MN Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

Every question below comes from the Minnesota 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. You are about to turn left from a two-way street with two lanes in your direction. Which lane should you move into?

   1. The lane nearest the right curb
   2. Whichever lane has less traffic
   3. The shoulder, so others can pass
   4. The lane closest to the center line
   Show answer

   The lane closest to the center line. For a left turn, check traffic behind you, signal, and move into the lane closest to the center line. Starting from that lane keeps you out of the way of drivers going straight and lines you up for the correct finishing lane. Turning left from the right lane would cut across another lane of traffic. Choosing a lane only because it is less crowded ignores the rule, and the shoulder is not a turning lane.

2. 2. Which hand signal tells other drivers you are stopping?

   1. Left arm out, bent toward the ground
   2. Left arm out and bent upward
   3. Left arm held straight out
   4. Right arm raised straight up over the roof
   Show answer

   Left arm out, bent toward the ground. To signal that you are stopping, hold your left arm out and bend it toward the ground. Bending the arm upward signals a right turn, and holding it straight out signals a left turn, so these are easy to mix up. Raising the right arm is not a stop signal. Hand signals may be used in daylight in addition to or instead of turn signals, but not at night or when your vehicle hides your arm.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycles

3. 3. You are turning left on a green light, and oncoming traffic keeps coming. Where should you wait?

   1. In the intersection, body even with the curb line
   2. Behind the stop line until the oncoming lanes are empty
   3. Inside the crosswalk so walkers can see you
   4. Past the center, beside the far lane of traffic
   Show answer

   In the intersection, body even with the curb line. Minnesota says to pull into the intersection and wait where your body is even with the curb line when oncoming traffic blocks a left turn on green. From there you can finish the turn when a gap opens, and the manual notes you may only get that chance when the light turns yellow. Waiting behind the stop line can leave you stuck for the whole green. Stopping in the crosswalk blocks pedestrians, and creeping past the center puts you in the path of oncoming cars.

   Study this in the handbook: Signaling, turns, roundabouts and U turns

4. 4. A medicine does not make you drowsy by itself. What can happen if you take it with alcohol?

   1. Nothing, since it is a legal drug
   2. The alcohol cancels out the medicine
   3. It can have powerful intoxicating effects
   4. You become more alert than usual
   Show answer

   It can have powerful intoxicating effects. Legal drugs that may not cause impairment on their own can have powerful intoxicating effects when mixed with alcohol. That is why the manual says the safest rule is not to mix drugs with driving at all. Being legal does not make a drug safe to combine with alcohol. Alcohol does not cancel a medicine, and the mix does not make you more alert; it can make impairment much worse.

   Study this in the handbook: How alcohol affects you and the DWI law

5. 5. Your passenger wants to drink an open beer while you drive on a Minnesota highway. Is that allowed?

   1. Yes, the law covers only drivers
   2. Yes, if the passenger is over 21
   3. Only if the open can stays in the back seat
   4. No, passengers may not have open containers
   Show answer

   No, passengers may not have open containers. You must not drink or have an open container of any alcoholic beverage inside a motor vehicle on a public street or highway. Minnesota also makes it unlawful to allow a passenger to drink or to have an open container. Being of legal drinking age does not change the rule for passengers. Keeping the open can in the back seat still puts it inside the vehicle, which the law forbids.

   Study this in the handbook: How alcohol affects you and the DWI law

6. 6. When does Minnesota say to be extra cautious about passing?

   1. Only on roads posted at 55 mph or higher
   2. At night, when visibility is poor, or on a slippery road
   3. When passing a vehicle that is signaling a turn
   4. Only on roads that have no shoulder
   Show answer

   At night, when visibility is poor, or on a slippery road. Minnesota notes that improper passing causes many crashes. The manual tells drivers to be extra cautious when passing at night, when visibility is poor, and when the road is slippery. The caution is not limited to fast roads, roads without a shoulder, or particular kinds of vehicles. Before passing, also check oncoming traffic and the traffic behind you. Before passing, also check oncoming traffic and the traffic behind you.

   Study this in the handbook: Passing, backing up and parking

7. 7. A fire truck with its siren on passes you, and traffic opens up behind it. Can you follow right behind it to get through?

   1. Yes, it clears the way for you
   2. Yes, if you turn on your hazards
   3. No, stay at least 500 feet back
   4. Yes, within 100 feet is fine
   Show answer

   No, stay at least 500 feet back. Stay at least 500 feet back from any firefighting vehicle. Only vehicles on official emergency business may follow a fire truck on an emergency run more closely. The truck may stop suddenly at a scene, and crews and hoses will be on the road. Hazard lights do not make you an emergency vehicle, and 100 feet is far too close.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance, night driving and freeways

8. 8. You are turning left on a green light, and an oncoming car is close to the intersection. What must you do?

   1. Turn first, since your light is green
   2. Let it pass before you turn
   3. Turn quickly to get ahead of it
   4. Honk, then make your turn
   Show answer

   Let it pass before you turn. When you turn left, you must yield to vehicles coming from the opposite direction that are in the intersection or close enough to create a risk of a crash. A green light lets you enter, but it does not give you priority over oncoming traffic. Rushing the turn to beat the car is one of the most common ways left-turn crashes happen. A horn does not change who must yield.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way and yielding

9. 9. You pulled into the intersection to turn left. The light turns red just as oncoming cars finally stop. What should you do?

   1. Complete the turn when it is safe
   2. Back up behind the stop line
   3. Stay in the intersection until green
   4. Go straight instead of turning
   Show answer

   Complete the turn when it is safe. If you are waiting in the intersection to make a turn and the signal turns from yellow to red, complete the turn as soon as it is safe. Minnesota says not to back up, because traffic and pedestrians may be behind you. Staying in the middle blocks cross traffic that now has a green light. Switching to go straight does not help and still leaves you crossing on red.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, lane use signals and ramp meters

10. 10. What penalty can follow a conviction for operating an uninsured vehicle in Minnesota?

    1. A $30 fine only
    2. A fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail
    3. A written warning
    4. A $5,000 fine and one year in prison
    Show answer

    A fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail. Operating an uninsured vehicle can lead to revocation of license plates and registration, revocation of driving privileges for up to one year, and on conviction a fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail. Thirty dollars is the reinstatement fee after an insurance revocation, not the fine. A warning ignores the listed penalties. A $5,000 fine with a year in prison overstates the rule.

11. 11. What should you expect after seeing this curved-road warning?

    
    1. The lane is reserved for turning trucks
    2. The road ends at a T-intersection
    3. A mandatory U-turn is ahead
    4. The road curves in the direction shown
    Show answer

    The road curves in the direction shown. The arrow indicates that the roadway will bend in the displayed direction. It does not predict a road ending, require a U-turn, or create a truck-only lane. If the warning includes an advisory speed, slow to that speed before the curve so braking and steering remain controlled. Even without a number, enter at a speed suited to visibility, surface, and traffic. A simple cue is to finish speed adjustments on the straight approach, then guide the vehicle smoothly through the bend.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, school, construction and guide signs

12. 12. How much greater is your chance of being killed or hurt in a crash if you skip the seat belt?

    1. About two times
    2. Four times greater
    3. About ten times
    4. No change at low speed
    Show answer

    Four times greater. Minnesota's manual states that not wearing a seat belt makes your chances of being killed or injured in a crash four times greater. The belt keeps you from striking the inside of the car and from being thrown out, which is one of the deadliest things that can happen in a crash. Two times understates the risk, and ten times is not the figure given. The added danger does not vanish at low speed either.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats, airbags and window rules

13. 13. On a road with one lane in your direction, you are moving slowly enough to hold up traffic. Where must you drive?

    1. In the center so others see you
    2. On the shoulder with hazards on
    3. Near the center line to let cars by
    4. As close as possible to the right edge
    Show answer

    As close as possible to the right edge. When you are going slow enough on a single lane in your direction to create a hazard, Minnesota requires you to drive as close as practical to the right-hand curb or road edge. That leaves the most room for faster traffic to pass you safely. Staying in the middle of the lane forces others to cross far into the oncoming lane. The shoulder is not a travel lane, and hugging the center line invites unsafe passing on your right.

    Study this in the handbook: Signaling, turns, roundabouts and U turns

14. 14. Oncoming headlights are blinding you at night. What should you use as a guide?

    1. The yellow center line
    2. The white edge line of the road
    3. The oncoming car's headlights
    4. The taillights two cars ahead
    Show answer

    The white edge line of the road. If glare from oncoming headlights blinds you, use the white line along the edge of the road as a reference until the other car passes. Looking toward the yellow center line or at the headlights themselves pulls your eyes into the glare and can steer you toward oncoming traffic. Taillights far ahead do not show where your lane edge is. Keep your eyes low and to the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, night driving and freeways

15. 15. On a level highway, how much longer does it take to pass a commercial vehicle than a car?

    1. About one second
    2. Ten to fifteen seconds
    3. Three to five seconds
    4. No longer at all
    Show answer

    Three to five seconds. The manual says it takes three to five seconds longer to pass a commercial vehicle than a car on a level highway. Plan for that extra time, and make sure you can get back into the right lane before coming within 100 feet of oncoming traffic. One second underestimates how long a truck is. Ten to fifteen seconds is not the figure given. Assuming no extra time is how drivers get caught in the oncoming lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Commercial vehicles, railroad crossings and work zones

16. 16. You have a minor crash on a busy road. No one is hurt and the cars can still be driven. What should you do first?

    1. Leave the cars in place for police
    2. Get out and check damage in the lane
    3. Move to a safe spot before getting out
    4. Drive home and call the other driver later
    Show answer

    Move to a safe spot before getting out. If a crash results only in property damage, move to a safe location, and do not step out of your vehicle until you have moved away from traffic. Standing in a live lane to look at damage puts you at risk of being hit. Leaving the cars in the lane blocks traffic and invites another crash. You must still exchange license and insurance information with the other driver before leaving; driving home first does not meet that duty.

    Study this in the handbook: Distraction, aggression, winter driving and skids

17. 17. On a snowy morning, how can you get a feel for how slippery the road is?

    1. Try your brakes while driving slowly
    2. Brake hard once at highway speed
    3. Watch whether other cars slide
    4. Check the outside temperature only
    Show answer

    Try your brakes while driving slowly. Minnesota's winter tips say to get the feel of the road by trying your brakes while driving slowly. That shows you how much grip you have without putting you at risk. Testing at highway speed could send you into a skid. Watching other cars or reading the thermometer gives clues, but it does not tell you how your own tires grip that surface. Also make sure your washer fluid contains antifreeze.

18. 18. While stranded in cold weather, how often should you run the engine for heat?

    1. Nonstop until help arrives
    2. About 30 minutes each hour
    3. Never, to save fuel
    4. About 10 minutes each hour
    Show answer

    About 10 minutes each hour. Run the engine and heater until the car is reasonably warm, then turn it off, and repeat as long as you have fuel. Minnesota recommends about 10 minutes each hour to charge the battery and warm the interior. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow while you do. Running it nonstop or for half of every hour burns fuel quickly and raises the carbon monoxide risk. Never running it at all can leave you dangerously cold.

    Study this in the handbook: Distraction, aggression, winter driving and skids

19. 19. You are in the left lane when you pass this sign. A car in the right lane signals to move over. Who must yield?

    
    1. You must let it in first
    2. Neither; both may go
    3. The driver whose lane is ending
    4. Whichever car is slower
    Show answer

    The driver whose lane is ending. This sign means two lanes will become one. In the example shown, vehicles in the right lane must merge into left-lane traffic, and right-lane vehicles must yield. You keep your lane, but be courteous and watch for the merging car so it can fit in safely. Speed does not decide who yields. In heavy, slow traffic at a construction closure, the zipper merge asks drivers to take turns at the merge point.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, school, construction and guide signs

20. 20. When may you drive slower than the posted minimum speed on a Minnesota interstate?

    1. When bad weather or poor roads require it
    2. Whenever you are reading exit signs
    3. Any time you stay in the right lane
    4. When your car is low on fuel
    Show answer

    When bad weather or poor roads require it. Some interstate freeways with controlled access post minimum speed limits. Minnesota says not to drive slower than the posted minimum unless bad weather or poor road conditions make it necessary. Looking for an exit, staying in the right lane, or saving fuel are not reasons to go below the minimum. Driving far slower than traffic under normal conditions creates a hazard for vehicles coming up behind you.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign colors, shapes and regulatory signs