MS Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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 control action does the Mississippi manual prohibit while a driver is turning?

   1. Press down on the brake or clutch while turning
   2. Signal before changing lanes or turning
   3. Stay in the proper lane through the turn
   4. Look around in all directions before the turn
   Show answer

   Press down on the brake or clutch while turning. While the car is turning, the manual says not to push down on the brake or clutch. It also says to slow before reaching the crosswalk and complete the turn at a consistent speed. Signaling, checking around the vehicle, and staying in the proper lane are parts of making the turn safely, so those choices do not identify the prohibited control action. The rule concerns brake or clutch use during the turn itself, not the earlier approach.

2. 2. Who is responsible for keeping a valid insurance card in each vehicle?

   1. The insurance agent must keep a card for each vehicle
   2. The insured parties must keep the card inside each vehicle
   3. Police keep insurance records, so no card is needed inside
   4. The dealer keeps the card until the loan is fully repaid
   Show answer

   The insured parties must keep the card inside each vehicle. Insured parties themselves must keep a current, valid insurance card inside each vehicle, ready for accidents and traffic stops. Agents and police do not carry your proof for you, and lender-held cards leave the roadside driver with nothing to present. Check the card at every renewal; an expired card reads as no proof. The card belongs in each vehicle so proof is available when it is needed.

   Study this in the handbook: Accidents, Breakdowns and Insurance

3. 3. Carrying explosives or flammable liquids, where must you stop without exception?

   1. Only at crossings where warning lights are actively flashing
   2. At crossings inside city limits during daylight hours only
   3. At all railroad crossings, even with no warning of a train
   4. Nowhere extra, if the load is properly placarded outside
   Show answer

   At all railroad crossings, even with no warning of a train. Explosives and flammable liquid loads must stop at every railroad crossing, even when no signal warns of an approaching train. Flashing-light-only stopping leaves quiet crossings unchecked, and placards identify the cargo without excusing the mandatory stop anywhere. Treat every crossing as occupied until your own eyes prove both tracks clear. The mandatory stop applies even when no train warning is active.

4. 4. You are passing a large vehicle on a downgrade. How does its speed behave?

   1. Its momentum makes it go faster downhill
   2. It loses speed quickly on every downgrade
   3. It must slow to the minimum speed on hills
   4. Its speed stays fixed regardless of the grade
   Show answer

   Its momentum makes it go faster downhill. On a downgrade a large vehicle gains speed from its own momentum, so a driver passing it may need to increase speed to complete the pass, or simply wait for a safer place. Expecting the truck to lose speed reverses what gravity does to a heavy vehicle on a downhill grade, and no rule fixes its speed at the minimum. Passing beside a vehicle that is gathering speed lengthens the time spent in the next lane, which is why waiting can be the better choice.

   Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

5. 5. Your vehicle breaks down and is stopped in a dangerous spot. What applies?

   1. The breakdown makes the location legal for as long as needed
   2. You will not be arrested, but should move it out of the way quickly
   3. Leave it until a tow truck arrives, even if it blocks traffic
   4. Return to the vehicle before anyone may move it
   Show answer

   You will not be arrested, but should move it out of the way quickly. The manual makes an exception for arrest when a vehicle breaks down, but it still tells the driver to move the vehicle out of the way as quickly as possible. The breakdown does not make a dangerous location legal for an unlimited wait, and it does not justify leaving the obstruction until a tow truck arrives. The rule addresses the disabled vehicle's position, not a return-to-vehicle requirement. Breakdown status excuses the arrest, but it does not excuse leaving the obstruction in place.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

6. 6. How does a traffic officer usually signal a driver to stop?

   1. One hand raised, palm toward the driver, with a long blast
   2. Both hands waved downward, with short whistle blasts
   3. A hand waved forward, with a series of short blasts
   4. One arm extended sideways, with two short blasts
   Show answer

   One hand raised, palm toward the driver, with a long blast. The manual distinguishes the officer's stop signal from the signal to start or continue. To stop a driver, the officer holds up one hand with the palm facing the driver and gives a long whistle blast. The start or continue signal uses a one-hand motion with a series of short blasts. The passage does not identify a downward wave as that signal. A sideways arm also lacks the required raised palm and long blast. The stop instruction is therefore the raised palm paired with the long whistle.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic Signals and Arrows

7. 7. When a stop sign has a marked crosswalk, where must a driver bring the vehicle to a complete stop?

   1. At the stop sign post itself
   2. Just inside the intersection
   3. At the curb on the far side
   4. At the crosswalk
   Show answer

   At the crosswalk. A stop sign controls the approach, but the marked crosswalk fixes the place where the stop must occur. The manual directs the driver to come to a complete stop at the crosswalk, then yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection before proceeding. Stopping at the signpost can leave the car too far forward or too far back, stopping inside the intersection blocks crossings and turning paths, and stopping at the far curb is well past the required point. Look for the painted bars or a stop line and put the front bumper behind them.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

8. 8. What should a driver do when an oncoming vehicle at night has only one headlight?

   1. Move to the far right of the lane
   2. Flash the high beams until it dims
   3. Stop in the lane and wait
   4. Move toward the center line for room
   Show answer

   Move to the far right of the lane. A single headlight can make an oncoming car look like a motorcycle or make its width hard to judge. The manual's response is to drive to the far right of your lane, preserving as much separation as possible while staying on the pavement. Flashing high beams adds glare to a driver who may already be impaired or confused, stopping in the lane creates a rear-end hazard, and drifting toward the center line reduces the space you need. Ease off the accelerator, keep both hands steady, and pass only after the vehicle's actual position is clear.

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

9. 9. How does an injury accident affect the penalty for driving under the influence in Mississippi?

   1. It shifts the case to a civil infraction
   2. It removes the license suspension from the case
   3. It limits punishment to the traffic fine
   4. It enhances the penalty beyond the base offense
   Show answer

   It enhances the penalty beyond the base offense. When a driver under the influence causes a crash that injures someone, Mississippi adds consequence rather than treating the injury as a separate detail. The manual says an accident resulting in injuries enhances the penalty, so the sentencing exposure grows beyond what the base DUI charge alone would carry. The civil-infraction option downgrades a criminal offense, the no-suspension option removes a licensing sanction that the manual does not waive, and the fine-only option ignores jail and license effects. The safety cue is simple: impairment plus a crash can multiply the legal fallout for everyone involved.

   Study this in the handbook: DUI and Implied Consent

10. 10. Following at 70 mph on the interstate, at least how many car lengths should you keep?

    1. At least three car lengths from the vehicle ahead
    2. At least seven car lengths from the vehicle ahead of you
    3. At least five car lengths behind the vehicle ahead of you
    4. One car length for every twenty miles per hour speed
    Show answer

    At least seven car lengths from the vehicle ahead of you. At seventy miles per hour the interstate guideline is seven car lengths ahead, matching one length for each ten miles of speed. Three lengths at seventy vanish in a blink of reaction time, and the twenty-mile rule would give barely three at highway pace. Count lengths against roadside posts until seven becomes your cruising habit. At seventy miles per hour, seven car lengths provide the stated minimum following space.

    Study this in the handbook: Following Distance and Stopping

11. 11. Where should a cyclist generally ride in the lane?

    1. In the center of the lane at all times and places
    2. As far right as safely possible, about two to four feet from the edge
    3. Ride as far left as possible alongside traffic coming from the other way
    4. On the center line so cars pass on both sides evenly
    Show answer

    As far right as safely possible, about two to four feet from the edge. Cyclists generally ride as far right as safely possible, roughly two to four feet from the road edge, leaving room for hazards. Center lane riding blocks traffic without need, and left edge riding puts the cyclist head-on with opposing vehicles and escape routes closed. Drivers should expect that right side position and pass only with a full safe gap. The two-to-four-foot position leaves the cyclist room to avoid hazards at the edge.

    Study this in the handbook: Bicycles and Large Vehicles

12. 12. When a parallel-parked vehicle must be left from the side facing moving traffic, what should the driver do?

    1. Open the door as soon as the signal is turned on.
    2. Exit quickly when no vehicle is immediately beside the car.
    3. Use extreme care when exiting from the street side.
    4. Rely on hazard lights to warn approaching traffic.
    Show answer

    Use extreme care when exiting from the street side.. A door opened toward moving traffic creates a direct risk to the person leaving the vehicle and to approaching road users. Mississippi therefore calls for extreme care when exiting from the street side. Opening the door as soon as a signal is turned on treats the signal as protection, but a signal does not make the doorway safe. Exiting quickly substitutes a quick glance for the careful exit the rule requires. Relying on hazard lights assumes they make the movement safe, although they do not replace caution at the door. The instruction concerns how to leave, not which warning light is operating.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking Rules

13. 13. After merging onto the interstate, what finishes the maneuver?

    1. Leave the signal on until the next exit appears
    2. Flash hazard lights twice to announce your safe arrival
    3. Switch off your turn signal once merged into traffic
    4. Signal right continuously while in the right lane
    Show answer

    Switch off your turn signal once merged into traffic. Once merged, cancel the turn signal so following drivers do not expect another lane change you are not planning to make. A signal left burning invites others to yield for a phantom move, and hazard flashes suggest a breakdown rather than arrival. Cancel promptly, settle speed with the flow, and recheck mirrors after the merge settles. The signal is for the merge itself and should end once the merge is complete.

14. 14. Children weighing forty to sixty-five pounds should use what restraint?

    1. A safety lap belt alone without any booster seat
    2. A rear-facing infant seat rated for smaller babies
    3. The front seat belt adjusted by an adult passenger
    4. A booster seat designed for motor vehicle use at that weight
    Show answer

    A booster seat designed for motor vehicle use at that weight. Children between forty and sixty-five pounds belong in a motor vehicle booster seat that positions adult belts across strong body points. A lap belt alone rides on soft abdomen in a crash, and infant seats are outgrown well before forty pounds is reached. The booster job is belt geometry: lap low on hips, shoulder mid-chest. The forty-to-sixty-five-pound range calls for a motor-vehicle booster seat.

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

15. 15. Which engine-run vehicles are not counted as motor vehicles in the glossary?

    1. Motorcycles are fully excepted from the motor vehicle definition
    2. Farm tractors are excepted from the definition entirely
    3. Vehicles on rails, e-bikes, golf carts, and low-speed vehicles
    4. Only vehicles powered by gasoline count as motor vehicles
    Show answer

    Vehicles on rails, e-bikes, golf carts, and low-speed vehicles. Mississippi's glossary defines a motor vehicle broadly as an engine-powered automobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle, then lists exceptions. The exceptions are vehicles on rails, electric bicycles, golf carts, and low-speed vehicles. Motorcycles are included in the definition, and the passage does not create a blanket farm-tractor exception. The definition also is not limited to gasoline power, so a diesel or electric vehicle is not excluded merely because of its power source.

16. 16. Which maneuver must a truck driver never use to turn around?

    1. Turn around in a clear marked parking area.
    2. Back into an intersection to turn around.
    3. Use a driveway that provides enough room.
    4. Continue to a safe place before turning around.
    Show answer

    Back into an intersection to turn around.. The prohibition is narrow: a truck driver must not back into an intersection to turn around. Turning around in a marked parking area does not describe reversing into an intersection. Using a driveway with enough room involves a different location and maneuver. Continuing to a safe place avoids making the turn by backing into the intersection. None of those maneuvers states the forbidden action. The warning applies to the combination of backing, an intersection, and turning around.

17. 17. A pedestrian using a white cane is crossing ahead of you. What should you do?

    1. Sound the horn so the person knows you are there
    2. Proceed because the cane means the person can see
    3. Yield only if the crosswalk has painted lines
    4. Stop if needed and give the person time to cross
    Show answer

    Stop if needed and give the person time to cross. A white cane, sometimes tipped in red, signals that the pedestrian is blind or has low vision, so Mississippi advises every precaution and a complete stop when necessary. Honking can startle the person and does not make the path safer. The cane indicates limited sight, not clear sight, and the right-of-way does not depend on painted crosswalk lines. Slow early, stop well back from the crossing, and wait until the person has finished crossing before moving.

    Study this in the handbook: School Buses and Pedestrians

18. 18. A driver reaches an intersection with no signs or signals. What does Mississippi require?

    1. Stop completely and wait five seconds
    2. Take the right-of-way over traffic on the left
    3. Yield to approaching traffic, then go when safe
    4. Sound the horn and proceed without slowing
    Show answer

    Yield to approaching traffic, then go when safe. Where no signs or signals control an intersection, Mississippi directs the driver to yield to approaching traffic before moving across. The five-second waiting rule is invented; the manual sets no fixed pause at an unmarked crossing. Claiming priority over traffic from the left reverses the usual courtesy and ignores the duty to yield. Slow early enough to see both directions, and edge forward only after crossing traffic has passed or clearly stopped.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of Way at Intersections

19. 19. What maximum speed does the Mississippi table set for a loaded truck-trailer combination on an interstate?

    1. 65 mph
    2. 50 mph
    3. 40 mph
    4. 70 mph
    Show answer

    70 mph. On interstates, the truck and truck-trailer table allows the same 70 mph ceiling as passenger cars. A driver who selects 50 mph is applying a slower figure that belongs to the Natchez Trace Parkway row for passenger cars, not to trucks on an interstate. The 40 mph number in the tables is a minimum speed on some roads, not a maximum for trucks on an interstate. Watch for posted signs, because the interstate truck maximum matches the general 70 mph limit unless a lower sign appears.

    Study this in the handbook: Mississippi Speed Limits

20. 20. Where may a driver stop on a painted crosswalk?

    1. Never stop on any part of a crosswalk
    2. On the far half if pedestrians have crossed
    3. Briefly on the near half while traffic waits
    4. Only when the crosswalk paint looks faded out
    Show answer

    Never stop on any part of a crosswalk. No part of a crosswalk may hold a stopped car, keeping the pedestrian path clear even in stopped traffic queues. The far-half exception still blocks walkers finishing their crossing, and faded paint does not erase the crossing legal footprint. Stop behind the crosswalk line, even if that costs you a car length of queue. A crosswalk remains protected space even when no pedestrian is visible.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings and Lanes