Montana MVD Permit Practice Test 32

  • 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 have fitted small convex blind spot mirrors to the door mirrors. What is true of them?

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    Answer A: They help a good deal, but you should still look over your shoulder as well

    Add-on mirrors reduce but do not remove the blind spot, and they make vehicles look smaller and further away.

  2. 2. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?

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    Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give

    Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.

  3. 3. Which of these is announced with the same family of signs as the facility shown here?

    A blue square with a white letter H
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    Answer A: A rest area for travelers

    A rest area belongs to the same motorist service series, which points travelers toward facilities such as fuel, food, lodging and medical care.

  4. 4. Why is parking against the flow of traffic dangerous even when nobody complains?

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    Answer D: Because you had to cross traffic to get there and must cross again to leave

    Parking on the wrong side means driving against traffic at both ends of the stop, and your reflectors and lights face the wrong way while you are there.

  5. 5. Where is a U-turn most clearly unsafe and generally prohibited?

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    Answer D: On a curve or near a hill crest, where other drivers cannot see you

    U-turns are barred where approaching drivers cannot see you in time, such as on a curve or near the top of a hill.

  6. 6. You are about to pass another vehicle at night with your high beams on. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Switch to low beams as you come up behind it and while you are alongside

    High beams shining into the mirrors of the vehicle ahead blind the very driver whose reaction you depend on during the pass.

  7. 7. You have stopped on the shoulder of a highway and want to rejoin the traffic. What is the correct way?

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    Answer D: Signal, build up speed along the shoulder, then merge into a gap

    Entering a fast lane at a slow speed is what causes the conflict, so the shoulder is used to gain speed before the merge in the same way as an acceleration lane.

  8. 8. A yellow diamond shows two lanes narrowing into one. What does it require of a driver?

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    Answer D: Adjusting speed and merging before the lane disappears

    The lane ends sign gives notice that one lane will be dropped, so drivers should adjust speed and blend into the continuing lane in good time.

  9. 9. You are stopped at a stop sign where your road ends at a two-way through street and you plan to turn left. What must you yield to?

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    Answer B: Traffic from both directions and any pedestrians crossing

    A left turn from the stem of a T crosses the near lane and joins the far one, so you give way to traffic in both directions and to pedestrians.

  10. 10. What does a booster seat do for a child?

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    Answer B: It lifts the child so that the adult belt crosses hips and shoulder

    A booster raises the child so the adult belt lies on the strong parts of the body instead of the neck and the abdomen.

  11. 11. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?

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    Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side

    A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.

  12. 12. You know in advance that you will be drinking at an event. What is the most reliable plan?

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    Answer A: Arrange a driver who will not drink, or another way home, before the event begins

    A decision made before drinking is not affected by alcohol, while judging your own fitness afterward relies on the very ability alcohol impairs first.

  13. 13. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?

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    Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself

    You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.

  14. 14. A single solid white line separates two lanes running in the same direction. What is it telling drivers?

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    Answer A: Changing lanes there is discouraged

    A solid white lane line discourages lane changing, typically where merging or weaving would create a hazard.

  15. 15. Below a speed limit sign is a smaller panel with white numbers on a black background and the word NIGHT. What does it show?

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    Answer D: The limit that applies after dark

    A night speed limit panel sets a separate legal maximum for the hours of darkness, and its reversed colors mark it as the night figure.

  16. 16. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?

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    Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe

    A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.

  17. 17. It is dark, it is raining and you are towing a trailer. How should you set your following gap?

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    Answer B: Add extra seconds for each condition, well beyond three

    Each factor that lengthens your stopping distance or shortens your view calls for another second or more, and they add up when several occur together.

  18. 18. At what tread depth should a tire be replaced?

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    Answer A: When the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch

    At that depth a tire loses grip quickly, especially on wet roads, and the built in wear bars or the penny test both show when the point has been reached.

  19. 19. What must a driver be ready for beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing two black lanes merging into one around a central island
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    Answer C: Vehicles approaching from the opposite direction in the next lane over

    The separation between the two directions runs out, so from that point oncoming vehicles share the same pavement and the driver has to keep right.

  20. 20. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?

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    Answer B: After the through movement has run

    A lagging left turn phase runs at the end of the green rather than the start, so a driver waiting to turn should not assume the arrow has been missed.

  21. 21. Heavy rain has left standing water on the road where this sign is posted. What does the law expect of the driver?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer C: Driving below the posted figure, at a speed that suits the conditions

    Drivers must adapt to conditions, so in rain, fog, snow or dense traffic the safe speed falls below the posted maximum and keeping to that maximum can itself be an offense.

  22. 22. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?

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    Answer C: The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic

    On a three-lane roadway the center lane avoids both the ramp traffic on the right and the overtaking traffic on the left, so it usually has the steadiest flow.

  23. 23. On traffic control devices, the color green shows direction to a destination and also shows

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    Answer C: that a movement is permitted

    Green carries two assignments: guidance toward destinations, and the idea that the movement shown is allowed, as on a green arrow.

  24. 24. The lane control signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Prepare to leave the lane, because it is about to be closed

    A steady yellow X is the warning that the lane below it is about to close, giving drivers time to move over before the red X appears.

  25. 25. On a Montana four-lane national highway segment of at least 10 miles that is not an interstate, what are the limits?

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    Answer B: 75 by day and 70 at night

    Montana sets 75 miles an hour daytime and 70 miles an hour nighttime on a four-lane national highway system segment of 10 miles or more that is not an interstate.

  26. 26. In plain words, what is oversteer?

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    Answer C: The rear of the vehicle slides out and the car turns too sharply

    Oversteer means the rear tires have lost grip first, so the tail swings out and the vehicle turns more than you asked it to.

  27. 27. The red oil pressure warning light comes on while you are driving. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Pull over safely as soon as possible and shut off the engine

    Loss of oil pressure means the engine is no longer being lubricated and can be destroyed within minutes. Stop, shut down and check before restarting.

  28. 28. A bicyclist is riding in the middle of a narrow travel lane ahead of you. What is the correct response?

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    Answer D: Slow down and wait until you can pass with wide clearance, changing lanes if needed

    A bicyclist has the same right to use the lane as a driver, and a narrow lane may not leave safe passing room, so wait for a gap that lets you move over and pass with a wide margin.

  29. 29. What delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol level in the blood is enough for a Montana driving under the influence charge?

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    Answer A: 5 nanograms per milliliter or more

    Montana sets a per se limit of 5 nanograms per milliliter of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in the blood.

  30. 30. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?

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    Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street

    Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.

  31. 31. Why is it often safer to back into a parking space than to back out of one?

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    Answer D: Because you leave the space going forward, with a clear view

    Backing into the space puts the difficult maneuver where you are stopped and looking around, and lets you drive out facing the traffic and pedestrians.

  32. 32. Smoke from a nearby fire is drifting across the highway. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down, use low beams, and close the windows and vents

    Smoke cuts visibility like fog and can make your eyes water. Low beams, a much lower speed and closed vents protect both your view and the air in the car.

  33. 33. How do extra passengers affect a driver, especially a new one?

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    Answer A: They increase the chance of distraction and of crashes

    Conversation, laughter and horseplay pull a driver's attention away from the road. Crash risk for young drivers rises with each additional passenger.