ALS provisions apply to consent or refusal within two hours of the arrest.
  • A first refusal brings a one-year license suspension.

Financial responsibility & insurance

  • The minimum requirement is $25,000 for injury or death of one person.
  • Proof must be shown when a crash results in more than $400 in property damage.

Driving record & suspensions

  • At 12 or more points in two years the BMV imposes a 12-point suspension.
  • At six points in two years the BMV sends a six-point warning letter.

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