ID Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

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. When may an Idaho driver temporarily enter the left lane under the keep-right rule?

   1. To cruise beside traffic moving at the limit
   2. To prepare for a right turn in two miles
   3. To pass a vehicle by driving on the shoulder
   4. To avoid an obstruction, a pedestrian, or an animal
   Show answer

   To avoid an obstruction, a pedestrian, or an animal. Drivers stay as far right as possible, with a short list of exceptions. Preparing a left turn, passing, using a multi lane road, following one way traffic, and avoiding something in the road all allow a temporary move left. Entering that lane to dodge an obstruction, a pedestrian, or an animal is one listed exception. Picking "To cruise beside traffic moving at the limit" would turn an exception into open cruising. Move left only for a listed reason, then return right when clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way between drivers

2. 2. A foreign driver keeps their home license after Idaho licensing. What may they not do with it?

   1. Keep it stored at home with other documents
   2. Show it to the Idaho licensing office staff
   3. Renew it when visiting their home country
   4. Use it to drive a motor vehicle
   Show answer

   Use it to drive a motor vehicle. Foreign drivers issued an Idaho Class D license need not surrender the foreign license. They are not allowed to show or use that foreign license for operating a motor vehicle, and doing so can bring a misdemeanor citation and fine. Picking "Keep it stored at home with other documents" would ban merely storing the document, while the Idaho rule targets using it to operate a vehicle. Once Idaho licenses you, drive on the Idaho credential and leave the foreign one out of your wallet.

3. 3. At a hybrid beacon, what does the solid yellow phase tell drivers?

   1. Pedestrians have finished crossing already
   2. Speed up to clear before red appears
   3. Prepare to stop at the crosswalk
   4. The beacon is ending its cycle now
   Show answer

   Prepare to stop at the crosswalk. The hybrid beacon sequence begins flashing yellow, then turns solid yellow to tell drivers to prepare to stop. Two solid red lights follow, requiring a complete stop at the stop line while pedestrians cross. Picking "Pedestrians have finished crossing already" would read solid yellow as the end of the cycle, while it actually warns of the red stop ahead. When flashing turns solid yellow, get on the brake early rather than racing the twin reds.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping at red lights and pedestrian beacons

4. 4. What does an emergency notification sign at a railroad crossing provide?

   1. How to report problems to the railroad
   2. The schedule for the next freight train
   3. Directions to the nearest grade crossing
   4. The speed limit for trains on that line
   Show answer

   How to report problems to the railroad. The emergency notification sign posted at or near a railroad crossing lists the railroad phone number and the location specific crossing number. It exists so anyone can report an emergency or a warning device malfunction there. Picking "The schedule for the next freight train" would turn the sign into a train timetable, which cannot help a driver report a stalled vehicle. If your vehicle stalls near tracks, move people clear, then read that sign to make the report.

   Study this in the handbook: Guide signs and barricades

5. 5. Passing another vehicle, when is it safe to return to your lane?

   1. As soon as your front bumper passes theirs
   2. When the passed driver flashes their lights
   3. Wait for it in your rearview mirror
   4. After counting two seconds from the pass
   Show answer

   Wait for it in your rearview mirror. Returning from a pass requires signaling and waiting until the passed vehicle is visible in your rear view mirror. That view confirms real clearance instead of a guess based on your front bumper position. Picking "As soon as your front bumper passes theirs" would use your own bumper as the guide and cut back while the other vehicle still fills your blind spot. Hold the passing lane until the whole front of the passed car appears in the mirror, then signal back.

   Study this in the handbook: Passing and slow vehicles

6. 6. Before a short winter drive, when may you start driving?

   1. Only after windows are defrosted and clean
   2. After a small clear patch forms ahead
   3. As soon as the engine has warmed up
   4. Once the rear window alone has cleared
   Show answer

   Only after windows are defrosted and clean. Winter driving should not begin until the windows are defrosted and clean, even for a short trip. A small cleared patch hides pedestrians, signs, and cross traffic at exactly the intersections where crashes happen. Picking "After a small clear patch forms ahead" would accept a peephole view for departure and gamble that nothing enters the wide blind areas beside it. Budget scraping time into every winter departure and clear every window, not only the driver view.

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

7. 7. Stranded in heavy falling snow, what should you generally do?

   1. Walk toward the nearest town lights
   2. Leave to search for a farmhouse nearby
   3. Stand beside the road to flag traffic
   4. Stay with your vehicle during heavy snow
   Show answer

   Stay with your vehicle during heavy snow. A stranded driver should stay with the vehicle when heavy snow is falling. Most winter deaths occur when people leave the car, become lost in the storm, and freeze away from shelter and search visibility. Picking "Walk toward the nearest town lights" would send you walking into the storm conditions that make landmarks and distances disappear quickly. Run the engine sparingly for heat, keep the vehicle visible, and wait inside for rescuers to find it.

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

8. 8. A traffic signal ahead is flashing red. How must you treat it?

   1. The same as a stop sign at the intersection
   2. As a caution light allowing a slow roll
   3. As permission to proceed after one second
   4. As a signal that only cross traffic must stop
   Show answer

   The same as a stop sign at the intersection. A flashing red signal carries the same legal force as a stop sign. The driver must come to a complete stop and yield before proceeding through the intersection when the way is clear. Picking "As a caution light allowing a slow roll" would downgrade a full stop requirement into a slow roll that can put you in front of cross traffic. See flashing red, picture a metal stop sign on the pole, and plant the vehicle fully before the line.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping at red lights and pedestrian beacons

9. 9. Feeling drowsy on a long trip, which choice does the handbook warn against?

   1. Stopping for a nap at a safe rest area.
   2. Using stay awake drugs or energy drinks.
   3. Switching drivers so a rested person can drive.
   4. Planning a sleep break before continuing the trip.
   Show answer

   Using stay awake drugs or energy drinks.. The handbook warns drivers not to rely on stay awake drugs or energy drinks when fatigue develops. Stimulants may mask tiredness for a short time without restoring judgment or alertness. A nap at a safe stop supplies real sleep, and switching to a rested driver addresses the fatigue directly. Planning a sleep break also responds with rest rather than a temporary stimulant effect. The warning concerns using chemicals or energy drinks as a substitute for rest, not taking a planned break or changing drivers.

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

10. 10. You realize you took the wrong freeway entrance ramp. What should you do?

    1. Continue to the next exit and leave the freeway there
    2. Back up on the ramp to the surface street
    3. Turn around through the median crossover
    4. Stop on the ramp and wait for a gap to reverse
    Show answer

    Continue to the next exit and leave the freeway there. Entering the wrong ramp does not permit reversing or crossing the median. Continuing forward to the next exit keeps your vehicle moving with traffic and avoids a head on conflict in a place drivers do not expect cross traffic. Picking "Back up on the ramp to the surface street" would put your vehicle against the flow of traffic on a ramp built for one way movement and invite a direct collision. Picture the ramp behind you filling with accelerating vehicles, then choose the exit ahead as your only safe correction.

11. 11. Before moving sideways into another lane, how do you check your blind spot?

    1. Rely only on the inside rearview mirror
    2. Turn your head quickly to look into it
    3. Tap the horn and move over slowly
    4. Watch the side mirror for five seconds
    Show answer

    Turn your head quickly to look into it. Mirrors leave blind areas near the rear corners of the vehicle. A quick head turn before any sideways move is the only direct way to confirm that space is empty before your vehicle drifts into it. Picking "Rely only on the inside rearview mirror" would trust a mirror view that cannot show a vehicle sitting beside your rear quarter panel at all. Chin toward your shoulder, eyes into the corner space, then steer only after that glance comes back clear.

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

12. 12. Which vehicles does Idaho say are not classified as motorcycles?

    1. Three wheeled motor vehicles with saddles
    2. Vehicles with a seat for the rider
    3. Motor vehicles traveling on two wheels
    4. Farm tractors and mopeds
    Show answer

    Farm tractors and mopeds. Idaho counts a motorcycle as a motor vehicle with a seat or saddle for the rider, traveling on no more than three wheels on the ground. That count includes most two and three wheeled machines. Tractors and mopeds fall outside the class by name. Picking "Three wheeled motor vehicles with saddles" would exclude machines the three wheel wording expressly includes. Riders of true motorcycles need the endorsement path, while tractor and moped operators follow different rules.

13. 13. Failing to give full attention to driving may bring what citation?

    1. A citation for reckless driving automatically
    2. A citation for inattentive driving
    3. Only a verbal warning from any officer
    4. A parking ticket added to the vehicle
    Show answer

    A citation for inattentive driving. Driving demands full attention to the safe operation of the vehicle. Idaho drivers who fail to give that attention may be cited for inattentive driving, a charge built for distraction short of recklessness. Picking "A citation for reckless driving automatically" would escalate every lapse to reckless driving, while Idaho keeps a separate inattentive citation. If your mind has left the roadway for errands and arguments, pull over before an officer names it.

    Study this in the handbook: Night, fog, rain and flash floods

14. 14. Which combination drives much reckless, aggressive fatal crash behavior?

    1. Alcohol combined with quiet music playing
    2. Anger combined with a full night of sleep
    3. Alcohol combined with anger while driving
    4. Coffee combined with highway congestion
    Show answer

    Alcohol combined with anger while driving. Alcohol shifts mood unpredictably, from elation to anger. Studies link the combination of alcohol and anger to much of the reckless, aggressive driving that produces fatal highway crashes, beyond simple slowed reactions. Picking "Alcohol combined with quiet music playing" would pair alcohol with calm music, while the documented danger is anger amplifying impaired judgment. If a drinking driver becomes heated, take the keys and end the trip before emotions reach the road.

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

15. 15. Another car is about to strike you from the side or rear. What may help?

    1. Braking hard so the impact happens sooner
    2. Accelerating may soften or prevent the impact
    3. Turning sharply into the striking vehicle
    4. Shifting into reverse to back away fast
    Show answer

    Accelerating may soften or prevent the impact. When a collision from the side or rear is about to happen, accelerating can soften the impact or open enough space to prevent it entirely. This is the rare emergency where speed, used briefly, works in your favor. Picking "Braking hard so the impact happens sooner" would brake hard and shorten the remaining gap, making the side or rear impact arrive with more force. Check that the path ahead is clear, then press forward decisively rather than freezing on the brake.

16. 16. Which statement matches Idaho law for bicyclists on roadways?

    1. They may ride all roadways and travel with traffic
    2. They must ride against traffic to see cars
    3. They may use only streets with bike lanes
    4. They must walk bikes across every intersection
    Show answer

    They may ride all roadways and travel with traffic. Bicyclists are legally allowed on all Idaho roadways, hold the same rights as drivers, and must ride with the flow of traffic. Drivers should expect them in ordinary lanes even where no bike lane is painted. Picking "They must ride against traffic to see cars" would send riders against traffic, doubling closing speed and placing them where turning drivers rarely look. Expect a rider ahead in your lane on any street, and plan a lane change early rather than a close pass.

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

17. 17. If you cannot change lanes to pass a bicyclist, what minimum margin is safe?

    1. At least one foot of clearance
    2. At least six inches of clearance
    3. At least three feet of clearance
    4. At least ten feet of clearance
    Show answer

    At least three feet of clearance. When a lane change is not possible, passing a bicyclist still requires at least three feet of clearance. That space absorbs the rider natural line adjustments and keeps mirrors from striking handlebars or shoulders. Picking "At least one foot of clearance" would leave barely a foot between your mirror and the rider, far below the three foot minimum margin. Slow behind the rider, wait for oncoming traffic to clear, then swing wide enough to count three feet.

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

18. 18. On an Idaho rural interstate, what is the highest speed allowed where the roadway is designated and weather permits?

    1. 70 miles per hour
    2. 75 miles per hour
    3. 80 miles per hour
    4. 65 miles per hour
    Show answer

    80 miles per hour. A rural interstate may be posted for travel up to 80 miles per hour where the roadway is designated for that speed and weather allows it. Seventy-five is the general interstate maximum, so it is the figure that applies when no higher posting exists. Sixty-five is the cap on urban interstates, and 70 is not the interstate ceiling. The 80 number is not a statewide promise; designation and conditions both have to support it. Rain, snow, ice, or heavy traffic can still require a lower speed under the basic rule.

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

19. 19. Where may an Idaho driver not park, even briefly?

    1. In a marked space beside a store
    2. In front of a driveway
    3. Along a curb where signs permit it
    4. In a public parking garage
    Show answer

    In front of a driveway. Parking in front of a driveway is on the prohibited list. Blocking the entrance can trap a resident or emergency vehicle and force other drivers to maneuver around you. A marked store space, a curb where signs allow parking, and a public garage are all lawful places when you follow their rules. The driveway ban does not depend on how long you plan to stay or whether the driveway belongs to you. Keep the apron and the sidewalk clear.

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

20. 20. Livestock is being moved under control across a highway. Who has the right of way?

    1. The fastest vehicle approaching the herd
    2. Drivers traveling in the right lane only
    3. No one until a flagger raises a sign
    4. The livestock under controlled movement
    Show answer

    The livestock under controlled movement. Livestock under controlled movement over a highway holds the right of way in Idaho. Drivers meeting or overtaking herds should slow, cooperate with the workers in charge, and wait rather than press through animals. Picking "The fastest vehicle approaching the herd" would give priority to speed of approach, encouraging a driver to challenge workers moving animals across lanes. When you see riders and herd animals ahead, stop early and take direction from the people moving them.

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