AK Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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. What speed principle applies when an Alaska driver cannot stop within the clear distance ahead?

   1. The driver must not drive faster than allows a stop within that distance
   2. The driver may continue if the headlights reach the next hill
   3. The driver may exceed the limit until another vehicle appears
   4. The driver should close the gap to the vehicle ahead
   Show answer

   The driver must not drive faster than allows a stop within that distance. Alaska's assured-clear-distance rule ties speed to the space the driver can see and safely use for stopping. If the vehicle cannot stop within that clear distance, speed is too high even when the posted limit has not been exceeded. Headlight reach and the presence of another vehicle do not create permission to outrun visibility. Increase the visible stopping space or reduce speed, especially around darkness, curves, hills, and weather that shorten the view. The cue is stop within what you can see.

2. 2. After a full stop at a red traffic signal, when may a driver make a right turn?

   1. Whenever the vehicle reaches the crosswalk
   2. When the turn is safe and no No turn on red sign restricts it
   3. Only after waiting for three light cycles
   4. Even if pedestrians or cross traffic make it unsafe
   Show answer

   When the turn is safe and no No turn on red sign restricts it. A right turn on red is permitted only after a full stop, when the turn can be made safely, and when no No turn on red sign prohibits it. Reaching the crosswalk is not the same as stopping before it, and a timed wait is not required. Safety still includes checking pedestrians and cross traffic. The sequence to remember is stop, check for a restriction, yield as needed, then turn only when clear.

3. 3. When parking downhill beside a curb in Alaska, which way should the front wheels point?

   
   1. Straight ahead regardless of the slope
   2. Away from the curb
   3. Toward the curb
   4. Toward the centerline
   Show answer

   Toward the curb. For downhill parking beside a curb, Alaska directs the driver to turn the front wheels toward the curb. If the vehicle begins to roll, that positioning helps keep it from moving into the traffic lane. The uphill instruction is different: the wheels turn away from the curb. Straight wheels ignore the slope, and turning toward the centerline increases the hazard. Before releasing the brake, check the slope, curb, gear selection, and parking brake together.

4. 4. What does the two-way road warning tell a driver to do?

   
   1. Use both lanes in either direction until the next town
   2. Keep right of approaching traffic on the two-way road
   3. Remain left because opposing traffic has a separate road
   4. Treat the roadway as one-way until a centerline appears
   Show answer

   Keep right of approaching traffic on the two-way road. The two-way warning marks a roadway where traffic approaches from opposite directions. Keeping right leaves space for oncoming vehicles and follows the manual’s instruction for this condition. Using both lanes in either direction would invite a head-on conflict. Staying left because opposing traffic is elsewhere reverses the needed position, while assuming one-way travel ignores the warning. Look for the centerline and maintain a lane that clearly separates your vehicle from approaching traffic.

5. 5. How many points does Alaska assign for leaving the scene of a crash?

   1. 4
   2. 6
   3. 9
   4. 2
   Show answer

   9. Leaving the scene of a crash carries 9 points in Alaska, just below the 10 point group that includes DUI and reckless driving. Six points is the value for negligent driving and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, 4 is for following too close, and 2 is for other moving violations. Points are entered for convictions or bail forfeitures in Alaska or any other state.

6. 6. In an unposted Alaska residential district, what default speed limit applies?

   1. 55 mph
   2. 15 mph
   3. 20 mph
   4. 25 mph
   Show answer

   25 mph. Alaska lists 25 mph as the default speed for a residential district when no sign establishes another limit. The 15 mph value belongs to an alley, while 20 mph applies to a business district and school zone in the same table. A driver should still lower speed when pedestrians, weather, or visibility require it, because the general speed law calls for a careful and prudent pace. Identify the district first, then verify whether local authorities have posted a change.

7. 7. What condition is indicated by a traffic signal symbol on a yellow warning sign?

   
   1. The next signal is permanently out of service
   2. A traffic signal is ahead, so the driver should prepare to obey it
   3. A police checkpoint will stop every vehicle
   4. Streetlights are being repaired after the intersection
   Show answer

   A traffic signal is ahead, so the driver should prepare to obey it. The traffic signal symbol gives advance notice of a signal ahead. The driver should look forward, adjust speed as needed, and be ready to obey the indication when reaching the intersection. It does not say that the signal is broken, that police will stop every vehicle, or that streetlights are under repair. Warning signs are meant to identify conditions before the driver arrives at them. The practical cue is to begin scanning for the signal early, especially when a curve, hill, or other obstruction could shorten the available stopping distance.

8. 8. What action is required at an Alaska yield sign when traffic or pedestrians need protection?

   1. Slow down, look both ways, and stop if necessary
   2. Accelerate to enter before other traffic
   3. Stop every time even when the roadway is empty
   4. Proceed without checking for pedestrians
   Show answer

   Slow down, look both ways, and stop if necessary. A yield sign requires the driver to slow as needed, look left and right, and yield to traffic and pedestrians. Stopping is required when necessary to avoid conflict, not automatically at every empty yield sign. Accelerating defeats the purpose of yielding, and failing to scan for pedestrians omits an explicit part of the instruction. The useful sequence is reduce speed, check both directions, then stop only when the approaching traffic or pedestrian situation makes stopping necessary.

9. 9. The Alaska speed limits listed for unposted highways apply under what conditions?

   1. Only when traffic is heavy
   2. Every condition regardless of weather
   3. Only during nighttime hours
   4. Favorable conditions
   Show answer

   Favorable conditions. The listed Alaska limits for business districts, alleys, school zones, residential districts, and other roadways are maximums under favorable conditions when no other limit is posted. They do not override the duty to reduce speed for traffic, poor surfaces, limited width, or weather. The nighttime and heavy traffic choices are too narrow. Treat the posted or statutory number as an upper boundary, then adjust downward whenever conditions reduce safety.

10. 10. Where should a driver look before backing a vehicle?

    1. Look forward and use the horn instead of checking behind
    2. Rely only on the inside mirror
    3. Open the door and extend the head outside
    4. Turn the body and head to look through the rear window
    Show answer

    Turn the body and head to look through the rear window. The manual warns that mirrors alone do not show everything behind a vehicle. Before backing, the driver should turn the body and head to look through the rear window, move slowly, and keep the eyes moving around the vehicle. Opening the door and leaning out is specifically described as dangerous, while a horn cannot reveal a child, pedestrian, or object. Keep the left hand at the top of the wheel and steer in the direction the rear should travel.

11. 11. What does a steady red X mean above a reversible lane?

    1. Do not use the lane
    2. Travel in the lane is permitted
    3. Clear the lane because a green arrow is next
    4. Use the lane only to pass
    Show answer

    Do not use the lane. A steady red X means drivers must not use the reversible lane, while opposing traffic is permitted to use it. A steady green arrow permits travel, and a steady yellow X tells drivers to clear the lane safely because a red X is approaching. The passing choice is also wrong because the signal controls whether the lane may be entered at all. Look overhead before entering a lane that can change direction.

12. 12. What following interval does the Alaska manual recommend for calculating a safe following distance?

    
    1. A one-second interval regardless of weather
    2. A one-car-length rule at every speed
    3. The four-second interval method
    4. A ten-second stop at every landmark
    Show answer

    The four-second interval method. The manual describes the four-second interval method: watch the vehicle ahead pass a definite point, then count four seconds and compare your arrival at that point. If you reach it before finishing, the gap is too short. The fixed one-car-length choice fails because distance needed changes with speed, and the one-second choice leaves little reaction time. Towing a trailer or driving on a wet or slippery surface calls for six seconds or more. Pick a roadside object as your reference and count consistently while conditions change.

13. 13. How often do impaired drivers kill someone, according to the Alaska manual?

    1. Every 10 minutes
    2. Once a week
    3. Once a month
    4. Every 51 minutes, nearly 28 people a day and almost 10,000 a year
    Show answer

    Every 51 minutes, nearly 28 people a day and almost 10,000 a year. Impaired drivers continue to kill someone every 51 minutes, nearly 28 people a day and almost 10,000 citizens a year, and about 97 percent of Americans see drinking and driving as a threat to themselves and their families. The manual adds that for the cost of a first DUI you could ride 11,370 miles in a taxi. A sober ride is always cheaper.

14. 14. What administrative revocation period applies to a first under 21 alcohol operating offense in Alaska?

    1. 15 days
    2. 60 days
    3. 30 days
    4. 90 days
    Show answer

    30 days. A first under 21 offense involving operating after consuming alcohol or refusing the chemical test brings a 30 day administrative revocation. Sixty days applies when the person has previously been revoked for this offense, and 90 days applies after two previous revocations. The period is an administrative action and can occur even if the criminal citation is dismissed or the person is found not guilty in court. Track the number of prior revocations, not merely the person's age, when selecting the duration.

15. 15. How far behind an emergency scene may a driver park when fire apparatus displays flashing red or blue lights?

    1. At least 100 feet
    2. At least 500 feet
    3. At least 250 feet
    4. At least 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    At least 500 feet. A driver may not park within 500 feet where fire apparatus has stopped and displays flashing red or blue lights. This protects the response area and is distinct from the rule against following an emergency vehicle closer than 500 feet. The distance choices below 500 feet would place a parked vehicle too near the apparatus, while 1,000 feet adds a restriction not stated here. Read the verb carefully: parking near stopped fire apparatus is different from moving past a stationary vehicle or following one in motion.

16. 16. What driving experience must be certified before an Alaska minor receives a first provisional license?

    1. 20 total hours, including 5 at night
    2. 30 total hours, including 10 on highways
    3. 50 total hours, all after dark
    4. 40 total hours, including 10 in progressively challenging conditions
    Show answer

    40 total hours, including 10 in progressively challenging conditions. For a first license before age 18, the parent, guardian, or employer must certify at least 40 hours of driving, including at least 10 hours in progressively challenging conditions. Night driving and inclement weather are examples, not a requirement that every hour occur after dark. The 20, 30, and 50 hour figures are not the manual's threshold. Pair the total with the embedded challenging-condition minimum, and remember that a valid permit for six months and a clean recent traffic record are separate prerequisites.

17. 17. How far back may qualifying Alaska or out-of-state DUI or refusal convictions be counted for an administrative revocation period?

    1. Only the previous 6 months
    2. The previous 3 years
    3. The previous 15 years
    4. Only convictions recorded in Alaska
    Show answer

    The previous 15 years. For an administrative revocation calculation, Alaska may use qualifying DWI, DUI, or refusal convictions from Alaska or another state when they occurred within the preceding 15 years. The lookback is therefore broader than a recent-year check and is not limited to Alaska records. Choosing three years misses older convictions that remain relevant. When studying the revocation table, connect the prior-offense count with this fifteen-year window before deciding which period applies.

18. 18. At an uncontrolled intersection, two vehicles approach with a danger of collision. Which driver must yield?

    
    1. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right
    2. The driver on the right yields to the driver on the left
    3. The driver going faster yields to the slower driver
    4. Both drivers continue because neither has a stop sign
    Show answer

    The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Alaska assigns the yield duty to the vehicle on the left when two vehicles reach an uncontrolled intersection in a position and time that could produce a collision. This rule does not grant the vehicle on the right permission to rush through. A driver approaching from the right still slows and keeps the vehicle under control. The useful cue is to picture the other vehicle at your left side: you are the one who yields. That approach also protects against a vehicle already occupying the intersection, which changes the immediate hazard.

19. 19. An Alaska provisional license holder wants to drive two friends (not siblings) to the mall. When is that allowed?

    1. Only if one of the passengers is a parent, legal guardian, or a person at least 21
    2. Anytime before 1:00 am
    3. If both friends are 18 or older
    4. If the trip is under 10 miles
    Show answer

    Only if one of the passengers is a parent, legal guardian, or a person at least 21. During the provisional stage, the driver may not carry passengers unless one of the passengers is a parent, legal guardian, or a person at least 21 years old. Siblings are the exception and may ride without a parent. The time of day, the friends being 18, and trip distance do not create an exception. The separate hour restriction bars driving from 1:00 am to 5:00 am without a qualifying adult, except for work trips by the most direct route.

20. 20. How much following distance is prohibited behind an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency?

    1. Closer than 100 feet
    2. Closer than 500 feet
    3. Closer than 250 feet
    4. Closer than 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    Closer than 500 feet. A vehicle may not follow an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency closer than 500 feet. The rule is about following distance, not about stopping beside an emergency scene or matching the emergency vehicle's speed. The 100, 250, and 1,000 foot figures are distractors that change the statutory spacing. A separate instruction also prohibits parking within 500 feet of fire apparatus stopped with flashing red or blue lights. Notice whether the question describes following or parking, since both protections use the same distance but different actions.