Iowa driver handbook guide.

Chapter 1 · source p. 1

Introduction

This chapter’s sections include:

• License Manual
• Important Message To Drivers
• Visiting A Driver’S License And Id Service Location
• www.mymvd.iowadot.gov
• Do You Need This Manual In A Different Language?

Chapter 2 · source p. 4

Chapter 1: Your Driver's License

This chapter’s sections include:

• Driver’S License?
• Insurance, & Registration
• Screenings And Tests manuals-and-practice-tests

Chapter 3 · source p. 6

Chapter 2: Traffic Signs and Rules of the Road

This chapter’s sections include:

• 2.1 Traffic Signs
• Red
• Green
• Blue
• Yellow
• Yellow-Green
• White
• Orange
• Brown
• Fluorescent Pink
• Octagon
• Equilateral Triangle
• Rectangle
• Pennant
• Diamond
• Circle
• Pentagon
• Crossbuck
• 2.2 Regulatory Signs
• Speed Limit Signs
• Lane Control Signs
• No Passing Signs
• Stop Sign
• Yield Sign
• Divided Highway
• One-Way
• Do Not Enter Sign
• Wrong Way
• 2.3 Warning Signs
• 2.4 Pedestrian Conveyance this manual, we are referring to pedestrians

Chapter 4 · source p. 11

2.9 Traffic Signals

This chapter’s sections include:

• 2.5 Slow-Moving Vehicle Sign
• 2.6 Guide Signs
• 2.7 Service Signs
• 2.8 Route Signs
• Solid red
• Flashing red
• Solid yellow
• Flashing yellow
• Solid green
• Steady red arrow
• Steady yellow arrow
• Flashing yellow arrow
• Steady green arrow

Chapter 5 · source p. 12

2.10 Railroad Crossings

This chapter’s sections include:

• Railroad Crossings
• Required To Stop
• Make Safe Choices
• Cross Legally & Safely
• Wait, Look Both Ways
• Avoid Getting Stuck
• Get Out, Get Away, Find the Blue & White Sign
• Flashing Red Lights
• Multiple Tracks
• Pavement Markings
• Low Ground Clearance Crossing
• Crossbuck
• System (Ens)
• Advance Warning
• Know The Signs And Signals

Chapter 6 · source p. 14

2.11 Work Zones

This chapter’s sections include:

• Arrow Boards
• Flaggers
• Channelizing Devices

Chapter 7 · source p. 15

2.12 Pavement Markings and Other Lane Controls

This chapter’s sections include:

• Lane Controls
• 2.13 Yield Lines
• Directional Arrow Markings
• 2.15 Reversible Lanes
• Figure 2.4: Yield lines
• 2.16 Shared Left-Turn Lane
• 2.17 Reserved Lanes
• Figure 2.8: Reserved lane sign
• 2.18 General Lane Use
• Bicycle Lanes
• Shared Lane Markings
• Bicycle Boxes
• Bicycle Detector Symbol

Chapter 8 · source p. 18

2.22 Intersections and Right-of-Way

This chapter’s sections include:

• Flashing Beacons
• Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons
• 2.21 Sight-Impaired Pedestrians
• When To Yield The Right-Of-Way
• Controlled (Marked With Signs) Intersections
• 2.23 Emergency Vehicles
• Uncontrolled (Unmarked) Intersections
• Scan Me

Chapter 9 · source p. 20

2.24 School Buses

This chapter’s sections include:

• School Bus Scenario 1
• School Bus Scenario 2
• Figure 2.14: Stopped school bus scenarios

Chapter 10 · source p. 21

2.25 Parking

This chapter’s sections include:

• 2.26 Parking Not Allowed
• Parking For Persons With Disabilities
• Iowa’S Move Over Or Slow Down Law
• 2.28 Steer It-Clear It To Drive

Chapter 11 · source p. 23

Chapter 3: Preparing to Drive

This chapter’s sections include:

• 3.1 Maintaining Your Vehicle
• Braking System
• Lights And Glass Surfaces
• Tires
• Steering System
• Suspension System
• Exhaust System
• Engine
• Horn
• Mirrors And Mirrors
• Seat Position
• Mirrors

Chapter 12 · source p. 26

3.3 Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems

This chapter’s sections include:

• Permitted For Testing
• Yes
• Vehicle Warning Systems Technologies
• Back-up Warning
• Blind Spot Monitor and Warning
• Rear Camera
• Sideview Camera
• Surround-View Monitor or Around-View Monitor System
• Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Obstacle Detection
• Curve Speed Warning
• Forward Collision Warning Systems
• A Collision
• High Speed Alert
• Lane Departure Warning Device
• Parking Sensors
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Driver Assistance Technologies
• Automatic emergency braking systems or brake assist
• Automatic Reverse Braking
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Left Turn Crash Avoidance
• Convenience Technologies
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Automatic parallel parking

Chapter 13 · source p. 34

3.5 Seat Belts and Child Restraints

This chapter’s sections include:

• 3.4 Being Aware Of Blind Spots
• Other Drivers’ Blind Spots
• Your Blind Spots
• Seat Belts
• Figure 3.3: blind spots
• Seat Belts And Iowa Law and walk away with hardly a scratch”
• “It’s my choice to wear a seatbelt and I’m not affecting anyone but myself.”
• need them if I am driving around town.”
• “Seat belts can trap you inside a car.”
• 3.6 Securing Loose Objects

Chapter 14 · source p. 36

3.7 Eliminating Distractions

This chapter’s sections include:

• Texting While Driving
• Talking On The Phone
• Enforcement And Penalties
• Iowa’S Hands-Free Law
• What Counts as an “Electronic Device”?

Chapter 15 · source p. 37

3.8 Alcohol and Drugs

This chapter’s sections include:

• 3.8 Alcohol And Drugs
• Intoxicated (Owi)
• Implied Consent To Testing
• Test Refusal
• Drivers Under 21
• Open Container Law
• 3.9 Drowsy Driving
• 3.10 Preparing For The Road Ahead – Iowa 511

Chapter 16 · source p. 39

Chapter 4: Basic Driving Skills

This chapter’s sections include:

• Driving Skills
• 4.1 Starting The Vehicle
• Automatic Transmission
• Manual Transmission
• 4.3 Accelerating
• 4.4 Braking And Stopping
• Safe Following Distance
• Abs (Antilock Braking System)
• Other Drivers
• Required Stops

Chapter 17 · source p. 42

4.5 Appropriate Speed

This chapter’s sections include:

• Gripping The Wheel
• 4.7 Backing
• Techniques
• Turn Signals
• Turns On Red, After A Stop
• U-Turns
• Three-point turns
• 4.9 Changing Lanes
• Figure 4. 4: Changing lanes

Chapter 18 · source p. 45

4.10 Passing

This chapter’s sections include:

• White Lane Lines
• Yellow Lines
• Center Line
• Figure 4.6: Illegal passing situations

Chapter 19 · source p. 47

4.11 Defensive Driving

This chapter’s sections include:

• Keep Pace With Traffic
• Slow-Moving Traffic
• Following Another Vehicle
• Tailgating
• & Emergency Signals
• Headlights
• Horn
• Hazard Lights

Chapter 20 · source p. 50

Chapter 5: Applying Your Driving Skills

This chapter’s sections include:

• Driving Skills
• 5.1 Intersections
• A Rural Four-Lane Road
• On-Ramps
• Figure 5.2: On-ramp segments
• 5.3 Reduced-Conflict Intersection
• Scan Me
• 5.4 Diverging Diamond Interchange
• Figure 5.4: Diverging diamond interchange

Chapter 21 · source p. 54

5.5 Roundabouts

This chapter’s sections include:

• Single-Lane Roundabout
• Motorists
• Pedestrians
• Cyclists
• Multi-Lane Roundabout
• Don’t
• Figure 5.5: Single-lane roundabout
• Figure 5.6: Multi-lane roundabout
• 5.6 Rural/Gravel Road Driving
• Reduced Traction
• Restricted Visibility
• Uncontrolled Intersections
• Soft Shoulders
• Dust
• Oncoming Vehicles
• Narrow Bridges
• Steep Hills And Curves
• Railroad Crossings
• Slow-Moving Vehicles
• 5.7 Night Driving

Chapter 22 · source p. 57

5.9 Sharing the Road With Large Trucks

This chapter’s sections include:

• 5.8 Deer And Other Animals
• 5.9 Sharing The Road With Large Trucks The “No-Zones”
• Figure 5.7: Semi “no-zones”
• Braking Situations
• Wide Right Turns
• With Motorcycles
• Scan the Street for Wheels and Feet
• Yield to Pedestrians
• Use Caution When Passing Stopped Vehicles
• Watch for Bikes
• Passing Safely
• Visibility
• Check Blind Spots

Chapter 23 · source p. 59

5.13 Inclement Weather Driving

This chapter’s sections include:

• 5.12 Closed Vehicles On A Hot Day
• Wet/Slippery Roads
• Hydroplaning
• Flooded Roadways
• Fog
• Tornadoes
• Ice And Snow
• Sharing the road with snowplows
• Stranded in the snow
• 5.14 Equipment Failure Emergencies
• Flat Tire
• Lights
• Engine Stalls
• Stuck Gas Pedal
• Steering Lock Systems
• Brake Failure

Chapter 24 · source p. 63

5.15 Involvement in a Crash

This chapter’s sections include:

• 5.15 Involvement In A Crash
• Step 1: Steer It-Clear It
• Step 2: Contact law enforcement
• Step 3: provide law enforcement with insurance and contact information
• Step 4: Report to insurance
• 5.16 Law Enforcement Interactions
• Traffic Stop

Chapter 25 · source p. 65

Ready for Your Test

This chapter’s sections include:

• Ready For Your Test?
• Need The Manual In A Different Language? iowadot.gov/mvd/driverslicense/driverslicense/dlmanual

Unit 1 · 2 lessons

Your License

Who needs one, what to carry, and how to get licensed

1. Who needs an Iowa license
2. What to carry and how you get licensed

Unit 2 · 8 lessons

Signs, Signals & Markings

Colors, shapes, signals, crossings, and lane markings

1. Sign colors, shapes, and guide signs
2. Regulatory signs
3. Warning signs and the slow-moving vehicle emblem
4. Traffic signals
5. Railroad crossings
6. Work zones
7. Lane markings and lane use
8. Pedestrians, bike lanes, and crosswalk beacons

Unit 3 · 5 lessons

Right-of-Way, School Buses & Parking

Who yields, when to stop, and where you can't park

1. Right-of-way at intersections
2. Emergency vehicles
3. Stopping for school buses
4. Parking rules
5. Move Over law and Steer It-Clear It

Unit 4 · 7 lessons

Vehicle Readiness

Equipment, adjustments, and driver-assistance technology

1. Brakes, lights, windows, and tires
2. Steering, exhaust, engine, horn, and mirrors
3. Seat and mirror adjustment
4. Driver-assistance technology and your driving test
5. Warning systems: backing, blind spots, and cameras
6. Warning systems: detection, collision, and speed alerts
7. Automatic systems and convenience technology

Unit 5 · 5 lessons

Seat Belts, Distractions & Impaired Driving

Protect yourself and stay fully alert behind the wheel

1. Blind spots
2. Seat belts, child restraints, and loose objects
3. Distracted driving and the hands-free law
4. Alcohol, drugs, and OWI
5. Drowsy driving and trip planning

Unit 6 · 4 lessons

Speed, Stopping & Following Distance

Control your speed and leave room to stop

1. Starting, shifting, and accelerating
2. Braking, stopping distance, and required stops
3. Following distance and ABS
4. Speed limits

Unit 7 · 4 lessons

Turning, Lane Changes & Passing

Steer, signal, and pass with precision

1. Steering and backing
2. Turning, turn signals, and turns on red
3. Changing lanes
4. Passing safely

Unit 8 · 3 lessons

Defensive Driving & Communicating

Expect mistakes and make yourself seen

1. Defensive driving techniques
2. Keeping pace, slow vehicles, and tailgaters
3. Headlights, horn, and hazard lights

Unit 9 · 4 lessons

Intersections, Interchanges & Roundabouts

Cross, merge, and circulate safely

1. Approaching any intersection
2. Rural four-lane crossings and on-ramps
3. Reduced-conflict intersections and diverging diamonds
4. Roundabouts

Unit 10 · 5 lessons

Rural Roads, Night Driving & Sharing the Road

Gravel, darkness, animals, and other road users

1. Rural and gravel road driving
2. Night driving
3. Deer, other animals, and hot cars
4. Sharing the road with large trucks
5. Motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians

Unit 11 · 4 lessons

Weather & Emergencies

Rain, floods, fog, tornadoes, winter, and breakdowns

1. Inclement weather, wet roads, and hydroplaning
2. Flooded roads, fog, and tornadoes
3. Ice, snow, and snowplows
4. Equipment failure emergencies

Unit 12 · 2 lessons

Crashes & Law Enforcement

What to do after a crash or during a traffic stop

1. Involvement in a crash
2. Law enforcement interactions