MT Permit Practice Test 4

All 20 questions in test 4

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. What should a driver do when passing a stationary emergency or police vehicle on a highway posted at 50 MPH or more?

   
   1. Stop in the adjacent lane beside the emergency vehicle
   2. Keep the posted speed if the emergency lights are visible
   3. Slow to at least 20 miles below the posted speed limit
   4. Speed up to clear the lane before responders can move
   Show answer

   Slow to at least 20 miles below the posted speed limit. On a highway posted at 50 MPH or more, traffic in the lane directly beside a stationary emergency or police vehicle displaying emergency signals must slow to at least 20 miles below the posted limit. If possible, change to a farther lane as well. Keeping full speed exposes responders to passing traffic, while stopping beside them or accelerating creates another hazard. Scan ahead for emergency lights and plan the lane change early.

2. 2. How far must Montana headlights and taillights be visible on vehicles built after January 1, 1956?

   1. 1,000 feet
   2. 100 feet
   3. 500 feet, with white or amber light to the front and red or amber to the rear
   4. 50 feet
   Show answer

   500 feet, with white or amber light to the front and red or amber to the rear. Vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1956 must emit white or amber light to the front and red or amber light to the rear, visible for 500 feet, and must have two tail lamps except motorcycles, motor driven cycles, quadricycles and truck tractors. The license plate lamp must light the plate for 50 feet, and mirrors must give 200 feet of visibility to the rear.

3. 3. What is the minimum liability insurance amount for bodily injury or death of one person in a Montana crash?

   1. $10,000
   2. $25,000
   3. $50,000
   4. $100,000
   Show answer

   $25,000. Montana requires at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident. The $50,000 amount covers bodily injury or death of two people, while $20,000 applies to property damage. Match the dollar figure to the type and number of losses, because the three minimum coverage amounts describe different parts of the required liability policy. Keep those categories separate when reviewing insurance documents.

4. 4. At an uncontrolled intersection, what should a Montana driver do?

   1. Stop every time, even when the roadway is empty
   2. Maintain speed because no sign assigns right of way
   3. Cover the brake, look left, right, and left, and be ready to yield
   4. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   Show answer

   Cover the brake, look left, right, and left, and be ready to yield. At an uncontrolled intersection, the driver should remove the foot from the accelerator, cover the brake, scan left, right, and left again, and prepare to yield. Maintaining speed ignores hidden hazards, while stopping every time overstates the rule. Limiting attention to the left misses traffic from the other direction and pedestrians. The repeated scan is the practical cue before crossing or turning through the intersection.

5. 5. What minimum liability coverage must Montana vehicle owners carry for injury to or destruction of another person’s property in one accident?

   1. $5,000
   2. $20,000
   3. $25,000
   4. $50,000
   Show answer

   $20,000. Montana requires at least $20,000 for injury to or destruction of another person’s property in one accident. Bodily-injury limits are separate: $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people. Match the coverage amount to the type of loss asked about. Keep the per-person, per-accident, and property-damage categories separate when checking the policy, because the limits apply to different kinds of loss.

6. 6. What does the red slash over the arrow on this sign tell a driver?

   
   1. Do not make the pictured right-turn movement
   2. Make the pictured turn only after accelerating
   3. The pictured turn has priority over oncoming traffic
   4. The turn is required at the next signal
   Show answer

   Do not make the pictured right-turn movement. A red circle and slash over an arrow means the pictured action is prohibited, so this sign rules out the right turn. It does not make the turn mandatory, give the turning driver priority, or create a special acceleration requirement. The driver should continue with a permitted movement and obey any separate signal or lane instruction. Reading the symbol literally is the key: the slash changes the arrow from an available movement into one that must not be made at that location.

7. 7. At what BAC can a driver be arrested for driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration in Montana?

   1. 0.16% or more only
   2. 0.02% or more for every driver
   3. 0.08% or more
   4. 0.05% or more
   Show answer

   0.08% or more. Montana treats a BAC of 0.08% or more as enough for an arrest for driving with that alcohol concentration. The 0.02% figure belongs to drivers under 21, so it is not the general adult threshold. A reading of 0.16% is not needed before enforcement can begin, and 0.05% is below the stated adult threshold. On a test question, separate the ordinary adult number from the special under-21 rule before choosing.

8. 8. What does the posted number on this SPEED LIMIT sign represent?

   
   1. The maximum speed allowed until a different speed sign is posted
   2. A minimum speed required in clear weather
   3. A suggested speed that applies only while passing
   4. The speed permitted only after dark
   Show answer

   The maximum speed allowed until a different speed sign is posted. The number on a SPEED LIMIT sign sets the maximum speed from that sign until another speed sign changes it. It is not a minimum, a passing-only suggestion, or a nighttime-only permission. Road, weather, visibility, and traffic conditions can still require a driver to travel below the posted maximum. Treat the displayed number as an upper boundary, then choose a safe speed for the actual conditions. A later sign, rather than a driveway or intersection, is what ends that posted limit.

9. 9. After moving to a new home, how soon must a Montana driver notify the Driver Services Bureau?

   1. Within 30 days
   2. Within 10 days
   3. Within 15 days
   4. At the next license renewal
   Show answer

   Within 10 days. Montana requires drivers to notify the Driver Services Bureau of the Department of Justice within 10 days of any change of address. Fifteen or thirty days is too late, and waiting for renewal could leave the state unable to reach you for years. The deadline matters because the licensing authority may need to send orders or requirements about your driving privilege, and a driver who never receives them can lose the privilege without knowing why.

10. 10. Which situation is an exception to Montana's open container law?

    1. A passenger with an open drink in a hired limousine
    2. A passenger with an open beer in the back seat of a family car
    3. A driver with an open can in the cup holder at a red light
    4. An open bottle in an unlocked glove compartment
    Show answer

    A passenger with an open drink in a hired limousine. Montana generally bans open alcoholic beverage containers in the passenger area, but the law has exceptions, including passengers carried by a hired driver in a bus, taxi, or limousine. A family car's back seat is still the passenger area, so an open beer there is an offense. A cup holder is within the driver's reach, and stopping at a red light changes nothing. The glove compartment choice fails because the manual allows only a locked glove or storage compartment.

11. 11. How far from the nearest rail must a driver stop when a train is approaching a Montana crossing?

    1. Exactly 5 feet from the rail
    2. As close as practicable but not less than 15 feet
    3. At least 50 feet from the crossing in every case
    4. Only far enough back to keep the vehicle off the tracks
    Show answer

    As close as practicable but not less than 15 feet. When a train's approach is indicated by warning signals, gates, a stop sign, or a watchman, Montana requires a stop as close as practicable but at least 15 feet from the nearest rail. The rule creates a protected space for the vehicle and the crossing operation. Five feet is too close, 50 feet is not the stated universal distance, and merely clearing the tracks may leave the vehicle inside the required stopping zone. Treat active railroad warnings as a precise distance command, then wait until crossing is safe.

12. 12. What is the maximum validity period for a basic Montana Class D driver license?

    1. Two years
    2. Four to eight years
    3. Ten years
    4. Until age 65
    Show answer

    Four to eight years. A basic Class D license can remain valid from four through eight years, depending on the holder and the expiration rules. Two years is too short for the ordinary license period, while ten years is longer than the manual allows. The practical cue is to check the expiration date printed on the credential rather than assume every license lasts the same number of years.

13. 13. What does a dashed yellow line between opposing lanes of traffic permit?

    1. Changing direction without checking for traffic
    2. Crossing whenever the vehicle behind is close
    3. Passing only on the shoulder
    4. Crossing to pass when the maneuver is safe
    Show answer

    Crossing to pass when the maneuver is safe. A dashed yellow centerline separates traffic moving in opposite directions and may be crossed to pass when the driver has a safe opportunity. The marking does not promise that every pass is safe, so a following vehicle's impatience is not a reason to go. Passing on the shoulder is specifically prohibited, and a centerline never removes the need to check for oncoming traffic, hills, curves, or other hazards. The helpful visual rule is yellow separates opposing traffic, while dashed means the crossing may be allowed under safe conditions.

14. 14. What must a Montana driver do when a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing?

    
    1. Stop at least 30 feet from the bus
    2. Pass slowly within 10 feet
    3. Stop only if children are visible
    4. Continue if traveling in the opposite direction
    Show answer

    Stop at least 30 feet from the bus. When meeting or passing a stopped school bus with red lights flashing, a driver must stop at least 30 feet away and wait until the red lights turn off. Children may be in the roadway, so seeing no child is not an exception. The opposite direction also generally must stop unless the bus is on a different road or in an adjacent loading zone where pedestrians cannot cross.

15. 15. What must a driver do before turning left on a flashing yellow arrow?

    1. Yield only to vehicles already stopped in the intersection
    2. Turn immediately because the arrow protects the movement
    3. Wait for a steady red arrow before making the turn
    4. Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then turn through a safe gap
    Show answer

    Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then turn through a safe gap. A flashing yellow arrow allows the left turn but does not protect it from opposing road users. Oncoming traffic has a green light, and pedestrians may also be crossing, so the driver must judge whether a safe gap exists before moving. The immediate-turn choice mistakes a permissive indication for a protected one. Waiting for red is unnecessary and may create confusion, while yielding only to stopped vehicles ignores moving traffic and people in the crossing. Associate the flashing yellow arrow with permission plus a careful yield check.

16. 16. After pulling over for an approaching emergency vehicle, how long must a Montana driver remain stopped?

    1. Until another driver waves the vehicle through
    2. Until the next traffic signal turns green
    3. For exactly one minute
    4. Until the emergency vehicle has passed
    Show answer

    Until the emergency vehicle has passed. After yielding to an emergency vehicle, a Montana driver must pull to the right and remain stopped until that vehicle has passed. A green signal does not release the driver, and the manual gives no one-minute timer or permission to wait for another motorist’s gesture. The stop protects the emergency route and gives the responding vehicle room to proceed. If the driver is in an intersection, clearing it comes first, followed by pulling over and stopping.

17. 17. What does a steady green arrow provide for a turning vehicle?

    1. A warning that the signal will turn red
    2. Permission to ignore pedestrians
    3. A protected turning movement
    4. A requirement to reverse direction
    Show answer

    A protected turning movement. A steady green arrow assigns a protected turning movement, which is different from an ordinary green light. Montana still expects drivers to proceed cautiously and watch the intersection. The arrow does not erase awareness of pedestrians or other hazards, and a red transition warning is described separately for yellow signals. Do not reverse direction because of the arrow. Enter only when the intended path is clear and complete the turn as directed.

18. 18. What share of driving decisions are based on what we see, according to the Montana manual?

    1. 50 percent
    2. 25 percent
    3. 10 percent
    4. 90 percent
    Show answer

    90 percent. Driving requires decision making and critical thinking, and 90 percent of driving decisions are based on what we see, which is why the vision test requires at least 20/40 in one eye and why night driving is so much harder. At night you must be able to stop within the roughly 400 feet your headlights illuminate. Keep windows and lights clean.

19. 19. At what core body temperature does heatstroke begin, according to the Montana manual?

    1. About 104 degrees, with about 107 degrees being lethal
    2. About 99 degrees
    3. About 120 degrees
    4. About 95 degrees
    Show answer

    About 104 degrees, with about 107 degrees being lethal. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees and the body's cooling system is overwhelmed, and a core temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal. A child or pet left in a parked car can reach that point in minutes even on a mild day. Look in the back seat before locking, and call 911 if you see a child alone in a hot car.

20. 20. During the first-year restricted license period, what seatbelt rule applies to everyone in the vehicle?

    1. Every person must wear a seatbelt
    2. Only the teenage driver must buckle up
    3. Passengers may ride unrestrained in the back seat
    4. Seatbelts are required only between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
    Show answer

    Every person must wear a seatbelt. Montana applies the seatbelt requirement to every occupant while this restricted license is active. The driver cannot treat the rule as a personal requirement only, so the choice “Only the teenage driver must buckle up” leaves passengers outside the rule. The nighttime option confuses seatbelt use with the separate restricted-license driving-hours limit. A back-seat exception is not provided either. Before moving, the driver should check that each person is buckled in a properly adjusted belt. This is a trip-by-trip obligation, not something that changes with distance, daylight, or whether the road appears busy.