ID Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. Under Idaho's basic rule, which driving behavior can violate the law even when the vehicle is below the posted limit?

   1. Driving at the posted limit during clear weather
   2. Driving 5 mph below the limit on an empty road
   3. Driving slowly enough to impede the safe flow of traffic
   4. Driving below the limit while leaving extra space
   Show answer

   Driving slowly enough to impede the safe flow of traffic. Idaho treats speed as a safety judgment, not merely a comparison with a sign. A driver can violate the basic rule by moving so slowly that existing traffic cannot flow safely, even though the speedometer is below the limit. The choice “Driving 5 mph below the limit on an empty road” changes the rule into a five mile per hour threshold that the handbook never creates. Watch the traffic behind you, the surface, visibility, intersections, and other hazards, then choose a speed that remains reasonable and prudent for the whole situation.

2. 2. When may a pedestrian have to yield to a motor vehicle?

   1. Whenever the pedestrian is walking more slowly than traffic
   2. Whenever the driver sounds the horn first
   3. Only when the pedestrian is outside a city
   4. When crossing where there is no crosswalk or intersection, or when directed by a traffic signal
   Show answer

   When crossing where there is no crosswalk or intersection, or when directed by a traffic signal. Idaho lists two circumstances in which a pedestrian must yield to motor vehicles: crossing a street where there is no crosswalk or intersection, and being directed to yield by a traffic signal at an intersection or crosswalk. The horn choice invents a condition that does not change right-of-way. City limits do not determine the rule, and walking slowly has no such legal effect. Still scan carefully, because a driver must respond to pedestrians who enter unexpectedly and may need to stop even when the person has technically yielded.

3. 3. Two vehicles reach a four-way stop at exactly the same time. 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 turning left always goes first
   4. The larger vehicle has priority
   Show answer

   The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. When arrival is simultaneous at a four way stop, the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right. The handbook states this tie breaking rule without any exception for vehicle size or for the direction a driver plans to go. Turning left does not earn the first move; elsewhere the handbook tells a driver making a left turn to yield to oncoming traffic. The reversed version, in which the right vehicle yields, is the opposite of the rule. Stop completely, compare positions, and let the vehicle on the right proceed first.

4. 4. In an unfenced open range area, what does Idaho's warning sign say about livestock?

   1. Livestock have the right-of-way and may roam freely
   2. Livestock must remain behind a fence at all times
   3. Only wild animals may enter the highway
   4. Drivers automatically receive payment for any collision
   Show answer

   Livestock have the right-of-way and may roam freely. Idaho's Open Range warning identifies an area where livestock have the right-of-way and are allowed to roam without fencing. That warning changes the driver's expectation: animals may be on or near the roadway, and a driver must reduce risk rather than assume a fence will keep them away. The payment choice invents a guarantee that the sign does not provide. Slow down, scan the shoulders, and be prepared for an animal to move unpredictably.

5. 5. How often may an Idaho driver use an approved course to remove points from a driving record?

   1. Once every year
   2. Once every five years
   3. As often as the driver completes a course
   4. Once every three years
   Show answer

   Once every three years. Idaho lets a driver remove points by completing either a Defensive Driving Course or a Traffic Safety Education Course, but only once every three years. A yearly option is more frequent than the rule allows, and five years is longer than the stated limit. Repeating courses back to back does not keep erasing points. Both courses remove points only, not the conviction.

6. 6. When facing a steady yellow circular light and able to stop safely, what should a driver do?

   1. Stop before entering the intersection
   2. Speed up and enter before the red light appears
   3. Continue at the same speed because yellow means go
   4. Back up if already inside the intersection
   Show answer

   Stop before entering the intersection. A steady yellow circular indication warns that the signal is about to change to red. If the driver has not entered the intersection and can make a safe stop, stopping is the appropriate response. Accelerating turns a warning into a race with the signal, and continuing automatically ignores the caution. A vehicle already in the intersection should clear it safely, so backing up is also unsafe. Look ahead early enough to stop smoothly rather than braking at the line.

7. 7. Which category is explicitly listed among Idaho's traffic sign types?

   1. Warning signs
   2. All of these categories
   3. Work zone signs
   4. Guide signs
   Show answer

   All of these categories. The handbook lists regulatory, warning, work zone, guide, and other signs as traffic sign types, so every category named in the choices “Warning signs”, “Guide signs” and “Work zone signs” belongs on that list. The broader answer captures the full set presented by the question. A warning sign concerns an unexpected condition, a guide sign supplies travel or service information, and a work zone sign marks road work conditions. Learn each category by its colors, shapes, messages, and symbols so you can identify its purpose before reaching it.

8. 8. A siren and flashing emergency lights appear while your vehicle is in the intersection. What should you do?

   1. Reverse through the intersection to make room
   2. Stop immediately where you are, even if you block cross traffic
   3. Clear the intersection, then pull to the nearest right edge and stop
   4. Turn left and continue until the emergency vehicle is out of sight
   Show answer

   Clear the intersection, then pull to the nearest right edge and stop. The emergency vehicle needs a clear path, so a driver already in the intersection should continue far enough to clear it, then pull to the nearest right edge or curb and stop. Stopping in the intersection can trap the responding vehicle and create conflicting traffic movements. Reversing is unpredictable, and turning left does not reliably move you out of the emergency vehicle’s route. Once stopped, remain there until the vehicle has passed ahead. Think clear the conflict area first, then yield at the right side.

9. 9. After a first failure administrative license suspension ends in Idaho, how long must an ignition interlock be installed on any vehicle the driver drives?

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

   One year. After a first failure of an evidentiary test, the driver serves a 90 day suspension and then must have an ignition interlock on any vehicle driven for one year after the suspension ends. Thirty days is the no driving part of the suspension, and 90 days is the whole suspension, not the interlock period. Five years is the look back window for a second test failure. The driver pays the interlock installation and monthly fees.

10. 10. How many supervised driving hours must be completed at night during Idaho's GDL period?

    1. 5 hours
    2. 10 hours
    3. 15 hours
    4. 20 hours
    Show answer

    10 hours. The GDL supervised period requires at least 50 hours of driving time, with 10 of those hours at night. The nighttime portion is included within the total, rather than added on top of 50. Five, 15, and 20 hours are not the handbook's specified nighttime figure. When recording practice, a family should track both the overall total and the night subset so that reaching 50 daytime-heavy hours does not leave the separate night requirement unfinished.

11. 11. What does the pictured round railroad warning sign tell a driver?

    
    1. It warns of a railroad crossing ahead
    2. It marks the exact rail where stopping is forbidden
    3. It identifies a bicycle route with no trains
    4. It announces that a roundabout is immediately ahead
    Show answer

    It warns of a railroad crossing ahead. The round yellow railroad symbol is an advance warning sign, so it tells the driver that a crossing lies ahead rather than marking the rails themselves. The handbook says to be prepared to stop before reaching the tracks if a train is approaching. Begin scanning, reduce speed as needed, and plan for the possibility of a stop. Do not confuse the circular design with a roundabout warning; the railroad letters and crossing symbol identify the hazard.

12. 12. What does an Idaho yield sign require when a driver approaches an intersection or highway?

    
    1. Accelerate to enter before other traffic
    2. Slow down and yield to vehicles and pedestrians
    3. Stop every time even when the way is clear
    4. Yield only to vehicles, never to pedestrians
    Show answer

    Slow down and yield to vehicles and pedestrians. A yield sign requires a driver to slow down and give the right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians in the intersection being crossed or the highway being entered. A complete stop may be necessary when traffic or people make it unsafe to continue, but stopping every time is broader than the sign’s basic instruction. Accelerating defeats the purpose of yielding, and pedestrians are expressly included. Approach with enough control to stop if needed, scan both directions, and proceed only after the crossing path is clear.

13. 13. After a first violation of Idaho's no insurance law, how long must you provide proof of financial responsibility?

    1. Three years
    2. One year
    3. Six months
    4. Five years
    Show answer

    One year. A first violation of Idaho's no insurance law requires proof of financial responsibility for one year. Three years applies to a second no insurance offense within five years, and also to suspensions for serious offenses such as DUI or reckless driving. Six months is shorter than the rule. Five years is the look back period for counting a second offense, not the filing period.

14. 14. When must Idaho drivers dim their headlamps before meeting an oncoming vehicle?

    1. Only after the vehicles are side by side
    2. 200 feet before meeting the vehicle
    3. 100 feet before meeting the vehicle
    4. 500 feet before meeting the vehicle
    Show answer

    500 feet before meeting the vehicle. Idaho's lighting rule uses two different distances, so the direction of travel matters. An approaching vehicle must receive low beams beginning 500 feet before the vehicles meet. The 200-foot figure applies when overtaking another vehicle, not when meeting traffic head-on. Waiting until the cars are beside each other risks glare at the exact moment both drivers need clear vision. Remember the pairing: 500 feet for meeting, 200 feet for passing from behind.

15. 15. What problem is tailgating most directly associated with in the Idaho handbook?

    1. It is a common cause of crashes because it leaves too little room to stop
    2. It improves fuel economy by reducing air resistance behind another vehicle
    3. It gives the following driver priority to pass at an intersection
    4. It makes braking safer when the road is wet or icy
    Show answer

    It is a common cause of crashes because it leaves too little room to stop. Tailgating means driving too close to the vehicle ahead, leaving inadequate space to respond if traffic slows or stops. Idaho identifies it as a common cause of crashes and says the driver must leave enough room to stop in any situation. Wet, icy, or snowy pavement makes the shortage of space more dangerous, not safer. Following closely also does not create a passing right or a traffic priority. Use a fixed object and the three-second count to measure a usable gap, then enlarge it when conditions worsen.

16. 16. What shape and color identify most warning signs in Idaho?

    1. Black lettering on white rectangles
    2. White lettering on green rectangles
    3. Black symbols or lettering on yellow, usually diamond-shaped
    4. Blue symbols on circular signs
    Show answer

    Black symbols or lettering on yellow, usually diamond-shaped. Most Idaho warning signs use black on yellow and a diamond shape. This visual combination alerts drivers that an unexpected condition may be ahead, so they should look for the hazard and prepare to slow or take another safe action. Green rectangles normally provide guide information, white regulatory signs communicate rules, and blue signs commonly identify services. The diamond is the quick recognition cue. Read the symbol or wording next, then adjust speed before reaching the condition described.

17. 17. Is beer safer than hard liquor, according to the Idaho handbook?

    1. Yes, beer has far less alcohol
    2. Yes, wine is the only strong drink
    3. No, a 1.5 ounce jigger of liquor, five ounces of wine and 12 ounces of beer each contain about an ounce of alcohol
    4. Only light beer is safer
    Show answer

    No, a 1.5 ounce jigger of liquor, five ounces of wine and 12 ounces of beer each contain about an ounce of alcohol. A jigger, 1.5 ounces, of 80 proof hard liquor, five ounces of table wine, or 12 ounces of beer all contain approximately the same amount of alcohol, about an ounce each, and studies found the greatest share of people arrested for DUI had been drinking beer. Alcohol passes directly into the blood, and only time removes it, so the container does not matter.

18. 18. Under Idaho law, which children must be properly protected in approved child car safety seats in a non-commercial vehicle?

    1. Only children who weigh less than 40 pounds
    2. Only children younger than 2 years of age
    3. Children younger than 13 years only when seated in front
    4. Children 6 years of age or younger
    Show answer

    Children 6 years of age or younger. Idaho requires anyone carrying children age 6 or younger in a non-commercial motor vehicle to properly protect them in approved child car safety seats. The rule is not limited to toddlers, a front-seat situation, or a particular weight threshold. The handbook also recommends reading the seat and vehicle instructions for height and weight limits, but those recommendations do not replace the legal age scope. Before driving, secure the child snugly, attach the seat correctly, and use the restraint on every trip.

19. 19. How quickly can a small stream become dangerous in an Idaho flash flood, according to the handbook?

    1. It takes hours to rise
    2. It rarely exceeds 6 inches
    3. It can swell to over 12 inches deep and 80 feet wide in less than five minutes
    4. Streams do not flood in Idaho
    Show answer

    It can swell to over 12 inches deep and 80 feet wide in less than five minutes. Flash floods follow intense rain in a short time, often during or right after a severe thunderstorm, and small streams a few feet wide and a few inches deep can swell to over 12 inches deep and 80 feet wide in less than five minutes. Six inches of fast water can knock you down, and two feet can wash a vehicle away, so never drive into flooded roads.

20. 20. How far from the nearest rail should you stop when a railroad crossing requires a stop?

    
    1. Only after the front bumper reaches the crossing gate
    2. Exactly 5 feet from the first rail
    3. At least 100 feet and never closer
    4. Within 50 feet but no less than 15 feet
    Show answer

    Within 50 feet but no less than 15 feet. At a required railroad stop, the handbook gives a range that protects the vehicle from the track while keeping the driver close enough to observe the crossing. Stop within 50 feet, but no less than 15 feet from the nearest rail. Five feet is dangerously close, and 100 feet may place the vehicle too far back for the stated rule. Never wait with any part of the vehicle on the track. Look and listen, then proceed only when the crossing is safe.