Kern St and North 10th St
24 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were rear-end crashes. Leave a bigger gap than you think you need, and brake early and smoothly when the lights change. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 3.
California › Driving test routes › Taft DMV
California DMV
Taft DMVDriving Test Practice Routes
165 Center Street, Taft, CA 93268
There are only 2 sets of traffic lights within two miles of Taft DMV, so stop signs and judging gaps at junctions matter most. Kern Street runs close to the office, up to 4 lanes wide in places and signed at 35 mph.
Start with the practice routes just below, then see how far a test can reach and how you'll leave the office.
Taft road test practice routes
Practice loops that start and finish at the DMV, each built from Taft's real streets and harder than the last.
These are practice loops we planned. They aren't official DMV test routes. Drive with a licensed supervisor, and follow the signs and conditions on the day, which may differ from the map.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Quiet streets
Mostly residential streets around Airport Rd and Cedar St, with no traffic lights. Start here for your first few drives.
- Length
- 4.7 mi
- Approx. time
- 14 min
- Turns
- 15
- 4 stop signs
- 4.7 miles of residential streets
- Junction E below, among the busiest for crashes
- Not covered: traffic lights
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (19 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head north on 2nd Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Lucard Street. 450 ft
- Turn right onto 3rd Street. 350 ft
- Turn left onto San Emidio Street. 450 ft
- Turn right onto 4th Street. 0.4 mi
- Turn left onto Finley Drive. 0.2 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto 6th Street. 200 ft
- At the stop sign, turn left onto West Ash Street. 350 ft
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Tyler Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn right onto Cedar Street. 0.5 mi
- Continue onto East Cedar Street. 250 ft
- Continue onto Bob Hampton Road. 0.5 mi
- Turn right onto Mary Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto East Ash Road. 0.4 mi
- Turn right onto Airport Road. 1.2 mi
- At the stop sign, continue onto East Kern Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto 1st Street. 400 ft
- Turn right onto North Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto 2nd Street and return to the DMV. 350 ft
Stage 2: Stop signs and junctions
With almost no traffic lights nearby, this loop focuses on stop signs and junctions, along Kern St and Harrison St.
- Length
- 4.1 mi
- Approx. time
- 11 min
- Turns
- 10
- 1 set of lights, with 1 left turn at them
- 2 stop signs
- Multi-lane driving on Kern St
- 1.1 miles of residential streets
- Junctions A and B and C below, among the busiest for crashes
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (13 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head north on 2nd Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Kern Street. 0.4 mi
- Turn right onto 6th Street. 0.6 mi
- At the stop sign, continue onto Harrison Street. 0.6 mi
- Turn left onto Grevillea Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Taylor Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto Fir Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Pierce Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn right onto Date Street. 0.1 mi
- At the stop sign, turn left onto North Lincoln Street. 0.3 mi
- Continue onto North 10th Street. 0.4 mi
- At the lights, turn left onto Kern Street. 0.7 mi
- Turn right onto 2nd Street and return to the DMV. 0.1 mi
Stage 3: Test-ready loop
Everything together over about 7 miles, including Kern St and Taft Hwy.
- Length
- 6.5 mi
- Approx. time
- 17 min
- Turns
- 14
- 1 set of lights
- 4 stop signs
- Multi-lane driving on Kern St
- 3.1 miles of residential streets
- Junctions A and B and E below, among the busiest for crashes
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (21 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head north on 2nd Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Kern Street. 1.0 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- Turn left onto Hillard Street. 0.3 mi
- Turn right onto Sandy Creek Avenue. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Diamond Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Riverwalk Avenue. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto Hillard Street. 0.3 mi
- At the stop sign, turn left onto A Street. 0.5 mi
- Turn right onto South 10th Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Wood Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto Lierly Avenue. 0.3 mi
- Continue onto South 6th Street. 0.3 mi
- Continue onto 6th Street. 0.8 mi
- At the stop sign, continue onto Harrison Street. 0.2 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Cedar Street. 0.4 mi
- Continue onto East Cedar Street. 250 ft
- Turn right onto Taft Highway. 0.9 mi
- Turn right onto Airport Road. 150 ft
- At the stop sign, continue onto East Kern Street. 0.2 mi
- Continue onto Kern Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn left onto 2nd Street and return to the DMV. 0.1 mi
Where the Taft DMV drive test can go
Every drive test starts and finishes at the office, so the closer a road is, the more likely you are to drive it. The shading shows how long each road takes to reach from the DMV.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Within a 6-minute drive
- 3sets of traffic lights
- 9schools
Main roads in the area: West Side Hwy, Taft Hwy, Gardner Field Rd, North Lincoln St, Kern St, Harrison St, Main St and 6th St.
Drive times are our estimates from speed limits, with time added for lights and stops. They aren't DMV figures.
Leaving and returning to Taft DMV
The parking lot and the first junction are the only parts of the route you can be sure of. The office is on Center Street.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
P
In the parking lot
The test sheet scores how you drive through the lot, so watch for people and cars, keep it slow, and take extra care reversing out of your space.
1
East to 1st St
0.2 mi along Center St to 1st Street.
2
West to 6th St
0.4 mi along Center St to 6th Street.
The roads around Taft DMV
What you'll be dealing with near the office, counted from map data within 2 miles.
2
Sets of traffic lights
Junctions here are controlled by stop signs, so give way carefully.
9
Schools
The limit near a school drops to 25 mph when children are around.
1
Roundabout
Give way to traffic already in the roundabout and signal as you leave.
None
Railroad crossings
None within 2 miles of the office.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, downloaded 2026-10-07. Counts cover public roads within 2 miles of the office.
Where to practice each part of the California drive test
The DMV's drive test score sheet (form DL 32) marks you on parking lot driving, backing, intersections, turns, lane changes, and business and residential driving. Here's where to practice near Taft DMV.
- Every loop
Parking lot driving
The DMV lot itself, at the start and end of every test - Stage 2
Left turn at lights
From North 10th St onto Kern St - Stage 2
Left turn without lights
From 2nd St onto Kern St, giving way to oncoming traffic - Stage 3
Lane changes
Kern St, a multi-lane road - Stage 1
Residential streets
Airport Rd and the streets around it
Score sheet sections from California DMV form DL 32. Places from OpenStreetMap.
What causes crashes on Taft's roads
Recorded causes of the 751 crashes on local roads within 2 miles of the office from 2021 to 2025, leaving out freeways. Unsafe turn or lane change and impaired driving top the list.
Share of the 737 crashes where a cause was recorded. Other causes made up the remaining 4%. About 52% of these crashes happened after dark. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Taft junctions worth practicing
The junctions within 2 miles of the office with the most crashes from 2021 to 2025. Each one is marked on the practice routes map.
Kern St and 4th St
18 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights.
North 10th St and San Emidio St
12 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights.
Taft Hwy and Gardner Field Rd
11 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights.
Taft Hwy and Bob Hampton Rd
10 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights.
Crashes located within about 100 feet of each junction. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Booked your Taft road test?
See routes from real Taft tests
Once you're confident on these loops, the Driving Test Routes app has routes recorded from real tests at Taft DMV, with turn-by-turn voice directions on your phone.
On a computer?Scan with your phone's camera to get the app.
Your first week is free.
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Taft driving test questions
Where does the Taft DMV driving test go?
The DMV doesn't publish its test routes. Every test starts and finishes in the office parking lot, and the roads closest to the office are the ones you're most likely to drive, such as West Side Hwy, Taft Hwy, Gardner Field Rd. Routes recorded from real Taft tests are in the Driving Test Routes app.
Are these the real Taft test routes?
No. Our practice routes are loops we planned from Taft's street data to cover the skills on the test. They're for practice, not a copy of the DMV's routes.
What do you need to pass the California drive test?
The DMV's score sheet (form DL 32) says you pass with no more than 15 errors on the driving maneuvers and no critical driving errors. Before you set off, you also need no more than 3 errors on the parking brake, arm signals, wipers, defroster, emergency flashers and headlights.
What makes Taft's roads tricky for learners?
Within 2 miles of the office, Kern Street is up to 4 lanes wide; there are almost no traffic lights, so you'll judge gaps at stop signs.
Which junctions near Taft DMV have the most crashes?
Kern St and North 10th St (24), Kern St and 4th St (18), North 10th St and San Emidio St (12), counting crashes from 2021 to 2025.
How do I book a drive test at Taft DMV?
Book online through the California DMV appointments page, choosing Taft as your office. Book on the DMV website.
Taft DMV office information
Opening hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours can change on holidays. Check the DMV's Taft page before you go.
Nearby offices
- Bakersfield Southwest DMV24.5 mi
- Shafter DMV27.2 mi
- Bakersfield DMV29.8 mi
Services at Taft DMV
- Behind-the-wheel drive tests
- Written knowledge tests
- Driver's license and ID applications
- Replacement documents
- Vehicle registration and renewals
- Title transfers
- License plates
- Disabled parking placards
- Driver and vehicle records