ID Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. What does Idaho law say about texting while driving?

   1. Texting is allowed below thirty miles per hour
   2. Texting is legal if the phone is mounted
   3. Reading or sending texts while driving is illegal
   4. Only writing texts is banned, reading is fine
   Show answer

   Reading or sending texts while driving is illegal. Idaho makes reading, writing, or sending written communication while driving illegal and treats it as an infraction. Mounting the phone or traveling slowly does not create an exception for handling a text behind the wheel. Picking "Texting is allowed below thirty miles per hour" would invent a speed based exception that Idaho law never grants and keep eyes off the road at low speed. Set your destination and playlist before departure, then let incoming messages wait until the vehicle is parked.

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

2. 2. When parking a car with a manual transmission, which action does the Idaho handbook require?

   1. Leave the transmission in neutral and remove the keys.
   2. Leave the transmission in gear and leave the keys in the ignition.
   3. Shift the manual transmission into park and remove the keys.
   4. Leave the transmission in gear and remove the keys.
   Show answer

   Leave the transmission in gear and remove the keys.. Idaho says that when a parked car has a manual transmission, leave the car in gear, remove the keys, and secure the car. A manual transmission has no park setting, so selecting park is not an available action. Leaving the transmission in neutral omits the required gear setting, and leaving the keys in the ignition fails the key-removal instruction. The rule joins two actions: choose a gear for the manual transmission and remove the keys before securing the vehicle. Those details distinguish the required parking setup from the three alternatives.

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

3. 3. At a stop sign, what is different for an Idaho bicyclist?

   1. The bicyclist must remain stopped longer than a motor vehicle.
   2. The bicyclist may proceed without yielding to traffic.
   3. The bicyclist must dismount and walk through the intersection.
   4. The bicyclist may roll through after yielding to vehicles in or near the intersection.
   Show answer

   The bicyclist may roll through after yielding to vehicles in or near the intersection.. At an Idaho stop sign, a bicyclist may continue without making a complete stop, but the rider must yield to vehicles in or already at the intersection, or close enough to be a potential hazard. The rider must then proceed with caution. A rider does not have to remain stopped longer than a motor vehicle, and the rule does not require dismounting. It also does not remove the yield duty. For a driver approaching a rider at a stop sign, expect a slower approach and a yield check before the rider enters.

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

4. 4. Passing a bicyclist, how can you increase the safety margin?

   1. Squeeze past within the same lane quickly
   2. Move into the left lane if possible
   3. Pass closely so traffic behind is not delayed
   4. Ride the lane line until you are past
   Show answer

   Move into the left lane if possible. Changing into the left lane when possible gives a bicyclist a wide safety margin. A full lane change removes the risk that a wobble, pothole, or gust pushes the rider into the side of your vehicle. Picking "Squeeze past within the same lane quickly" would keep your vehicle in the rider space and turn a small steering error by either party into contact. Treat the rider like a vehicle occupying a lane: signal, move over fully, pass, then return with clearance.

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

5. 5. On slick winter roads, when should you begin slowing for a turn or stop?

   1. About twice as late to keep momentum
   2. At least three times sooner than normal
   3. At the usual point if tires are new
   4. Only after entering the turn itself
   Show answer

   At least three times sooner than normal. Slick roads stretch every braking and turning distance. Starting to slow at least three times sooner than normal on ice or snow replaces sudden pedal inputs with gentle ones that are far less likely to start a slide. Picking "About twice as late to keep momentum" would delay slowing to preserve momentum and force the hard braking that slick surfaces punish most. Spot your winter turn early, lift off the gas, and let speed bleed away long before the corner.

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

6. 6. Which statement describes motorcyclists under Idaho traffic law?

   1. They may ignore signals cars must obey
   2. They have fewer rights than car drivers
   3. They share driver rights, duties, and traffic laws
   4. They must yield to cars at every intersection
   Show answer

   They share driver rights, duties, and traffic laws. Motorcyclists hold the same rights and responsibilities as other highway users and obey the same traffic laws. Their smaller size changes how carefully drivers must look for them, not the legal standing they hold on the road. Picking "They may ignore signals cars must obey" would strip riders of equal standing and encourage drivers to treat motorcycles as obstacles rather than vehicles. Give a motorcycle the full lane respect you give a car, including at signals, merges, and intersections.

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

7. 7. At an uncontrolled T intersection where you must turn, what is your duty?

   1. Stop or yield to drivers from both other directions
   2. Proceed first because turning traffic has priority
   3. Yield only to drivers approaching from the left
   4. Stop only when a pedestrian is crossing there
   Show answer

   Stop or yield to drivers from both other directions. The stem road of an uncontrolled T intersection ends at the crossing road. A driver who must turn right or left there must stop or yield to drivers approaching from the other two directions before entering. Picking "Proceed first because turning traffic has priority" would claim priority for the turning driver, reversing the duty owed to traffic already on the through road. Treat the top bar of the T as a moving wall and enter only when both directions open together.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way between drivers

8. 8. While enrolled in driver training, who must be present for DT permit driving?

   1. Any licensed driver over eighteen years old
   2. A parent riding in the back seat area
   3. The student may drive alone to school
   4. A driver training instructor only
   Show answer

   A driver training instructor only. During enrollment in a driver training program, the DT permit is valid only to operate a vehicle with a driver training instructor. Broader supervised practice begins later under the graduated licensing supervised instruction stage. Picking "Any licensed driver over eighteen years old" would accept any older licensed adult, confusing the training permit with the later supervised permit. Until the instructor releases the permit into the supervised stage, every mile happens beside that instructor.

   Study this in the handbook: Driver training and instruction permits

9. 9. Solid white edge lines are especially helpful when?

   1. When parking on a residential street
   2. At night or in bad weather
   3. During daytime traffic congestion downtown
   4. Only when headlights have failed completely
   Show answer

   At night or in bad weather. Solid white edge lines show where the road edge is located. At night or in bad weather they become a primary guide for staying on the road when lane markings and shoulders fade from view. Picking "When parking on a residential street" would link edge lines to parking, while their safety value peaks when visibility collapses. In a night downpour, track the right edge line with peripheral vision while scanning far ahead.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings

10. 10. Idaho driver training courses through public schools are open to residents in what age group?

    1. Residents from age 16 through 18 only
    2. Residents age fourteen and a half through twenty one
    3. Residents from age 15 through 25 in the state
    4. Residents who are public school students only
    Show answer

    Residents age fourteen and a half through twenty one. Approved driver training through public schools reaches beyond enrolled students. Courses are open to all Idaho residents between fourteen and one half and twenty one, even when the resident does not attend public school. Private driver training schools offer another route. Picking "Residents who are public school students only" would close the course to home school and private school teens in the same age band. A fifteen year old outside public school should still ask about a seat in the course.

11. 11. An Idaho driver collects 12 to 17 points in any 12 months. What penalty may the department impose?

    1. A warning letter only
    2. A 6 month suspension
    3. A 30 day suspension
    4. A 90 day suspension
    Show answer

    A 30 day suspension. In Idaho's point system, 12 to 17 points in any 12 months can lead to a 30 day suspension. A warning letter is the step for 8 to 11 points in 12 months. A 90 day suspension is tied to 18 to 23 points in 24 months, and a 6 month suspension to 24 or more points in 36 months. Notice that the time windows change as the point totals rise.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and reinstatement

12. 12. What does Idaho law say about racing or speed exhibitions on a public road?

    1. They are allowed on roads that have no posted speed limit
    2. They are allowed when the participants give consent
    3. They are allowed outside city limits
    4. They are illegal on any public road, street, or highway
    Show answer

    They are illegal on any public road, street, or highway. Idaho prohibits vehicle races, speed exhibitions, and speed contests on every public road, street, and highway. Consent among the people involved does not turn a public roadway into a track. A road with no posted number is still public and still covered. Leaving the city does not remove the prohibition either. The law reaches the activity itself, so a driver cannot justify it by claiming an empty road or an informal agreement. Keep competitive driving off public pavement and use a closed course.

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

13. 13. Where is the pennant shaped no passing sign placed?

    1. On the right shoulder near the ditch
    2. In the center of your travel lane
    3. Only at the end of the restricted zone
    4. On the left side of the road
    Show answer

    On the left side of the road. The pennant shaped no passing zone sign stands on the left hand side of the road or highway. It works together with a do not pass sign or pavement markings to close the passing opportunity. Picking "On the right shoulder near the ditch" would move the pennant to the right shoulder, where drivers looking for passing guidance do not expect it. A pennant on your left plus solid paint under you means the pass is closed from here forward.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning signs

14. 14. After how many drinks does alcohol begin impairing reaction time and balance?

    1. After about two to four drinks
    2. Only after eight or more drinks
    3. After a single sip of any drink
    4. Only after drinking on an empty stomach
    Show answer

    After about two to four drinks. Alcohol impairment starts early. After two to four drinks, reaction time, coordination, and balance begin to suffer, and vision plus distance judgment deteriorate at the same time, long before a driver feels drunk. Picking "Only after eight or more drinks" would postpone impairment to eight drinks, far past the point where driving skills measurably decline. Count drinks honestly from the first one, because your stopping reactions are fading by the second.

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

15. 15. What does green pavement inside a bicycle lane emphasize?

    1. Where bicycles must stop and dismount
    2. A parking area reserved for small cars
    3. Where two movements cross each other
    4. The safest place to open a car door
    Show answer

    Where two movements cross each other. Some bicycle lanes and their extensions through intersections are painted green for emphasis. The color marks where bicycle and vehicle movements cross over each other, warning both sides to expect conflict there. Picking "Where bicycles must stop and dismount" would make the green zone a dismount area, while its purpose is highlighting a crossing of paths. Crossing green paint in a turn, yield as if a rider were already in that colored space.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings

16. 16. Which travel does Idaho list for a restricted driving permit after a suspension?

    1. The permit may allow driving to and from work and medical treatments.
    2. The permit allows unlimited driving after thirty days pass.
    3. The permit allows driving only for social and leisure trips.
    4. The permit allows any driving within the driver's home county.
    Show answer

    The permit may allow driving to and from work and medical treatments.. Idaho says a person with a suspended license may qualify for a restricted permit allowing travel to and from work and medical treatments. The handbook does not describe unlimited driving after a waiting period. It also does not limit the permit to social and leisure trips or replace approved purposes with a county boundary. The listed travel is tied to work and medical treatment, so the permit is not a general return of driving privileges. The destination and purpose of the trip determine whether it matches the described restriction.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, suspensions and reinstatement

17. 17. How deep can fast moving flood water be and still knock a person down?

    1. As little as two feet deep only
    2. Only water deeper than three feet
    3. As little as six inches deep
    4. About eighteen inches at minimum
    Show answer

    As little as six inches deep. Flash flood water is far more powerful than it looks. As little as six inches of fast moving water can knock a person off their feet, which is why flooded roadways must never be entered on foot or by car. Picking "As little as two feet deep only" would demand two feet before danger begins, ignoring the force shallow moving water puts on legs. If water is moving across a road and you cannot see pavement, treat even ankle depth as a barrier.

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

18. 18. Stopping behind another vehicle, how much gap shows you are far enough back?

    1. Enough to see rear tires on the ground
    2. Enough to read its license plate clearly
    3. Only a few inches from its rear bumper
    4. Enough to fit another car between you
    Show answer

    Enough to see rear tires on the ground. A safe stop behind another vehicle leaves enough distance to see where its rear tires touch the ground. That gap lets you steer around a stalled car and reduces the push forward if you are struck from behind. Picking "Enough to read its license plate clearly" would judge the gap by plate readability, which can happen much closer than the tire contact view requires. At every stop, glance for the patch where rubber meets road on the car ahead and ease back until visible.

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

19. 19. Starting a U-turn from the road edge, which blind spot must you check?

    1. The left rear blind spot behind you
    2. Only the area directly in front
    3. The right mirror reflection of the curb
    4. No blind spot check is needed at low speed
    Show answer

    The left rear blind spot behind you. The U-turn procedure begins by pulling to the far right edge and stopping. The driver then checks to the front and rear of the vehicle and into the left rear blind spot, because the turn swings the vehicle leftward across lanes where an overtaking car may be hidden. Picking "Only the area directly in front" would miss that overtaking vehicle entirely. Signal, turn sharply left while moving slowly, and recheck the rear before accelerating to traffic speed.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way between drivers

20. 20. A steady red arrow points your turning direction. When may you turn?

    1. After stopping, as if it were a round red light
    2. Only when a green or yellow indication allows it
    3. After yielding to pedestrians crossing nearby
    4. Immediately if no cross traffic is visible
    Show answer

    Only when a green or yellow indication allows it. A steady red arrow forbids turning in that direction until a green or yellow indication permits movement. Unlike a round red light, it offers no turn after stop option for the direction it controls. Picking "After stopping, as if it were a round red light" would borrow the round red light rule and turn against an arrow that specifically holds your movement. Match your steering to the arrow color, and keep waiting while the arrow stays red regardless of gaps.

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