MS Permit Practice Test 14

All 20 questions in test 14

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. How should speed change as you approach and clear an intersection?

   1. Speed up on approach to beat cross traffic through
   2. Slow on approach, stop if required, then gradually speed up after clearing
   3. Hold full speed and brake only inside the intersection
   4. Stop in the middle, then accelerate hard to clear it
   Show answer

   Slow on approach, stop if required, then gradually speed up after clearing. Approach intersections slower, stop when required, and build speed gradually only after clearing the conflict area completely. Accelerating toward cross traffic shrinks reaction time, and braking inside the box can strand you where turning cars expect flow. Cover the brake on approach, scan both side streets, then roll on smoothly past the far crosswalk. The gradual acceleration belongs after the vehicle has cleared the intersection.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

2. 2. When may a driver overtake and pass another vehicle on the right?

   1. When the vehicle ahead is making or about to make a left turn
   2. When the right shoulder is wide and paved smoothly
   3. When the vehicle ahead is turning right at a corner
   4. Whenever the left lane feels crowded during heavy traffic flow
   Show answer

   When the vehicle ahead is making or about to make a left turn. Passing on the right is allowed when the car ahead is making or about to make a left turn, opening the right side lawfully. The shoulder option is banned outright, and a right turning car ahead swings toward your path rather than away from it. Confirm the left turn signal, check the right edge for cyclists, then pass without leaving pavement. A left turn by the vehicle ahead is the condition that opens this exception.

   Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing

3. 3. Meeting a vehicle with bright blinding headlights at night, what is safest?

   1. Stare straight toward the center line to judge your position
   2. Flash high beams until the other driver dims theirs
   3. Close your eyes briefly until the vehicle passes by
   4. Dim your lights and keep eyes on the right side of the road
   Show answer

   Dim your lights and keep eyes on the right side of the road. Against blinding oncoming lights, dim yours and fix your eyes on the right road edge, preserving a reference line through glare. Staring center invites drifting toward the light source, and retaliatory flashing blinds the other driver into your path. The right edge line is your guide rope until the glare passes behind. Looking toward the right edge helps maintain lane position without staring into glare.

   Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Rain and Skids

4. 4. A car ahead of you begins turning. You plan to keep going straight. Should you signal as a warning to drivers behind you?

   1. Yes. Flash the same signal so traffic behind slows down
   2. No. Do not signal to warn others that the vehicle ahead is turning
   3. Yes. Signal left so drivers behind can pass both cars
   4. No, but sound the horn twice as the warning instead
   Show answer

   No. Do not signal to warn others that the vehicle ahead is turning. Your signal announces your own movement, so using it to flag another car turning ahead would mislead everyone behind you about your path. Flashing the same signal suggests you will turn too, and signaling left invites a pass that may conflict with the turning car. Keep your lamps off, cover the brake, and let your brake lights carry the slowing message. For this situation, your own signal would describe a movement you are not making.

   Study this in the handbook: Signals, Lanes and Passing

5. 5. How close to the curb should a parallel-parked car sit?

   1. Within three feet of the curb on a wide street
   2. Within twelve inches of the curb when centered in the space
   3. Touching the curb with both tires on the right side
   4. At least two feet out so doors open without care
   Show answer

   Within twelve inches of the curb when centered in the space. A finished parallel park leaves the car within twelve inches of the curb, centered with room ahead and behind for others. Three feet out intrudes into the travel lane, and tire contact with the curb damages rubber while still failing the alignment goal. Glance down the curb line after stopping; your car should read as part of that line. Twelve inches keeps the parked vehicle close without placing its tires against the curb.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

6. 6. A Mississippi driver is convicted of DUI in another state. What may Mississippi do?

   1. Nothing, because the offense happened elsewhere
   2. Add a fee to the next license renewal
   3. The Commissioner may suspend the Mississippi license
   4. Require a new vision test within thirty days
   Show answer

   The Commissioner may suspend the Mississippi license. A DUI or DWI conviction in another state is listed as a ground for suspending a Mississippi license without a preliminary hearing. The same list reaches an offense committed elsewhere that would have brought suspension or revocation at home, so crossing a state line does not shelter the record. A renewal fee and a vision test are not the responses the suspension list names. A driver facing an out-of-state alcohol charge should expect Mississippi consequences to follow the conviction home.

   Study this in the handbook: Zero Tolerance, Revocation and Reinstatement

7. 7. A large vehicle is passing you. How can you help its driver?

   1. Speed up to shorten the time spent beside the truck
   2. Keep to the far side of your lane and never speed up
   3. Drift toward the truck to show you have seen it pass
   4. Move to the shoulder until the truck fully clears you
   Show answer

   Keep to the far side of your lane and never speed up. When a big vehicle overtakes, hold the far side of your lane at steady speed so its long body clears with margin. Speeding up stretches the pass and pushes the truck toward oncoming space, while drifting closer shrinks the cushion both need. Stay predictable; the truck driver is judging a trailer that trails far behind the cab. Holding to your lane's far side gives the passing truck more clearance.

   Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

8. 8. At 50 mph, at least how many car lengths should you keep ahead?

   1. At least two car lengths from the vehicle ahead
   2. Exactly three car lengths at that speed
   3. One car length, since fifty is not interstate speed
   4. At least five car lengths from the vehicle ahead of you
   Show answer

   At least five car lengths from the vehicle ahead of you. At fifty miles per hour, keep at least five car lengths ahead, extending the one-length-per-ten-miles pattern used at higher speeds. Two lengths disappear within reaction distance at fifty, three lengths still fall short of the stated floor, and one length belongs to parking-lot speeds, not open highway travel. Five lengths at fifty, seven at seventy: the rhythm is easy to keep. The five-car-length minimum is the distance tied to fifty miles per hour.

   Study this in the handbook: Following Distance and Stopping

9. 9. What load condition is required before any vehicle goes on the road?

   1. Loads may shift slightly if the driver drives slowly
   2. Only liquid loads must be secured against any leaking, shifting, or escape
   3. A tarp is required even for loads that cannot escape
   4. It must be built or loaded so nothing can spill, shift, leak, or escape
   Show answer

   It must be built or loaded so nothing can spill, shift, leak, or escape. No vehicle may travel unless built or loaded so the cargo cannot spill, shift, leak, or escape onto the roadway in any way. Slow driving does not license shifting freight, and solid loads that shed gravel violate the rule just as leaking liquids do. Dropping traction sand and authorized road spraying are the named exceptions. The load rule protects the roadway from material escaping from any vehicle.

10. 10. If a cover or tarpaulin is used on a load, how must it be secured?

    1. Secure it soundly so no end, string, or binding comes loose
    2. Leave one corner loose so air can escape underneath
    3. Secure only the front edge against the highway wind
    4. Tuck it under the load without any binding at all
    Show answer

    Secure it soundly so no end, string, or binding comes loose. Tarpaulins, canvas, and covers must be fastened so no end, string, or binding flaps loose as the truck moves down the roadway. A loose corner whips itself free at speed, and front-only fastening leaves the trailing edge to tear away behind you. Walk the load after securing; a flapping strap announces an escaping cover. A loose cover can drop onto traffic or become a dangerous obstruction.

11. 11. How often should a driver check tires for wear and damage?

    1. Once a month or before any long road trip
    2. After a tire loses air
    3. At a five-year service interval
    4. When the tread looks completely worn
    Show answer

    Once a month or before any long road trip. The manual recommends checking tires for wear and damage once a month or before any long road trip. Waiting for a tire to lose air misses cuts and other problems that may not change pressure immediately. A five-year schedule is too infrequent, and completely worn tread is a danger sign rather than the time to begin checking. The inspection is a recurring safety step, separate from using a gauge to check tire pressure or using the penny test for tread.

    Study this in the handbook: Required Equipment, Tags and Tint

12. 12. Why must drivers watch children near play areas with special care?

    1. Children always look both ways before entering streets
    2. Children must wear reflective clothing while playing
    3. Children may act without thinking, especially chasing a ball
    4. Drivers may assume children will freeze when cars near
    Show answer

    Children may act without thinking, especially chasing a ball. Children near schools, playgrounds, and homes may act without thinking, chasing a ball straight into the roadway without checking traffic. Assuming children freeze or scout traffic reverses child behavior, and clothing rules do not exist to excuse driver inattention here. A ball rolling into the street is an advance warning of a child following. Children chasing a ball may enter the roadway without assessing traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat Belts, Child Seats and Distractions

13. 13. Before backing out of a diagonal or straight-in parking space, what should the driver do?

    1. Rely on the rearview mirror and back out quickly
    2. Sound the horn and let other traffic stop
    3. Check that the area behind is clear, then look back
    4. Back out until someone signals that the way is open
    Show answer

    Check that the area behind is clear, then look back. When leaving a diagonal or straight-in space, the manual says to wait until the area behind the car is clear and to keep a proper lookout by looking back while backing. A rearview mirror alone leaves blind spots at the sides of the vehicle. Sounding the horn does not give the car priority, and waiting for another person's signal transfers a duty the driver still owns. Turn the head and shoulders to check the path, back slowly, and stop if a pedestrian or vehicle enters the space.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

14. 14. If a phone call must be made while driving, what does Mississippi recommend?

    1. Hold the phone low so other drivers cannot see it
    2. Stop in the travel lane briefly to finish the call
    3. Let a front passenger hold the phone to your ear
    4. Use a hands-free device and keep hands on wheel
    Show answer

    Use a hands-free device and keep hands on wheel. Necessary calls while driving should use a hands-free device with both hands kept on the wheel, reducing physical and visual distraction. A phone held low still occupies a hand and eyes, and stopping in a travel lane creates a collision target from behind. Better still, let the call wait for your next hundred-mile break stop. Hands-free operation addresses the manual's specific concern about hands leaving the wheel.

    Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Rain and Skids

15. 15. When may a Mississippi officer ask a driver to take a breath or chemical test?

    1. After any traffic stop, without further grounds
    2. Only after a crash involving an injury
    3. When there is good reason to suspect impairment
    4. Only when the driver has already refused once
    Show answer

    When there is good reason to suspect impairment. A test request is not automatic at every stop. The manual conditions it on the officer having good reason to suspect that the person is operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicating substance, which is why observed driving, speech, or other evidence matters. The any-stop option removes that threshold, the injury-only option adds a crash requirement the manual does not set, and the prior-refusal option reverses the sequence by making a first request impossible. If an officer explains the suspicion and asks for a sample, the driver should treat the request as a formal step with legal consequences.

    Study this in the handbook: DUI and Implied Consent

16. 16. Rain has just begun to fall on a dry road. What speed action is safest?

    1. Slow down when rain begins to fall for your own safety
    2. Hold speed until puddles form across the lane
    3. Speed up briefly to clear the shower area faster
    4. Keep cruise control set at the dry-road pace
    Show answer

    Slow down when rain begins to fall for your own safety. Speed should drop as rain begins, because fresh water lifts oil and dust into a slick film before it washes away. Waiting for puddles ignores the early film, and cruise control at dry pace delays your reaction to the first slide. Ease off at the first drops, not at the first visible standing water. The first rain can make the roadway slippery before water visibly pools.

    Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Rain and Skids

17. 17. Seeing red on a traffic device tells you what?

    1. Slow down and proceed with caution past it
    2. Stop, because red commands a halt on traffic devices
    3. Yield only if other traffic is already present
    4. Prepare to speed up before the device changes
    Show answer

    Stop, because red commands a halt on traffic devices. Red on any traffic device means stop, a uniform command across signals, signs, and lane control indications. Proceeding with caution describes flashing yellow behavior, yielding only when traffic is present weakens a command that stands on its own, and speeding toward red turns a command into a gamble. Train your eye: red equals feet on brake, whatever device displays it. Red gives a traffic device a stop meaning.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign Shapes and Colors

18. 18. When fueling a gasoline truck or unloading it, what must be switched off?

    1. Turn off the ignition when putting gasoline in or unloading the truck
    2. Let the engine idle while a helper watches
    3. Switch off the headlights before starting the task
    4. Switch off the radio but leave the engine running
    Show answer

    Turn off the ignition when putting gasoline in or unloading the truck. The ignition must be turned off while gasoline is put into the truck or while the truck is being unloaded. Leaving the engine running keeps an ignition source operating near fuel vapor or a flammable load, even if another person is watching. Turning off the headlights or radio does not satisfy the rule because neither action stops the engine's ignition system. The required switch-off is the ignition.

19. 19. At night, how may a directing traffic officer signal drivers?

    1. Officers cannot direct traffic after dark in Mississippi
    2. A flashlight signal means stop in every circumstance
    3. Only reflective gloves may be used for night direction
    4. An officer may signal with a flashlight at night
    Show answer

    An officer may signal with a flashlight at night. The traffic-officer section says that at night an officer may signal with a flashlight. Nighttime does not end an officer's ability to direct traffic, and the manual does not say that every flashlight motion means stop. Reflective gloves are not identified as the required method. The flashlight is the permitted means; drivers must still read the officer's movement and follow the direction being given rather than assigning one fixed meaning to every beam.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic Signals and Arrows

20. 20. If you cannot see the entire intersection approaching, what applies?

    1. Maintain your speed, since hidden traffic must yield anyway
    2. Stop in the travel lane until the view fully clears
    3. Slow down and proceed cautiously through the intersection
    4. Accelerate briefly to spend less time in the area
    Show answer

    Slow down and proceed cautiously through the intersection. A partially hidden intersection calls for slowing and proceeding cautiously, buying time to read cross traffic hidden by buildings or vegetation. Full speed presumes hidden drivers will save you, and stopping mid-lane punishes followers for a hazard they cannot see either. Creep with the brake covered until every approach leg shows itself. A hidden approach requires a slower entry so cross traffic can be seen in time.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections