MN Permit Practice Test 20

All 20 questions in test 20

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 usually feel fine after two drinks. Why might the same two drinks affect you more on another night?

   1. Alcohol is weaker in winter
   2. Your tolerance never changes
   3. Mood, food, and sleepiness change its effect
   4. It only matters what kind of drink it is
   Show answer

   Mood, food, and sleepiness change its effect. Minnesota's manual explains that you may be affected differently by alcohol on different occasions because of changing factors such as mood, how much you have eaten, and how sleepy you are. Age, gender, body weight, metabolism, and genetics also play a part. So what felt fine once is no guide for the next time. The season does not weaken alcohol, and the type of drink matters less than how much alcohol it contains.

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

2. 2. About how long does it take a driver to go from seeing danger to using the brakes?

   1. About a tenth of a second
   2. About three-quarters of a second
   3. About two seconds
   4. About four seconds
   Show answer

   About three-quarters of a second. Your stopping distance depends on several things, including the time from perceiving danger to using the brakes, which the manual puts at about three-quarters of a second. During that time the car keeps moving at full speed. Other factors include weather, tire tread, and brake condition. A tenth of a second is far too quick for a person to react. Two and four seconds are longer than the figure given, though a distracted driver may take that long.

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

3. 3. On a one-way street, when may you pass another vehicle on its right?

   1. Only if the road is clear and wide enough for two or more lanes
   2. Whenever the vehicle ahead is driving slowly
   3. Never, because passing is allowed only on the left
   4. Only by driving onto the shoulder to get around
   Show answer

   Only if the road is clear and wide enough for two or more lanes. On a one-way street, Minnesota lets you pass on the right only when there are no obstructions and the road is wide enough for two or more lanes of moving vehicles. A slow driver ahead is not enough reason by itself. Passing is not limited to the left on one-way roads. The manual also says not to pass by driving in a bicycle lane, on the shoulder, or off the pavement or main part of the road.

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

4. 4. In a two-lane roundabout, you notice you are in the inside lane but want the next exit. What should you do?

   1. Cut across to the outside lane now
   2. Stop until the outside lane clears
   3. Stay in your lane; do not change lanes inside
   4. Back up to the entry and start over
   Show answer

   Stay in your lane; do not change lanes inside. Inside a roundabout you must not stop, pass, or change lanes. If you are in the wrong lane, stay in it and follow its path, even if that means taking a different exit and finding another way back. Cutting across to the outside lane can hit a car beside you. Stopping in the circle and backing up are both dangerous. To avoid this, choose the correct lane before entering, using the lane signs.

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

5. 5. The posted limit is 55 mph, but heavy snow is falling. Is driving at 55 mph legal?

   1. Yes, the posted limit is always legal
   2. Yes, with headlights on
   3. Only trucks must slow down in snow
   4. Not if it is too fast for conditions
   Show answer

   Not if it is too fast for conditions. Minnesota's basic speed law requires a speed that is reasonable for current conditions, including weather, traffic, and road conditions. The posted limit is the maximum under good conditions, not a promise that the speed is safe. In heavy snow, driving at 55 mph can break the law if it is unsafe. Headlights help others see you but do not make an unsafe speed legal, and the rule applies to every driver, not just trucks.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the basic speed law

6. 6. You are stopped at a red light where a No Turn on Red sign is posted. No traffic is coming. When may you turn right?

   1. When the light turns green
   2. After a full stop, since it is clear
   3. After waiting 30 seconds
   4. If you are in the far right lane
   Show answer

   When the light turns green. Normally, after stopping at a red light, you may turn right when the intersection is clear. When a No Turn on Red sign is posted, that permission is removed, and you must wait for the light to turn green. Clear traffic, a long wait, or being in the right lane do not override the sign. Check for pedestrians in every direction before turning once the light is green.

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

7. 7. You plan to turn right where a bicycle lane runs along the curb. What is the correct method?

   1. Turn from your lane across the bike lane
   2. Swerve across the bike lane at the corner
   3. Yield, signal, enter the bike lane, then turn
   4. Speed up to turn ahead of any bicyclist
   Show answer

   Yield, signal, enter the bike lane, then turn. Before a turn that crosses a bicycle lane, you must yield to approaching bicyclists. When the lane is clear, signal your turn and move into the bicycle lane before turning. Turning from your own lane across the bike lane can cut off a rider coming up on your right. Swerving at the last second gives bicyclists no warning, and speeding up to beat a rider is dangerous and ignores your duty to yield.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycles

8. 8. Where does Minnesota law ban U-turns outright?

   1. On any two-lane road
   2. On interstate freeways
   3. In residential areas
   4. At signaled intersections
   Show answer

   On interstate freeways. U-turns are not allowed on interstate freeways in Minnesota. They are also illegal near the tops of hills and on curves where others cannot see you from far enough away, and wherever a No U-Turn sign is posted. Two-lane roads, neighborhoods, and signaled intersections are not automatically off limits; there you may turn around if it does not disrupt traffic and no sign forbids it. On a freeway, take the next exit instead.

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

9. 9. In Minnesota, how close to a crosswalk at an intersection may you park?

   1. No closer than 10 feet
   2. No closer than 15 feet
   3. No closer than 30 feet
   4. No closer than 20 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 20 feet. Minnesota bans parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. Parking on a crosswalk or sidewalk, or within an intersection, is also banned. Ten feet is the distance for a fire hydrant, not a crosswalk. Thirty feet applies to stop signs, flashing lights, and traffic signals on the side of the road. Fifteen feet is a common rule in other states but is not Minnesota's figure for crosswalks.

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

10. 10. What does this sign tell you about traffic entering from the side road?

    
    1. It must stop and yield to you
    2. It must merge into your lane
    3. Your own lane will end ahead
    4. It gets its own lane, no merging needed
    Show answer

    It gets its own lane, no merging needed. The added lane sign means the roadway will gain an extra lane, so traffic joining from the side road gets its own lane and will not have to merge. That is different from the merging traffic sign, where entering vehicles must fit into your lane and you should be ready to let them in. Entering traffic is not being told to stop, and your lane is not ending. Still watch the new lane for drivers who move over.

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

11. 11. Traffic is backed up just past a railroad crossing. When is it safe to drive across?

    1. As soon as the car ahead starts across
    2. When you can get 10 feet past the rails without stopping
    3. When no train is in sight, even if you stop on the tracks
    4. When the car ahead clears the far rail
    Show answer

    When you can get 10 feet past the rails without stopping. Minnesota says it is safe to cross only when traffic ahead has moved and you can go through without stopping within 10 feet past the rails. If you follow the car ahead too soon, you may end up stopped on the tracks. Never stop on railroad tracks, even if no train is in sight, because trains come faster than drivers expect. When traffic is heavy on both sides, wait behind the tracks until there is room for your whole car.

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

12. 12. In Minnesota, a large truck is coming toward you on a two-lane road. How should you position your car?

    1. As far to the right as possible
    2. Near the center line to leave the truck room
    3. On the shoulder with your hazard lights on
    4. Where you are, since the truck will move over
    Show answer

    As far to the right as possible. When a commercial vehicle approaches from the opposite direction, Minnesota tells you to stay as far to the right as possible. That helps avoid a sideswipe crash and reduces wind turbulence between the vehicles. The manual adds that turbulence pushes the vehicles away from each other, not toward each other, so moving toward the center line does not help. It is your job to position your own vehicle, not to count on the truck moving over.

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

13. 13. Your car hits a utility pole and a power line falls on it. What should you do?

    1. Get out of the car right away and run from it
    2. Stay inside and call 911, unless it catches fire
    3. Step out and wait right beside the car
    4. Push the wire off the car with a dry branch
    Show answer

    Stay inside and call 911, unless it catches fire. If your car touches a utility pole, wire, or power box, stay in the vehicle and call 911. Only get out if the car is on fire. Always assume all wires and equipment are electrified. Stepping out normally can make you a path for electricity between the car and the ground. Standing beside the car or trying to move the wire puts you in danger. Wait inside until utility workers or emergency crews say it is safe.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, brake failure and other vehicle emergencies

14. 14. Your car breaks down on a freeway. Which of these signals to others that you need help?

    1. Raising the hood or tying a white cloth on
    2. Standing in the lane and waving traffic by
    3. Leaving the headlights on high beam
    4. Parking in the right travel lane
    Show answer

    Raising the hood or tying a white cloth on. If you must stop on the freeway in an emergency, park on the shoulder as far from traffic as possible, open the trunk and raise the hood, or tie a white cloth to the radio antenna or a door handle. Use hazard lights if you have them. Standing in a traffic lane is illegal and very dangerous. High beams can blind passing drivers, and staying in a travel lane invites a crash.

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

15. 15. A freeway entrance ramp has a Yield sign and no acceleration lane. What should you do?

    1. Speed up and force your way into traffic
    2. Stop every time, even with a gap
    3. Yield, stopping if needed, then enter
    4. Enter; ramp traffic has priority
    Show answer

    Yield, stopping if needed, then enter. When there is no acceleration lane and a Yield sign is posted on the entry ramp, obey the sign. Stop if necessary, and do not force your way into the lane of traffic. If there is a safe gap, you do not have to stop; yielding means slowing or stopping only as needed. Freeway traffic has the right of way, so entering as if you had priority, or forcing a merge, can cause a crash.

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

16. 16. A red arrow pointing left is lit at an intersection, and you want to turn left. What must you do?

    1. Stop and wait for the arrow to turn green
    2. Turn after stopping if no one is coming
    3. Yield, then turn as on a flashing yellow arrow
    4. Turn when the next steady yellow appears
    Show answer

    Stop and wait for the arrow to turn green. A red arrow means stop. Come to a complete stop at the stop line, before the crosswalk, or before entering the intersection. When the arrow turns green, you may go in the direction it points. Unlike a right turn on a red ball, a red arrow does not allow you to turn after stopping when it seems clear. A flashing yellow arrow is a different signal, and a steady yellow means the signal is about to turn red.

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

17. 17. A 16-year-old with a provisional license gets a call from a parent while driving. May the teen answer it using hands-free mode?

    1. Yes, hands-free is always allowed
    2. Yes, if the caller is a parent
    3. No, only a 911 emergency call is allowed
    4. Yes, if the call lasts under a minute
    Show answer

    No, only a 911 emergency call is allowed. Drivers under 18 with an instruction permit or provisional license may not use a cell phone at all while driving, whether handheld or hands-free. The only exception is calling 911 in an emergency. Adults may use voice-activated or hands-free mode, which is why many teens assume they can too. The caller being a parent and the length of the call do not create exceptions. The teen should pull over safely or call back later.

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

18. 18. The car ahead passes a signpost and you start counting. You reach the post at one-thousand-two. What does that mean?

    1. Your gap is just right
    2. You are following too closely
    3. You should speed up a little
    4. The car ahead is going too slowly
    Show answer

    You are following too closely. With the three-second rule, you pick a fixed point ahead, start counting when the car in front passes it, and count to one-thousand-three. If you pass the reference point before you finish counting, you are following too closely. Gradually slow down until you reach a safe distance. Reaching the post at two seconds means you need more room, not less, and the other driver's speed is not the issue.

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

19. 19. Rain is starting as you near a bridge and pass this sign. What should you do?

    
    1. Keep speed; bridges drain fast
    2. Turn on cruise control
    3. Use high beams to see better
    4. Slow down; the road may be slippery
    Show answer

    Slow down; the road may be slippery. This sign warns that the road surface is slippery when wet, and it is often placed near bridges and overpasses. With rain starting, slow down and increase your following distance so you have room to stop without skidding. Cruise control should not be used on slippery roads. High beams reflect off rain and do not improve traction, and bridges do not become safe just because water runs off them.

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

20. 20. Two people weigh the same and drink the same amount. One has a higher percentage of body fat. Who reaches the higher alcohol concentration?

    1. The one with more muscle
    2. Both reach the same level
    3. Whoever is taller
    4. The one with more body fat
    Show answer

    The one with more body fat. Muscle tissue does not absorb alcohol into the bloodstream as readily as fat does. So a person with a higher percentage of fat than someone of the same weight reaches a higher alcohol concentration after drinking the same amount. This is part of why men and women are affected differently. Weight alone does not make two people equal, and height is not the factor described.

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