MI Permit Practice Test 21

All 20 questions in test 21

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. At a Michigan Left, traffic on the main divided highway that cannot turn left directly must do what instead?

   1. Turn left across the median at the junction before you reach the cross street
   2. Continue past the intersection and turn left into the median crossover
   3. Stop in the through lane and wait for a gap
   4. Use the shoulder to make a wide U-turn
   Show answer

   Continue past the intersection and turn left into the median crossover. Drivers barred from a direct left at a Michigan Left continue past the intersection, then turn left into the median crossover. When traffic clears, they turn onto the cross road or loop back as the design intends. Traffic on the crossroad uses the opposite pattern, turning right and entering the crossover from the far-left lane. Skipping the crossover with a direct turn crosses paths the design deliberately removed for safety.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and traffic signals

2. 2. A Michigan school children sign near a crossing requires what from drivers?

   1. Follow the school crossing guard's directions
   2. Stop for ten seconds at every school sign
   3. Turn on hazard lights while passing the school
   4. Drive at five miles per hour past the sign
   Show answer

   Follow the school crossing guard's directions. Where school children are present, drive carefully and follow directions from the school crossing guard. Guards step into traffic trusting drivers to obey promptly, even when no child is visible yet from your seat. Children can dart from behind parked vehicles or buses near schools, so scanning curbs matters as much as speed. Stop at least twenty feet from a bus with flashing red lights and remain stopped until they turn off.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign shapes and colors

3. 3. A vehicle comes toward you in your lane. What should you do first if there is time?

   1. Tap the horn to warn the other driver
   2. Steer left toward the other driver lane
   3. Turn off your headlights to reduce glare
   4. Stop dead in the center of your lane
   Show answer

   Tap the horn to warn the other driver. Sound a quick horn tap when time allows, hoping the other driver wakes up and corrects course. Steering left is dangerous because that driver may return to the proper lane at the same moment. Brake firmly without locking wheels on cars without anti-lock brakes, and hunt for an escape path along the right edge. A shoulder or ditch at low speed beats a head-on impact at full speed.

   Study this in the handbook: Aggressive driving, intersections and freeways

4. 4. What decides when an air bag deploys in a Michigan vehicle crash?

   1. The driver pressing a button
   2. The speedometer reading before the impact
   3. The number of passengers riding inside
   4. Sensors judging the type and severity of the crash
   Show answer

   Sensors judging the type and severity of the crash. Vehicle sensors decide air bag deployment from the type and severity of the crash, not from driver input. That automation is why belt position and seating distance matter before anything goes wrong. Pregnant occupants should still belt correctly and sit back as far as practical. Children twelve and younger are safest in the rear seat, away from a deploying front bag, and rear-facing restraints demand a deactivated front passenger bag.

   Study this in the handbook: Phones, seat belts and child passengers

5. 5. On a freeway with three or more same-direction lanes, driving near the minimum speed requires what?

   1. Use the far-left lane for steady travel
   2. Use the center lane regardless of speed
   3. Stop on the shoulder until traffic thins
   4. Use the slower traffic lane
   Show answer

   Use the slower traffic lane. With three or more lanes in your direction you may use any lane generally, but driving at or near the minimum speed belongs in the lane carrying slower traffic. That keeps speed differences orderly and lets faster vehicles pass without weaving. High Occupancy Vehicle lanes add their posted-hour occupant rules on some freeways. Watch for merge signs near entrances too, adjusting speed or lane so entering drivers can join the flow smoothly and safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Aggressive driving, intersections and freeways

6. 6. A slow vehicle is traveling on a Michigan road. Which lane rule applies?

   1. Use the left lane unless passing another vehicle.
   2. Use any lane while traveling below the limit.
   3. Use the right lane except when passing or turning left.
   4. Use the shoulder except near intersections.
   Show answer

   Use the right lane except when passing or turning left.. Michigan directs slow vehicles to use the right lane except when passing or making a left turn. “Use the left lane unless passing another vehicle” reverses the required lane. “Use any lane while traveling below the limit” adds permission that the rule does not provide. “Use the shoulder except near intersections” substitutes the shoulder, which the manual does not assign to slow vehicles. Keeping slow traffic in the right lane leaves the left side available for passing and follows the specific lane instruction.

   Study this in the handbook: Passing, lane use and turns

7. 7. Why does Michigan recommend opening your door with your right hand after parallel parking?

   1. It keeps the door from opening too far
   2. It lets you reach the parking brake faster
   3. It forces you to look over your left shoulder for cyclists
   4. It signals other drivers that you are about to leave
   Show answer

   It forces you to look over your left shoulder for cyclists. Opening a door with your right hand makes your upper body rotate, which turns your head toward the left rear of the car. That glance is the point: it puts cyclists, pedestrians and passing vehicles in your field of view before the door swings into their path. The method does not limit how far the door opens, speed up reaching the parking brake, or signal anything to traffic. Michigan describes it as a simple habit that protects people approaching from behind. Try it the next time you park on a street with a bike lane, and let the shoulder turn do the checking.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings

8. 8. What can a motorcycle's smaller profile cause a driver to misjudge?

   1. The rider's true speed and distance
   2. The motorcycle's fuel level and engine size
   3. The lane's posted speed limit and pavement color
   4. The rider's license class and registration status
   Show answer

   The rider's true speed and distance. A motorcycle's single headlight and smaller profile can distort a driver's perception of the rider's true speed and distance. The motorcycle may look farther away or slower than it really is, leaving the driver to think there is more time for a turn or lane change. Fuel level, engine size, pavement color, and licensing details do not create this visual problem. Before crossing a motorcycle's path, wait for it to pass rather than relying on the first estimate its small shape suggests.

   Study this in the handbook: Trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles

9. 9. A lane marking shows a combined straight-and-right arrow. What movement does the lane permit?

   1. Left turns only after a complete stop
   2. Straight travel only with no turns at all
   3. Either right turns or straight travel through the intersection
   4. Right turns from that lane, with straight travel prohibited there
   Show answer

   Either right turns or straight travel through the intersection. A combined straight-and-right arrow allows either a right turn or straight travel through the intersection. It does not limit the lane to left turns or straight travel alone, and it does not prohibit straight movement. Read the arrow painted under your vehicle before the junction rather than copying the lane beside you. Enter the correct lane early, signal for a turn, and check for people walking or bicycling across the intersection before proceeding.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and traffic signals

10. 10. Under Michigan Click It or Ticket enforcement, when may an officer stop a vehicle over restraints?

    1. If the driver and occupants are not properly buckled up
    2. After another traffic violation occurs first on the road
    3. When the vehicle is speeding
    4. At a designated safety checkpoint on the highway
    Show answer

    If the driver and occupants are not properly buckled up. Michigan's seat belt and child-safety restraint laws allow an officer to stop a vehicle when the driver and occupants are not properly buckled up. The stop does not require another traffic violation first, a speeding violation, or a designated highway checkpoint. Front-seat passengers must wear belts, and passengers younger than 16 must be buckled in every seating position. Check every occupant before moving, because an air bag does not replace a seat belt.

    Study this in the handbook: Phones, seat belts and child passengers

11. 11. After one emergency vehicle passes with its warning lights and siren active, why should a driver remain alert?

    1. More than one emergency vehicle may be responding
    2. The first vehicle may reverse through the intersection
    3. Every following vehicle must use the same siren
    4. The warning lights may require the driver to park for an hour
    Show answer

    More than one emergency vehicle may be responding. Michigan tells a stopped driver to remain alert because more than one emergency vehicle may be responding to the call. One vehicle passing does not prove that the roadway is clear of the emergency response. The manual does not say the first vehicle will reverse, that every following vehicle must use the same siren, or that the driver must park for an hour. Keep watching in the direction of the response and leave the stopping position only when it is safe.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, Move Over and school buses

12. 12. How quickly can probationary or Graduated Driver Licensing drivers face a reexamination?

    1. Only after accumulating twelve full points
    2. After only one or two violations on the record
    3. Only after reaching age twenty-one years old
    4. Only after a crash causing serious injury
    Show answer

    After only one or two violations on the record. Probationary drivers and teens in Graduated Driver Licensing can be called in for reexamination after just one or two violations. New drivers get less slack because early tickets predict later crashes, and the state watches those first years closely. The review aims to discuss performance, set licensing controls that cut risk, and encourage improvement before habits harden. Restrictions, suspensions, or revocations can follow, along with information about appeal rights.

13. 13. When a Michigan law enforcement officer directs traffic against a signal, whose directions control?

    1. The traffic signal always controls over an officer beside the roadway
    2. The driver who arrived first controls the junction
    3. The pedestrian signal controls all vehicle turns
    4. An officer directions take priority over other traffic control devices
    Show answer

    An officer directions take priority over other traffic control devices. A law enforcement officer directions outrank signals, signs, markings, and every other traffic control device at the scene. Obeying the officer is also one of the closing safe-driving duties Michigan lists for every driver. Conflicts between a green light and a waving officer resolve in favor of the human managing the actual hazard. Slow down, watch the officer hands, and move exactly as directed until you clear the controlled area completely.

    Study this in the handbook: Crashes, deer and roadside emergencies

14. 14. Why was green chosen for Michigan maintenance vehicle lights?

    1. It matches the color of Michigan road signs
    2. It is the cheapest light color to manufacture
    3. The human eye is most sensitive to green wavelength
    4. It flashes faster than amber lights can flash
    Show answer

    The human eye is most sensitive to green wavelength. Green was picked because the human eye is most sensitive to that wavelength, so the light looks brighter and shows from farther away. That reach matters in snowstorms and dust clouds where amber can fade sooner. State and local crews add green to traditional amber only during active work. Drivers spotting that brighter signal early gain precious seconds to slow, shift lanes, and protect workers beside the roadway.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and work zones

15. 15. When may a driver pass a bicyclist inside a Michigan no-passing zone?

    1. Even when oncoming traffic is approaching closely
    2. When it is safe to do so
    3. When the bicyclist waves the driver past on the left
    4. During a passing move above 45 mph on the road
    Show answer

    When it is safe to do so. Passing a bicyclist in a no-passing zone is allowed when conditions make the move safe. That surprises drivers who treat the zone as absolute for every vehicle, but a slow bicycle changes the closing speed picture. Still check sight distance, oncoming lanes, and the three-foot space duty before moving. If any doubt remains, wait behind the rider rather than forcing a pass near a hill or curve.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles

16. 16. Before pulling back in after passing a truck, what must you see in your rearview mirror?

    1. Only the front bumper of the truck cab
    2. The trailer wheels clearing your rear bumper
    3. At least one headlight of the truck behind you
    4. The entire cab of the truck you passed
    Show answer

    The entire cab of the truck you passed. Wait until the entire cab of the truck shows in your rearview mirror before signaling and moving back over. A single headlight or bumper in view means you are still too close, and cutting in forces the trucker to brake a heavy load. That full-cab picture proves your vehicle has cleared the front of the rig. Then signal, glance over your shoulder, and return with room to spare.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles

17. 17. A friend who has been drinking insists on driving home. What does the Michigan manual advise?

    1. Let the friend drive if the route is short
    2. Ride along and watch the speed
    3. Take the keys and offer a place to sleep
    4. Give the friend coffee before leaving
    Show answer

    Take the keys and offer a place to sleep. Michigan tells friends not to let someone who has been drinking or using drugs drive. If persuasion fails, the manual says to take away the person's keys and offer a place to sleep, and to arrange a taxi, public transportation or another sober driver. A short route, a watchful passenger, or coffee does not remove the impairment or the risk. The cue is to act before the person reaches the driver's seat: collect the keys, offer a bed or a ride, and make the safe choice the easy one.

    Study this in the handbook: Your driving record, points and implied consent

18. 18. What does Michigan prohibit when a solid white line separates lanes moving the same way?

    1. Changing lanes only during daylight hours
    2. Crossing the solid white line to pass another vehicle
    3. Following the vehicle ahead within three seconds
    4. Driving beside the line without touching it
    Show answer

    Crossing the solid white line to pass another vehicle. A solid white line between same-direction lanes bars crossing it to pass. Daylight has nothing to do with the restriction, since the line marks places where lane changes are risky at any hour. Read a solid edge or lane line as a wall you stay behind. When you need another lane, wait for a broken line segment and move only after mirrors and a head check show a clear gap.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and traffic signals

19. 19. What does Michigan law say about cutting through a funeral procession?

    1. It is allowed if you are late for work
    2. It is a felony with mandatory jail time
    3. It is allowed when the procession has no escort
    4. It is a civil infraction
    Show answer

    It is a civil infraction. Cutting through a funeral procession is a civil infraction in Michigan. The procession has the right of way over ordinary traffic, with an exception for fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles. Being late for work is not a defense, the offense is not a felony with mandatory jail time, and the absence of a police escort does not open a gap in the line. Wait for the procession to clear rather than inserting your car between the vehicles. The practical cue is the line of cars with headlights on and orange flags: stay out of it.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way, pedestrians and roundabouts

20. 20. If an illegally parked Michigan vehicle is leased, who is responsible for the parking ticket?

    1. The vehicle owner in every case
    2. The person leasing the vehicle
    3. The nearest property owner
    4. The last person to service the vehicle
    Show answer

    The person leasing the vehicle. Michigan assigns responsibility for an illegal-parking ticket to the vehicle owner, but the manual gives a leasing exception. When the vehicle is leased, the person leasing it is responsible. The owner-in-every-case choice overlooks that exception, while a neighboring property owner and the last service provider have no responsibility under this rule. The practical cue is the relationship to the vehicle: ordinary ownership controls unless a lease identifies the person who has possession under the agreement. Check the registration and lease arrangement before deciding who must address the citation.