NV Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. Which of these could be the posted speed limit in a Nevada school zone?

   1. 10 mph
   2. 15 mph
   3. 20 mph
   4. 35 mph
   Show answer

   15 mph. In Nevada school zones, the speed limit is either 15 or 25 mph. Of these choices, only 15 mph matches. These limits apply on school days from a half hour before school begins to a half hour after it ends unless otherwise posted, and signs either show the hours or say the limit applies when children are present. Slow down and watch for children.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad Crossings

2. 2. On a two-lane road with no median, a school bus coming toward you stops and turns on its flashing red lights. What must you do?

   1. Stop and wait until the lights go off
   2. Keep going; it is in the other lane
   3. Slow to 15 mph and pass carefully
   4. Stop only if children are crossing
   Show answer

   Stop and wait until the lights go off. Nevada requires drivers to stop at any location for a school bus showing a flashing red signal and not to pass until the driver turns the lights off. The only exception is a divided highway, where just the traffic going the same direction as the bus must stop. On an undivided two-lane road, drivers in both directions stop. Slowing down or watching for children is not enough.

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

3. 3. In heavy rain, most cars start to hydroplane somewhere between 35 and 55 mph. What is happening to the tires when they hydroplane?

   1. They grip better as water cools them
   2. They gain traction from the wet road
   3. They brake more sharply than usual
   4. They lose traction on the water
   Show answer

   They lose traction on the water. The handbook says most cars will begin to lose traction and hydroplane between speeds of 35 and 55 mph in heavy rainfall. When that happens, you lose control of your vehicle, so the advice is to slow down. Water does not improve grip, and braking becomes less effective, not sharper. Stopping distances on a wet highway may be more than double those on dry pavement.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping Distance and Following

4. 4. You are driving alone and reach a metered on-ramp that also has an HOV bypass lane. Which lane should you use?

   1. The metered lane, and wait for green
   2. The bypass lane, since it is never metered
   3. The bypass lane outside rush hour
   4. Whichever lane has the shorter line
   Show answer

   The metered lane, and wait for green. Some metered ramps have HOV bypass lanes marked with a diamond, and they are not metered. A carpool of two or more people may use the bypass lane without stopping. A driver alone is not a carpool, so use a metered lane, stop at the line on red, and go when the light turns green. Ramp meters change faster than intersection signals, so stay alert.

   Study this in the handbook: Freeway Driving

5. 5. Two streets meet at a T intersection in a Nevada neighborhood, and no crosswalk is painted. Is there a crosswalk there?

   1. Yes, a crosswalk exists even if unmarked
   2. No, painted lines are what create a crosswalk
   3. Not unless a pedestrian signal is installed
   4. Just on the side that has a stop sign
   Show answer

   Yes, a crosswalk exists even if unmarked. Nevada treats every place where two streets intersect as having a crosswalk, and that includes a T intersection. The crosswalk exists even when no lines are painted or marked. That is important, since pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections have the right-of-way over vehicles. Paint, signals and stop signs are not what create the crosswalk; the meeting of the streets does. The handbook adds that crosswalks in small towns and residential areas may not be marked, but drivers still must yield to pedestrians there.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians and Bicyclists

6. 6. A freeway on-ramp meter in Nevada is switched on and shows red. What should you expect from this signal?

   1. It stays red until the ramp is fully clear
   2. It lets several cars go on each green
   3. It can be ignored when traffic looks light
   4. It changes faster than an intersection signal
   Show answer

   It changes faster than an intersection signal. When ramp meters are switched on, you must pull up to the stop line and stop on red, then wait for the green light. The handbook warns drivers to be alert because a ramp meter changes more rapidly than a signal at an intersection. When the light turns green, proceed along the ramp and merge onto the freeway safely. The handbook's ramp picture shows a ONE CAR PER GREEN sign, and an active meter must be obeyed even when the freeway looks empty.

   Study this in the handbook: Freeway Driving

7. 7. Which driving behavior does the Nevada handbook list as a clue that another driver may be under the influence?

   1. Signaling well before every turn
   2. Keeping a four-second following gap
   3. Straddling the center line
   4. Slowing gradually for a yellow light
   Show answer

   Straddling the center line. The handbook lists clues that another driver may be under the influence so you can avoid becoming a DUI victim. They include making turns too widely, using two lanes or straddling the center line, almost hitting someone or something, weaving or drifting, and driving with the tires on the lane markers. Signaling early, leaving a long following gap and slowing gradually for a yellow light are signs of careful driving. If you see these clues, watch out, and report the driver by dialing *NHP.

   Study this in the handbook: Young Drivers, Alcohol and Open Containers

8. 8. A Nevada carpool lane is separated from the other lanes by a double solid white line. Where may you move into or out of it?

   1. Anywhere, as long as you signal first
   2. Where the marking is a broken white line
   3. At the far end of the carpool lane only
   4. Whenever traffic in the carpool lane is slow
   Show answer

   Where the marking is a broken white line. Carpool lanes have specific places to enter and exit. A double solid white line means you cannot cross the lines to get into or out of the carpool lane. Entry and exit are allowed where the marking changes to a broken white line. Signaling does not make crossing a double solid line legal, slow traffic in the lane is not an exception, and you do not have to wait for the very end of the lane. Watch for the broken white sections marked as the HOV entrance and exit.

   Study this in the handbook: Highway Markings

9. 9. Your car has Automatic Emergency Braking. What does the Nevada handbook say you should still do?

   1. Follow closer, since the car will brake for you
   2. Turn it off in city traffic to avoid false stops
   3. Keep scanning and keep a safe following distance
   4. Rely on it instead of watching the road ahead
   Show answer

   Keep scanning and keep a safe following distance. Automatic Emergency Braking, or brake assist, senses slow or stopped traffic or objects ahead and urgently applies the brakes if the driver fails to respond. It is one of the safety critical technologies that may prevent or reduce the severity of a crash. Even so, the handbook says drivers should continue to scan the road for hazards and maintain a safe following distance. Following closer or relying on the system in place of your own attention goes against that advice.

10. 10. You are backing a car that is towing a trailer and want the trailer to go to the left. How do you turn the steering wheel?

    1. Turn the wheel to the right
    2. Turn the wheel to the left
    3. Keep the wheel straight and let it drift
    4. Turn left, then quickly right
    Show answer

    Turn the wheel to the right. Backing with a trailer is different from backing a single vehicle. With a single vehicle, you turn the top of the steering wheel toward the direction you want to go; with a trailer, you turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction. Once the trailer starts to turn, turn the wheel the other way to follow it. Back as slowly as possible, use your mirrors, and correct drift right away. A helper standing where you can see them makes backing safer.

11. 11. You pick a sign ahead and count until your car reaches it. You only get to one thousand eight. What does the Nevada handbook say?

    1. Your search distance is fine
    2. Look farther ahead
    3. Slow down to 30 mph
    4. Follow the car ahead closer
    Show answer

    Look farther ahead. Nevada's search rule is to look ahead at least 12 seconds, to where your vehicle will be 12 seconds from now. To check, pick a fixed object ahead and count one thousand one, one thousand two, and so on until the front of your vehicle passes it. If you have not reached one thousand twelve, you need to be looking farther ahead. At freeway speeds, look at least 20 to 30 seconds ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Freeway Driving

12. 12. A yellow sign shows that a sharp curve is ahead. Which of the three purposes of highway signs does it serve?

    1. To regulate
    2. To inform
    3. To enforce
    4. To warn
    Show answer

    To warn. Nevada's handbook says signs have three purposes: they regulate, warn and inform. A yellow sign announcing a curve tells you about a hazard ahead, so its purpose is to warn; warning signs are yellow diamonds with black letters and symbols. Regulatory signs, which are white rectangles, state laws you must obey, and guide signs inform you about directions and services. Enforcing laws is not listed as a purpose of signs.

    Study this in the handbook: Sign Colors and Shapes

13. 13. On a road with two lanes your direction, a police car is stopped on the right shoulder. You are in the right lane, and the left lane is clear. What should you do?

    1. Stay in the right lane at your speed
    2. Stop behind the police car
    3. Move to the left lane if safe
    4. Honk as you pass the officer
    Show answer

    Move to the left lane if safe. Nevada drivers approaching a stopped emergency, utility or service vehicle should, if possible, drive in a lane that is not next to the lane where the vehicle is stopped, unless road, traffic, weather or other conditions make that unsafe or impossible. With a clear left lane, move over. You must also slow to a reasonable speed below the posted limit, proceed with caution and be ready to stop. Stopping behind the police car or honking is not what the law asks.

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

14. 14. You pull up beside the car in front of an open parallel parking space. How far from that car should your car be?

    1. About 6 inches away
    2. About 18 inches away
    3. About 5 or 6 feet away
    4. About 2 or 3 feet away
    Show answer

    About 2 or 3 feet away. The handbook's parallel parking steps say to pull up beside the car parked in front of your chosen space, about 2 or 3 feet away from it, with your rear bumpers lined up across from each other. From there, shift to reverse, check your mirrors and look over your shoulder, and back slowly while turning the wheel all the way to the right. The 18 inch figure is how close your wheels should end up to the curb, not the side gap to the other car.

15. 15. A car behind you on a two-lane Nevada road signals that it wants to pass. What should you do?

    1. Move right in your lane and let it pass
    2. Speed up so the pass is over sooner
    3. Pull fully onto the shoulder and stop
    4. Tap your brakes to warn it to stay back
    Show answer

    Move right in your lane and let it pass. When another vehicle comes up behind you and signals to pass, the handbook says to move to the right within your travel lane and let it go by. Never speed up while you are being passed. Stopping on the shoulder is not required, and brake tapping is not part of the advice. Keep a steady speed until the other vehicle is safely back in the lane ahead of you, then continue with a safe following distance.

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

16. 16. Your car breaks down on a Nevada freeway, and you have pulled onto the shoulder. What does the handbook suggest?

    1. Walk along the freeway to the next exit
    2. Stand behind the car to wave others by
    3. Stay with the car, away from traffic
    4. Leave the hood up and hitchhike for help
    Show answer

    Stay with the car, away from traffic. If you have car trouble, move to the shoulder or emergency stopping area as soon as you safely can and turn on your four-way flashers. The handbook says it is better, if possible, to stay in or near your car on the far side from passing traffic, because walking along a freeway is dangerous. If you stay with your car, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper will stop to help you. Do not stop on a freeway except for an emergency.

    Study this in the handbook: Freeway Driving

17. 17. Water is flowing across a Nevada road ahead, and it looks only a few inches deep. What does the handbook say to do?

    1. Drive through slowly in low gear
    2. Drive through quickly to avoid stalling
    3. Turn around and find another route
    4. Follow a larger vehicle across
    Show answer

    Turn around and find another route. The handbook says not to attempt driving through a flooded roadway; turn around and take another route, or wait until the water goes down. Floodwater depth is hard to judge, the road beneath may have washed away, and less than an inch of water can cause a driver to lose control. Cars traveling fast can be pushed off the road by only 6 inches of water. Driving slowly, speeding through, or following a larger vehicle does not make the crossing safe.

    Study this in the handbook: Driving Emergencies and Flash Floods

18. 18. You want to make a U-turn at a two-lane Nevada roundabout. Which lane should you use?

    1. The right lane
    2. Either lane
    3. The truck apron
    4. The left lane
    Show answer

    The left lane. At a multi-lane roundabout you choose your lane on approach, just as you would for any other intersection. The handbook says to use the left lane to turn left, complete a U-turn, or go straight, and the right lane to turn right or go straight. Going straight is the only movement allowed from either lane. The raised truck apron around the center island is for large trucks and trailers, and cars should not use it.

    Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts

19. 19. Nevada weather can change suddenly. What does the handbook call the most important thing to do when driving in bad weather?

    1. Use high beams
    2. Slow down
    3. Use flashers
    4. Follow closer
    Show answer

    Slow down. Nevada's weather is notoriously unpredictable, with sudden wind, rain and snowstorms, and the handbook says the most important thing to do when driving in bad weather is slow down. Stopping distances on slippery roads may be 2 to 10 times greater than on dry pavement. Lights do not shorten those distances, and following closely only uses up the space you need. Give other drivers plenty of space and watch the tail lights of the vehicles in front of you.

    Study this in the handbook: Night Driving, Bad Weather and Skids

20. 20. You turned left onto a Nevada highway and are in its center turn lane. You want to drive 120 feet in it before joining traffic. Is that allowed?

    1. Yes, up to 200 feet is allowed in a center lane
    2. No, you may travel no more than 50 feet in it
    3. Yes, there is no limit if you signal first
    4. No, you must merge within 100 feet of the turn
    Show answer

    No, you may travel no more than 50 feet in it. Nevada says a driver may not travel more than 50 feet in a center lane after making a left turn onto the highway before merging with traffic. The 200 foot limit is different: it applies to driving in a center turn lane before making a left turn. Because 120 feet is more than 50, you must merge sooner. Center turn lanes are not travel lanes and may not be used for passing.

    Study this in the handbook: Highway Markings