AK Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. In Alaska, a lap belt alone helps in a crash. What injury does it fail to prevent well?

   1. Any injury at all to the legs below the line of the lap belt you wear
   2. Harm caused by loose unsecured objects moving inside the vehicle cabin
   3. Serious injury of that kind only in crashes above ordinary highway speed limits
   4. Serious injury from head and chest striking wheel, dashboard, and windshield
   Show answer

   Serious injury from head and chest striking wheel, dashboard, and windshield. A lap belt holds the pelvis while the upper body jackknifes forward into the wheel, dash, and glass, trading lower restraint for head and chest impact. Adding the shoulder belt spreads that forward load and keeps the torso back, which is why the combined belts protect best. Legs, loose cargo, and high speed only readings miss the torso mechanism described. Wear both belts together, route the shoulder strap across the chest rather than under an arm, and treat lap only seating as a compromise to avoid when a full belt exists.

   Study this in the handbook: Safety belts and child seats

2. 2. An Alaska driver takes a common allergy remedy before a long drive and feels slightly drowsy at the wheel. What risk do such remedies pose?

   1. Compounds inside them can quietly impair your driving ability
   2. None, because medicines sold without prescription are tested safe for driving
   3. Only illegal drugs can affect driving, never store bought remedies
   4. They sharpen driving by drying the sinuses during long trips
   Show answer

   Compounds inside them can quietly impair your driving ability. Many allergy remedies and cold pills carry compounds that dull alertness, slow reactions, or cause drowsiness, and their legal sale without prescription does not make them driving safe. Illegal drugs are not the only chemical risk a driver manages. Read warnings before driving, ask a pharmacist or doctor about side effects for any remedy you take, and postpone driving when a dose leaves you drowsy, dizzy, or unfocused behind the wheel.

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

3. 3. The road ahead twists through several bends in a row, shown by a winding arrow on a yellow sign. What pace does it call for?

   
   1. The normal posted limit, because each bend is banked for full speed
   2. A stop at the start of the bends so traffic can bunch together
   3. The advisory speed given for the winding stretch ahead
   4. Ten miles per hour below the slowest vehicle you can see
   Show answer

   The advisory speed given for the winding stretch ahead. A winding stretch strings bends together so closely that speed carried out of one curve arrives too early at the next. The advisory speed is chosen for the whole sequence, letting you flow without repeated hard braking. Matching the limit or a stranger pace ignores that design, and stopping to gather traffic helps no one. Enter at the advisory pace, keep steering smooth, and resist speeding up on the short straight pieces between bends.

4. 4. In Alaska, you approach an uncontrolled intersection from the right and expect others to yield. What still remains your duty?

   1. Hold speed because the right side position protects you
   2. Speed up to claim the intersection before others
   3. Slow down and keep the vehicle under control
   4. Rely on the driver on the left to avoid you entirely
   Show answer

   Slow down and keep the vehicle under control. Arriving from the right may give you the yield from a driver on your left, yet that advantage never licenses an uncontrolled rush into the crossing. Slowing and keeping the vehicle ready to stop remains your own duty. Holding speed on the strength of position, accelerating to claim space, and trusting the other driver completely each discard the control that prevents a crash when someone misjudges. Ease off early, cover the brake, and enter only while you can still stop for the unexpected.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, right of way and roundabouts

5. 5. You face a flashing red ball at an Alaska intersection where traffic crosses in front of you. How do you proceed?

   1. Stop before the crosswalk or line, look all directions, then go when safe
   2. Slow to half speed and roll through while scanning both ways
   3. Stop only when a vehicle is already inside your path
   4. Treat it as a yellow caution and maintain your approach speed
   Show answer

   Stop before the crosswalk or line, look all directions, then go when safe. Flashing red carries the stop sign rule in signal form: come to a complete stop before the crosswalk or stop line, search every direction, and enter only when the crossing is safe. Rolling at half speed, stopping only for visible blockages, or treating red as caution each weakens that stop. Drivers who miss the flash may enter fast, so your look must cover both approaches. Once stopped and certain, proceed smoothly without lingering in the conflict area.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and lane control signals

6. 6. In Alaska, what does a painted stop line show a driver at an intersection?

   1. The farthest point the vehicle may extend into the intersection area
   2. The nearest point where parking may begin
   3. The point where a driver must start braking
   4. A line that may be crossed when no crosswalk exists
   Show answer

   The farthest point the vehicle may extend into the intersection area. A stop line marks how far forward a vehicle may reach while still leaving the driver a clear view of approaching traffic. Stopping beyond it pushes the nose of the vehicle into cross traffic and crosswalk space. The line has nothing to do with where parking begins or with the point where braking must start, which lies well before the line. When no crosswalk is painted, the stop line still controls your forward limit, so halt behind it every time.

   Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

7. 7. The back of your vehicle steps out to the right during a skid on an Alaska road. Which way should the front wheels turn?

   1. Hard left, away from the slide, to pull the rear back in line
   2. In the direction of the skid until the vehicle straightens
   3. Straight ahead, holding the wheel rigid against the slide
   4. Right only after the vehicle stops sliding completely
   Show answer

   In the direction of the skid until the vehicle straightens. Recovery steering follows the slide: turn the front wheels in the direction the rear is skidding, which points the vehicle back along its travel and lets tires regain rolling grip. Fighting the wheel opposite or freezing it straight lets the rear swing into a spin, and waiting for stillness wastes the only controllable moment. Look toward the path you need, steer into the skid smoothly, and straighten the wheel as the rear comes back in line.

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

8. 8. In Alaska, you turn from a one way street onto a two way street. Where do you make the approach?

   1. In the traffic lane positioned farthest to the right side of the street
   2. In the marked center lane of the street regardless of arrows or signs
   3. Beside the row of parked vehicles traveling in the parking lane itself
   4. In the traffic lane farthest to the left on the one way street
   Show answer

   In the traffic lane farthest to the left on the one way street. Leaving a one way street to the left starts from the left edge of its flow, so the turn crosses the least opposing space and lands predictably for other drivers. Approaching from the right forces a sweep across every lane of your own street first. Center lanes follow their own arrows and signs, and a parking lane holds standing vehicles rather than moving turns. Settle into the far left lane early, signal the final stretch, and turn from the intersection into the proper lane shown for your new direction.

9. 9. You wear sunglasses through a bright Alaska afternoon, then keep them on as darkness falls for the drive home. What does the manual direct?

   1. Wear them in bright sunlight and never wear them in the dark
   2. Keep them on after dark because they cut headlight glare well
   3. Wear them only at night, when glare matters more than daylight
   4. Use the darkest pair at night to rest the eyes between towns
   Show answer

   Wear them in bright sunlight and never wear them in the dark. Sunglasses earn their place in bright daylight, shielding eyes so night vision stays protected for later. After dark they become a handicap, dimming signals, animals, and lane edges along with headlight glare. Keeping them on for glare or eye rest trades a minor comfort for a major sensing loss. Remove them when light falls, rely on clean glass and averted glances for glare, and let your eyes gather every bit of light the road offers.

   Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

10. 10. Your older vehicle without antilock brakes starts to slow on an icy Alaska downgrade. How should you brake?

    1. Press the pedal once as hard as possible and hold it down
    2. Light repeated pedal pumps that keep the wheels from locking
    3. Use only the parking brake so the front wheels keep rolling freely
    4. Shift to neutral so braking force reaches each wheel evenly
    Show answer

    Light repeated pedal pumps that keep the wheels from locking. Without antilock control, the driver must supply the modulation: light, repeated pedal pumps keep wheels rolling near the edge of grip without locking them into a slide. A single hard press locks wheels and kills steering, the parking brake alone can swing the rear, and neutral adds nothing but lost engine braking. Begin braking early on downgrades, pump gently with steady rhythm, and leave extra distance because each cycle stops you more slowly than dry pavement would.

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

11. 11. You realize your freeway exit just passed on an Alaska highway while traffic flows fast around you. What must you do?

    1. Go to the next exit without backing up on the freeway
    2. Back up on the shoulder to the exit you just missed
    3. Cross the median slowly where the pavement looks firm
    4. Stop in the right lane and wait for a gap to reverse
    Show answer

    Go to the next exit without backing up on the freeway. A missed exit costs minutes; recovering it by backing, crossing a median, or stopping to reverse can cost far more. Freeway traffic cannot expect a vehicle moving backward or standing in a lane, which is why the rule sends you to the next exit without exception. Continue with the flow, leave at the next interchange, and rejoin in the correct direction. Treat every missed exit as a small detour rather than an emergency.

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

12. 12. In Alaska, an emergency vehicle approaches with flashing lights but its siren is off. Must you yield?

    1. No, the duty to yield begins only when an emergency siren is also sounding
    2. Yes, yield the right of way whether a siren is operating or not
    3. Only after the approaching emergency vehicle sounds its horn directly at you
    4. Only when traveling on roads that provide two or more lanes in your direction
    Show answer

    Yes, yield the right of way whether a siren is operating or not. Flashing red or blue lights are the signal the law keys on, because sirens fail against closed windows, music, wind, and distance even when they sound. A silent approach therefore carries the same yield duty as a loud one, on every road and without waiting for a horn. Slow, pull to the right edge clear of intersections, and stop until the vehicle passes. Drivers who condition yielding on sound waste the seconds emergency crews are counting, and they risk blocking the very path the lights are clearing.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles and the Move Over law

13. 13. The same two drinks leave you steady one evening and noticeably impaired another in Alaska. What explains the difference?

    1. The brand of drink changes how alcohol enters the blood
    2. Only the time of day changes alcohol effect between evenings
    3. Food, physical and emotional condition, and other drugs change the effect
    4. Nothing changes it; the feeling difference is only imagination
    Show answer

    Food, physical and emotional condition, and other drugs change the effect. Alcohol does not act on an identical body each time. Food in the stomach slows absorption, physical and emotional condition shifts sensitivity, and other drugs multiply effects, so identical drinks can impair differently on different days. Brand and clock time explain little by comparison, and dismissing the change as imagination invites driving on the worse evening. Judge yourself by the strictest standard: if the effect feels stronger, the impairment is stronger, and driving is off the table.

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

14. 14. Your Alaska car carries two adults in front and a teenager in the rear for a short evening trip. Who must use safety belts?

    1. Only the driver, who is responsible for vehicle control
    2. Front occupants only, because rear belts are optional for teens
    3. Only passengers under sixteen, because adults judge their own risk
    4. Every occupant in the vehicle, whatever the seat row
    Show answer

    Every occupant in the vehicle, whatever the seat row. Alaska belt law reaches every seat: everyone in the vehicle must use a safety belt, driver and passengers, front and rear, on short trips as on long ones. Limiting belts to the driver, the front row, or the young leaves unrestrained bodies that injure themselves and others in a crash. The driver should wait until every buckle clicks before moving, and treat an unbelted passenger as a reason to stay parked until it is fixed.

    Study this in the handbook: Safety belts and child seats

15. 15. On an Alaska downgrade, what coasting practice does the law forbid?

    1. Coasting downhill in a gear while the engine helps to brake the vehicle
    2. Slowing the vehicle in a lower gear while descending a long steep grade
    3. Using service brakes and engine gears together while traveling downhill
    4. Coasting with gears in neutral or with the clutch disengaged
    Show answer

    Coasting with gears in neutral or with the clutch disengaged. A downgrade pours speed into a vehicle continuously, and neutral or a disengaged clutch removes the engine as a brake, leaving overheated service brakes as the only defense against runaway. The law therefore forbids that free roll while welcoming gear braking, lower gear holding, and combined systems that keep speed governed. Choose the gear before the descent steepens, let the engine share the work, and save the brake pedal for shaping speed rather than fighting gravity alone for miles.

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

16. 16. In Alaska, you face a steady green ball and the intersection is clear. What does the signal allow?

    1. Go only straight through the intersection without making any turn at all in either direction
    2. Turn only when a separate green arrow also appears for your movement
    3. Go and make any legal maneuver not prohibited by a traffic control device
    4. Stop first at the line and then go after other traffic yields to you
    Show answer

    Go and make any legal maneuver not prohibited by a traffic control device. A steady green ball on a clear intersection allows travel through, including turns that the law and posted devices permit. It does not limit you to going straight, and it does not demand a green arrow before a legal turn can be made. Stopping first treats green like red and can confuse drivers behind you. Green still requires yielding where the law demands it, such as to pedestrians and to opposing traffic on a left turn, but no extra stop or arrow is built into the ball itself.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and lane control signals

17. 17. What eye habit does Alaska recommend so a driver does not miss traffic signs?

    1. Fix the eyes on the vehicle directly ahead
    2. Look far ahead without moving the eyes
    3. Check only the nearest sign on the right
    4. Look far ahead and keep the eyes moving
    Show answer

    Look far ahead and keep the eyes moving. Signs appear at different heights and distances, and a fixed stare lets them slip past unnoticed. Looking far ahead while keeping the eyes moving sweeps signs, signals, and road changes into view in time to act. Staring at the vehicle ahead narrows that sweep, holding the eyes still invites the same miss, and checking only the nearest right side ignores signs placed elsewhere. Build a rhythm: far ahead, mirrors, sides, and back ahead again as you drive.

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

18. 18. You consider passing a slow vehicle on an Alaska two lane road with a hill crest ahead. What check comes before you pull out?

    1. Assume the crest is clear because no headlights show yet
    2. Check only your mirrors, since oncoming traffic is their concern
    3. Confirm a clear path with no no passing zone or oncoming vehicle ahead
    4. Pull out briefly to look, then decide whether to continue
    Show answer

    Confirm a clear path with no no passing zone or oncoming vehicle ahead. Passing borrows the opposing lane, so the check that matters looks forward: a clear path, no no passing zone, and no oncoming vehicle that your pass would meet. Mirrors cannot supply that view, an empty looking crest may hide a fast vehicle, and pulling out to peek spends the safety the check should create. Stay in lane until the whole pass, including the return, fits inside what you can actually see.

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

19. 19. In Alaska, you park facing uphill beside a curb. Which way should the front wheels point?

    1. Toward the curb
    2. Away from the curb
    3. Straight ahead along the curb
    4. Toward traffic in the next lane
    Show answer

    Away from the curb. Wheel direction turns the curb into a brake if the vehicle rolls after you leave it. Facing uphill, the front wheels belong turned away from the curb so a backward roll steers the tire into the curb and stops the drift. Pointing them toward the curb fits the downhill case instead, straight wheels offer no curb catch in either direction, and aiming toward traffic sends a rolling vehicle into the lane. Set the wheels, set the brake, and check the direction before you step away on any grade.

20. 20. You plan a lane change on a busy Alaska highway with traffic pacing you on both sides. Which sequence follows the manual guidance?

    1. Signal first, then move quickly before checking mirrors or blind spots
    2. Mirrors, blind spot check, signal, second check, then a gradual move
    3. Check blind spots once, move, and signal after you settle in the lane
    4. Move gradually without signaling when traffic beside you is heavy
    Show answer

    Mirrors, blind spot check, signal, second check, then a gradual move. Safe lane changes are built in order: mirrors show the general picture, a head turn clears the blind spot, the signal announces intent, a second check confirms the gap still exists, and the move itself stays gradual. Skipping early looks, signaling after the fact, or drifting silently each removes a layer other drivers depend on. Run the full sequence every time, even in familiar traffic, because the vehicle in your blind spot is precisely the one the sequence exists to find.