NV Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

Every question below comes from the Nevada 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 10-year-old riding in the back seat of a Nevada car does not want to wear the seat belt. Must the child buckle up?

   1. No, back seat riders are exempt
   2. No, only drivers must wear belts
   3. Yes, everyone 6 and older must buckle
   4. Not unless the trip leaves town
   Show answer

   Yes, everyone 6 and older must buckle. Nevada law requires the driver and any passengers age six and older to wear safety belts if the vehicle is equipped with them. There is no exception for the back seat or for short trips in town. Children under six, and those under 57 inches tall, must instead ride in an approved child restraint system. The handbook also notes the back seat is generally the safest place in the car for children.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat Belts, Children and Phone Laws

2. 2. A power outage has turned off the traffic lights at an intersection. A car on the cross street stopped there before you arrived. What should you do?

   1. Drive through slowly since the lights are out
   2. Stop, let that car go, then go with care
   3. Go first because you are on the larger road
   4. Treat it like a flashing yellow and continue
   Show answer

   Stop, let that car go, then go with care. When traffic control lights are not working, Nevada drivers must come to a full stop before going through the intersection. After yielding to pedestrians and other vehicles that have already stopped or are in the intersection, you may proceed with caution. A car that stopped before you arrived goes first. Being on the larger road does not give you priority, and a dark signal is not the same as a flashing yellow.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic Signals and Arrows

3. 3. A paved Nevada highway shoulder has signs allowing emergency vehicles to drive on it. May an ordinary driver stop there?

   1. No, regular drivers may not stop there
   2. Yes, for any brief stop under 5 minutes
   3. Yes, if the flashers are switched on
   4. Yes, to make a phone call safely
   Show answer

   No, regular drivers may not stop there. Since January 1, 2024, certain emergency vehicles may drive on the paved shoulder of a Nevada highway where signs authorize it. These include law enforcement, fire engines and ambulances, traffic incident management vehicles, tow cars, coroner vehicles and public transit buses. Drivers of non-emergency vehicles may not stop on a shoulder marked to allow emergency use. A brief stop, flashers or a phone call do not create an exception.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency Vehicles and Stopped Service Vehicles

4. 4. A motorcyclist is riding in the middle of a Nevada traffic lane. May you move into the same lane beside the motorcycle?

   1. Yes, if the motorcycle keeps to one side
   2. Yes, motorcycles need only half a lane
   3. Yes, if you stay three feet away
   4. No, motorcyclists may use the full lane
   Show answer

   No, motorcyclists may use the full lane. Motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers, and the handbook says motorcycle operators have the right to use a complete traffic lane. A car should not squeeze in beside a motorcycle in the same lane. Nevada law allows motorcycles and mopeds to ride no more than two abreast in a single lane, and only with the consent of the drivers, which is about motorcycles sharing with each other. The three-foot figure comes from the rule for passing bicycles.

   Study this in the handbook: Trucks, Motorcycles, Mopeds and School Buses

5. 5. You are leaving a shopping center driveway. A person is walking on the sidewalk across the exit, and a car is coming on the main road. Whom must you yield to?

   1. Both the pedestrian and the car
   2. Only the car on the main road
   3. Only the person on the sidewalk
   4. Neither, if you pull out slowly
   Show answer

   Both the pedestrian and the car. Vehicles entering a main road from a minor road, private road or driveway must yield the right-of-way to all traffic on the main road and to pedestrians. The walker crossing the exit and the car on the main road both have priority over you. Pulling out slowly does not change that. Stop before the sidewalk if needed, let the pedestrian pass, and enter the road only when there is a safe gap.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of Way

6. 6. A Nevada school zone sign says its limit applies when children are present. On a school day, children are walking near the road. What applies?

   1. The school zone limit is in effect
   2. The normal limit, unless lights flash
   3. The school limit, but only in the morning
   4. No special limit, since no hours are posted
   Show answer

   The school zone limit is in effect. School zone signs either list the hours when the reduced limit applies or say the limit is in effect when children are present. With the second kind, the presence of children is what triggers the limit, so with children near the road, the school zone limit applies even without flashing lights or posted hours. Nevada school zone limits are 15 or 25 mph. Slow down, watch for children, and obey any crossing guard in the crosswalk.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

7. 7. You are walking across a Nevada street when the hand symbol starts flashing, with no countdown timer. What should you do?

   1. Stop in the street until WALK returns
   2. Run back no matter how far you are
   3. Wait on the center line for traffic
   4. Keep going to the curb or a safe place
   Show answer

   Keep going to the curb or a safe place. A flashing hand without a countdown means a pedestrian may not start crossing. Someone who entered the roadway lawfully may keep going, but must continue to a curb, sidewalk, safety zone if one is provided, or other place of safety before the hand becomes steady. Stopping in the street or standing on the center line leaves you exposed to traffic. Drivers should expect walkers who are still finishing a crossing and be prepared to yield.

8. 8. You are driving on a dark Nevada highway when your headlights go out. What can you use to guide you safely to the side of the road?

   1. Your brake lights, by pressing the pedal over and over
   2. Your parking lights, turn signals or four-way flashers
   3. The interior dome light, left on until you stop
   4. Nothing; stop in your lane and wait for help
   Show answer

   Your parking lights, turn signals or four-way flashers. When headlights fail, the handbook says your parking lights, turn signals or four-way flashers will usually still work, and they can be used to guide you safely to the side of the road. Slow down and pull off the roadway as soon as you can. Once you are off the road, use parking lights or flashers to warn other drivers. Stopping in a travel lane is not the advice.

   Study this in the handbook: Driving Emergencies and Flash Floods

9. 9. You suddenly lose steering control, and your car is heading toward another vehicle. What does the Nevada handbook say to do?

   1. Ease up on the accelerator and brake gently
   2. Turn the wheel sharply the other way
   3. Apply the brakes quickly using maximum pressure
   4. Shift into park to stop the car faster
   Show answer

   Apply the brakes quickly using maximum pressure. If you lose steering control but your car still holds its lane, the handbook says to ease up on the accelerator, slow down, gently apply the brakes, and use your four-way flashers. The danger is greater when the vehicle heads off the road or toward another vehicle or a pedestrian. In that case, apply the brakes quickly using maximum pressure.

   Study this in the handbook: Driving Emergencies and Flash Floods

10. 10. What normal reaction time do highway safety studies cite in the Nevada handbook?

    1. Half a second
    2. 10 seconds
    3. 5 seconds
    4. 2 to 2.5 seconds
    Show answer

    2 to 2.5 seconds. Highway safety studies show normal reaction times are 2 to 2.5 seconds, and the handbook's stopping chart assumes a 2.5 second reaction time on dry level pavement. Doubling speed from 30 to 60 mph far more than doubles braking distance, and on ice a car at 30 mph needs about 373 feet to stop, well over a football field, so winter following distance must grow accordingly.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping Distance and Following

11. 11. A Nevada railroad crossing has a stop sign, and a train is coming. A driver stops 8 feet from the tracks. Is that correct?

    1. Yes, any stop before the rail is fine
    2. No, stop at least 50 feet away
    3. No, stop at least 15 feet away
    4. Yes, 8 feet is the legal minimum
    Show answer

    No, stop at least 15 feet away. If there is a stop sign at a railroad crossing, drivers must stop, and if a train is coming, they must stop at least 15 feet from the tracks. Eight feet is too close, so the driver should stop farther back. The 50 foot figure is the rule for parking near the nearest rail, not for stopping at a crossing. Look both ways, and remember that trains cannot stop in time to miss cars.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

12. 12. You want to leave your car at a white painted curb for 20 minutes while you shop. Is that allowed?

    1. Yes, for up to 30 minutes
    2. No, it is for brief passenger stops
    3. Yes, if you stay in the car
    4. Yes, if a sign shows a time limit
    Show answer

    No, it is for brief passenger stops. A white curb usually allows only a very short stop to take on or let off passengers or to drop mail in a mailbox. Leaving the car for 20 minutes to shop is not that kind of stop. Green curbs allow parking for a limited time, usually shown on a sign, yellow curbs mark loading zones under local rules, and red curbs mean no stopping, standing or parking. Blue marks handicapped parking areas.

13. 13. Which sign color carries the message no, do not, or stop on Nevada roads?

    1. Red
    2. Orange
    3. Yellow
    4. Brown
    Show answer

    Red. Nevada's standard sign colors each carry a message. Red means no, do not, or stop. Orange marks road construction or repair warnings, yellow or yellow green is the general warning color, and brown points to recreation and scenic areas. Green gives direction or guidance, blue marks driver services such as food and lodging, and white is for regulatory signs. Knowing the colors helps you understand a sign's message quickly.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign Colors and Shapes

14. 14. You are following a tanker truck carrying flammable materials toward a railroad crossing with no train in sight. What should you expect?

    1. The truck will stop at the crossing
    2. Pass it before the tracks
    3. The truck will speed across
    4. Honk so it keeps moving
    Show answer

    The truck will stop at the crossing. Even if there is no stop signal and no train is coming, passenger buses and trucks carrying flammable or dangerous materials must stop at railroad crossings. Following one, be ready for it to stop, and keep enough distance to stop behind it. Passing it near the tracks is dangerous and also breaks the rule against passing within 100 feet of a railroad crossing. Honking will not change its legal duty to stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

15. 15. After starting the engine, a Nevada driver notices the music drowns out the sound of nearby traffic. What should the driver do?

    1. Keep it loud and check the mirrors more often
    2. Turn it off only when merging onto a freeway
    3. Leave it as is if the windows are closed
    4. Turn it down so traffic sounds are audible
    Show answer

    Turn it down so traffic sounds are audible. Adjusting the stereo is part of the handbook's checklist for when you turn on the engine. You should be able to hear normal traffic sounds, and if you cannot, the volume must come down until you can. Extra mirror checks do not replace hearing what is around you, closed windows make the problem worse rather than better, and the check applies to all driving, not just freeway merges. The same checklist covers fuel level, warning lights, and turning on headlights, signals and wipers when needed.

16. 16. You are in the acceleration lane of a Nevada freeway on-ramp. How fast should you be going as you merge?

    1. Well below traffic speed until you merge
    2. At the ramp's posted advisory speed
    3. At or near the speed of freeway traffic
    4. Stopped at the end of the ramp first
    Show answer

    At or near the speed of freeway traffic. In the merge or acceleration lane, the handbook says to signal, look for an opening and accelerate to or near the speed of freeway traffic. You should not stop before merging unless it is necessary, because a stop can mean a slow and dangerous start into fast-moving traffic and can affect the drivers behind you. Entering well below traffic speed creates a similar problem. While merging, you still must yield to traffic already on the freeway.

    Study this in the handbook: Freeway Driving

17. 17. A driver ahead is slowing to turn left, and the only room to pass on the right is the dirt shoulder. What does Nevada say?

    1. Pass on the shoulder if you go slowly
    2. Do not pass off the pavement
    3. Pass on the right after a horn tap
    4. Pass if the shoulder is wide enough
    Show answer

    Do not pass off the pavement. Nevada allows passing on the right only where the street or highway is clearly marked for two or more lanes going your direction, and only when it is safe. The handbook adds that you must never pass on the right when doing so would mean driving off the paved portion of the highway. Using the shoulder to get around a turning car breaks both this rule and the general rule that the shoulder may never be used for passing. Wait behind the turning driver instead.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, Lane Changes, U-Turns and Passing

18. 18. A Nevada street has a center lane marked with solid and broken yellow lines on each side. May you drive in it to pass a slow car?

    1. Yes, for up to 200 feet before merging
    2. No, it is not a travel or passing lane
    3. Yes, if you signal and no one is turning
    4. Yes, when traffic in your lane has stopped
    Show answer

    No, it is not a travel or passing lane. Center lanes for left turns are marked on each side by solid yellow and broken yellow lines. Drivers may cross those lines only to make a left turn onto or from the highway; the lanes are not travel lanes and may not be used for passing. The 200 foot figure is the most you may travel in the center lane before making a left turn, so it does not create a passing allowance. Signaling or waiting until traffic stops does not change the rule.

    Study this in the handbook: Highway Markings

19. 19. In the Nevada handbook's speed examples, which roads can carry limits of 70 mph or more?

    1. Urban freeways and beltways
    2. Reduced speed areas near towns
    3. Rural two-lane highways
    4. Rural interstate freeways
    Show answer

    Rural interstate freeways. According to the example list, limits of 70 mph and higher are found on rural interstate freeways. Urban freeways and rural highways are listed at 65 mph, and 45 mph appears for reduced speed areas going into towns. These figures are examples, so the posted sign decides the limit on any particular road. Speed limits are set for normal driving conditions, and bad weather or slick pavement calls for a slower speed than the number on the sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed Limits and School Zones

20. 20. You are stopped at a Nevada railroad crossing with more than one set of tracks, and a train has just passed on the nearest track. When may you start across?

    1. As soon as the nearest track is clear
    2. After waiting ten seconds, if the lights are off
    3. Only after you have a clear view in both directions
    4. As soon as the car ahead of you starts across
    Show answer

    Only after you have a clear view in both directions. If you are stopped at a crossing with more than one set of tracks, Nevada tells you to wait until you have a clear view in both directions before you start across. Do not guess, because trains cannot stop in time to miss cars, and it is difficult to judge accurately how fast a moving train is going. Look both ways at every crossing, even when no stop sign or signal warns you that a train is coming.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings