MS Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Mississippi 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 should you do if your car becomes disabled on a highway?

   1. Leave the vehicle and cross the interstate to find assistance
   2. Stop in the travel lane and walk along the right side
   3. Pull onto the extreme right shoulder and, if walking for help, face oncoming traffic on the left side
   4. Keep driving until the vehicle reaches a service station
   Show answer

   Pull onto the extreme right shoulder and, if walking for help, face oncoming traffic on the left side. Mississippi directs a disabled driver to pull over to the extreme right shoulder. If you must walk for help, use the left side of the highway so you face approaching traffic. Crossing an interstate is specifically forbidden, so the choice that sends you across it creates a serious exposure to fast moving vehicles. Do not remain in a travel lane while seeking help, since a stopped car can be struck from behind. A useful emergency cue is shoulder, face traffic, never cross: get the vehicle out of the lane, stay alert, and choose the safer path to assistance.

2. 2. At a flashing red light, what must happen before the driver proceeds?

   1. Stop completely, then proceed cautiously while following intersection yielding rules
   2. Slow only if another vehicle is approaching
   3. Continue without stopping when the cross street is empty
   4. Turn left immediately before the signal changes
   Show answer

   Stop completely, then proceed cautiously while following intersection yielding rules. A flashing red signal requires a complete stop, followed by cautious movement under the ordinary right-of-way rules for an intersection. Merely slowing does not satisfy the signal, and an empty-looking cross street is not permission to roll through without stopping. The rule does not grant a special left-turn privilege. Use the same deliberate sequence as a stop-controlled intersection: stop fully, look for traffic and pedestrians, yield where required, and proceed only when the way is safe.

3. 3. What jail term does Mississippi list for a second DUI offense within five years?

   1. Up to 48 hours
   2. Not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years
   3. No jail, only a fine
   4. Not less than 5 days nor more than 6 months
   Show answer

   Not less than 5 days nor more than 6 months. A second DUI within five years is still a misdemeanor, but the jail range rises to not less than 5 days and not more than 6 months, with a $600 to $1,500 fine and a one year suspension. Up to 48 hours is the first offense. One to five years in state custody belongs to a third or later offense, which is a felony. Jail is part of the penalty, not just a fine.

4. 4. What does Mississippi require of the windshield regarding stickers?

   1. Stickers are allowed anywhere below the mirror
   2. It must be free of any signs or unofficial stickers
   3. Only the passenger side may carry stickers
   4. Any sticker under 6 inches is allowed
   Show answer

   It must be free of any signs or unofficial stickers. Your windshield must be free of any signs or unofficial stickers, because anything on the glass blocks part of the view and can hide a pedestrian or a car. The only permitted items are official ones such as the window tint decal in the lower left corner and required inspection or permit stickers. Keep the glass clean inside and out as well.

5. 5. How fast can an experienced bicyclist ride, according to the Mississippi manual?

   1. 5 miles per hour
   2. 45 miles per hour
   3. 10 miles per hour at most
   4. 20 to 25 miles per hour, closer than you may think
   Show answer

   20 to 25 miles per hour, closer than you may think. Under Mississippi law a bicycle is a vehicle when ridden on public roads, and an experienced bicyclist can ride 20 to 25 miles per hour and may be closer than you think. Check for bicycles before turning right or pulling out, leave at least three feet when passing, and avoid honking near a rider unless a crash is imminent, since a startled rider can swerve into your path.

6. 6. What do Mississippi traffic signs use a yellow color to communicate?

   1. Motorist services
   2. General warning
   3. Directional guidance
   4. Regulation only
   Show answer

   General warning. Yellow is used for a general warning. It alerts the driver to a condition that may require extra attention, such as a curve, crossing, or other roadway hazard. Blue is associated with motorist services, green provides directional guidance and permitted movement, and white or black commonly communicates regulation. Color gives an early cue, but the sign shape, symbol, and wording provide the specific message. When yellow appears, scan farther ahead and adjust speed or lane position before reaching the condition being announced.

7. 7. If you are already in an intersection when an emergency vehicle approaches, what does the manual direct you to do?

   1. Stop in the intersection and wait for the emergency vehicle to steer around you
   2. Proceed through the intersection, then pull to the extreme right shoulder
   3. Turn left immediately into the nearest driveway
   4. Continue at the same speed until the emergency vehicle changes lanes
   Show answer

   Proceed through the intersection, then pull to the extreme right shoulder. The manual gives a specific intersection instruction: continue through the intersection, then pull over to the extreme right shoulder. Stopping in the intersection can block the emergency vehicle and other traffic. A sudden driveway turn creates a new conflict, while maintaining speed does not yield the needed path. If possible, make the move calmly and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed. The key sequence is clear the intersection first, then move right and wait.

8. 8. What courtesy does Mississippi recommend when a funeral procession is traveling along the road?

   1. Pass the procession on the shoulder whenever possible
   2. Cut between the vehicles to reach the next turn sooner
   3. Yield the right-of-way to the procession
   4. Force the lead vehicle to stop before proceeding
   Show answer

   Yield the right-of-way to the procession. Mississippi describes yielding to a funeral procession as common courtesy, even though the manual says it is not required by law. That means a driver should be patient and avoid interrupting the line. Cutting between vehicles or using the shoulder creates unpredictable conflicts for the procession and other road users. Forcing the lead vehicle to stop is the opposite of courtesy. Slow down, maintain a safe gap, and wait for a clear opportunity to continue without splitting the group.

9. 9. A school bus is stopped on a divided highway with four or more lanes, and you are traveling opposite the bus. What may you do?

   
   1. Continue on your side without stopping when the divided-highway exception applies
   2. Stop at least ten feet away until the bus resumes motion
   3. Turn around and approach the bus from the same direction
   4. Stop only if the bus driver waves traffic down
   Show answer

   Continue on your side without stopping when the divided-highway exception applies. Mississippi makes opposite-direction traffic an exception when the stopped bus is on a divided highway with at least four lanes and opposing travel separated. A driver on the other side may continue along that side instead of stopping. The choice “Stop at least ten feet away until the bus resumes motion” describes traffic moving in the bus's direction, not the opposing lane. Keep watching for children and obey other traffic controls, because the exception concerns the bus stop procedure rather than general safe driving.

10. 10. When ridden on Mississippi public roads, how are bicycles classified for traffic purposes?

    1. As recreational equipment with no right to use travel lanes
    2. As pedestrians who must stay on sidewalks
    3. As vehicles whose riders have the same rights and responsibilities as motor-vehicle drivers
    4. As emergency vehicles that always receive priority
    Show answer

    As vehicles whose riders have the same rights and responsibilities as motor-vehicle drivers. The manual gives a bicycle vehicle status when it is ridden on a public road. That means the cyclist must follow applicable traffic rules and receives the corresponding roadway rights. Calling the rider a pedestrian would change the legal treatment and is why the choice “As pedestrians who must stay on sidewalks” is incorrect. A cyclist still must act predictably, signal turns, and share space safely, so vehicle status does not create unlimited priority over other road users.

11. 11. What maximum speed applies to any vehicle in a Mississippi school zone according to the manual?

    1. 35 mph
    2. 25 mph
    3. 15 mph
    4. 45 mph
    Show answer

    15 mph. The manual gives one school-zone maximum for any vehicle: fifteen miles per hour. The word any matters because the limit is not raised for a passenger car, a larger vehicle, or a time when the road seems quiet. Forty-five miles per hour is the separate school-bus maximum. Reduce speed promptly when the school-zone setting calls for it, and watch carefully for children.

12. 12. What does Mississippi's manual say about throwing litter from a vehicle?

    1. It is permitted when the vehicle owner did not throw the item
    2. It is allowed if the item is biodegradable
    3. It is prohibited only on interstates, with no listed fine
    4. It is prohibited, and a conviction can bring a fine from $50 to $250
    Show answer

    It is prohibited, and a conviction can bring a fine from $50 to $250. The manual tells drivers not to toss litter, let trash blow out, or dump garbage along the roadside. A person found guilty on the listed Mississippi roads, highways, interstates, or rights-of-way may be fined at least fifty dollars and no more than two hundred fifty dollars. Biodegradability does not create an exception. Keeping a trash bag in the vehicle is the practical prevention cue supplied by the manual.

13. 13. What should a driver do when an emergency vehicle with flashing lights or a siren approaches?

    1. Pull to the extreme right shoulder when possible
    2. Stop in the left lane so the emergency vehicle can pass right
    3. Maintain speed because the emergency vehicle has to go around
    4. Turn into the nearest driveway without checking traffic
    Show answer

    Pull to the extreme right shoulder when possible. An ambulance, fire engine, or police car using the listed warning signals has the right-of-way. When possible, the driver should pull to the extreme right shoulder until it passes. Stopping in the left lane places the vehicle in the emergency vehicle's path, and maintaining speed ignores the required yield. At an intersection, proceed through if needed and then pull right. The cue is to create a clear path on the right while staying alert for pedestrians, cross traffic, and the emergency vehicle's actual movement.

14. 14. At 50 mph, what following space does the manual recommend as a basic guide?

    1. A distance of one-half a car length in heavy traffic
    2. One car length, regardless of speed
    3. Two car lengths only when the road is wet
    4. At least five car lengths behind the vehicle ahead
    Show answer

    At least five car lengths behind the vehicle ahead. The manual ties a basic following interval to speed: allow at least one car length for every ten miles per hour. At 50 mph, that produces five car lengths, giving time and room to react if the vehicle ahead changes speed suddenly. One fixed car length ignores speed, and the wet-road option understates the space needed in a normal condition. Use the estimate as a starting point, then increase it for poor weather, a large vehicle, or limited visibility.

15. 15. What does a SCHOOL CROSSING sign warn a driver about?

    
    1. A school bus may stop only on a divided highway
    2. Children must cross the street on their way to and from school
    3. The road is closed during every school day
    4. A school zone speed limit applies on every nearby street
    Show answer

    Children must cross the street on their way to and from school. The school crossing warning identifies a place where children must cross the street on their way to and from school. The manual notes that the sign may be several blocks from the school, so drivers should begin scanning and controlling speed before reaching the crossing. A school bus rule concerns a stopped bus, not the meaning of this sign. The road is not automatically closed, and a fifteen mile per hour school zone rule is a separate condition tied to passing a school during specified times. Watch for children and be ready to yield.

16. 16. Which headlights should be used while driving in fog?

    1. The lower beams
    2. The high beams only
    3. Parking lights without headlights
    4. No lights until the fog lifts
    Show answer

    The lower beams. Fog scatters the brighter beam and can make the air in front of the vehicle look even more opaque. The manual directs drivers to use the lower beam in fog during either night or day. High beams can reduce visibility, while parking lights alone do not provide the needed headlight illumination. Reduce speed as well, because the useful sight distance is short and stopping space disappears quickly.

17. 17. If a traffic officer gives a direction that conflicts with a signal, what must the driver do?

    1. Proceed only after turning on hazard flashers
    2. Obey the signal and disregard the officer
    3. Wait for another driver to decide which instruction applies
    4. Follow the officer's direction
    Show answer

    Follow the officer's direction. When an officer is directing traffic, drivers must follow that person's directions even if a nearby sign or signal appears to say something else. The officer is managing the immediate traffic pattern, often because ordinary control devices do not fit the situation. Ignoring the direction can place vehicles into a path the officer is trying to clear. Slow down, watch the officer's gestures, and proceed only as directed.

18. 18. What movement is prohibited by a NO U-TURN sign?

    
    1. Turning around in an intersection, the center of a street, or a highway median
    2. Making a left turn from a marked turn lane
    3. Passing a slow vehicle on a divided highway
    4. Turning right after yielding at a green signal
    Show answer

    Turning around in an intersection, the center of a street, or a highway median. The sign prohibits turning around in the listed locations: an intersection, the center of a street, or a highway median. It is not a general ban on every left turn, a passing restriction, or a rule against ordinary right turns at a green signal. Read the pictured U-turn movement rather than broadening it to unrelated maneuvers. If you need to change direction, continue until you reach a place where the turn is permitted and visibility, traffic, and pavement markings support it. The location list is the memory cue for this sign.

19. 19. What must a driver do at a STOP sign before entering an intersection?

    1. Slow down only if cross traffic is visible
    2. Come to a complete stop and yield to traffic close enough to be a hazard
    3. Stop beyond the intersection
    4. Yield without stopping
    Show answer

    Come to a complete stop and yield to traffic close enough to be a hazard. A STOP sign requires a complete stop before entering the intersection, followed by yielding to traffic close enough to be a hazard. Slowing without stopping and yielding without stopping both fail to meet the sign's command. Stopping beyond the intersection puts the vehicle into the conflict area and may block a crosswalk. Stop at the line or before the intersection, check for pedestrians and traffic, and proceed only after the required yield is complete. The octagonal shape is reserved for this stop message.

20. 20. How many people die each day waiting for a transplant, according to the Mississippi manual's organ donation appendix?

    1. About 2
    2. About 200
    3. An average of 22
    4. About 1,000
    Show answer

    An average of 22. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an average of 22 people die each day waiting on a transplant, and transplantation is often the only therapy for failed organs. Mississippi's Gift of Life Act of 1998 requires that all families be given the option to donate at the time of death, and registering as a donor on your license records your own decision.