MI Permit Practice Test 7

All 20 questions in test 7

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. What does an orange Michigan traffic sign indicate?

   1. A route direction to a destination
   2. A railroad crossing is ahead
   3. Construction or maintenance crews are working in the area
   4. A service or hospitality location
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   Construction or maintenance crews are working in the area. An orange sign warns that construction or maintenance crews are working in the area, so drivers should proceed with care and expect changing conditions. The railroad choice belongs to railroad warning devices, while route directions use a different sign purpose. Service or hospitality information also describes another color category. Orange should prompt a slower, more attentive approach, especially near lane shifts, workers, equipment, or temporary traffic controls. Read the full sign and follow any cones, flaggers, or posted instructions around the work area.

2. 2. What do warning signs in construction and maintenance areas look like?

   1. Round, with white lettering on a blue background
   2. Diamond-shaped, with black lettering on an orange or yellow background
   3. Vertical rectangles with green lettering
   4. Octagons with red lettering on a white background
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   Diamond-shaped, with black lettering on an orange or yellow background. Construction and maintenance warning signs use a diamond shape, with black lettering placed on an orange or yellow background. The round blue choice describes neither the prescribed shape nor the work-area colors. Green belongs to directions and guidance, while an octagon is associated with a stop sign rather than this warning category. As you approach a work area, use the diamond outline and orange or yellow field as a cue to scan for workers, equipment, lane shifts, and temporary instructions.

3. 3. What should a driver do when approaching a stopped road maintenance vehicle with flashing lights?

   1. Sound the horn and force the vehicle onto the shoulder
   2. Pass at the posted speed without changing position
   3. Stop in the opposing lane to wait for instructions
   4. Proceed cautiously and be ready to yield
   Show answer

   Proceed cautiously and be ready to yield. Highway workers and stopped maintenance vehicles create a changing hazard, so the driver must approach with caution and be ready to yield. Passing at the posted speed ignores the reduced space and possible workers, equipment, or traffic shifts around the vehicle. Stopping in the opposing lane can create a head-on hazard, and using the horn to force a path is not a safe substitute for slowing and observing. Reduce speed, scan around the vehicle, and follow signs, cones, or personnel directions. The flashing lights are a cue that ordinary lane assumptions may no longer describe the safe route.

4. 4. What following interval should a Michigan driver use as a general rule on dry or wet pavement?

   1. Three to four seconds
   2. Exactly ten car lengths
   3. A half second when traffic is light
   4. One second at every speed
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   Three to four seconds. Michigan’s general timing method uses a three to four second gap. Pick a fixed roadside point, such as a sign, and count from when the vehicle ahead passes it until your vehicle reaches the same point. The choice of one second is too short for normal driving, while car lengths change with vehicle size and speed, so ten lengths is not a dependable rule. A half second leaves almost no time to react. Increase the interval when speed rises, visibility worsens, or the pavement becomes slippery. The practical cue is to begin counting only after the vehicle ahead passes a stationary object, then lengthen the count when conditions demand it.

5. 5. If your vehicle becomes disabled on the roadway, what should you do?

   1. Pull as far off the traveled portion as possible, activate four-way flashers, and stay belted
   2. Stand beside the vehicle to direct traffic yourself
   3. Walk along the freeway to find assistance
   4. Leave the vehicle in the travel lane with the engine running
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   Pull as far off the traveled portion as possible, activate four-way flashers, and stay belted. For a disabled vehicle, Michigan advises pulling as far off the traveled portion as possible, activating the four-way emergency lights, and staying inside with the seat belt securely fastened. The goal is to separate occupants from moving traffic while making the vehicle visible. Leaving the car in a travel lane increases collision risk. Standing beside it places a person close to passing vehicles, and walking on a freeway is dangerous and illegal. If leaving becomes unavoidable, move directly to a safe location far from the traveled portion and obtain professional help.

6. 6. What commonly causes skids on slippery pavement?

   1. Checking the brakes lightly before traveling
   2. Driving slowly and braking gradually
   3. Turning too quickly or stopping suddenly
   4. Allowing extra following distance
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   Turning too quickly or stopping suddenly. Michigan warns that most skids happen when a driver turns too quickly or stops suddenly on slippery pavement. Those abrupt inputs can exceed the tires’ available traction and make the vehicle slide. Driving slowly, braking gradually, and checking the brakes lightly are protective habits rather than causes. Extra following distance also gives more time to respond without a panic stop. When snow, ice, or another slick surface is present, reduce speed early and use smooth steering and braking. The key cue is sudden input on low-traction pavement.

7. 7. Before returning to the right lane after passing, what must a Michigan driver be able to see?

   1. Only the passed vehicle's front bumper in a side mirror
   2. The entire vehicle being passed in the rearview mirror
   3. The next intersection at least 500 feet away
   4. The driver's own rear tire in the passenger mirror
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   The entire vehicle being passed in the rearview mirror. Michigan says not to cut back into the right lane until the entire vehicle being passed is visible in the rearview mirror. Seeing only a bumper in a side mirror leaves the pass incomplete and risks crowding the other vehicle. The driver's own tire and a distant intersection are unrelated checks. Wait until the full vehicle appears, then move back with adequate space and a clear path.

8. 8. What minimum score must a Michigan student earn on the Segment 1 and Segment 2 state driver education exams?

   1. 70 percent
   2. 60 percent
   3. 80 percent
   4. 90 percent
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   70 percent. Both Michigan driver education exams use the same pass mark: a minimum of 70 percent. Segment 1 also requires at least 24 classroom hours, six hours behind the wheel and four hours of observation, while Segment 2 adds six classroom hours. Sixty percent would be a failing score. Eighty and ninety percent are higher than the state requires, so a student who scores 75 percent still passes the segment exam.

9. 9. A fire engine is working a house fire on a Michigan street. How close to the fire may you park?

   1. No closer than 50 feet
   2. No closer than 100 feet
   3. No closer than 1,000 feet
   4. No closer than 500 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 500 feet. Parking within 500 feet of a fire or a crash is prohibited. Onlookers who park close crowd the scene and can block hoses, ambulances and more fire trucks. Fifty and 100 feet are much shorter distances that apply to other rules. One thousand feet is not the stated distance. The same 500 foot figure appears in the rule for following a moving emergency vehicle.

10. 10. How many points does a Michigan conviction for having an open alcohol container in a vehicle add?

    1. 3 points on the record
    2. 4 points on the record
    3. 6 points on the record
    4. 2 points on the record
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    2 points on the record. An open alcohol container in the vehicle is listed among the two-point violations, with six to 10 mph over the limit and a young driver refusing a preliminary breath test. Three points cover careless driving and running a stop sign or signal. Four points apply to impaired driving and drivers under 21 with bodily alcohol content, and six points cover drunk driving and chemical test refusal. The open container rule applies even when the driver shows no sign of impairment.

11. 11. What does a steady yellow traffic signal require when a driver can stop safely?

    1. Stop rather than speed up through the intersection
    2. Reverse to the previous stop line
    3. Ignore the signal if no pedestrians are visible
    4. Accelerate to beat the red light
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    Stop rather than speed up through the intersection. A yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. When the vehicle can stop safely, the driver is required to stop. If stopping cannot be done safely, the driver should not speed up and should continue cautiously through the intersection. Accelerating to beat the red creates the very hazard the yellow warns about, and reversing is unsafe once the vehicle has entered the approach. The absence of visible pedestrians does not cancel the signal. Judge the stopping distance early, brake smoothly when there is room, and keep scanning for traffic already in the intersection.

12. 12. According to the Michigan manual, what do a standard beer, wine, and whiskey serving have in common?

    1. They contain no alcohol when served with food
    2. Whiskey contains twice as much alcohol as beer
    3. They contain the same amount of alcohol
    4. Wine is the only serving that affects judgment
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    They contain the same amount of alcohol. The manual compares a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of whiskey and says each contains the same amount of alcohol. The serving volumes differ because the beverages have different concentrations, but a standard portion delivers the same alcohol amount described in the passage. Food does not make a serving alcohol-free, and the beverage type does not determine whether judgment is affected. Use the three portion sizes as a memory cue: can, glass, and shot. Any of them can affect judgment and self-control before a person drives.

13. 13. What does a flashing yellow arrow allow a driver to do?

    1. Turn left without yielding to anyone
    2. Treat the arrow exactly like a solid red arrow
    3. Proceed straight from any lane
    4. Turn left after oncoming traffic is clear and pedestrians are safe
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    Turn left after oncoming traffic is clear and pedestrians are safe. A flashing yellow arrow allows a left turn, but it is permissive rather than protected. Oncoming traffic may have a green light, so the turning driver must wait for an adequate gap and check for pedestrians and bicyclists in the crossing. The arrow does not remove the yield duty, and it is not the same as a solid red arrow. Confirm the path is clear before beginning the turn, then continue with care.

14. 14. What clean driving record must a Michigan teen have for GDL Level 3 eligibility?

    1. Six consecutive months with no parking ticket of any kind
    2. Twelve consecutive months without a moving violation, at-fault crash, suspension, or GDL restriction violation
    3. Twenty-four months with no insurance claim
    4. Three consecutive months with no nighttime driving
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    Twelve consecutive months without a moving violation, at-fault crash, suspension, or GDL restriction violation. Michigan requires a teen seeking GDL Level 3 eligibility to drive for 12 consecutive months without a moving violation, an at-fault crash, a license suspension, or a violation of any GDL restriction. The six-month choice confuses the minimum time held at Level 2 with the separate clean-record period. Parking tickets, nighttime driving, and insurance claims are not the four conditions named in this requirement. Read the rule as a checklist: count twelve uninterrupted months, then check each listed event. A single event in one of those categories breaks the clean period described by the manual.

15. 15. What upcoming control does this warning sign identify?

    
    1. A yield sign has ended
    2. A stop sign is posted ahead
    3. A no-stopping zone begins immediately
    4. A traffic signal is permanently out of service
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    A stop sign is posted ahead. STOP AHEAD warns that a stop sign is posted farther along the road. Use the advance warning to begin reducing speed and to prepare for a complete stop at the actual stop sign. It does not announce the end of a yield, create a no-stopping zone, or say that a signal is out of service. Look for the stop line, crosswalk, and intersecting traffic as you approach. Do not stop at the warning sign unless another condition requires it, but do arrive ready to stop.

16. 16. What should you anticipate beyond this pedestrian warning sign?

    
    1. Pedestrians may be in the area
    2. Pedestrians must use a bicycle lane
    3. Pedestrians are prohibited from crossing
    4. Pedestrians have a separate traffic signal only at night
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    Pedestrians may be in the area. The pedestrian warning sign tells drivers that pedestrians may be in the area, so careful driving is required. It does not remove pedestrians from the roadway, force them into a bicycle lane, or create a nighttime-only signal rule. Reduce speed enough to react, look toward sidewalks and crossing points, and be ready to yield. The warning is especially important near places where a person may enter the road unexpectedly. Keep scanning after passing the sign because the risk continues through the nearby area.

17. 17. How must Michigan drivers approach a stopped emergency vehicle with warning lights?

    
    1. Keep the posted speed and pass without changing lanes
    2. Stop in the travel lane until the responder leaves
    3. Slow at least 10 mph below the posted limit and move over a lane if conditions allow
    4. Speed up so the vehicle is passed quickly
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    Slow at least 10 mph below the posted limit and move over a lane if conditions allow. For a stopped emergency vehicle, Michigan requires slowing at least 10 mph below the posted limit and moving over a lane when traffic and conditions allow. If a lane change is unsafe, slow down and pass cautiously with as much space as possible. Maintaining speed ignores the safety buffer, and stopping in the travel lane can create another hazard. First look for a safe lane change, then reduce speed.

18. 18. Under Michigan law, a child left in a vehicle is not left unattended if supervised by someone of what minimum age?

    1. 10
    2. 13
    3. 16
    4. 18
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    13. It is illegal to leave a child younger than 6 unattended in a vehicle when the time or circumstances pose an unreasonable risk of harm. A parent is not violating the law if the child is supervised by someone age 13 or older who is not legally incapacitated. Ten is too young. Sixteen and eighteen set a higher bar than the law does. The manual still warns that it is never safe to leave children or pets alone in a car.

19. 19. When changing into Michigan's left lane, what check should the driver make before moving?

    1. Turn without a signal if the lane looks open
    2. Check only the right mirror and move quickly
    3. Use the shoulder without checking traffic
    4. Check traffic behind and on the left, signal, and move carefully
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    Check traffic behind and on the left, signal, and move carefully. For a move into the left lane, Michigan calls for checking traffic behind and on the left, performing a head check, using the left-turn signal, and moving carefully. A right-mirror-only glance can miss a vehicle in the left-side blind area. The shoulder is not a substitute lane, and an open-looking gap still requires a signal and a head check. Use the sequence as a cue: mirror, head check, signal, then a controlled lane change after confirming that the space remains clear.

20. 20. How long do points remain on a Michigan driver's driving record?

    1. Six months from the date of the ticket
    2. Until the driver reaches age 21
    3. Two years from the date of conviction
    4. Ten years from the date of conviction
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    Two years from the date of conviction. Michigan keeps points on a driving record for two years from the date of conviction. The clock is tied to the conviction date, not the date of the ticket, so the six-month choice uses the wrong starting point and duration. The age-based choice has no basis in this rule, and ten years overstates how long the points remain. When reviewing a driving record, connect the retention period with the conviction rather than with the traffic stop. That distinction helps separate the recordkeeping rule from the point values assigned to individual violations.