CO Permit Practice Test 6

All 20 questions in test 6

Every question below comes from the Colorado 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. A Colorado child is 5 years old and weighs 45 pounds. How must the child ride?

   1. In a rear-facing seat in the front
   2. In a child restraint system or booster seat in the rear seat, if one is available
   3. With only a lap belt in any seat
   4. Unrestrained, if a parent holds the child
   Show answer

   In a child restraint system or booster seat in the rear seat, if one is available. Children 4 years of age or older but less than 9, and weighing at least 40 pounds, must be properly secured in a child restraint system or booster seat in the rear seat if a rear seat is available. A rear-facing seat in the front is the rule for none of these age groups. A lap belt alone skips the booster requirement, and being held is never allowed. If no parent is in the vehicle, the driver is responsible for restraining each child.

   Study this in the handbook: Losing your license, seat belts and child restraints

2. 2. What do the shapes and colors of Colorado traffic signs indicate?

   
   1. The driver's eligibility for a license
   2. The mechanical condition of the vehicle
   3. The type of information the sign provides
   4. Whether a railroad train is approaching
   Show answer

   The type of information the sign provides. Colorado explains that the shapes and colors of traffic signs indicate the type of information they provide. A driver can use those visual clues to distinguish regulatory controls, warnings, guide signs, and service or recreation information before reading the full message. They do not report the vehicle's mechanical condition, the driver's licensing status, or whether a train is currently approaching. The divided-highway image is a warning example, but the handbook passage supports the broader classification skill tested here. Notice the sign's background, shape, symbol, and words, then respond to the category it signals.

   Study this in the handbook: Fitness to drive, distractions and basic control

3. 3. A new Colorado resident who is not in the military or a student must get a Colorado driver license within how many days of becoming a resident?

   1. 90 days
   2. 30 days
   3. 60 days
   4. One year
   Show answer

   30 days. Colorado requires a new resident to get a Colorado driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident. Ninety days is part of how residency is defined, since living in the state continuously for 90 days is one example of being a resident, so it is the easy mix-up. Sixty days and one year are not in the rule. Active duty service members, their dependents, and people living in Colorado mainly to go to school are the listed exceptions.

   Study this in the handbook: Getting a license, instruction permits and the drive test

4. 4. What may happen if you refuse to sign a traffic ticket in Colorado?

   1. The ticket is automatically dismissed
   2. You may be arrested
   3. You pay double the fine
   4. Nothing, since signing is optional
   Show answer

   You may be arrested. Signing a Colorado traffic ticket is not an admission of guilt, and disagreements belong in court or other legal channels. The handbook warns that refusing to sign a traffic ticket may result in your arrest. The ticket is not dismissed, and the handbook sets no doubled fine for refusing. Treating the signature as optional ignores the arrest warning. You may ask to speak to a supervisor about an officer's conduct.

   Study this in the handbook: Scanning, following distance, phones and traffic stops

5. 5. Service vehicles and maintenance equipment are working with flashing yellow and blue warning lights. What must you do?

   1. Pass quickly, since only red and blue lights require a yield
   2. Follow within one car length so the crew can see you
   3. Honk once to let the operator know you are passing
   4. Yield the right-of-way and use extra caution around them
   Show answer

   Yield the right-of-way and use extra caution around them. Road crews and their machines working under yellow and blue warning lights get the right-of-way in Colorado, and you must yield to them. Take extra care when you approach, overtake, or pass them. Believing that only red and blue lights call for a yield is a common mistake, and following closely or honking puts the crew at risk. When you see these lights, slow down, give the equipment space, and pass only where it is clearly safe.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections, roundabouts and mountain roads

6. 6. A school bus is stopped with red lights flashing on the opposite side of an undivided road. What must you do?

   1. Stop only if the bus driver extends the stop arm toward you
   2. Proceed because the bus is facing the other direction
   3. Pass at 15 mph after checking that no child is visible
   4. Stop and remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing
   Show answer

   Stop and remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing. A Colorado driver must stop for the bus even when it is on the opposite side of the roadway, unless a median or other physical barrier separates the bus from the vehicle. The flashing red lights establish the stopping condition; a driver does not get an exception because no child is currently visible or because the stop arm is angled away. Remain stopped until the lights are no longer flashing. The key visual cue is an undivided road with the bus's red lights active.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, school buses and work zones

7. 7. When merging, to whom must a driver yield?

   
   1. Only vehicles with flashing hazard lights
   2. Only vehicles directly behind in the same lane
   3. All vehicles on the roadway being entered
   4. No vehicles if the driver signals for three seconds
   Show answer

   All vehicles on the roadway being entered. A turn signal communicates intent, but it does not transfer priority. Colorado’s right-of-way rule requires a merging driver to yield to all vehicles already on the roadway being entered. If another vehicle must slow down for your merge, the gap was not adequate. The cue is the traffic stream you are joining, including vehicles beside and behind the opening. A clean merge never makes others brake suddenly.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections, roundabouts and mountain roads

8. 8. What is the purpose of a blue railroad Emergency Notification System sign?

   1. To report crossing problems or emergencies by telephone
   2. To show that trains never use horns at that crossing
   3. To mark a county highway route number
   4. To give the legal speed limit near the tracks
   Show answer

   To report crossing problems or emergencies by telephone. The blue ENS sign is for reporting a railroad crossing emergency or problem, using the phone number posted at that location. It is not the same as a quiet-zone notice, which concerns train horns. When a vehicle is stuck, gates malfunction, or another hazard blocks a crossing, the sign gives the contact point needed to alert the railroad quickly. Keep the posted number visible when calling.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and light rail

9. 9. What may happen after a driver younger than 21 is convicted of DUI or DWAI for the first time?

   1. The license is permanently canceled after a first conviction
   2. The license may be revoked if the driver fails to complete a court-ordered evaluation or program
   3. The driver receives only a warning and keeps the license without conditions
   4. Revocation is possible after a third conviction
   Show answer

   The license may be revoked if the driver fails to complete a court-ordered evaluation or program. For a first DUI or DWAI conviction involving a driver younger than 21, the handbook says the license is subject to revocation when the driver fails to complete a court-ordered evaluation or program. The rule is conditional, so permanent cancellation in a first case overstates it. A warning with no conditions ignores the stated consequence, while waiting for a third conviction misses the separate first-conviction provision. The practical cue is to connect the driver’s age, the first conviction, and completion of the court order before deciding what the license consequence may be.

   Study this in the handbook: Drugs, penalties and express consent

10. 10. You are stopped at a red light on a street with this sign and want to turn left onto another one-way street. What does Colorado allow?

    
    1. No turn of any kind until the light turns green
    2. A left turn only after a green arrow appears
    3. A left turn on red after stopping, unless a sign prohibits it
    4. A left turn on red without stopping if no cars are coming
    Show answer

    A left turn on red after stopping, unless a sign prohibits it. Colorado allows a left turn on a red light in one situation: turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street, unless a sign forbids it. As with a right turn on red, you first stop and yield to pedestrians and other traffic. Waiting for green is legal but not required, and no green arrow is needed. Rolling through without stopping is never allowed at a red light. Before turning, check that the street you are entering carries traffic only in the direction you will travel.

    Study this in the handbook: Fitness to drive, distractions and basic control

11. 11. A shared center turn lane may be used for which movement?

    
    1. Parking while waiting for a green light
    2. Passing slower traffic straight ahead
    3. Continuous travel through the intersection
    4. Left turns in either direction
    Show answer

    Left turns in either direction. The shared center lane is reserved for vehicles preparing to turn left from either direction. It may provide a place to wait until the turn can be completed, but it is not a through lane and cannot be used to pass. Parking there or using it as a shortcut through an intersection blocks the turning space and surprises opposing drivers. Enter only for the left-turn movement, check for traffic and pedestrians, and leave the center lane as soon as the turn is safely completed.

    Study this in the handbook: Lines, crosswalks and special lanes

12. 12. Where is parking prohibited around the crosshatched section of a disabled parking space?

    1. In the crosshatched van-access area at any time
    2. Only within 30 feet of the crosshatched area
    3. Only during business hours
    4. Only if the curb is painted yellow
    Show answer

    In the crosshatched van-access area at any time. The handbook says crosshatched sections next to disabled parking spaces are for van access only and parking is not allowed there at any time. The rule is not tied to a distance, to business hours, or to curb paint. It is a separate rule from the disabled space itself, which may be used only when the person who owns the placard is entering or exiting the vehicle. Treat the crosshatched striping as a cue that the area must stay open at all times.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, guide, work zone and special signs

13. 13. A Colorado driver's refusal revocation is followed by another suspension from the same incident. How is it served?

    1. At the same time as the revocation
    2. It is dropped, because refusal replaces it
    3. Added onto the end of the revocation, one after the other
    4. Only if the driver is under 21
    Show answer

    Added onto the end of the revocation, one after the other. Refusing a chemical test brings a one year revocation and two years of ignition interlock. The handbook adds that if other suspensions or revocations come from the same incident, they are added onto the end of the revocation, which means they run consecutively. They do not run at the same time, and the refusal does not cancel them. The rule applies to all drivers, not only those under 21.

    Study this in the handbook: Drugs, penalties and express consent

14. 14. Unless otherwise posted, what is the Colorado speed limit in a residence district?

    1. 30 mph
    2. 25 mph
    3. 20 mph
    4. 40 mph
    Show answer

    30 mph. Colorado's default speed limits are 20 mph on narrow, winding mountain highways and blind curves, 25 mph in any business district, 30 mph in any residence district, 40 mph on open mountain highways, 55 mph on urban interstates and highways, and 65 to 75 mph on designated rural interstates and highways. So a residence district is 30 mph. Twenty-five is the business district figure, 20 is for winding mountain roads, and 40 is for open mountain highways.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, school buses and work zones

15. 15. If a solid yellow line is on your side and a broken yellow line is on the other side, may you pass?

    
    1. No, but you may use the shoulder to get around the vehicle
    2. Yes, if you accelerate before the broken line ends
    3. Yes, because either side may cross a solid yellow line
    4. No, you may not pass from the side with the solid line
    Show answer

    No, you may not pass from the side with the solid line. With solid and broken yellow lines together, the line on your side controls your movement. A solid line on your side means passing is prohibited. The driver on the broken-line side may pass when it is safe and must return before that broken line becomes solid. Accelerating does not cancel the restriction, and crossing the shoulder is not a lawful substitute for passing. Check the pavement beside your vehicle, not just the line beside the other traffic, before deciding whether a pass is allowed.

    Study this in the handbook: Freeways, lane changes and passing

16. 16. How far ahead should a Colorado driver look to reduce last-minute braking?

    1. Only one car length ahead
    2. At least 10 seconds ahead
    3. Exactly three seconds ahead
    4. No farther than the next lane marking
    Show answer

    At least 10 seconds ahead. Scanning well ahead gives time to spot slowing traffic, pedestrians, signals, and hazards before they become urgent. Colorado recommends looking at least 10 seconds down the road, which is about one block in the city or half a mile on open road. A three-second count is for following distance, not visual search. Use distant traffic flow as your cue. This habit creates room for calm decisions.

    Study this in the handbook: Scanning, following distance, phones and traffic stops

17. 17. You are driving on a road with no signs or pavement markings to control lane use. Where should you drive?

    1. Just to the right of the center of the road
    2. On the shoulder, to leave room for oncoming traffic
    3. Straddling the center so you can see farther ahead
    4. As far left as possible to avoid parked cars
    Show answer

    Just to the right of the center of the road. When a road has no lane lines or signs, Colorado tells you to drive just to the right of the center. That keeps you on your half of the road while leaving space from the edge. Do not drive on the shoulder, which is not a travel lane, and never straddle the middle where you would meet oncoming traffic. As a general rule in Colorado, you must drive on the right half of the road and use only one lane, so stay just right of center.

    Study this in the handbook: Lines, crosswalks and special lanes

18. 18. What THC level creates a permissible inference that a driver was DUI in Colorado?

    1. 15 nanograms per milliliter of saliva
    2. 0.08 nanograms per breath sample
    3. 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood
    4. Any detectable THC level in urine
    Show answer

    5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Colorado separates the THC inference from alcohol BAC rules. The handbook says 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood permits an inference of DUI, while DWAI has no THC permissible inference level. A saliva or urine figure is not the stated standard. The practical cue is that marijuana impairment can be judged through behavior as well as blood results.

    Study this in the handbook: Drugs, penalties and express consent

19. 19. Which steering-wheel hand positions give a driver better vehicle control?

    1. 3 and 9 o'clock or 4 and 8 o'clock
    2. 12 and 6 o'clock
    3. Both hands inside the wheel spokes
    4. One hand at the top and one on the gear selector
    Show answer

    3 and 9 o'clock or 4 and 8 o'clock. The handbook recommends placing both hands on opposite sides of the outside of the steering wheel, at 3 and 9 o'clock or 4 and 8 o'clock. The handbook adds that a driver should never grip the inside of the wheel when turning it. Holding the wheel at 12 and 6, gripping its inside, or leaving a hand on the gear selector reduces consistent control. Keep the grip firm but gentle, use your fingers, and keep your thumbs along the wheel face.

    Study this in the handbook: Fitness to drive, distractions and basic control

20. 20. You are following a truck carrying hazardous materials as it approaches a railroad crossing. What should you expect?

    1. The truck may ignore the crossing if no train is visible
    2. The truck must accelerate because hazardous loads have priority
    3. The truck may use the shoulder while other traffic passes
    4. The truck may be required to stop, so be prepared to stop too
    Show answer

    The truck may be required to stop, so be prepared to stop too. Commercial trucks carrying hazardous materials must stop at most railroad crossings. A driver behind one should anticipate that stop and leave enough room to stop safely rather than assuming the truck will continue through. Hazardous cargo does not give the truck priority or authorize shoulder travel. Watch the crossing, the truck's brake lights, and any signals, then remain behind it until the crossing can be navigated safely. Following too closely would leave little time to respond to the required stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and light rail