Georgia Permit Practice Test: Driving Techniques

Proper Turning and Lane Changing Techniques

Start with your signal. Early. In Georgia, the signal is supposed to come on before you move, not halfway through a drift that you hope nobody notices.

Use a routine for every lane change: check mirrors, signal, check your blind spot, then move smoothly. On GA 400 or the Downtown Connector, people cut in and out like it’s a sport, but the DDS questions reward the calm, controlled choice. Even if it takes longer.

Turning is where lane position really shows up. For a right turn, stay close to the right edge of the road (or curb) without crowding it. For a left turn, approach from the left-most lane going your direction and turn into the correct lane—typically the nearest legal lane. Not whichever lane looks open at the last second.

A few test-friendly habits to keep in your head:

• Signal several seconds before turning or changing lanes and keep it on through the move.
• Check mirrors, then physically check the blind spot over your shoulder.
• Avoid changing lanes in an intersection unless the question clearly shows it’s allowed and necessary.
  This one trips people up.

Also, don’t miss Georgia’s Hands-Free law. No holding your phone. Not at a light. Not “just for a second.” If a question mentions you holding a phone at a red light, the safest answer is still “don’t.” Illegal is illegal.

One more Atlanta-area detail: express lanes sometimes have double white lines. You cannot cross them to enter or exit. Period. If that shows up in a question, “do not cross” is what DDS wants.

No shortcuts.

Safe Following Distance and Braking Rules

Following distance is a favorite on the written exam because it’s simple to ask and easy to mess up under time pressure. Use the 3 to 4 second rule in normal conditions. Pick a fixed point ahead, like a sign or a shadow line on the pavement. When the vehicle ahead passes it, count. If you reach that point before you finish counting, you’re following too closely.

Add more space when:

• It’s raining hard, like those sudden summer downpours in Macon or Augusta.
• You’re behind a large truck, especially on I-16 near Savannah’s port routes.
• It’s night, you’re tired, or visibility is limited.
  This one trips people up.

Stopping distance depends on speed, traction, your tires, and your reaction time. Georgia test questions love wet-road scenarios because the answer is almost always “slow earlier, brake gentler, leave more room.” Wet pavement reduces grip. Hydroplaning happens faster than people expect.

If your wipers are on, your headlights should be on too in Georgia. Many people miss that rule because it feels obvious—until the question is right in front of you.

Braking technique, as the test frames it, is about planning. Look farther ahead. Ease off the accelerator early. In Atlanta congestion, you’ll see sudden stops all day, but the written exam rewards drivers who create a buffer instead of driving like they’re attached to the bumper ahead.

Watch the wording. Seriously. “May” versus “must” can change the whole answer, and time pressure makes you misread it.

And when you’re stopped on a hill, don’t roll back. Not even a little. It’s unsafe, it’s a common knowledge-test point, and it can get you marked down fast in any road-test-style scenario.

Smooth matters.

Defensive Driving Strategies for the Georgia Test

Defensive driving isn’t being timid. It’s being ready. On Georgia driving test questions, that usually means scanning, predicting, and keeping enough space that you still have options when someone else makes a bad choice.

Scan intersections early, even with a green light. In places like Columbus and Athens, drivers will push late yellows. Expect it. Check left. Check right. Then commit when it’s clear.

Space management is the core skill. Keep a cushion in front and avoid getting boxed in between vehicles. If someone tailgates you, don’t brake-check or try to “teach them.” Move right when it’s safe and let them go. Georgia’s “Slowpoke” rule supports this idea: if a faster vehicle is overtaking, you should move out of the left lane when you reasonably can, even if you’re already at the speed limit (with limited exceptions).

When a question asks about hazards, think in categories:

• People: pedestrians downtown, kids near school zones, cyclists near parks.
• Vehicles: sudden lane-changers on I-75, trucks making wide turns, aggressive mergers.
• Conditions: glare after rain, fog, black ice on North Georgia bridges, or coastal flooding on low streets.
  This one trips people up.

Know what to do after a minor crash, too. Georgia uses the “Steer It, Clear It” idea when there are no serious injuries and the vehicles can move. Get out of travel lanes. Then call for help. Safety first.

Finally, remember the Move Over law. If you see a stopped emergency, tow, utility, or DOT vehicle with flashing lights, you must move over a lane when possible, or slow down significantly when you can’t. Must. Not “maybe.” That mindset—legal and cautious—is exactly what the DDS is looking for on the permit practice questions.