MT Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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 pedestrian faces a steady yellow vehicle light with no pedestrian signal direction. What should the pedestrian do?

   1. Start across quickly before the light turns red
   2. Not start across the street at that moment
   3. Cross halfway and wait in the center lane area
   4. Begin crossing if no vehicle is within one block
   Show answer

   Not start across the street at that moment. A steady yellow warns that red is coming, and a pedestrian facing it must not start across unless a pedestrian signal directs otherwise. Hurrying to beat the change places a walker mid road when cross traffic releases. Waiting in a center lane leaves the person exposed between flows. A clear looking block can change in seconds as vehicles turn in. Stay on the curb until a proper crossing indication appears.

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

2. 2. How close to a fire hydrant may a Montana driver park?

   1. No closer than 15 feet
   2. No closer than 5 feet
   3. No closer than 30 feet
   4. No closer than 50 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 15 feet. Montana prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, so firefighters can reach it without a car in the way. Five feet is far too close. The 30 foot distance applies to a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign, and 50 feet applies to a railroad crossing, so those figures belong to other no parking rules. A vehicle parked at the curb must also be within 18 inches of it.

3. 3. After alcohol is swallowed, how quickly can it affect a Montana driver's brain, according to the manual?

   1. After about 15 minutes
   2. Only after about 30 minutes
   3. Within one minute
   4. After about two hours
   Show answer

   Within one minute. Alcohol is absorbed through the walls of the stomach and can affect the brain within one minute. That speed is why a driver may feel fine and still be impaired before the first drink is finished. A 15 minute, 30 minute, or two hour delay suggests a safety window that does not exist. The cue is to decide on a ride before the first sip, since judgment is one of the first skills alcohol touches.

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

4. 4. What does the Montana manual say about the time saved by speeding?

   1. It saves no more than a few minutes
   2. It saves enough time to matter on most trips
   3. It saves about ten minutes on a 50 mile trip
   4. It saves time only on interstate highways
   Show answer

   It saves no more than a few minutes. The manual's point is that speeding does not save more than a few minutes, so the added crash risk buys almost nothing. Claiming a meaningful gain on most trips overstates the benefit, and the manual gives no ten minute figure for a 50 mile trip. Interstate highways are not an exception. The cue is to leave a few minutes earlier instead of using the accelerator as a schedule tool.

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

5. 5. Which set of factors does the Montana manual list as affecting how impaired a person becomes after drinking?

   1. Only body weight and the number of drinks consumed that evening
   2. Blood type, height, and the color of the driver's eyes
   3. The type of vehicle and the length of the planned trip
   4. Amount, pace, body weight, food intake, and general health
   Show answer

   Amount, pace, body weight, food intake, and general health. Montana lists five factors that shape impairment: the amount consumed, how fast it is consumed, body weight, food intake, and general health. Body weight and drink count alone leave out pace, food, and health, so that answer is incomplete rather than a separate rule. Blood type, height, eye color, vehicle type, and trip length are not on the list. The cue is that no single number predicts impairment for every person, which is why the manual tells drivers who drink not to drive at all.

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

6. 6. A Montana driver is pulling out of a parking lot across a sidewalk. Whom must the driver yield to?

   1. Pedestrians on the sidewalk
   2. Only vehicles already in the street
   3. Only pedestrians who make eye contact
   4. Nobody, because the driver has the right of way
   Show answer

   Pedestrians on the sidewalk. Drivers crossing a sidewalk or entering or exiting a driveway, alley, or parking lot must yield to pedestrians. Vehicles already in the street also have the right of way, but that does not cancel the duty to the sidewalk. Eye contact is not the test, and a driver leaving a lot does not carry the right of way across the walk. The cue is the sidewalk itself: stop before the walk, look both ways, and let walkers clear before the tires cross.

   Study this in the handbook: Who yields at intersections

7. 7. Which areas does the Montana manual say alcohol affects in the brain?

   1. Hearing and balance
   2. Color vision
   3. Muscle strength
   4. Judgment and skill
   Show answer

   Judgment and skill. The manual says alcohol affects the areas of the brain that control judgment and skill. That is why drinking is dangerous: the driver loses the very ability needed to recognize when to stop drinking. Hearing, balance, color vision, and muscle strength may also suffer, but naming one of them alone misses the judgment and skill point. The cue is to notice how drinking changes decisions, not just coordination, and to hand over the keys before the first drink.

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

8. 8. A driver has trouble seeing at night. What does Montana advise?

   1. Drive normally if the road is familiar
   2. Wear dark glasses to reduce oncoming glare
   3. Avoid driving more than necessary and be very careful when you do
   4. Use parking lights instead of headlights to protect night vision
   Show answer

   Avoid driving more than necessary and be very careful when you do. The Montana manual recognizes that glare and poor night vision can make driving harder. If a driver has trouble seeing at night, it advises avoiding driving more than necessary and being very careful when driving is necessary. Familiar roads do not remove hidden hazards, and dark glasses reduce the light available to the eyes. Parking lights are not a substitute for the headlights needed to see the roadway. The practical cue is to avoid an unnecessary night trip and use extra care if the trip cannot wait.

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

9. 9. Dusk settles and you notice other cars growing hard to see. What lighting habit applies?

   1. Wait until full darkness to use headlights
   2. Use parking lights until midnight arrives
   3. Turn on headlights whenever others are hard to see
   4. Flash high beams every mile as a signal
   Show answer

   Turn on headlights whenever others are hard to see. Trouble seeing others is the trigger: switch headlights on whenever your eyes strain, rather than waiting for full darkness or a clock time. Parking lights mark a stationary vehicle and give you almost no road illumination, while random high beam flashes confuse everyone. Headlights serve two masters at dusk, lighting your path and announcing your presence, so light them early and let other drivers spot you sooner.

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

10. 10. On a cold wet day, which road areas freeze first and dry out last?

    1. Sunny straight stretches in the middle of a block
    2. Shady spots along the roadway on cold wet days
    3. Freshly paved lanes that were sealed this summer
    4. Gravel shoulders that sit beside the paved lanes
    Show answer

    Shady spots along the roadway on cold wet days. Shade keeps cold wet pavement from warming or drying, so shady spots freeze ahead of the rest and stay icy after other areas clear. Sunny stretches gain heat and dry sooner, the opposite pattern. Fresh summer sealing says nothing about which place ices first. Gravel shoulders sit outside the travel lanes where this freezing pattern matters most. Ease off near tree or building shade on cold wet mornings and expect hidden ice.

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

11. 11. What does a yellow curb allow a Montana driver to do?

    1. Park overnight if the vehicle is locked
    2. Stop only to pick up or unload passengers
    3. Stop long enough to load or unload while staying with the car
    4. Leave the vehicle while running a short errand
    Show answer

    Stop long enough to load or unload while staying with the car. Yellow curb paint allows a stop only long enough to load or unload, and the driver must stay with the car. That condition separates it from white, where the purpose is picking up or unloading passengers. Overnight parking and a quick errand both leave the vehicle unattended, which the yellow marking does not permit. The practical cue is to stay with the car while loading happens and move on as soon as the loading is finished.

12. 12. What does a Narrow Bridge warning sign tell a driver about the bridge ahead?

    1. The bridge has room for only one vehicle at a time
    2. The bridge carries traffic in one direction only
    3. The bridge is closed until a flagger waves traffic on
    4. The bridge is narrower than the road, with room to pass
    Show answer

    The bridge is narrower than the road, with room to pass. A Narrow Bridge sign warns that the bridge ahead is narrower than the road being traveled, while still leaving room to meet and pass another vehicle. That separates it from a one lane bridge, where meeting or passing is not possible. The sign does not close the bridge or make it one way. Slow down, center the vehicle carefully, and watch for wide oncoming traffic that may need more of the available width.

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

13. 13. A reserved lane is signed Transit or Bus. Which vehicles may use that lane?

    1. Any private vehicle carrying two or more people into the city
    2. Buses only, since the lane is reserved for bus use
    3. Taxis and delivery vans during rush hours
    4. Motorcycles when traffic slows below 20 mph
    Show answer

    Buses only, since the lane is reserved for bus use. A lane signed Transit or Bus is reserved for bus use only, keeping transit vehicles on schedule beside general traffic. Carrying two people qualifies a car for some carpool lanes, not a bus lane. Taxis and delivery vans gain no rush hour exception from the sign. Motorcycles receive no slow traffic invitation into the space. Reading the word on the sign settles the question before the merge: when the lane names a vehicle type, every other type stays out, even when the lane looks temptingly empty.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane lines and pavement markings

14. 14. Without anti-lock brakes, why let up on the brake pedal before turning quickly to avoid a collision?

    1. Front tires gain weight, then steer after release
    2. Releasing the pedal restarts the anti-lock braking system automatically
    3. Front wheels gain steering grip only above 40 mph
    4. Turning requires the parking brake instead
    Show answer

    Front tires gain weight, then steer after release. Braking first slows the vehicle and shifts weight onto the front tires, then releasing the pedal frees those tires to steer, producing a quicker turn. A vehicle without anti-lock equipment has no system to restart by pedal play. Steering grip exists at parking lot speeds as surely as on highways. The parking brake locks rear wheels and invites a spin, the opposite of control. Practice the sequence mentally: brake, release, steer toward the opening, then straighten and brake again once the path is clear.

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

15. 15. What is required to operate a motorcycle or motor scooter on Montana public roadways?

    1. A commercial driver license for all two-wheel vehicles
    2. A motorcycle endorsement on a driver license
    3. An identification card carried instead of a license
    4. A vehicle registration for the motorcycle only
    Show answer

    A motorcycle endorsement on a driver license. Montana requires a motorcycle endorsement to operate a motorcycle or motor scooter on public roadways. A commercial driver license is not the general requirement for every two wheeled vehicle, and an identification card cannot authorize operation. Registration proves something about the vehicle, but it does not give the rider permission to operate it. A motorcycle learner license is a separate supervised learning credential and does not replace the endorsement for regular operation.

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

16. 16. Traffic ahead inside an intersection is stopped and cannot move. What must you do before entering?

    1. Enter slowly and wait inside the intersection
    2. Wait until you can clear the intersection without stopping
    3. Enter if your light is green, regardless of space
    4. Edge forward until your bumper crosses the line
    Show answer

    Wait until you can clear the intersection without stopping. Hold back until the far side offers room to cross completely without stopping inside the box. A green light tempts drivers to roll in and wait, yet that parked posture blocks cross traffic when signals change and traps emergency vehicles. Watch the taillights beyond the intersection rather than the signal alone; when a full car length of open pavement waits for you, then roll through in one smooth movement.

    Study this in the handbook: Who yields at intersections

17. 17. On a Montana two-lane road, how much may a driver exceed the posted limit while overtaking another vehicle?

    1. Up to 25 mph above the limit until the pass is fully clear
    2. Any amount over the limit, provided the horn sounds first
    3. Up to 10 mph over, to pass and return to the right lane
    4. Nothing over the limit on a two lane road under any conditions
    Show answer

    Up to 10 mph over, to pass and return to the right lane. Passing on a two lane road carries a narrow allowance of 10 miles an hour above the posted limit, tied to completing the pass and settling back into the right lane. Twenty five over stretches that allowance far past its stated size and lengthens the distance spent beside oncoming traffic. Sounding the horn grants no extra speed at all. Saying nothing extra is ever allowed overlooks the limited passing allowance Montana grants. Use the modest margin, finish the pass, and ease back right.

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

18. 18. Farm tractors and road maintenance vehicles on Montana roads usually travel at what speed?

    1. 50 mph or less
    2. 40 mph or less
    3. 35 mph or less
    4. 25 mph or less
    Show answer

    25 mph or less. Farm tractors, animal drawn vehicles, and road crews usually move at 25 mph or less, far below normal traffic pace. A driver closing fast from behind can misjudge that gap in seconds. Forty and 35 mph both overstate how quickly these machines travel. Spot the slow machine early, ease off, and wait for a clear passing gap instead of rushing the rear bumper.

19. 19. A driver pulls out of a parking space and enters moving traffic. What signal duty applies?

    1. Sound the horn twice before moving
    2. Flash high beams at oncoming cars
    3. Turn on hazard lights while merging
    4. Use the turn signal when entering traffic
    Show answer

    Use the turn signal when entering traffic. A driver entering traffic from a parking space must use the turn signal so nearby drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians can predict the move. Horn blasts and headlight flashes carry no clear legal meaning for this maneuver. Hazard lights suggest a disabled vehicle rather than a normal merge. Signal first, look both ways twice, and ease into the lane only when the gap fits the whole car.

20. 20. When may a motorist overtake and pass a person riding a bicycle?

    1. Only when it can be done without endangering anyone
    2. At any speed, as long as the horn sounds first
    3. Only on a road with a marked bicycle lane present
    4. Whenever the bicycle is traveling below the speed limit
    Show answer

    Only when it can be done without endangering anyone. A motorist may overtake and pass a bicyclist only when it can be done without endangering the rider or anyone in a nearby vehicle. Sounding the horn does not make an unsafe pass lawful, and a marked bicycle lane is not required before a safe pass can happen. A bicycle traveling below the limit does not invite a close pass either. Wait for a clear view and enough space, then move over and pass smoothly.

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