Montana MVD Permit Practice Test 26

  • Questions33
  • Correct to pass27
  • Passing score82%
  • Minimum age14 years 6 months

Minimum age: 14 years 6 months while enrolled in an approved traffic education course; 15 years once that course is completed; 16 years without traffic education

33 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 27 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You come to a place where a storm has dropped a power line across the road ahead. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Stop well back, keep everyone away from it and report it to the police

    A downed line may be live and can energize the ground around it, so keep well clear and let the utility or the police handle it.

  2. 2. A steady red arrow is displayed for your left-turn lane at a two-way intersection. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Stop and remain stopped until an indication permits the turn

    A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to, so the driver stops and waits for a green arrow, a flashing yellow arrow or another indication that permits the turn.

  3. 3. About how far does a vehicle travel in one second at 60 mph?

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    Answer A: About 88 feet

    At 60 mph you cover about 88 feet every second, which is why a glance of only two or three seconds means driving the length of several vehicles blind.

  4. 4. What is the main function of the guide sign series?

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    Answer D: To identify routes and lead road users to their destinations

    Guide signs identify routes, name destinations and give distances, so drivers can navigate without stopping to consult a map.

  5. 5. Which sequence describes a well-made turn?

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    Answer A: Signal, move into the correct lane, slow down, check, then turn

    Tell others first, take your position, lose the speed before the corner, take a final look, and only then steer through the turn.

  6. 6. You are waiting to enter a two-lane roundabout and traffic is circulating in both lanes. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Yield to traffic in both circulating lanes before you enter

    Every entry to a roundabout is a yield point, and at a two-lane roundabout that means giving way to vehicles in either circulating lane.

  7. 7. You are about to pull out from a stop sign. Which scanning habit is correct?

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    Answer A: Look to the left, then to the right, then to the left again before moving

    Traffic from the left reaches you first, and a second look left catches anything that arrived while you were looking right.

  8. 8. Why do bridges and overpasses deserve extra caution when temperatures are near freezing?

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    Answer A: They lose heat from above and below, so they ice over before the surrounding road

    A bridge deck is exposed to cold air on both surfaces and has no ground beneath it to hold heat, so ice can form there while the connecting road is still only wet.

  9. 9. A sign beside the signal reads STOP HERE ON RED. What does it tell you?

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    Answer B: Stop at that point on red, not closer to the intersection

    The sign marks the required stopping point, which is set back from the corner so that turning vehicles and sight lines are not blocked.

  10. 10. A yellow diamond showing arrows arranged in a circle warns of

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    Answer B: a circular intersection such as a roundabout ahead

    The circular intersection warning sign announces a roundabout or traffic circle so drivers can slow down and prepare to yield to traffic already circulating.

  11. 11. A wide solid white line separates the through lanes from an exit lane. What does it tell drivers?

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    Answer B: The choice of lane should already have been made

    A channelizing line marks where the paths separate and crossing it is discouraged or prohibited, so the lane change has to happen upstream.

  12. 12. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?

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    Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time

    Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.

  13. 13. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?

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    Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves

    On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.

  14. 14. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently

    Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.

  15. 15. You get into a heated argument with a passenger while driving. What should you do?

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    Answer D: End the discussion or pull over to finish it

    Anger narrows attention and encourages risk, and a conversation you cannot let go of is a passenger you should be parked to talk with.

  16. 16. A child in the back seat unfastens a seat belt while you are on the freeway. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Pull off safely and refasten the belt

    Turning or reaching back takes your eyes and hands off a high speed task, so leave the freeway or use the shoulder only if there is no exit, then fix the belt.

  17. 17. In plain words, what is understeer?

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    Answer B: The vehicle keeps going straight even though the wheels are turned

    Understeer means the front tires have run out of grip, so the vehicle takes a wider line than the one you steered.

  18. 18. A crossing guard steps into the roadway ahead of this sign with one hand raised. What must the driver do?

    A five sided sign with a pointed top, a bright yellow green background and a black legend
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    Answer B: Stop and stay stopped until the guard waves traffic on

    An adult guard is controlling traffic at that crossing, so the instruction given by that person governs and the driver waits to be released.

  19. 19. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?

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    Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself

    Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.

  20. 20. A child has outgrown the rear-facing seat. What comes next?

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    Answer D: A forward-facing seat with a harness, used up to its own stated limits

    The stages run rear facing, then forward facing with a harness, then a booster, then the adult belt alone.

  21. 21. You are backing straight down a driveway while looking over your right shoulder. Where should your left hand be?

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    Answer C: At the top of the steering wheel, holding it with a firm grip

    With one hand at the top of the wheel you can hold a straight course and make small corrections while your body is turned to look behind.

  22. 22. Why should a driver crossing several lanes change only one lane at a time?

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    Answer B: Each lane has its own traffic and its own blind spot to be checked

    Sweeping across two or three lanes means entering lanes you never checked, so each change gets its own signal, mirror check and head check.

  23. 23. Why should you set the parking brake even when an automatic transmission is in Park?

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    Answer B: Because it takes the strain off the transmission and holds the vehicle

    The parking pawl is a small part carrying the whole vehicle; the parking brake shares that load and holds the vehicle if the pawl fails.

  24. 24. A pedestrian using a white cane or walking with a guide dog starts to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Yield and stay stopped until the person has finished crossing

    A white cane or guide dog identifies a pedestrian who may not be able to see your vehicle, so you must yield and wait rather than maneuver around the person. The horn can confuse the pedestrian or the dog.

  25. 25. You are turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Which lane should you use?

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    Answer B: Turn from the far left lane into the far left lane of the new street

    The general turning rule is to turn from the lane nearest the direction of the turn into the nearest lane of the new roadway, which on a one-way to one-way left turn means far left to far left.

  26. 26. Besides a fine and possible jail, what does driving in Montana without valid liability insurance add to the driving record?

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    Answer C: 5 points

    Montana treats a motor vehicle liability protection offense as a 5-point violation, on top of a fine of at least $250 and up to 10 days in county jail.

  27. 27. What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean?

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    Answer B: Slow down and proceed with caution

    A flashing yellow lets you enter the intersection cautiously after yielding to pedestrians and to conflicting traffic that is already there.

  28. 28. How does the Montana Driver Manual describe the rules on texting and talking on a phone while driving?

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    Answer A: Most Montana cities have passed their own laws against it

    The Montana Driver Manual states that most Montana cities have passed laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving, so the restriction comes from local ordinances rather than a single statewide rule.

  29. 29. Smoke and flames appear from the engine compartment after you stop. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Get everyone well away from the vehicle first, and then call the fire service

    A vehicle fire can spread within seconds, so people come out first and firefighting is left to the fire service.

  30. 30. You have just had bad news and you feel very upset. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait until you have calmed down, or else let somebody else drive

    Strong emotion takes attention away from the road as surely as alcohol or fatigue, so it is a reason not to drive yet.

  31. 31. You are about to open your door after parking on the traffic side of the street. What should you do first?

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    Answer C: Check the mirror and look back for approaching vehicles and bicyclists before opening the door

    A door opened into traffic can strike a passing bicyclist or vehicle, so you check behind you first and keep the door open no longer than necessary.

  32. 32. On a school speed limit sign, the part carrying the word SCHOOL is shown

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    Answer A: in black on a fluorescent yellow-green background

    The SCHOOL portion of the school speed limit sign uses the same fluorescent yellow-green background as school warning signs, while the speed portion keeps the standard regulatory appearance.

  33. 33. At a four-way stop you and an opposing driver arrive together. You are going straight and the other driver is turning left across your path. Who goes first?

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    Answer B: You do, because the left turn crosses your path

    When two opposing drivers arrive together, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.