AK Permit Practice Test 12

All 20 questions in test 12

Every question below comes from the Alaska question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. At night in Alaska, what shape on the pictured emblem tells you a slow vehicle is ahead?

   
   1. A solid orange square
   2. A white circle on green
   3. A hollow red triangle
   4. A black arrow on yellow
   Show answer

   A hollow red triangle. After dark the emblem shows itself by outline rather than by its daylight center. The red border forms a hollow triangle that marks a slow moving vehicle for drivers approaching from behind. A solid orange square misstates both shape and fill, white on green belongs to guide signing, and a black arrow on yellow belongs to warning direction signs. When that hollow red outline appears ahead, slow early and leave generous following space until you can pass with a clear view.

2. 2. In Alaska, what right do bicyclists hold on the road with motor vehicles?

   1. Use the road only against the flow of motor traffic
   2. Ride only on sidewalks where vehicles cannot go
   3. Take the full highway lane against oncoming traffic
   4. Share the road and travel in the same direction as motor vehicles
   Show answer

   Share the road and travel in the same direction as motor vehicles. A bicycle travels as a vehicle on the roadway, moving with the flow rather than against it. Drivers should expect riders in that same direction and pass them with care and space. Riding against traffic doubles closing speed and puts the rider where turning drivers rarely look. Sidewalks are not the only lawful place for riding, and opposing a highway lane head on endangers everyone. As a driver, scan the right edge and lane ahead for riders moving your way, especially near intersections and parked cars.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists

3. 3. Five cars stack up behind you on a two lane road outside town in Alaska while you drive below their pace. What must you do?

   1. Safely pull over and let the vehicles behind you pass
   2. Speed up until the line behind you disperses on its own
   3. Hold your lane and pace because pulling over is never required
   4. Flash your brake lights to tell the line to back off
   Show answer

   Safely pull over and let the vehicles behind you pass. A slow vehicle that collects a line of followers creates passing pressure that grows more dangerous with each added car. Outside urban areas, five or more vehicles immediately behind trigger the duty to pull over safely and let them pass. Speeding to escape the line or refusing to yield the road lets frustration build toward a risky pass. Use the next safe pullout, let the line clear completely, and rejoin at a pace that does not rebuild it.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance and large trucks

4. 4. In Alaska, sleep loss, strong emotions, and distractions share what effect on driving?

   1. They affect comfort without touching vehicle control
   2. They impair the ability to safely control a vehicle
   3. They matter only on trips longer than one hour
   4. They are cured by turning the radio louder
   Show answer

   They impair the ability to safely control a vehicle. A vehicle answers only as well as the person directing it, and tiredness, emotional flooding, and distraction each degrade the perception and judgment that control requires. The impairment does not wait for a long trip, comfort language disguises a safety failure, and louder entertainment compounds the load. Postpone departure after severe sleep loss or emotional shock when you can, hand driving to a rested sober person, and treat any state that narrows attention as a defect to repair before the wheels move, not as a mood to push through.

5. 5. In Alaska, a motorcyclist ahead shows a blinking turn signal as you prepare to turn across their path. What must you confirm first?

   1. That the rider has seen your vehicle in their mirrors
   2. That traffic behind you is ready for your turn to begin
   3. That the rider is truly turning and not riding straight with a forgotten signal
   4. That the motorcycle has automatic signals that cancel after every turn it makes on the road
   Show answer

   That the rider is truly turning and not riding straight with a forgotten signal. Most motorcycle turn signals do not switch off by themselves after a turn, so a blinking signal may be a forgotten leftover while the rider continues straight into your path. Before turning in front of a motorcyclist, be sure the rider is actually turning: watch for slowing, lane drift toward the turn, and a head check by the rider. A signal alone, a mirror glance, and readiness behind you prove nothing about that path. When the rider movement stays ambiguous, wait until the motorcycle has passed or committed clearly to its turn.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists

6. 6. In Alaska, how should sunglasses be used around bright daylight and darkness for night vision?

   1. Wear the sunglasses after dark to cut down glare from oncoming headlights
   2. Wear them in bright sunlight to protect night vision, and never wear them in the dark
   3. Avoid sunglasses in bright sunlight because strong daylight harms your eyes
   4. Wear tinted driving lenses at night whenever you travel on unlit roads
   Show answer

   Wear them in bright sunlight to protect night vision, and never wear them in the dark. Daylight glare tires the eyes and bleaches sensitivity that night driving will need, so sunglasses in bright sun act as protection for the darkness ahead. The same lenses after dark subtract light a night driver cannot spare, turning an already short view dangerous. Removing them at dusk is part of preparing the vehicle, alongside clean glass and working lamps. Keep a case within reach, switch to clear vision as light falls, and treat any tint at night as a self imposed reduction in stopping distance.

   Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

7. 7. In Alaska, what information must you obtain from the other driver after a crash, besides witness identities?

   1. The make, model, year, and color of the other vehicle involved
   2. A photograph of the damage and the time the crash occurred
   3. Name, address, license and plate numbers, phone, and insurer
   4. The other driver home town, workplace, and vehicle description
   Show answer

   Name, address, license and plate numbers, phone, and insurer. Paper exchanged at the scene is what allows reports, insurance, and follow up to find the people involved after everyone leaves. Names, addresses, license and plate numbers, telephone contact, and the insurance company name cover that identification, and witness identities preserve accounts from people with no stake in the outcome. Vehicle descriptions and damage photographs support a claim yet identify nobody, and hometown or workplace details serve no reporting purpose. Write the information yourself rather than photographing only, confirm spellings aloud, and record the crash time and place alongside it.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, insurance and the point system

8. 8. A front tire blows out at highway speed in Alaska and the steering pulls hard toward that side. What comes first?

   1. Brake firmly at once so speed falls before control fades
   2. Steer sharply to the shoulder before the tire shreds further
   3. Accelerate briefly to stabilize the rim on the remaining rubber
   4. Do not apply the brakes and concentrate on steering the vehicle
   Show answer

   Do not apply the brakes and concentrate on steering the vehicle. A blowout steals grip and steering balance on one corner, and braking hard multiplies the pull into a spin. The first job is steering: grip the wheel, hold the vehicle straight, and let speed bleed off gradually without the brake pedal. Accelerating or darting for the shoulder spends the little control remaining. Once speed is low and the vehicle answers the wheel again, ease onto the shoulder and stop clear of traffic.

   Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies, skids and stalls on the tracks

9. 9. You accept an Alaska license and drive on its roads, then question why an officer may require a breath test after a stop. What does operating say?

   1. Operating consents to a breath test for alcohol concentration
   2. Driving grants consent only after a crash with serious injuries
   3. Consent exists only when a judge signs an order at the roadside
   4. No consent exists until you sign a form at the station house
   Show answer

   Operating consents to a breath test for alcohol concentration. By operating a motor vehicle on Alaska roads, a driver consents to a breath test measuring alcohol concentration of blood or breath when lawfully required. That implied consent is a condition of using the roads, not a favor granted crash by crash, by court order at the roadside, or by signature later. Refusal carries its own serious consequences. The time to weigh that bargain is before driving, never during a stop after drinking.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, implied consent and under 21 rules

10. 10. A bicyclist you follow in Alaska bends the left arm downward at the elbow as traffic slows ahead. What is being signaled?

    1. A right turn from the far side of the lane
    2. A stop, shown by the left arm extended and bent down
    3. A complaint about road surface for following drivers
    4. Permission for following traffic to pass on the left
    Show answer

    A stop, shown by the left arm extended and bent down. The downward bent left arm is the rider stop signal, warning that the bicycle is about to slow or halt. It does not announce a right turn, critique the pavement, or invite a pass. A driver who reads it gains the seconds needed to stop smoothly instead of closing on a suddenly stationary rider. Fall back, cover the brake, and let the rider finish the stop before deciding whether passing is safe and lawful.

11. 11. Your six year old now exceeds every booster measurement written into Alaska law before a long drive. What restraint does the law expect for that child now?

    1. Still in the booster, because age alone keeps the requirement
    2. A correctly fitted vehicle belt, buckled for every ride
    3. Without a belt in the rear, because boosters no longer fit
    4. In the front seat, because belt fit matters more than position
    Show answer

    A correctly fitted vehicle belt, buckled for every ride. Restraint stages follow size: once a six year old exceeds the booster limits in the law, the proper requirement is a seat belt that fits the larger child correctly. Keeping an outgrown booster distorts belt geometry, riding bare abandons protection entirely, and moving front adds airbag exposure without need. Fit the lap belt low on the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest, keep the child in back, and check fit as growth continues.

    Study this in the handbook: Safety belts and child seats

12. 12. In Alaska, diamond pavement markings appear with special signs on a multi lane road. What kind of lane do they mark?

    1. A general lane open to every vehicle at all times
    2. A parking lane for vehicles with disability placards
    3. A preferential lane assigned to buses, carpools, or similar users
    4. A passing lane for the fastest traffic
    Show answer

    A preferential lane assigned to buses, carpools, or similar users. Diamonds painted on a lane together with special signs reserve that lane for preferred users such as buses and carpools on divided roadways. General traffic may not treat it as an ordinary lane, it has no connection to disability parking, and speed alone earns no entry. Read the accompanying signs for hours and eligible users, stay out when you do not qualify, and merge back only where the reservation ends or signs permit your vehicle.

    Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

13. 13. In Alaska, solid yellow center lines bar passing. What crossing of them is still allowed?

    1. Passing a slow vehicle across the lines
    2. Crossing to use the shoulder for passing
    3. Turning into a driveway across the lines
    4. Turning into a side street by passing across them
    Show answer

    Turning into a driveway across the lines. Solid yellow center lines forbid passing, yet a driver may still cross them as part of turning into a driveway. That narrow allowance serves access to property beside the road. It does not open passing of a slow vehicle, shoulder driving, or a shortcut across the lines to reach a side street by passing. Before the driveway turn, signal, check opposing traffic and pedestrians, and cross promptly without traveling along the opposing lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

14. 14. Besides alerting and slowing, what does Alaska say warning signs require a driver to do?

    1. Read the sign and adjust driving to the situation
    2. Sound the horn and hold the present speed
    3. Memorize the sign and hold the present lane
    4. Stop and read the sign before moving again
    Show answer

    Read the sign and adjust driving to the situation. A warning sign names or pictures a situation, and the driver must match speed, lane position, and readiness to that situation. Sounding the horn while holding speed does not adjust anything, memorizing without changing lane or speed leaves the hazard untouched, and stopping in the roadway to read creates a new hazard. Read the message early, ease the speed down, and set your vehicle position so the curve, crossing, or merge ahead can be handled without a sudden move.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

15. 15. In Alaska, you follow a bus or truck toward a railroad crossing. What must you be prepared for?

    1. To stop, because such vehicles may be required to stop at the crossing
    2. It will speed up to clear the crossing, so you should close the gap quickly behind it
    3. It may stop only when a train is already visible at the crossing ahead of you
    4. You should pass it before every crossing so you are never delayed by its stop
    Show answer

    To stop, because such vehicles may be required to stop at the crossing. Buses and trucks in certain service are required to stop at railroad crossings whether or not a train is in sight, so a driver following them must ride ready for that stop at every crossing. Expecting acceleration, closing the gap, or planning a pass at the crossing converts their legal stop into your rear end collision. The stop also shields your view of the tracks, one more reason to hold back. Keep extra following distance near crossings, watch for their brake lights early, and never pass such a vehicle where the law prohibits it.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, passing and railroad crossings

16. 16. What colors does Alaska use for warning signs about dangerous conditions ahead?

    1. White lettering on a green background
    2. Black lettering on an orange background
    3. Black lettering on a yellow background
    4. White lettering on a blue background
    Show answer

    Black lettering on a yellow background. Warnings about actual or possible danger ahead use black lettering over yellow. Seeing that pairing should put a driver on alert for a curve, a crossing, a merge, or another condition that needs caution. Green with white lettering guides you to destinations, orange with black lettering marks work areas, and blue with white lettering marks services. Treat the yellow background as a prompt to slow your scan less and your vehicle more: look far ahead and get ready for the condition named or pictured.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

17. 17. Thick fog hides the road beyond a short clear stretch ahead of you in Alaska. What speed principle controls your driving?

    1. Hold the posted limit because fog affects every driver equally
    2. Follow tail lights ahead at whatever pace they happen to set
    3. Drive at the speed of surrounding traffic to avoid being struck
    4. Never drive faster than allows a stop within the clear distance ahead
    Show answer

    Never drive faster than allows a stop within the clear distance ahead. The clear distance ahead is the space in which you could actually stop, and speed must never outrun it. Fog, darkness, curves, and crests all shrink that distance without changing the posted limit. Copying tail lights or traffic pace borrows someone else judgment about a space they may also have misread. Set speed so a stopped vehicle at the edge of visibility can still be avoided, and slow further whenever the clear stretch shortens.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed laws and impact

18. 18. On a slippery Alaska surface without antilock brakes, how should you brake to slow or stop?

    1. Lock the wheels hard to cut through the surface layer quickly
    2. Press once with full force and hold it there
    3. Ignore the brakes and steer only until stopping
    4. Pump the brakes lightly and never lock the wheels
    Show answer

    Pump the brakes lightly and never lock the wheels. Rolling wheels steer and brake, while locked wheels slide on the water or ice film with neither function. Light repeated pumping keeps the tires near that rolling edge on slippery ground for vehicles without antilock systems. Cutting through fantasies, a single full press, and steering without braking each surrender stopping power the situation demands. Press gently in pulses, watch for the wheels to keep turning, and remember that antilock equipped vehicles follow their own maker instructions instead of this pumping method.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies, skids and stalls on the tracks

19. 19. Brown floodwater spreads across the Alaska road ahead with no way to judge its depth or current. What must you do?

    1. Cross slowly in the center where the road crown sheds water
    2. Turn the vehicle around and reach your destination another way
    3. Follow the vehicle ahead, using its wake as a depth guide
    4. Cross quickly before the water rises any farther
    Show answer

    Turn the vehicle around and reach your destination another way. Floodwater conceals washed out pavement, deep holes, and current strong enough to push a vehicle sideways. Turning around for another route is the required response, however inconvenient the detour. Crowns, wakes, and hurried crossings all gamble that hidden pavement still exists. Back away while your vehicle is on dry ground, warn others if you safely can, and let crews judge when the road is a road again.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies, skids and stalls on the tracks

20. 20. Freeway traffic bears down as you near the end of an Alaska acceleration lane with no gap beside you. What must you do?

    1. Force into the nearest gap because freeway traffic must make room
    2. Stop suddenly in the acceleration lane without checking behind you
    3. Drive onto the shoulder and continue until a gap finally opens
    4. Yield to freeway traffic and stop if needed, watching traffic behind you
    Show answer

    Yield to freeway traffic and stop if needed, watching traffic behind you. Merging drivers yield, and sometimes the correct yield is a full stop before the freeway lane when no gap exists. That stop still requires watching vehicles following you on the ramp so it does not trade one crash for another. Forcing a gap, stopping blindly, or escaping onto the shoulder each violates the merge bargain. Slow early when the flow looks solid, take the first honest gap, and stop only with your rear traffic in mind.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses, passing and railroad crossings