MN Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. What does this warning sign tell you?

   
   1. The bridge has a weight limit
   2. The bridge may rise for boats
   3. The bridge is narrower than the road
   4. The road ends past the bridge
   Show answer

   The bridge is narrower than the road. The narrow bridge sign warns that the bridge ahead is narrower than the roadway leading to it. There may be no shoulder, and oncoming vehicles will be closer to you, so slow down and stay well to the right. Weight limits use a separate regulatory sign. A bridge raised for boats requires you to stop, but that is not what this symbol shows. The road continues on the far side of the bridge.

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

2. 2. Your car has a back-up camera. How should you watch behind you while backing?

   1. Watch only the camera screen
   2. Use the side mirrors and nothing else
   3. Keep looking out the rear window too
   4. Check once at the start, then go
   Show answer

   Keep looking out the rear window too. Minnesota tells drivers to keep looking out the rear window while backing and not to rely only on mirrors or a back-up camera. Cameras and mirrors show a limited area and can miss a child or object off to the side. Before backing, walk around the vehicle, then look to the front, sides, and rear. A single glance at the start is not enough, because people and cars can move into your path while you are moving.

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

3. 3. Where must you never place a rear-facing infant seat?

   1. In the middle of the back seat
   2. In front of an active airbag
   3. Behind the driver's seat
   4. On the back seat behind the passenger
   Show answer

   In front of an active airbag. Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an active airbag. Airbags work with seat belts to protect adults, but a rear-facing seat must never face one. The back seat is the safest place in most vehicles, so the middle of the back seat and the spots behind the driver or passenger are all acceptable places for the seat. Children under 13 should ride in the back whenever one is available.

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

4. 4. A child car seat has no expiration date printed on it. How long after it was made should it be replaced?

   1. Three years
   2. Ten years
   3. When the child outgrows it
   4. Six years
   Show answer

   Six years. Minnesota's manual says child restraint systems expire six years from the date of manufacture. Some seats have a specific expiration date stamped on them; if none is listed, follow the six-year guideline. Three years is too short and ten years is too long. The six-year guideline applies even if the child still fits the seat. Also, never use a safety seat that has already been in a crash.

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

5. 5. When does Minnesota tell drivers to be especially alert for pedestrians?

   1. Only when approaching a marked crosswalk
   2. When a pedestrian signal is flashing
   3. Only in school zones during the school day
   4. On roads with parked cars and when children are present
   Show answer

   On roads with parked cars and when children are present. Minnesota's manual tells drivers to stay alert for pedestrians whether they are on busy city streets, rural towns, or highways. It specifically says to watch on roads with parked cars, during poor visibility, and when children are present. The need to watch is not limited to marked crosswalks, pedestrian signals, or school zones, so a driver cannot relax just because none of those are present.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycles

6. 6. A truck ahead has its right turn signal on and has swung left, leaving a gap on its right. What should you do?

   1. Stay back; do not pass it on the right
   2. Pass quickly on the right before it turns
   3. Honk, then pass on the right side
   4. Move into the gap to turn right first
   Show answer

   Stay back; do not pass it on the right. Many commercial vehicles make wide right turns and must leave an open space on the right just before turning. Their rear wheels also follow a shorter path than the front wheels, cutting the corner. Minnesota says not to pass a commercial vehicle on the right if it might make a right turn. Slipping into that gap, with or without a honk, can leave your car crushed between the truck and the curb. Wait behind it until the turn is complete.

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

7. 7. What steering mistake do impaired drivers tend to make?

   1. Holding the wheel too still
   2. Turning only hand-over-hand
   3. Over-steering, which leads to weaving
   4. Steering too slowly to the right
   Show answer

   Over-steering, which leads to weaving. The manual says impaired drivers tend to over-steer, which can result in weaving and running off the road. Alcohol also slows reaction time and makes it harder to combine steadiness with speed and accuracy, so corrections become too big. Holding the wheel too still is not the pattern described, and hand-over-hand turning is a normal technique. There is no rule that impaired drivers only drift to one side.

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

8. 8. You are merging onto a freeway from an acceleration lane. Who must yield?

   1. You, to traffic already on the freeway
   2. Freeway traffic, once you turn on your signal
   3. Whichever vehicle is going slower
   4. The smaller of the two vehicles
   Show answer

   You, to traffic already on the freeway. When you merge, adjust your speed to match the vehicles already on the freeway, signal, and look for an opening in the nearest lane. Minnesota says you must yield to other vehicles when merging. Turning on your signal does not give you the right of way, and neither does vehicle size or speed. Use the acceleration lane to reach freeway speed and slip into a gap without forcing other drivers to brake.

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

9. 9. When may you cross the dashed double yellow lines to enter a reversible lane?

   1. Any time the reversible lane looks empty to you
   2. When its signal shows a yellow X
   3. When the signal above it shows a green arrow
   4. Only during the evening rush hour
   Show answer

   When the signal above it shows a green arrow. Reversible lanes keep traffic moving during rush hours and are separated by dashed double yellow lines. You may cross into one only if the overhead signal above that lane shows a green arrow, or a sign allows it. A lane can look empty because it is about to carry traffic toward you. A yellow X means drivers should move out of the lane, not into it. Rush hour alone does not decide the direction; the signal does.

   Study this in the handbook: Lines and lane markings

10. 10. What should a pedestrian wear when walking near traffic at night?

    1. Dark colors so headlights do not glare off them
    2. Bright colors on the back only
    3. Whatever keeps them warmest
    4. Light colors with reflective material
    Show answer

    Light colors with reflective material. When walking at night or in poor visibility, wear light-colored clothing with reflective material, or carry a flashlight, so drivers can see you. Pedestrians have the right of way in intersections and crosswalks, but a driver may not see you in time to stop, especially with glare. Dark clothing makes a walker almost invisible. Color on the back alone does not help drivers coming toward you, and warmth does not make you visible.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycles

11. 11. You want to turn left on a flashing yellow arrow. An oncoming car is close enough to be a hazard. What should you do?

    1. Turn now; the arrow is yours
    2. Treat the arrow as a stop sign
    3. Turn quickly before it arrives
    4. Wait for the oncoming car to pass
    Show answer

    Wait for the oncoming car to pass. A flashing yellow arrow allows a left turn or U-turn with caution, but you must yield to oncoming vehicles that are close enough to be an immediate hazard. With a car bearing down on you, wait until it passes and there is a safe gap. The arrow is not a protected green arrow. You do not have to stop as at a stop sign unless traffic requires it, and racing the oncoming car invites a crash.

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

12. 12. On a highway with no stop sign, you pass this sign. What should you be ready to do at the crossing ahead?

    
    1. Speed up through the intersection
    2. Stop no matter what
    3. Yield to traffic if needed
    4. Turn on your hazard lights
    Show answer

    Yield to traffic if needed. The crossroad sign warns that an intersection is ahead, and Minnesota says to prepare to yield. Cars may be entering or crossing from either side, so ease off and scan both ways. Speeding up leaves no time to react to a car pulling out. You do not need to stop unless traffic or a sign requires it, and hazard lights are for emergencies, not intersections.

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

13. 13. The last car of a train has just passed a crossing with two tracks. What should you do before crossing?

    1. Make sure no second train is coming
    2. Go as soon as the last car clears
    3. Cross quickly before the lights stop
    4. Follow the car in the next lane
    Show answer

    Make sure no second train is coming. More than one train may approach at the same time from different directions. After the last car passes, do not cross until you are sure a second train is not coming on another track. The first train can hide a second one from view and drown out its horn. Rushing across as soon as the last car clears, or while the lights are still flashing, is how drivers get hit. Another driver's choice is not a safety check.

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

14. 14. You are crossing a rural divided highway that has a wide median. What may you do?

    1. Stop in the far roadway's left lane to wait
    2. Cross one half, then wait in the median
    3. Cross only where a signal controls it
    4. Wait on the near shoulder for both to clear
    Show answer

    Cross one half, then wait in the median. Crossing a rural divided highway is risky, so Minnesota lets you take it in two steps when the median is wide enough. You cross the first roadway, wait in the middle, and cross the second half when it is safe. If neither direction has traffic, you may cross both at once. Waiting inside a travel lane of the far roadway is dangerous. A traffic signal is not required, and you do not have to wait for both roadways to be empty at the same time.

15. 15. On a Minnesota warning sign, what does fluorescent yellow-green tell you?

    1. A pedestrian, bicycle, or school area
    2. A construction zone is ahead
    3. Gas or food is near the exit
    4. A historic site is nearby
    Show answer

    A pedestrian, bicycle, or school area. Minnesota's sign colors are coded. Yellow-green warns and controls in pedestrian and bicycle crossings and school areas, so watch for children and people crossing. Orange warns and controls in construction zones. Blue describes services for motorists such as gas and food, and brown points out historic, cultural, or recreational sites. Knowing the color lets you prepare before you can read the sign.

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

16. 16. With no speed sign posted, what is the limit on an urban or town road in Minnesota?

    1. 25 mph
    2. 35 mph
    3. 40 mph
    4. 30 mph
    Show answer

    30 mph. On urban or town roads, Minnesota's limit under ideal conditions is 30 mph unless signs post another number. Many drivers guess 25 mph because several other states use that figure for residential streets, but Minnesota's list says 30. Thirty-five and forty are numbers you only use where a sign allows them. Remember that the basic speed law still applies: in rain, snow, or heavy traffic you must drive slower than 30 if conditions require it.

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

17. 17. Minnesota says to turn your front wheels toward the curb after parallel parking. What is the reason?

    1. It makes pulling out later easier
    2. The car will roll toward the curb, not traffic
    3. It protects the tires from the curb
    4. It shows police the car is parked legally
    Show answer

    The car will roll toward the curb, not traffic. After parallel parking, turn the front wheels toward the curb or shoulder, shift into park, and set the parking brake. If the car slips out of park or the brakes fail, the turned wheels steer it toward the curb or off the road instead of into a traffic lane. The rule is about safety, not convenience, tire wear, or showing police anything. Setting the brake and turning the wheels work together as two layers of protection.

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

18. 18. A car is coming toward you in your lane on a two-lane road. Which way should you move?

    1. Into the left lane
    2. To the right
    3. Stop in your lane
    4. Straight ahead, flashing your lights
    Show answer

    To the right. If a vehicle is coming toward you in your lane, move to the right. Do not use the left lane to get around it, because the other driver may suddenly return to the correct lane and end up right in your path. If it keeps coming, steer off the road to the right if needed to avoid a crash. Sounding your horn and flashing your lights may wake a sleepy or distracted driver, but do it while moving right, not instead of moving.

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

19. 19. You are about to change lanes on the freeway, and your mirrors show the next lane is clear. What else should you do?

    1. Quickly turn your head to check
    2. Nothing; the mirrors are enough
    3. Honk before moving over
    4. Slow down sharply first
    Show answer

    Quickly turn your head to check. Blind spots are areas your mirrors do not show. Minnesota says to turn your head quickly before a lane change or turn to spot hidden people or cars. A car can sit in your blind spot even when both mirrors look empty, so mirrors alone are not enough. Honking is not a lane change signal, and slowing sharply on a freeway can cause a crash behind you. Signal, check over your shoulder, then move.

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

20. 20. On a highway with two lanes in your direction, a tow truck with flashing lights is stopped on the right shoulder. You are in the right lane. What should you do?

    1. Stay in your lane at full speed
    2. Move to the left lane if it is safe
    3. Stop behind the tow truck
    4. Drive on the left shoulder
    Show answer

    Move to the left lane if it is safe. Minnesota's Move Over Law requires you to move to the lane farthest from a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights when it is safe to do so, and tow trucks are included as emergency vehicles. If the left lane is clear, signal and move over. If you cannot move over, slow down and pass with caution. Stopping behind the tow truck blocks traffic, and the shoulder is not a travel lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, the Move Over Law and traffic stops