MI Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Michigan 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 does a Michigan driver's license expire for a driver under 21?

   1. Four years after issue
   2. At age 18
   3. At age 25
   4. On the driver's 21st birthday
   Show answer

   On the driver's 21st birthday. A Michigan license is usually valid for four years and expires on your birthday in the year shown, but if you are under age 21 your license expires on your 21st birthday. The Secretary of State mails a renewal notice well in advance to the address on file, which is why address changes must be reported. Under 21 licenses are printed vertically.

2. 2. Until which Michigan child passenger milestone must a child use an approved car seat or booster seat?

   1. Until age 2 only, regardless of height
   2. Until age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall, whichever comes first
   3. Until the child can sit in the front seat
   4. Until age 12 in every seating position
   Show answer

   Until age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall, whichever comes first. Michigan requires children to remain properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are eight years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall, whichever requirement comes first. The rule is not limited to age two, and sitting in the front does not end the child-restraint requirement. Age twelve is a recommendation related to rear-seat placement, not the cutoff stated here. Parents should also follow the child-restraint and vehicle manufacturer instructions. Check both the child’s age and height, then keep the approved restraint in use until one of the two Michigan thresholds is reached.

3. 3. What traffic directions do yellow lines separate?

   1. A bicycle lane from a sidewalk
   2. Traffic lanes moving in the same direction only
   3. Traffic lanes moving in opposite directions
   4. A parking area from a driveway
   Show answer

   Traffic lanes moving in opposite directions. Yellow lines separate traffic lanes moving in opposite directions. They help a driver recognize that the roadway carries opposing traffic, unlike white lane lines that generally divide lanes traveling the same way. The bicycle-lane and sidewalk choice describes a different marking context, and a parking area is not identified by the general yellow-line rule. Look at the line color and the traffic direction before changing position. A yellow center marking should prompt an opposing-traffic check, even when the roadway appears lightly traveled.

4. 4. What does it cost to take Michigan's written knowledge test online at home?

   1. A $6.50 convenience fee
   2. $25
   3. It is free
   4. $50
   Show answer

   A $6.50 convenience fee. The written knowledge test is given at Secretary of State offices at no charge, and you also have the option of taking an online version at home on your own computer or laptop for a $6.50 convenience fee. After passing the written and vision tests and paying the fee, a temporary instruction permit valid for 180 days is issued for supervised practice.

5. 5. A pedestrian signal begins flashing while you are already in the crosswalk. What should you do?

   1. Stop in the crosswalk until the signal becomes steady
   2. Complete the crossing without starting a new crossing
   3. Return to the curb you left
   4. Run diagonally to the nearest traffic lane
   Show answer

   Complete the crossing without starting a new crossing. A flashing pedestrian display warns that the remaining time to cross safely is nearly over. A person already in the crosswalk should finish getting to the other side. The flashing indication is not a command to stop in the roadway, and returning to the original curb would increase exposure to traffic. Running diagonally toward a traffic lane abandons the marked crossing and creates another hazard. Keep moving calmly along the crosswalk, remain alert for turning vehicles, and remember that the display is different for someone who has not started crossing.

6. 6. If a train is coming at a Michigan railroad crossing, where must vehicles stop?

   1. On the tracks until the train passes
   2. Exactly 10 feet from the nearest rail
   3. At least 100 feet from the crossing in every case
   4. No more than 50 feet and no less than 15 feet from the tracks
   Show answer

   No more than 50 feet and no less than 15 feet from the tracks. When a train is coming, Michigan places the stopping range between 15 feet and 50 feet from the tracks. Ten feet is too close, while 100 feet is not the stated universal requirement. Remaining on the rails is dangerous and unlawful. Slow as you approach, watch both directions, and stop within the marked safe range before the crossing. Never enter unless the vehicle can clear every track completely.

7. 7. What does this winding-road warning indicate?

   
   1. A single bump is ahead with no speed guidance
   2. A high-wind area begins at the next intersection
   3. A winding curve is ahead and the limit speed is 35 mph
   4. A railroad crossing is hidden behind a hill
   Show answer

   A winding curve is ahead and the limit speed is 35 mph. The winding-road sign identifies a winding curve ahead and gives a 35 mph limit speed for that condition. It does not describe one bump, wind, or a hidden railroad crossing. Reduce speed before the first bend and maintain control through the series rather than accelerating between curves. Look well ahead, stay in your lane, and allow for an approaching vehicle that may be close to the center line. The number on the warning is part of the message and should not be ignored.

8. 8. How close to the nearest rail of a railroad crossing may a Michigan driver park?

   1. No closer than 15 feet
   2. No closer than 50 feet
   3. No closer than 20 feet
   4. No closer than 100 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 50 feet. Michigan prohibits parking within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. Fifteen feet is the hydrant rule and also the closest a driver may stop when a train is coming, and 20 feet is the marked crosswalk rule. One hundred feet is the no passing distance for an intersection or railroad crossing, a different rule. A car parked near the tracks blocks the view of trains for other drivers.

9. 9. How far behind a moving emergency vehicle with flashing lights and a siren must a Michigan driver stay?

   1. At least 100 feet
   2. At least 500 feet
   3. At least 200 feet
   4. At least 1,000 feet
   Show answer

   At least 500 feet. Drivers must stay at least 500 feet behind any moving emergency vehicle that is showing flashing warning lights and sounding a siren. Following closer can put a car in the path of a sudden stop or turn by the responder. The 100 and 200 foot figures appear elsewhere in the manual for passing rules, not for following emergency vehicles. One thousand feet is more than the law requires. Drivers should also never pass such a vehicle unless the responder or an officer directs it.

10. 10. Besides 12 points in two years, which history can lead Michigan to call a driver in for reexamination?

    1. Three or more crashes with injury or property damage in two years
    2. One parking ticket in a year
    3. Renewing the license by mail
    4. Changing insurance companies twice
    Show answer

    Three or more crashes with injury or property damage in two years. Reexamination grounds include three or more crashes resulting in personal injury or property damage over the past two years, 12 or more points in two years, and conviction for violating license restrictions. Parking tickets are not moving violations and do not add points. Renewing by mail and switching insurers are routine actions that say nothing about driving risk. GDL and probationary drivers can be called in after only one or two violations.

11. 11. How many lives do seat belts save each year, according to NHTSA figures in the Michigan manual?

    1. About 500
    2. About 100,000
    3. About 2,000
    4. More than 13,000
    Show answer

    More than 13,000. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that seat belts save more than 13,000 lives each year and that buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash. Michigan requires belts for all front seat occupants and passengers under 16, and children under 4 ride in the rear seat when one is available.

12. 12. How many lives can one Michigan organ donor save, according to the manual?

    1. One life
    2. Up to 3 lives
    3. Up to 8 lives, and potentially heal up to 125 others
    4. Up to 50 lives
    Show answer

    Up to 8 lives, and potentially heal up to 125 others. Joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry means that upon your death you agree to become an organ, eye and tissue donor to save up to 8 lives and potentially heal up to 125 others. The registration is a binding legal document known as first person authorization, so share your decision with loved ones. Up to 2,500 Michigan patients are waiting for a transplant.

13. 13. What does a red traffic light require before a Michigan driver proceeds?

    1. A complete stop
    2. A brief slowdown without stopping
    3. A lane change around the signal
    4. A turn through a parking lot to avoid it
    Show answer

    A complete stop. A red light requires the vehicle to come to a complete stop before proceeding. Slowing without stopping does not satisfy the signal, even if the intersection looks empty. Changing lanes cannot remove the duty to obey the traffic control, and crossing private property to avoid a signal is specifically identified as illegal. After stopping at the proper line or behind the crosswalk, check for the next lawful indication to move and watch for pedestrians and other traffic. The useful habit is to treat red as a firm stop command, not as a suggestion to reduce speed or find a route around the device.

14. 14. What does a Michigan traffic sign's color carry?

    1. A guarantee that the road is dry
    2. A promise that no traffic control is ahead
    3. The exact speed of every nearby vehicle
    4. Meaning about the sign's function
    Show answer

    Meaning about the sign's function. Michigan explains that a traffic sign’s color carries meaning, so color helps a driver interpret the sign’s function. Red can indicate stopping or prohibition, blue can identify service or hospitality, green can provide directions, and yellow can signal caution or a general warning. Color does not report pavement moisture, measure nearby vehicles, or promise that no control device is ahead. Use the color as an immediate cue, then read the sign’s words, symbol, and shape to identify the precise instruction before acting.

15. 15. What share of pedestrian crash deaths from 2014 to 2018 involved a roadside emergency, according to the Michigan manual?

    1. About 1 percent
    2. About 50 percent
    3. About 10 percent
    4. About 90 percent
    Show answer

    About 10 percent. During the five year period from 2014 to 2018, about 10 percent of all pedestrian related traffic crash fatalities involved a roadside emergency, which is why the safest thing to do in a breakdown is generally to stay in your car with the seat belt buckled until help arrives. Move the car off the road if you can, use the flashers, and call for assistance.

16. 16. Under Michigan's Basic Speed Law, how should a driver choose a speed?

    1. Use a careful and prudent speed for the conditions
    2. Always drive at the posted maximum
    3. Drive exactly 5 mph below the sign
    4. Match the fastest nearby vehicle
    Show answer

    Use a careful and prudent speed for the conditions. Michigan’s Basic Speed Law calls for a careful and prudent speed in all driving conditions. The posted number is a ceiling, not a promise that the same speed is safe in rain, ice, congestion, darkness, or a work area. Matching the fastest nearby vehicle is also not a legal measuring stick. A driver should select a speed that allows stopping within the clear distance ahead and should be ready to reduce it when conditions worsen. The road surface and visibility are the cue to reassess, even when the sign has not changed.

17. 17. What action is prohibited by this sign?

    
    1. Entering the posted area
    2. Entering when directed by a crossing guard
    3. Entering only after stopping completely
    4. Entering from a side street
    Show answer

    Entering the posted area. This sign means you may not enter the area where it is posted. It commonly protects drivers from entering a ramp exit or roadway carrying traffic the opposite way. Stopping first does not make entry legal, and neither a side street nor a person’s direction changes the sign’s command. If you see it at the mouth of a ramp, do not continue forward. Find a safe legal route instead, because another driver may be approaching from the direction the roadway is designed to carry traffic.

18. 18. What happens when a Michigan driver refuses to submit to a chemical alcohol test?

    1. The driver receives only a warning
    2. The driver is required to take a road test
    3. The driver may drive until the next renewal
    4. The driver's license is suspended under implied consent law
    Show answer

    The driver's license is suspended under implied consent law. Michigan treats a refusal to submit to a chemical alcohol test as a license-suspension matter under its implied consent law. The law considers drivers to have given consent to testing when they apply for and renew a license, so refusing can trigger the stated consequence. A warning does not replace the suspension, and the driver cannot simply continue until renewal. The road-test choice confuses a testing procedure with the penalty described here. Remember the cue: the license application carries implied consent, and refusal has its own suspension consequence.

19. 19. If a Michigan traffic signal is not working and no officer is directing traffic, what must a driver do?

    1. Stop completely and yield to vehicles already at the intersection
    2. Continue through if the road appears clear
    3. Yield only to vehicles on the left
    4. Wait for a green light that may never appear
    Show answer

    Stop completely and yield to vehicles already at the intersection. A nonworking traffic signal becomes a stop-and-yield situation when no officer or other traffic-control device is present. Michigan directs the driver to make a complete stop and yield to vehicles already at the intersection. Continuing because the pavement looks clear skips the required stop. If vehicles arrive at the same time, yield to the vehicle on your right. The useful cue is to treat a dark signal as an uncontrolled intersection with a full stop, not as permission to maintain speed or wait for an absent green indication.

20. 20. Which activity is prohibited by Michigan's general hand-held phone law while driving on a public road?

    1. Using a mounted GPS without entering information by hand
    2. Reading a text message
    3. Calling emergency services to report a crash
    4. Using a permanently installed vehicle interface
    Show answer

    Reading a text message. Michigan prohibits holding or using a mobile electronic device while operating on a public road, and the rule specifically includes reading a text message. Calling emergency services to report a crash is an emergency exception. A mounted navigation device may be used when the permitted conditions are met, and a permanently installed vehicle interface is treated separately from a hand-held device. The practical cue is simple: set up navigation before moving and keep the phone out of your hand. If an urgent report is needed, use the emergency exception for that report rather than ordinary phone activity.