MT Permit Practice Test 14

All 20 questions in test 14

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 Montana driver picks a sign far ahead and reaches it before finishing a four second count. What does the Four Second Sight Distance Rule indicate?

   1. The speed is too fast for the visible distance
   2. The following distance is too short
   3. The headlights are aimed too low
   4. The lane position is too close to the shoulder
   Show answer

   The speed is too fast for the visible distance. The Four Second Sight Distance Rule asks a driver to pick a stationary object as far ahead as can be seen clearly and count four seconds. Reaching the object before the count ends means the vehicle is traveling faster than the distance the driver can see, so speed must come down. The rule measures sight distance, not the gap to the car ahead, headlight aim, or lane position. A useful cue is to repeat the count at night, when the same test shows whether the car is overdriving its headlights.

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

2. 2. You are below the posted limit on a wet road with poor visibility and heavy traffic. What can still happen?

   1. You can be ticketed for traveling too fast for conditions
   2. You are protected from a ticket by staying under the limit
   3. Your speed is legal no matter how poor the view becomes
   4. Only drivers above the posted limit can be ticketed then
   Show answer

   You can be ticketed for traveling too fast for conditions. A posted limit is not a guarantee of safety in bad conditions. On wet or icy roads, in poor visibility, or in heavy traffic, a driver must slow down, and driving under the posted number can still bring a ticket for traveling too fast for those conditions. The limit protects no one who keeps that speed when sight distance shrinks. Match speed to what can be seen ahead, even when that means going well below the sign.

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

3. 3. A Montana driver parks facing downhill on a street with a curb. How should the wheels be turned?

   1. Away from the curb
   2. It does not matter if the parking brake is set
   3. Straight ahead
   4. Toward the curb
   Show answer

   Toward the curb. Facing downhill beside a curb, the wheels should be turned toward the curb. If the vehicle rolls forward, the front tire presses against the curb instead of steering the car into traffic. Turning them away from the curb is the uphill rule, and leaving them straight gives the curb nothing to catch. A set parking brake is required, but it does not replace the wheel angle because a brake can fail. The cue is the slope under the hood: nose down means wheels toward the curb.

4. 4. With no signs or markings controlling a turn, which lanes should you turn from and into?

   1. Turn from the widest lane into the widest lane open
   2. Turn from any lane into whichever lane looks empty
   3. Use the closest lane going in, nearest lane coming out
   4. Always turn from the left lane into the right lane
   Show answer

   Use the closest lane going in, nearest lane coming out. The general turning rule is to turn from the lane closest to the direction you want to go and turn into the lane closest to the one you came from. That path crosses the fewest lanes of traffic. Choosing by width or by any open lane ignores the closest lane principle, and forcing every turn from left lane to right lane misstates it for right turns. Once the turn is complete, you may change to another lane if needed, but the turn itself stays direct and predictable.

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

5. 5. What may a motorist never do toward a person lawfully riding a bicycle?

   1. Wait behind the rider when passing would be unsafe
   2. Intentionally interfere with the movement of the rider
   3. Pass the rider with generous space on an open road
   4. Yield to the rider inside a designated bicycle lane
   Show answer

   Intentionally interfere with the movement of the rider. Bicycles count as vehicles with the same road rights, and a motorist may not intentionally interfere with a rider moving lawfully. Waiting when a pass looks unsafe is patience, not interference. Passing with generous room on an open stretch respects the rider space. Giving way inside a marked bicycle lane also honors the rider place in traffic. Crowding, blocking, or swerving at a rider crosses the line from sharing into interference.

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

6. 6. A driver is unsure whether a new medicine allows safe driving. What step does the manual direct?

   1. Test the drug on a short local drive
   2. Skip one dose before driving that day
   3. Ask a doctor or pharmacist first
   4. Drive only after midnight that night
   Show answer

   Ask a doctor or pharmacist first. Anyone unsure whether a drug allows safe driving should ask a doctor or pharmacist about side effects before taking the wheel. A short test drive turns public roads into a laboratory with other people at risk. Skipping doses can endanger health and still leaves prior doses active. Midnight driving adds darkness to possible impairment. One question at the pharmacy counter settles the matter without gambling on a crash.

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

7. 7. What condition must windshield wipers meet on a Montana vehicle?

   1. Wipers are optional in dry counties
   2. Wipers must work well enough to clear rain and snow
   3. Only the driver side wiper must function
   4. Wipers matter only during state inspection
   Show answer

   Wipers must work well enough to clear rain and snow. Wipers are required equipment and must stay in good working order, clearing rain, snow, and other moisture so the road stays visible. A working passenger blade with a dead driver blade still blinds the person steering, and dry county weather changes without asking permission. Replace streaking blades before the season turns, top off washer fluid, and test the sweep on a wet windshield while parked, not during a storm at speed.

   Study this in the handbook: Required lights and equipment

8. 8. Your license requires corrective lenses, but you drive to the corner without them and get stopped. What can follow?

   1. Nothing, because short trips carry no lens duty
   2. A warning only if the trip exceeded five miles
   3. You could get a ticket for driving without the required lenses
   4. Your license is cancelled on the spot permanently
   Show answer

   You could get a ticket for driving without the required lenses. A lens restriction printed on a license applies on every drive, including a quick run to the corner store. Saying short trips carry no lens duty invents an exemption based on distance, and the five mile warning idea adds a mileage threshold that the restriction never mentions. Permanent cancellation on the spot overshoots the stated penalty. The realistic outcome of a stop while uncorrected is a citation. Keep spare glasses in the vehicle so a lost pair never forces that choice.

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

9. 9. Why can a drinking person fail to realize they have had too much alcohol?

   1. Alcohol hides its taste in most mixed drinks
   2. Tolerance removes all outward signs and every trace of impairment
   3. Judgment is affected early, so excess is clear only too late
   4. Food in the stomach blocks every alcohol effect
   Show answer

   Judgment is affected early, so excess is clear only too late. Alcohol reaches the brain areas controlling judgment early, so the very tool needed to stop drinking is already dulled before excess feels obvious, much like sunburn pain arriving after damage. Taste never warned anyone about blood alcohol levels. Tolerance masks outward signs while skills still decline underneath. Food slows absorption but blocks nothing once drinking continues. The protective habit is decided sober: set the drink count or hand over keys before the first pour, because mid evening self assessment cannot be trusted.

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

10. 10. Where must people riding horses along a Montana road ride?

    1. Two abreast in the center of the travel lane
    2. Single file near the right curb or road edge
    3. On the left shoulder facing oncoming traffic
    4. In a bicycle lane whenever one is marked
    Show answer

    Single file near the right curb or road edge. Horseback riders are protected by the rules of the road and must ride single file near the right curb or road edge, or on a usable right shoulder, lane, or path. Riding two abreast in the center lane would block traffic and frighten animals. The left side facing traffic is a rule for people walking on a roadway, not for riders. A bicycle lane is not assigned to horses. Drivers approaching a horse must use reasonable speed and distance and must not sound the horn.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, merging and passing

11. 11. How is a shared center left-turn lane marked on each side?

    1. By a broken white line on each side of the lane.
    2. By a solid yellow line paired with a dashed yellow line on each side.
    3. By a solid yellow line paired with a dashed white line on each side.
    4. By two solid yellow lines on each side of the lane.
    Show answer

    By a solid yellow line paired with a dashed yellow line on each side.. A shared center lane is available for left turns from both directions, so its two sides use a solid yellow line paired with a dashed yellow line. A broken white line separates same-direction lanes, and a dashed white line does not belong in this center-turn marking. Two solid yellow lines indicate that opposing traffic may not cross to pass. Use the shared lane only to prepare for a permitted left turn or U-turn, not as a through lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane lines and pavement markings

12. 12. A school crossing guard holds an official sign in the stop position while directing children. What may a driver not do?

    1. Stop before the crosswalk so other drivers can see the children.
    2. Wait until every child reaches the far sidewalk safely.
    3. Slow down while approaching the guarded crossing area.
    4. Drive past the guard while the sign is held in the stop position.
    Show answer

    Drive past the guard while the sign is held in the stop position.. A driver may not pass a school crossing guard who is directing children while holding an official sign in the stop position. The driver also must not drive through a column of crossing children. Stopping before the crosswalk helps following drivers see the children, and slowing on approach prepares the driver to stop. Waiting until the children reach the far sidewalk is a cautious choice. Remain stopped until the guard's direction and the crossing movement allow travel.

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

13. 13. Before passing on a hill or curve, how far ahead must a driver be able to see?

    1. About 500 feet, roughly two city blocks
    2. One full mile in each direction
    3. Only to the crest of the hill itself
    4. At least one-third of a mile, about 10 seconds ahead
    Show answer

    At least one-third of a mile, about 10 seconds ahead. Passing near a hill or curve demands at least one-third of a mile of view, roughly 10 seconds of travel, before moving out. Five hundred feet vanishes in a few heartbeats at highway pace and hides oncoming cars. A full mile overshoots the stated benchmark. Watching only the crest leaves the far side completely unknown. Treat any blind rise like an unseen vehicle approaching: stay in lane, wait for a long straight, and let the whole passing path reveal itself first.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, merging and passing

14. 14. Nationally, about how many deaths each year result directly from a drinking or drunk driver?

    1. Over 23,000 deaths
    2. About 2,300 deaths
    3. About 230 deaths
    4. Over 230,000 deaths
    Show answer

    Over 23,000 deaths. Across the country, over 23,000 people die yearly as a direct result of drinking or drunk drivers. Twenty three hundred trims a national catastrophe down to a regional statistic. Two hundred thirty would barely fill a weekly crash report. Two hundred thirty thousand overshoots every traffic death category combined. Holding the true scale in mind changes small choices: taking keys at a gathering and offering a couch carry weight far beyond one evening, because the pattern repeats nightly nationwide.

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

15. 15. Where does the Montana manual say pedestrians must cross a street?

    1. At an intersection, using the crosswalk
    2. Wherever the shortest path reaches the other side
    3. Only at a crosswalk controlled by a signal
    4. At any point if the pedestrian wears bright clothing
    Show answer

    At an intersection, using the crosswalk. Pedestrians must cross streets at intersections and use the crosswalks provided. A shortcut mid-block, a signal controlled crossing only, or bright clothing does not replace that rule. The manual also notes that not every crosswalk is marked, so a driver should expect people at intersections even where no paint is visible. The cue for a walker is the corner and the marked path; the cue for a driver is to scan the whole intersection, not just the painted lines.

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

16. 16. Before backing out of a parking space, what should a Montana driver check for?

    1. Check traffic approaching from the left, but not from the right.
    2. Check the traffic directly behind the vehicle first.
    3. Rely on the rearview mirror before moving.
    4. Check for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians in both directions.
    Show answer

    Check for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians in both directions.. The manual says to look in both directions and double check for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians when backing out of a parking space. Checking only the left side, the mirror, or the area directly behind leaves other road users outside the scan. Turn your head, use the mirrors, and back out slowly enough to respond if a bicyclist or pedestrian enters the path. The check covers both directions and all three types of road users before the vehicle moves.

17. 17. A Montana driver is about to back a parked car out of a driveway. What should the driver do first?

    1. Walk around the car to check for hazards
    2. Sound the horn and back out quickly
    3. Rely on the rearview mirror alone
    4. Open the door and look backward
    Show answer

    Walk around the car to check for hazards. The manual's general driving rules say to walk around your parked car before backing up. That look reveals children, bicycles, pets, or low objects that mirrors can miss. Sounding the horn and hurrying, trusting the mirror alone, or looking back from the open door all leave blind spots. The cue is a short lap around the vehicle before you get in, especially in a driveway or busy lot where small shapes can disappear behind the bumper.

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

18. 18. A pedestrian signal shows a white walking person figure. What does that figure mean?

    1. Do not walk, and wait at the curb for now
    2. Walk, and start crossing from the curb
    3. Stop halfway and wait in the roadway
    4. Run quickly before the signal changes soon
    Show answer

    Walk, and start crossing from the curb. A white pedestrian figure means WALK, so a pedestrian facing it may start from the curb or sidewalk to cross the street. An upheld orange hand carries the opposite message and tells people not to walk. The white figure does not order anyone to wait in the middle of the roadway, and it does not call for running. Cross steadily, keep watching traffic that may turn, and finish without lingering between lanes.

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

19. 19. During parallel parking, the front of your vehicle passes the rear of the car ahead of the space. What steering move follows?

    1. Hold the wheel straight and coast
    2. Turn the steering wheel sharply to the right
    3. Turn the steering wheel sharply to the left
    4. Remove hands from the wheel
    Show answer

    Turn the steering wheel sharply to the left. After the front of your vehicle clears the rear of the parallel car, the manual calls for a sharp left turn, followed by gradual straightening while backing. Holding the wheel straight prevents the vehicle from lining up with the space. Turning sharply right is the move used earlier, before the vehicle reaches this point, so repeating it would change the angle the wrong way. Removing your hands would take away steering control. The left turn is the step that guides the front of the vehicle toward the curb.

20. 20. Headlights fail at night and trying the switch plus high beams does not restore them. What comes next?

    1. Drive on using only parking lights
    2. Stop immediately in the travel lane
    3. Follow another car's tail lights closely
    4. Turn on emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights
    Show answer

    Turn on emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights. When the headlight switch and high beams fail to restore light, the driver should switch on emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights and pull off the road as soon as safely possible. Parking lights alone never light the road ahead for driving. Halting inside a live lane invites a rear end crash in darkness. Tailgating another car borrows vision at unsafe distance. Warn others, creep to the shoulder, and stay parked.

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