MT Permit Practice Test 13

All 20 questions in test 13

Every question below comes from the Montana 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. A driver parks on a hill. Why turn the wheels sharply toward the side of the road?

   1. To make steering easier when leaving the space
   2. So a rolling car moves away from traffic
   3. To keep tires from developing flat spots
   4. To signal other drivers that parking is temporary
   Show answer

   So a rolling car moves away from traffic. Turning wheels sharply toward the roadside aims a runaway vehicle away from traffic if brakes fail on the grade. Easier departure steering is a minor convenience, not the safety purpose. Flat spots come from long storage, unrelated to wheel angle at a curb. A turned wheel sends no recognized temporary parking signal to anyone. Visualize the failure before leaving: if the car crept downhill tonight, the turned tires should carry it toward the curb or shoulder, never into the lane where headlights sweep past.

2. 2. A Montana rider is learning to operate a motorcycle on public roads. Which requirement applies?

   1. Carry a passenger car learner license and ride alone.
   2. Carry the motorcycle learner license and ride with a supervisor who has a motorcycle endorsement.
   3. Carry motorcycle registration and use any adult supervisor.
   4. Carry the motorcycle learner license only when the supervisor is absent.
   Show answer

   Carry the motorcycle learner license and ride with a supervisor who has a motorcycle endorsement.. A motorcycle learner must have the motorcycle learner license in immediate possession and ride under the immediate and proximate supervision of a licensed driver with a motorcycle endorsement. A passenger car learner license is not the credential named for motorcycle practice. Registration belongs to the motorcycle and does not replace either license. The learner must carry the license while riding, even when the qualified supervisor is present. Before moving, confirm both documents and the required supervision are in place.

   Study this in the handbook: Your Montana license, renewal and insurance

3. 3. What does a Cattle Crossing sign mark along a Montana highway?

   1. A place where deer and elk herds cross at dusk
   2. A fenced yard where cattle are loaded onto trucks
   3. A point where stock is driven across the highway
   4. A pasture gate that drivers may use to turn around
   Show answer

   A point where stock is driven across the highway. A Cattle Crossing sign marks a point where stock is driven from one side of a farm to the other, often right across the highway. A driver should slow down and watch for animals and for the people moving them. Deer and elk are covered by wildlife warnings rather than this farm sign. The crossing is not a loading yard for trucks, and it is not a turnaround for drivers. Be ready to stop and wait until the animals clear the road.

4. 4. After parking at a curb, what does the Montana manual say about opening the door?

   1. Open it quickly so traffic does not wait
   2. Open it only after sounding the horn
   3. Open it from the street side whenever possible
   4. Check traffic and get out on the curbside if possible
   Show answer

   Check traffic and get out on the curbside if possible. Before opening a door, check for traffic, and step out on the curb side when that is possible. If the street side is the only way out, watch for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians before opening the door, then shut it promptly. Opening quickly, sounding the horn, or choosing the street side by default all put a door into the path of traffic. The cue is the mirror and a shoulder check before the latch moves.

5. 5. A driver in a funeral procession sees an authorized emergency vehicle approaching with a signal. What must the procession driver do?

   1. Hold position in line so the procession stays intact
   2. Follow the lead vehicle through regardless of the signal
   3. Speed up to clear the intersection before it arrives
   4. Yield the right-of-way to the approaching emergency vehicle
   Show answer

   Yield the right-of-way to the approaching emergency vehicle. Procession privileges end where an emergency response begins, so a driver in line must yield to an approaching authorized emergency vehicle giving a sound or light signal. Staying in formation blocks help that others are waiting for. Racing to clear the crossing adds speed near a responding vehicle. Following the lead car through works for ordinary signals within the procession rules, yet an emergency approach overrides that pattern. Make room promptly.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses, funerals and bicycles

6. 6. A pedestrian faces a WALK signal at an intersection. What may the pedestrian do?

   1. Wait for the next cycle before leaving the curb
   2. Cross only after every vehicle has left the block
   3. Start from the curb or sidewalk to cross the street
   4. Begin crossing only if a driver waves the person on
   Show answer

   Start from the curb or sidewalk to cross the street. A WALK indication is permission to begin crossing from the curb or sidewalk. Waiting for another cycle wastes the interval meant for this crossing. Traffic need not vanish from the whole block before a step is taken, since the signal assigns this time to people on foot. A driver wave is also unnecessary and can conflict with other lanes. Start promptly, keep watching traffic, and finish without delay.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, roundabouts and railroad crossings

7. 7. Where sidewalks are not available, which side of the road should a Montana pedestrian walk on?

   1. The right side, with traffic
   2. Either side, as long as the walker faces forward
   3. The center of the roadway
   4. The left side, facing oncoming traffic
   Show answer

   The left side, facing oncoming traffic. The manual says people walking on the roadway must walk on the left, facing oncoming traffic. Walking with traffic on the right puts the pedestrian's back to approaching vehicles, and the center of the road leaves no escape space. Either side is not the rule. The cue is to keep oncoming headlights in view so a walker can step off the pavement if a vehicle drifts toward the shoulder.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits, passing and turning

8. 8. Where must a slow-moving vehicle travel on the roadway?

   1. In the extreme right lane of the roadway
   2. In whichever lane offers the smoothest surface
   3. Beside faster traffic so drivers can see it sooner
   4. In the center lane on roads with three lanes
   Show answer

   In the extreme right lane of the roadway. Slow-moving vehicles belong in the extreme right lane so faster traffic can pass in an orderly way on the left. Choosing a smoother middle lane blocks vehicles that expect the right side to hold slower travel. Riding beside fast traffic also traps the slow vehicle where passing drivers do not anticipate it. A center lane on a three lane road is for through movement, not for lingering at low speed.

9. 9. How do stopping and turning change when a vehicle travels on loose gravel?

   1. Stopping takes much longer and skidding while turning is easier
   2. Stopping distance shrinks because gravel grips like pavement
   3. Turns become steadier than turns made on asphalt roads
   4. Braking works best with hard sudden pedal pressure
   Show answer

   Stopping takes much longer and skidding while turning is easier. Gravel gives tires less grip than concrete or asphalt, so a stop stretches much longer and a turn can break into a skid with little warning. Treating gravel like pavement understates every distance. Asphalt actually holds tires better, making its turns steadier by comparison. Hard sudden braking locks wheels on loose stones and lengthens the slide. Slow down early, brake gently, and leave extra room before curves or stops on gravel.

   Study this in the handbook: Adjusting speed for roads, weather and sight distance

10. 10. When choosing any parking spot, what two visibility and clearance qualities must the place have?

    1. Shade from trees and a level surface
    2. Far from lanes and visible both ways
    3. A painted curb and room for passengers
    4. Close to a corner and facing downhill
    Show answer

    Far from lanes and visible both ways. A parked vehicle must sit far enough from any travel lane to avoid interfering with traffic and stay visible to cars approaching from either direction. Shade and level ground add comfort but protect nobody from a passing truck. Paint color governs stopping rules, not basic placement safety. Corners and downhill faces create blind spots and rollaway risk. Pick open sight lines first, then worry about convenience.

11. 11. Why do schools, playgrounds, and residential streets demand slower, alert driving?

    1. Children may run or ride into the street
    2. School zones ban all passing at all hours
    3. Residential streets have no speed limits
    4. Playgrounds require drivers to sound horns
    Show answer

    Children may run or ride into the street. Schools, playgrounds, and residential streets often hold children who may cross, run, or ride into the street without looking, so drivers must stay alert and slow down. Passing bans apply in marked zones and specific situations rather than every school street. Residential roads still carry posted or basic limits. Honking warns at a moment of danger but replaces neither scanning nor speed control. Expect a ball, then a child chasing it.

12. 12. A bicyclist approaches a Montana roundabout and prefers the pedestrian route. What should the rider do?

    1. Walk the bicycle and use the pedestrian crosswalks
    2. Ride across the central island between entering cars
    3. Circle against traffic flow to reach the exit sooner
    4. Ride on the truck apron around the center island
    Show answer

    Walk the bicycle and use the pedestrian crosswalks. Riders who prefer the walking route should dismount, walk the bicycle on sidewalks, and use the pedestrian crosswalks at a roundabout. Crossing the island cuts through circulating traffic at its most confusing point. Circling against the counterclockwise flow invites a head-on meeting. The apron is built for truck rear wheels, not bicycle tires. Riders comfortable in traffic may instead circle like a car, signaling turns and obeying vehicle rules.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, roundabouts and railroad crossings

13. 13. In about what share of fatal crashes is alcohol involved?

    1. About one fatal crash in ten involves alcohol
    2. About forty percent of fatal crashes involve alcohol
    3. About seventy percent of fatal crashes involve alcohol
    4. Alcohol appears only in nonfatal injury crashes
    Show answer

    About forty percent of fatal crashes involve alcohol. Alcohol shows up in roughly forty percent of fatal crashes, a share large enough that even small amounts raise crash chances. One in ten understates the toll by a wide margin. Seventy percent overshoots the figure given for fatal wrecks. Injury crashes also involve drinking, so limiting alcohol to nonfatal events is plainly wrong. Any drinking before driving adds risk long before a driver feels drunk.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and the law

14. 14. Which places does Montana include in the meaning of a school zone?

    1. A school zone includes the school building and its front doorway, but no other property.
    2. A school zone includes a marked crosswalk and a bus loading area, but no other part.
    3. A school zone includes the campus, school property, and streets directly beside it.
    4. A school zone includes the parking lot and bus streets, but no campus or adjacent streets.
    Show answer

    A school zone includes the campus, school property, and streets directly beside it.. Montana defines a school zone broadly. It begins at the school's front door and includes the campus, school property, and streets directly adjacent to that property. A single building, crosswalk, bus loading area, or parking lot is only one part of the setting and cannot define the whole zone. Drivers should slow down and watch for children throughout the area identified by the school-zone signs and markings, not just at the most visible doorway.

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

15. 15. What does alcohol do to a driver's reflexes, reaction time, and alertness?

    1. It sharpens reflexes while relaxing the driver
    2. It slows reflexes and reaction time and dulls alertness
    3. It speeds reaction time but narrows eyesight slightly
    4. It leaves reflexes untouched for the first hour
    Show answer

    It slows reflexes and reaction time and dulls alertness. Alcohol slows reflexes and reaction time, blurs clear seeing, and makes a driver less alert, all while judgment quietly worsens. The myth of sharpened reflexes comes from lowered inhibition feeling like confidence, a sensation that vanishes when a child darts out and the foot travels late to the brake. Reaction drills cannot outtrain chemistry: each drink stretches the gap between seeing danger and answering it, so the only safe dose before driving is none.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and the law

16. 16. Rain slicks the road, traffic thickens, and visibility drops. What single response covers all three?

    1. Slow down for wet or icy roads, poor views, and heavy traffic
    2. Hold your speed steady so traffic flow stays smooth behind you
    3. Turn off headlights to cut glare for others on the road
    4. Follow closer to the next car so taillights stay in view
    Show answer

    Slow down for wet or icy roads, poor views, and heavy traffic. Wet or icy pavement, weak visibility, and heavy traffic each independently call for slower travel, and together they demand it urgently. Holding speed for flow ignores the longer stopping distances physics now imposes, while crowding taillights erases your last margin. Back off the accelerator, open a wide gap, and let arrival time slip; a late arrival beats a chain reaction pileup in spitting rain at dusk.

    Study this in the handbook: Adjusting speed for roads, weather and sight distance

17. 17. When may a Montana driver travel along the shoulder of the road?

    1. Whenever traffic ahead is moving slowly
    2. To pass a vehicle waiting to turn left
    3. On wide paved shoulders during daylight
    4. Only when directed to do so
    Show answer

    Only when directed to do so. The shoulder stays off limits for travel unless someone with authority directs you onto it, such as an officer waving traffic around a crash. Using it to slip past slow traffic or a left turning vehicle puts you where stalled cars, debris, and pedestrians expect safety. Keep your tires on the traveled lanes, wait for a lawful gap, and treat that gravel or paved edge as a refuge for broken down vehicles, never a bonus lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits, passing and turning

18. 18. Tinted or photo gray eyeglass lenses worn at night can reduce night vision by up to how much?

    1. Up to 5 percent of night vision
    2. Up to 15 percent of night vision
    3. Up to 30 percent of night vision
    4. Up to 60 percent of night vision
    Show answer

    Up to 30 percent of night vision. Tinted and photo gray lenses can steal up to 30 percent of night vision, dimming pedestrians and animals that standard lenses would reveal. Sunglasses feel helpful against glare, yet after dark they tax eyes already straining for contrast. Sixty percent exaggerates the loss into near blindness, while five percent shrugs off a real handicap. Keep a clear pair in the glove box and swap before dusk, treating night sight as equipment worth protecting.

    Study this in the handbook: Scanning, blind spots and signaling

19. 19. A tire suddenly goes flat at highway speed. How should the driver handle steering and speed?

    1. Brake hard and swerve toward the shoulder
    2. Turn sharply toward the flat tire side
    3. Hold wheel tight, go straight, slow gently
    4. Accelerate quickly to stabilize the tire
    Show answer

    Hold wheel tight, go straight, slow gently. During a sudden blowout the driver should hold the steering wheel tightly, keep the vehicle going straight, and slow gradually off the gas with light braking. Hard braking shifts weight and can swing the car sideways. Turning toward the flat side drags the rim across pavement. Extra speed magnifies every wobble from the failed tire. Grip firmly, ease off the accelerator, and drift onto a safe shoulder once speed falls.

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

20. 20. Pedestrians crossing at a roundabout must use designated crosswalks and must never do what?

    1. Cross to the central island
    2. Wait for a vehicle gap
    3. Watch for exiting cars
    4. Cross one leg at a time
    Show answer

    Cross to the central island. Pedestrians at a roundabout must cross at designated crosswalks and never cross to the central island, where circulating traffic surrounds them with no refuge. Waiting for a gap and watching exiting cars both show sound caution. Crossing one leg at a time keeps exposure short. The island tempts walkers as a shortcut, yet every side faces moving vehicles. Stay on the outer crosswalks and let drivers yield at marked crossings.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, roundabouts and railroad crossings