MO Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

Every question below comes from the Missouri 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. On a two-lane Missouri road, the center marking is a broken yellow line on your side and a solid yellow line on the other driver's side. Who may pass?

   1. Only the other driver, when safe
   2. Neither driver, since any yellow means no passing
   3. Both drivers, whenever the road looks clear
   4. You may pass when safe; the other driver may not
   Show answer

   You may pass when safe; the other driver may not. Missouri's rule looks at the line on your side of the center. When you see a solid yellow line on your side, do not try to pass; a broken line on your side may be crossed to pass when it is safe. So here, you may pass when the road ahead is clear, while the driver facing the solid line may not. No passing zones are often marked this way on hills and curves.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and lane use

2. 2. A 30-year-old Missouri driver in a regular passenger car has a BAC of 0.08%. Is driving at that level legal?

   1. No, 0.08% is at the illegal limit
   2. Yes, the limit starts above 0.10%
   3. Yes, if the driver feels fine
   4. Yes, unless there is a crash
   Show answer

   No, 0.08% is at the illegal limit. Missouri law makes it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more. The limits are lower for some drivers: 0.04% for commercial vehicle drivers and 0.02% for drivers under 21. A 30-year-old in a regular car at exactly 0.08% has reached the illegal level. Feeling fine is no defense, since alcohol slows reflexes and reaction time and limits the ability to make rational decisions.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol limits and DWI penalties

3. 3. After a crash in Missouri, someone in the other car is hurt. What does the guide say to do?

   1. Pull them out of the car right away and lay them flat
   2. Drive them to the hospital yourself to save time
   3. Leave them alone and wait for their insurance company
   4. Make them comfortable, do not move them, call an ambulance
   Show answer

   Make them comfortable, do not move them, call an ambulance. If you are in a crash in Missouri, the guide says to stop, move your vehicle off the road if possible, and help anyone who is hurt. Try to make an injured person comfortable, but do not move them, and call an ambulance. Then call the police and warn other traffic with flares, reflectors, or flashlights if it is dark or the weather is bad.

4. 4. A car ahead of you on a Missouri highway is waiting to turn left, and the paved shoulder on the right is wide and empty. May you use the shoulder to pass it?

   1. Yes, since the car is turning left
   2. Yes, if you signal and go slowly
   3. No, the shoulder may not be used
   4. Yes, if the shoulder is paved
   Show answer

   No, the shoulder may not be used. Missouri allows passing on the right when the vehicle ahead is making or about to make a left turn, but in no event may that pass be made by driving off the paved or main traveled part of the roadway onto the shoulder. The guide also warns that other drivers will not expect you on the shoulder and may pull off without looking. Wait for room in a travel lane instead.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections and roundabouts

5. 5. You are on a through road in Missouri, and a car is approaching a stop sign on the cross street. What does defensive driving tell you to do?

   1. Speed up so you pass before it reaches the sign
   2. Be ready to react in case it does not stop
   3. Assume it will stop, since the sign requires it
   4. Honk until the driver comes to a full stop
   Show answer

   Be ready to react in case it does not stop. Defensive driving means expecting other drivers to make mistakes and thinking about what you would do if one happens. Missouri's example is not to assume that a vehicle coming to a stop sign is going to stop, and to be ready to react if it does not. Keep watching the car until you are sure it has stopped. Speeding up to beat it only shrinks the time you have to respond.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and following distance

6. 6. On a clear, dry day you are driving 35 mph on a Missouri interstate because you feel nervous. What is wrong?

   1. It is below the 40 mph interstate minimum
   2. Nothing, since slower is always safer
   3. You must drive at least 55 mph there
   4. Interstates have no minimum speed
   Show answer

   It is below the 40 mph interstate minimum. Missouri interstate highways have minimum speed limits, and you may not drive slower than 40 mph on them under normal roadway conditions. Driving 35 mph on a clear, dry day is below that minimum. The guide says that if the minimum is too fast for you, you should use another route. Bad weather, heavy traffic, or a bad road can make slower driving lawful.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and minimum speeds

7. 7. You lift your foot, but your car keeps speeding up because the accelerator is stuck. What should you do?

   1. Turn the key off right away
   2. Put it in neutral, then brake
   3. Pump the gas pedal to free it
   4. Steer onto the shoulder at full speed
   Show answer

   Put it in neutral, then brake. If your accelerator sticks, Missouri says to shift to neutral and apply the brakes, keep your eyes on the road, look for a way out, and warn other drivers by honking and flashing your emergency lights. Try to drive safely off the road. Wait to turn off the ignition until you no longer need to change direction and have stopped, since turning off the key locks the steering wheel of many vehicles.

   Study this in the handbook: Brake failure, blowouts and other emergencies

8. 8. Your car has air bags. Why does the Missouri guide say you still need to wear a seat belt?

   1. They do not protect you in side, rear, or rollover crashes
   2. Air bags do not fire unless the car is going over 55 mph
   3. A belt stops the air bag from going off by mistake
   4. Air bags protect back seat riders but not the driver
   Show answer

   They do not protect you in side, rear, or rollover crashes. Missouri says seat belts should be worn even in vehicles with air bags. Air bags protect against hitting the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield, but they do not protect you if you are hit from the side or rear or if the vehicle rolls over, and they will not keep you behind the wheel in those crashes. An unrestrained person can also be seriously hurt or killed by a deploying air bag.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and following distance

9. 9. A pedestrian is standing at the curb of a Missouri crosswalk and is about to step off as you approach. What must you do?

   1. Speed up to pass before the person steps out
   2. Yield and let the pedestrian step out and cross
   3. Keep going, since the person is not in the street yet
   4. Honk so the person waits on the curb
   Show answer

   Yield and let the pedestrian step out and cross. Missouri requires drivers to yield to pedestrians who are in a crosswalk or about to enter one, and the guide notes that not all crosswalks are marked. A person poised at the curb is about to enter, so you must slow and yield before they step into your path. Speeding up or honking to make them wait is not yielding. Be extra alert at intersections without painted crosswalks.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and lane use

10. 10. Your car develops a problem and you stop on the shoulder of a Missouri highway. How can you alert other drivers?

    1. Leave the headlights on high beam facing traffic
    2. Use your flashers and raise the hood or tie on a white cloth
    3. Stand behind the car and wave at passing drivers
    4. Sound the horn every few seconds until help comes
    Show answer

    Use your flashers and raise the hood or tie on a white cloth. Missouri says never to stop on the highway itself, but you may stop on the shoulder in an emergency. When you do, turn on your emergency flashers so others know you are having trouble. Raising the hood or tying a white cloth to the antenna also signals an emergency. The guide warns never to stand in the roadway, so waving at traffic from behind the car is the wrong approach.

    Study this in the handbook: Highway driving, merging and breakdowns

11. 11. A passenger asks to be dropped off on a busy Missouri street with no parking. What does the guide say about stopping in the travel lane?

    1. A quick stop is fine as long as your flashers are on
    2. Stopping is allowed if it takes less than one minute
    3. Do not stop in it; keep going until you can pull off safely
    4. Stop only if the car behind you is far away
    Show answer

    Do not stop in it; keep going until you can pull off safely. Missouri tells drivers not to stop in travel lanes for any reason, and the guide names confusion, a breakdown, and letting out a passenger as examples. Keep moving until you can safely pull off the road. Elsewhere the guide suggests finding a safe place out of traffic to pick up or let off passengers. Flashers or a short stop do not make a travel lane a safe drop-off spot.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and lane use

12. 12. Which situation allows a Missouri driver to pass another vehicle on the right?

    1. The vehicle ahead is going under the speed limit
    2. The paved shoulder on the right side is wide and empty
    3. The vehicle ahead is a slow truck climbing a steep hill
    4. The vehicle ahead is turning or about to turn left
    Show answer

    The vehicle ahead is turning or about to turn left. Missouri allows passing on the right only in a short list of situations, and one of them is when the vehicle you are overtaking is making or about to make a left turn. Even then, the guide says the move may never be made by driving off the paved, main traveled part of the road, so the shoulder is off limits. A slow driver or a slow truck on a hill does not, by itself, open up a pass on the right.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections and roundabouts

13. 13. You are in the left lane when you see this sign on a Missouri highway, and a driver in the right lane needs to merge. Who must yield?

    
    1. You, the driver in the left lane
    2. Whoever is going slower
    3. Whoever is driving the larger vehicle
    4. The driver in the right lane
    Show answer

    The driver in the right lane. The Lane Ends sign warns that two lanes will soon become one. Missouri says that if you are in the right lane, you must merge left, yielding to traffic driving in the left lane. So the left-lane driver keeps going while the right-lane driver finds a gap. Even so, the guide asks drivers to make room for vehicles entering a multi-lane road when they safely can.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by shape and color

14. 14. You see this sign before a bend on a Missouri highway with a 60 mph limit. What does it tell you about your speed?

    
    1. You may keep 60 mph through the curve
    2. The limit rises to 65 mph after the curve
    3. Slow below the limit for the curve
    4. You must stop before entering the curve
    Show answer

    Slow below the limit for the curve. A curve sign warns of a curve where the recommended speed is less than the posted speed limit for the highway. Missouri curve and turn signs often carry an advisory speed plate showing that recommended speed. Slow down before the curve rather than braking in it, and never take it faster than the advisory speed in rain, snow, or icy conditions. The sign does not require a stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by shape and color

15. 15. You are pulling out of a parallel parking space on a Missouri street. What should you do before moving?

    1. Honk twice so drivers know you are coming
    2. Check for traffic and use your turn signal
    3. Pull out quickly to fit into the first gap
    4. Turn on your hazard lights while you pull out
    Show answer

    Check for traffic and use your turn signal. Missouri's guide says that before you drive away from any parking space, you should check for traffic and signal. Drivers coming up behind you expect parked cars to stay put, so the signal warns them, and your check tells you whether there is a safe gap. The horn is meant only to warn other drivers, and hazard flashers are for showing trouble, not for leaving a space. Wait for a real gap rather than darting out.

16. 16. Why does the Missouri guide tell drivers to take extra care before pulling out in front of an approaching motorcycle?

    1. It is easy to overlook, and its speed is hard to judge
    2. Motorcycles must always yield to cars at intersections
    3. Motorcycles cannot brake as well as cars in dry weather
    4. Motorcyclists are not required to obey traffic signals
    Show answer

    It is easy to overlook, and its speed is hard to judge. The Missouri guide points out that motorcycles are often overlooked by motorists and that it is not always easy to judge how fast one is going or how far away it is. A small vehicle can be closer, or moving faster, than it looks. Before turning or pulling out, look twice and give the rider time to pass. Treat an approaching motorcycle with the same attention you would give a car.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles and trucks

17. 17. According to the Missouri guide, why does a road become slick when it starts to rain?

    1. Rain makes the painted lines float off the road
    2. The air pressure in your tires drops right away
    3. Cold rain makes the brakes lock up instantly
    4. Water mixes with dust and oil to form a greasy film
    Show answer

    Water mixes with dust and oil to form a greasy film. Missouri explains that when it starts to rain, water mixes with the dust and oil on the road and forms a slick, greasy film. Fallen leaves can also become slippery. The early minutes of a rain shower are when this film forms on the pavement. Wet pavement makes it harder to stay on the road on curves and takes longer to stop, so slow down and leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Night driving, rain, snow, fog and skids

18. 18. You are about to drive through a Missouri work zone. According to the guide, what should you look for?

    1. Wider lanes and higher speed limits than before the zone
    2. New lanes opening up on the left side of the road
    3. Lower speed limits, narrow lanes, and highway workers
    4. Workers who stay behind barriers away from traffic
    Show answer

    Lower speed limits, narrow lanes, and highway workers. In a work zone the guide says to stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes, and highway workers. It also says to pay attention and not drive distracted, to obey the work zone signs, and to watch for vehicles entering and exiting the work zone. Work zone signs are fluorescent orange and tell you work is being done on or beside the road, so be extremely careful when you see them.

19. 19. How does the Missouri guide describe the look of a yield sign?

    1. A red eight-sided sign with white letters
    2. A yellow diamond with black letters
    3. A red and white triangle with red letters
    4. A white rectangle with black letters
    Show answer

    A red and white triangle with red letters. Missouri describes the yield sign as triangular, red and white, with red letters. It means you must slow down and yield the right-of-way to traffic in the intersection you are crossing or the roadway you are entering. The red eight-sided sign with white letters is a stop sign, yellow diamonds are warnings, and white rectangles are regulatory signs such as speed limits.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by shape and color

20. 20. On a Missouri highway, you come up behind a slow work vehicle in your lane with a large flashing arrow panel. What is the panel telling you?

    1. Which lane to merge into to get around the work
    2. That you may pass on the shoulder of the road
    3. That the vehicle is about to turn at the next exit
    4. That you must stop and wait behind it until it leaves
    Show answer

    Which lane to merge into to get around the work. A mobile work zone is work that moves along a travel lane, and workers may step out of their vehicles briefly. Missouri says to expect a protective vehicle in the lane with a flashing arrow panel showing the correct lane to merge into, often marked with a SLOW VEHICLES sign. Follow the arrow's direction, watch for several slow or stopped work vehicles, and look for workers on or near the road.