MT Permit Practice Test 25

All 20 questions in test 25

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. Which vehicle is excused from the Montana seat belt law because of when it was built?

   1. A vehicle built in the model year 1975
   2. A vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968
   3. A vehicle with belts fitted only in front seats
   4. A vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1968
   Show answer

   A vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1968. One exception to the seat belt law covers a vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1968. A vehicle built in 1975 falls after that date, and vehicles made after January 1, 1968 must have belts for every designated seat. Front only belts describe an earlier equipment period for some vehicles, not the age exception stated here. Other exceptions involve a written physician statement or certain special mobile equipment. Drivers should still use every working belt fitted in the vehicle.

   Study this in the handbook: Required lights and equipment

2. 2. How fast do farm tractors, animal-drawn vehicles, and road maintenance machines usually travel?

   1. Usually about 40 mph on highways
   2. Usually about 35 mph on highways
   3. Usually about 50 mph on highways
   4. Usually 25 mph or less on highways
   Show answer

   Usually 25 mph or less on highways. Farm tractors, animal-drawn rigs, and maintenance machinery commonly roll at 25 mph or less, displaying a slow-moving emblem at the rear. Expecting 40 or 50 from a loaded hay wagon misjudges closing speed badly: at highway pace you erase a football field of gap in seconds. Thirty five also overstates their usual pace. Lift off the instant an orange triangle appears ahead, match its crawl early, and pass only with a long, verified clear stretch.

3. 3. When making a left turn, what corner error should you avoid while still leaving room for oncoming left turners?

   1. Turning directly from the far rightmost lane instead
   2. Cutting the corner sharply into someone from the left
   3. Waiting calmly for oncoming traffic to clear the way
   4. Turning smoothly into the closest available lane ahead
   Show answer

   Cutting the corner sharply into someone from the left. Left turns require balance: avoid cutting the corner so sharply that you run into someone approaching from the left, yet leave room for oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you. Turning from the rightmost lane starts the maneuver from the wrong position entirely, while waiting for oncoming traffic and choosing the closest lane are both parts of a sound left turn rather than errors. The image to hold is a rounded path that respects the opposing corner instead of slicing across it early.

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

4. 4. How should a driver eat before leaving on a long trip to fight fatigue?

   1. Eat a large meal so hunger never distracts later
   2. Skip food entirely for the first half of the trip
   3. Eat heavily only during the final hour of driving
   4. Eat lightly because a big meal can bring sleepiness
   Show answer

   Eat lightly because a big meal can bring sleepiness. A large meal before departure makes some people sleepy right when alertness matters most, so eating lightly is the wiser start. Skipping food for half the trip invites hunger and low energy instead. Saving a heavy meal for the final hour puts the drowsy window near the destination, still behind the wheel. Combine light eating with a normal night of sleep, rest breaks every two hours, and fresh air.

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

5. 5. A drug label warns against operating heavy machinery. What does that warning mean for a driver?

   1. Drive only on rural roads
   2. Do not drive your car or truck
   3. Drive slowly with windows open
   4. Heavy machinery means farm tractors only
   Show answer

   Do not drive your car or truck. A warning about operating heavy machinery on a drug label means the driver should not drive a car or truck while the drug acts. Rural roads still demand the judgment and reflexes the drug dulls. Slow speed and open windows cannot restore alertness. The machinery phrase covers ordinary vehicles, not tractors alone. Park the trip, ask a sober person to drive, and wait until the medication clears before taking the wheel again.

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

6. 6. Where must a rear-facing child seat never be placed in a car with an active air bag?

   1. In the front passenger seat of the car
   2. In the back seat, secured with a belt
   3. In a seat where the belt fits properly
   4. In the middle of the rear bench seat
   Show answer

   In the front passenger seat of the car. A rear-facing child seat must never sit in the front passenger seat when that seat has an active air bag, because a deploying bag can strike the back of the child seat with great force. The back seat is the safer place for children, with the child properly secured. A rear bench position can work when the restraint is installed correctly. Whenever possible, children under 13 should ride in the back and stay secured on every trip.

   Study this in the handbook: Required lights and equipment

7. 7. What basic emergency supplies does the Montana manual say you should carry in your vehicle?

   1. Flares and first aid supplies
   2. A spare tire only
   3. Extra fuel and a tow chain
   4. A fire extinguisher only
   Show answer

   Flares and first aid supplies. The chapter advises carrying a basic emergency kit that has flares and first aid supplies. A spare tire alone leaves you without warning devices or wound care, extra fuel and a tow chain are not the kit the manual names, and a lone extinguisher omits both listed items. Flares connect to the later advice about warning other traffic at a crash scene, while first aid supplies match the guidance on helping injured people until medical crews arrive. Both items ride in the kit together.

   Study this in the handbook: Crashes, emergency vehicles and traffic stops

8. 8. What do yellow lane lines separate on a roadway?

   1. Lanes of traffic moving in the same direction
   2. Traffic moving in opposite directions on the road
   3. A travel lane from the paved shoulder beside it
   4. Bicycle lanes from lanes used by motor vehicles
   Show answer

   Traffic moving in opposite directions on the road. Color separates the two flows: yellow divides traffic traveling opposite ways, while white divides lanes headed the same way. Reading yellow as a same direction divider reverses that code and could put a driver facing oncoming vehicles. A shoulder edge is shown by an edge line along the road side, not by a center yellow pair. Bicycle lanes use their own markings and signs. Yellow ahead means opposing traffic lies across it.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane lines and pavement markings

9. 9. At an intersection with no painted crosswalk, what should a driver remember?

   1. Pedestrians may cross only where paint marks the road
   2. Crosswalks are always marked with paint at intersections
   3. Not all crosswalks are marked, so watch for pedestrians
   4. Drivers never need to yield where no paint is visible
   Show answer

   Not all crosswalks are marked, so watch for pedestrians. Not all crosswalks are marked, so a driver crossing an intersection without painted lines still needs to watch for pedestrians and yield where required. Paint helps show where people should cross, but the absence of paint does not remove the crosswalk or the need for care. Assuming people may cross only on painted lines can leave a driver unprepared. Stay alert near corners, driveways, and busy sidewalks even when the pavement looks plain.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane lines and pavement markings

10. 10. A person on foot faces a red traffic light and no pedestrian signal says otherwise. What applies?

    1. The person may enter the street between cars
    2. The person may cross if traffic looks distant
    3. The person may enter only during a green arrow
    4. The person must not enter the street
    Show answer

    The person must not enter the street. A pedestrian facing red must stay out of the street unless a pedestrian signal directs a crossing. Judging that traffic looks distant invites the fatal misread of a fast car closing from a dark side street, and a green arrow for vehicles grants walkers nothing. Plant both feet on the curb, watch for the walk indication, and use those seconds to scan turning traffic that often forgets people on foot exist.

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

11. 11. What do shared lane markings, called sharrows, help bicyclists do?

    1. Ride in a lane closed to all motor vehicles
    2. Avoid using any lane that motor traffic uses
    3. Pass motor vehicles on the right at corners
    4. Position themselves correctly in a shared lane
    Show answer

    Position themselves correctly in a shared lane. Shared lane markings, with two arrows over a bicycle, help riders position themselves in the right place and in the right direction in a lane shared with motor vehicles. Following them can help a rider avoid an opening parked car door and avoid being squeezed in a narrow lane. A sharrow does not close the lane to motor vehicles, and it is not the symbol used for a bicycle only lane. Drivers seeing one should watch for riders and leave passing room.

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

12. 12. A driver spots one deer near the road at sunset. What should the driver expect nearby?

    1. More animals, since deer and elk travel in herds
    2. Nothing at all, because deer and elk always travel alone at sunset
    3. Only predators following the single deer
    4. A marked crossing within the next mile
    Show answer

    More animals, since deer and elk travel in herds. Deer, elk, and similar wildlife move in herds, so one animal at the shoulder often means companions still hidden in the ditch or timber. Assuming solitude drops guard right when a second animal bolts. Predators are not the traffic hazard gathering near the pavement. No marked crossing promises where herds wander. At dawn and dusk, treat a single silhouette as a group warning: slow early, scan both ditches, and keep the brake covered until the whole stretch clears.

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

13. 13. An emergency vehicle broadcasts instructions over its loudspeaker as it approaches. What must a driver do?

    1. Follow only instructions that match the driver's own route
    2. Follow any instructions given over the loudspeaker
    3. Ignore spoken orders and watch hand signals instead
    4. Speed up so the loudspeaker stays unnecessary
    Show answer

    Follow any instructions given over the loudspeaker. Spoken directions from an emergency vehicle loudspeaker carry the same weight as its siren and lights, so drivers follow whatever the crew announces. Filtering orders through personal route plans second guesses responders who can see hazards ahead. Waiting for hand signals wastes the audio channel crews use from inside moving vehicles. Speeding up to outrun instructions creates the very conflict responders are clearing. When a voice booms behind the windshield, ease right, listen fully, and let the announced path shape the next move.

    Study this in the handbook: Who yields at intersections

14. 14. Traffic is coming from behind while a driver prepares to parallel park. What should the driver do?

    1. Signal, pull next to the space, and let following vehicles pass first
    2. Begin reversing immediately so traffic must wait behind
    3. Wave following drivers around while halfway into the space
    4. Park first and signal only after the vehicle stops
    Show answer

    Signal, pull next to the space, and let following vehicles pass first. Signaling early, pulling beside the space, and letting the queue pass keeps the parking maneuver from trapping traffic behind a reversing car. Reversing at once forces followers to brake blind around the vehicle. Waving others around mid maneuver splits attention between steering and directing strangers. Signaling after stopping tells nobody anything useful. The orderly cue is patience: indicator on, position taken, mirrors checked, and only a clear rear view starts the backward roll.

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

15. 15. A driver has just passed a slower vehicle on a two-lane road. What mirror sight confirms enough room to move back?

    1. As soon as the passed vehicle leaves the side mirror
    2. When both headlights of the passed vehicle show in the rearview mirror
    3. Once the front bumper clears the other vehicle by one car length
    4. After signaling for a full minute in the passing lane
    Show answer

    When both headlights of the passed vehicle show in the rearview mirror. Seeing both headlights of the passed vehicle in the rearview mirror confirms enough clearance to move back without cutting it off. Losing it from the side mirror happens far earlier and leaves the nose dangerously close. One car length judged by bumper feel varies with speed and vehicle size. Signaling for a minute wastes the passing lane and invites confusion. Glance for the paired lights centered in the mirror, signal, then settle back while holding steady speed.

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

16. 16. You have just driven past a PASS WITH CARE sign. What does that sign allow?

    1. Passing other vehicles with care is allowed again
    2. Passing is still barred for the next mile ahead
    3. Traffic must stop before any passing begins
    4. Only commercial vehicles may pass from here on
    Show answer

    Passing other vehicles with care is allowed again. Passing the PASS WITH CARE sign marks the end of a stretch where passing was barred, so drivers may again pass other vehicles, still with care. The sign does not extend the ban for another mile, and it does not order a stop before anyone passes. It also does not reserve passing for commercial vehicles. Treat the change as permission to reconsider a pass, then check oncoming traffic, markings, and sight distance before moving left.

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

17. 17. Why should a Montana driver keep packages off the rear shelf and back seat?

    1. They can block the license plate light
    2. They can increase tire wear
    3. They can hit someone in a sudden stop or crash
    4. They can drain the battery
    Show answer

    They can hit someone in a sudden stop or crash. The manual warns that packages or other objects on the rear shelf or back seat could hit someone on the head in a sudden stop or crash. The same section says objects on the floor could roll under the brake pedal and prevent slowing or stopping. License plate lighting, tire wear, and battery drain are not the reason given. The cue is to secure cargo in the trunk or tie it down, and keep the driver's footwell clear.

    Study this in the handbook: Required lights and equipment

18. 18. How long does the average person's body take to process one alcoholic drink, according to the Montana manual?

    1. About one hour
    2. About 15 minutes
    3. About 30 minutes
    4. About three hours
    Show answer

    About one hour. The manual says the average person's body processes one alcoholic drink in one hour. It adds that alcohol can still accumulate even when someone drinks at that pace, so one hour per drink is not a safe driving schedule. Fifteen or 30 minutes makes the body seem faster than it is, and three hours makes it slower. The cue is to count drinks and hours together, then choose a designated driver rather than trying to calculate a personal cutoff.

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

19. 19. A school bus is stopped on a different road from the one a Montana driver is using. What does the manual say about stopping?

    1. The driver must stop at least 30 feet away
    2. The driver must stop only if children are visible
    3. The driver may continue without stopping
    4. The driver must slow to 20 mph and pass
    Show answer

    The driver may continue without stopping. Montana's school bus stop rule applies to traffic meeting or passing the bus on the same roadway. The manual excuses a driver when the bus is on a different road, or when it is stopped in an adjacent loading zone where pedestrians are not allowed to cross. Seeing no children or slowing to pass does not create an exception, and the 30 foot stop is the general rule for a bus that controls your road. The cue is whether the bus's red lights govern the lane you are driving in.

    Study this in the handbook: Who yields at intersections

20. 20. A Montana driver without a handicap plate, tag, or sticker parks in a marked handicapped space. What does the manual say?

    1. The driver may park for less than 10 minutes
    2. The driver may park if no one else is using the space
    3. The driver can be fined for improper parking
    4. The driver may park if the vehicle is locked
    Show answer

    The driver can be fined for improper parking. A handicapped space is reserved for vehicles displaying a handicap license plate, tag, or sticker, and the manual warns that improper parking there can bring a fine. A short stop, an empty lot, or a locked vehicle does not qualify the driver to use the space. The cue is the blue wheelchair symbol and the required permit: without the plate, tag, or sticker, treat the space as unavailable even when the lot looks quiet.