ID Permit Practice Test 15

All 20 questions in test 15

Every question below comes from the Idaho 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. Unless otherwise posted, when may a driver turn left at a steady red light in Idaho?

   1. From any two-way street onto a one-way street after yielding to traffic
   2. Only when a green arrow is displayed for the turn
   3. From a one-way street onto another one-way street after stopping and yielding
   4. Never, because left turns on red are prohibited
   Show answer

   From a one-way street onto another one-way street after stopping and yielding. A left turn on red is allowed from a one-way street onto another one-way street after a full stop and a yield to cross traffic, unless a sign says otherwise. The permission does not extend from an ordinary two-way street onto a one-way street. A green arrow is one way to make the turn, but it is not the only lawful route. The blanket prohibition ignores the one-way exception. Check the street directions and any posted restriction before you turn.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, signals and U turns

2. 2. You face a solid yellow arrow for your turn and have not entered the intersection. What should you do?

   1. Speed up to finish the turn before the red
   2. Turn at once without stopping for cross traffic
   3. Come to a safe stop before entering the intersection
   4. Treat the arrow as green and proceed through
   Show answer

   Come to a safe stop before entering the intersection. A solid yellow arrow warns that the turn signal is changing. A driver who has not entered and can stop safely should stop before the intersection. A driver already inside should finish the turn and clear the space. Picking "Speed up to finish the turn before the red" would race a closing signal from outside the intersection. Glance at your position first: outside and able to stop means stop, while already committed inside means clear the turn smoothly.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals

3. 3. Unless a higher limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on an Idaho state highway?

   1. 55 miles per hour
   2. 65 miles per hour
   3. 70 miles per hour
   4. 75 miles per hour
   Show answer

   65 miles per hour. Idaho sets the default ceiling on state highways at 65 miles per hour. A 70 mile per hour sign can raise that limit on a particular state highway, but the higher number does not apply unless it is posted. The 55 option is the default for locations outside the interstate, state highway, and urban district categories. The 75 option belongs to interstates. Read the road classification first, then check for a posted sign that changes the number for that stretch.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the basic rule

4. 4. When encountering an operating snowplow on an Idaho highway, which passing maneuver is prohibited?

   1. Passing in a legal passing zone when the road is clear
   2. Following until the plow pulls over to let traffic pass
   3. Passing on the left when visibility is completely unobstructed
   4. Passing on the side where the plow blade is spraying snow
   Show answer

   Passing on the side where the plow blade is spraying snow. Passing a snowplow is inherently risky and should only be attempted when absolutely necessary and lawful. Idaho rules explicitly warn drivers never to pass on the side where the plow is actively discharging snow. The high-velocity force of plowed snow and hidden ice chunks can strike your vehicle, knock it off course, and cause an immediate rollover or spinout. Plow blades also extend far past the truck body. Wait patiently behind the equipment until the operator reaches a turnout.

   Study this in the handbook: Mountains, open range and winter driving

5. 5. What does a red-painted curb mean in Idaho?

   1. Parking is allowed there for a short stop.
   2. Parking is prohibited at that curb.
   3. Parking is allowed when the hazard lights are on.
   4. Parking is allowed there only after dark.
   Show answer

   Parking is prohibited at that curb.. Idaho's no-parking list includes places prohibited by signs or a red-painted curb. A red curb therefore marks a place where you may not park. The handbook does not create a short-stop exception, and hazard lights do not authorize parking where the curb prohibits it. The no-parking rule also does not become permitted after dark. If a curb is painted red, choose another lawful place to leave the vehicle instead of treating the color as a time limit.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance, parking and backing

6. 6. Why might a motorcycle rider suddenly change speed or direction near you?

   1. Motorcycles must change lanes at every intersection
   2. Road flaws that barely affect cars can upset a motorcycle
   3. Riders are allowed to ignore pavement markings
   4. Motorcycles stop faster on gravel than on pavement
   Show answer

   Road flaws that barely affect cars can upset a motorcycle. Motorcycles balance on two tires, so surface flaws matter more than they do in a car. Gravel, debris, pavement seams, small animals, and manhole covers can force a rider to change speed or direction without much warning. Bad weather and slick surfaces add to that problem. Picking "Motorcycles must change lanes at every intersection" would invent a lane duty that does not exist. Leave extra following room behind motorcycles, and expect a swerve around a flaw you might not see.

   Study this in the handbook: Right hooks, motorcycles and large vehicles

7. 7. What must windshield wipers keep clear from the glass?

   1. Rain, snow, or other moisture
   2. Only dust collected while parked outside
   3. Ice that forms on the side mirrors
   4. Fog that forms inside the rear window
   Show answer

   Rain, snow, or other moisture. All motor vehicles must have wipers that keep the windshield clear of rain, snow, or other moisture. Clear forward vision in bad weather depends on blades that actually sweep the glass clean. Picking "Only dust collected while parked outside" would limit wipers to parked dust, ignoring the moving weather conditions they exist for. Replace streaking blades before the rainy season, not after the first blinding downpour arrives.

   Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, seat belts and child seats

8. 8. Where must a rear facing child seat never be placed?

   1. In front of an active air bag
   2. In the center of the back seat row
   3. Beside a shaded window in the back seat
   4. Against the left window in the back seat
   Show answer

   In front of an active air bag. A child in a rear facing car seat should never ride in front of an active passenger air bag. Deployment strikes the back of the seat at head level with force that can seriously injure the child. Picking "In the center of the back seat row" would worry about the back seat center, which is in fact away from the front air bag danger. If a vehicle has one row, the air bag must be off before a rear facing seat goes in.

   Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, seat belts and child seats

9. 9. After a tire blowout, when should you start using the brakes?

   1. Immediately and hard
   2. Only after pulling onto the shoulder
   3. Never; let the car roll to a stop
   4. Only after you have complete control of the car, then gently
   Show answer

   Only after you have complete control of the car, then gently. A blowout makes most drivers want to stomp on the brakes, and Idaho says not to. Hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the car headed straight, then ease your foot off the gas pedal without braking. Only once you have complete control should you brake gently and pull off the road at the nearest safe location. Braking hard right away can make the car harder to control, and you do need the brakes eventually, so rolling to a stop on the road is not the plan.

   Study this in the handbook: Crashes and the law

10. 10. Idaho has no annual safety inspection. How is unsafe equipment enforced?

    1. An officer may cite you at a stop
    2. Unsafe equipment cannot be cited without inspection
    3. Only a yearly county inspection can find it
    4. Warnings are the only available response tool
    Show answer

    An officer may cite you at a stop. Idaho does not require an annual safety inspection for vehicles. Enforcement still happens on the road: an officer who stops a vehicle and finds it unsafe or missing proper equipment may issue a citation. Picking "Unsafe equipment cannot be cited without inspection" would claim missing inspections make equipment unenforceable, leaving bald tires and dead lights unpunished. Treat every drive as inspection ready, because any traffic stop can become an equipment check.

    Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, seat belts and child seats

11. 11. A car is tailgating you closely. What response does Idaho recommend?

    1. Brake sharply to warn the other driver
    2. Speed up to restore your following distance
    3. Weave slightly so the driver backs away
    4. Slow down gradually and let it pass you
    Show answer

    Slow down gradually and let it pass you. A space cushion protects a driver on all sides, including behind. When a car follows too closely, slowing down and letting it pass removes the rear threat instead of provoking the tailgater with brake checks. Picking "Brake sharply to warn the other driver" would sharpen the conflict with a sudden brake input and risk being struck from behind instantly. Ease off the accelerator, keep your line steady, and wave the impatient driver into the open lane ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, parking and backing

12. 12. A large animal stands near the road ahead. What is the right response?

    1. Speed past before the animal can move
    2. Honk continuously until it runs away
    3. Slow down and proceed with caution
    4. Stop in the lane and wait indefinitely
    Show answer

    Slow down and proceed with caution. Large animals such as deer, elk, and moose can cause severe vehicle damage, and herd animals usually have companions nearby. Slowing down and proceeding with caution buys reaction time if another animal follows the first. Picking "Speed past before the animal can move" would raise speed exactly when an unpredictable animal may step into the lane at close range. Ease off the accelerator, scan both ditches for a second animal, and pass the spot slowly.

    Study this in the handbook: Mountains, open range and winter driving

13. 13. Where should both hands sit on the steering wheel for prompt emergency reactions?

    1. Both hands together at the top of the wheel
    2. One hand at twelve and one on the door
    3. Both hands low at the bottom spoke
    4. Opposite sides near nine and three o clock
    Show answer

    Opposite sides near nine and three o clock. Keeping both hands on opposite sides of the wheel near the nine and three o clock positions lets a driver steer quickly in either direction. It also keeps arms clear of an airbag that deploys from the wheel hub. Picking "Both hands together at the top of the wheel" would stack both hands where an airbag deployment can throw them into the driver face and limit steering leverage. Settle your hands across from each other before moving, and return them there after every turn straightens out.

    Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving, distractions and fatigue

14. 14. A pedestrian crosses where there is no painted crosswalk. What must you do?

    1. Proceed slowly because you hold right of way
    2. Stop and let the pedestrian finish crossing
    3. Honk and continue at the same speed
    4. Swerve around the pedestrian closely
    Show answer

    Stop and let the pedestrian finish crossing. A pedestrian already crossing without a painted crosswalk still needs protection. Idaho directs drivers to stop and let that person finish crossing, even when the driver believes the legal right of way belongs to vehicles. Picking "Proceed slowly because you hold right of way" would assert priority over a person already in the roadway and turn a legal claim into a physical danger. Treat any person mid crossing as your stop signal, regardless of paint, and wait until the lane is empty.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, children, horses and bicyclists

15. 15. You surrender an out-of-state license with a motorcycle endorsement that expired 10 months ago. What must you do in Idaho?

    1. Retake both motorcycle tests in full
    2. Complete a rider training course again
    3. Take and pass the motorcycle knowledge test
    4. Ride for six months on a permit first
    Show answer

    Take and pass the motorcycle knowledge test. Idaho treats a recently expired out-of-state motorcycle endorsement differently from one expired for years. If the endorsement expired fewer than 25 months ago, surrendering that license requires taking and passing the motorcycle knowledge test, without retaking the full skills test. Ten months sits well inside that window. If the endorsement had been expired more than 25 months, both the knowledge and skills tests would be required instead.

16. 16. Mixing alcohol with certain medications can do what to a driver?

    1. The combination can make the driver feel and be more impaired.
    2. The combination cancels out the effects of the medication.
    3. The combination keeps the driver alert for a longer drive.
    4. The combination has no effect when the doses are small.
    Show answer

    The combination can make the driver feel and be more impaired.. The Idaho handbook warns that alcohol taken with certain drugs or medications can make a driver feel and be more impaired. That impairment can affect driving-related tasks, even when the substances are taken for different reasons. Alcohol does not cancel medication effects, and the combination does not promise longer alertness. The handbook also does not create a small-dose exception that makes the mixture harmless. A medication warning about increased impairment is directly relevant before a person considers driving after drinking.

    Study this in the handbook: Administrative suspension and how alcohol affects you

17. 17. Your turn is just beyond an intersection. When should you start signaling?

    1. Before entering the intersection as usual
    2. Just after passing through the intersection
    3. Only once you begin the turn itself
    4. Half a block before the intersection
    Show answer

    Just after passing through the intersection. Signaling early for a turn that lies just beyond an intersection misleads drivers waiting to enter from the side street. Signal just after passing through the intersection so others know the turn is not at the crossing itself. Picking "Before entering the intersection as usual" would advertise a turn at the intersection and invite a waiting driver to pull out in front of you. Keep the signal off while crossing, then switch it on the moment your car clears the far crosswalk.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, signals and U turns

18. 18. A rear impact is unavoidable and your seat has a headrest. What should you do?

    1. Lean forward toward the steering wheel
    2. Turn your head sideways to watch behind
    3. Press the back of your head against the headrest
    4. Tuck your chin down toward your chest
    Show answer

    Press the back of your head against the headrest. Bracing for a rear impact means pressing the back of your head firmly against the headrest. That support limits the violent backward snap of the neck when the striking vehicle drives your car forward. Picking "Lean forward toward the steering wheel" would lean the head away from its support and lengthen the whipping motion the headrest exists to prevent. Keep headrests raised to head height on every trip so the brace is available without adjustment.

19. 19. A Road Closed sign blocks a work zone. Who may enter?

    1. Authorized personnel only
    2. Local residents who live beyond the sign
    3. Drivers who move the barrier carefully
    4. Anyone during overnight working hours
    Show answer

    Authorized personnel only. A Road Closed sign closes the work zone to everyone except authorized personnel. Moving barriers or squeezing through exposes drivers to unfinished surfaces and equipment and breaks the closure itself. Picking "Local residents who live beyond the sign" would give residents a personal exemption the sign does not contain for any neighborhood route. Treat a road closure as a wall, follow the marked detour, and never nudge a barricade aside.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and work zone signs

20. 20. In a work zone, what colors identify warning signs?

    1. Yellow with black wording usually
    2. Green with white wording for exits
    3. Brown with white wording for parks
    4. Orange with black wording
    Show answer

    Orange with black wording. Work zone warning signs are orange and black, setting temporary hazards apart from permanent ones. Orange tells drivers that workers, lane shifts, and closures may appear ahead in changing patterns. Picking "Yellow with black wording usually" would use the standard yellow warning scheme and miss the temporary work zone distinction. At the first orange sign, widen your attention for flaggers, tapers, and machinery near the lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and work zone signs