ND Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

Every question below comes from the North Dakota 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 car has automatic shoulder belts that move into place when the doors close. What else must be fastened?

   1. Nothing, the automatic belt gives full protection
   2. The rear seat belts must be buckled instead
   3. A separate lap belt must be fastened manually
   4. Only the driver side belt needs manual work
   Show answer

   A separate lap belt must be fastened manually. Automatic seat belts automatically move into place around front-seat occupants when the car doors are closed, but a separate lap belt must be fastened manually to provide sufficient protection with automatic shoulder belts. Assuming the moving belt alone is complete leaves the pelvis unrestrained in a frontal crash. Shoulder belts should cross the chest and collarbone with minimal slack. North Dakota law requires all occupants to wear belts in all seating positions.

   Study this in the handbook: Points, texting and other penalties

2. 2. Where must a snowmobile never be operated in North Dakota?

   1. In a ditch while moving with roadway traffic
   2. Across a road at right angles after stopping
   3. On private land with permission from its owner
   4. On a road, its shoulder, or its inside bank
   Show answer

   On a road, its shoulder, or its inside bank. North Dakota bars snowmobile operation on the roadway, shoulder, or inside bank of any road. A ditch alongside the roadway is permitted when the snowmobile travels in the same direction as roadway traffic. Crossing a roadway may be allowed after yielding to all traffic and crossing at a right angle when clear. Private land is permitted when the owner has given permission, because the manual prohibits operation there without permission. The prohibited locations are the roadway, shoulder, and inside bank, not every area beside a road.

3. 3. Why does a tractor-trailer often travel in the center lane of a multi-lane highway?

   1. To block faster cars from passing on the left
   2. To avoid all weigh stations along the route
   3. To keep local traffic moving on and off the highway
   4. To make right turns easier at intersections
   Show answer

   To keep local traffic moving on and off the highway. On multi-lane highways, tractor-trailers often stay in the center lane to help the flow of local traffic entering and leaving the highway. The center lane also gives the truck driver more choices if a lane change is needed to avoid a hazard. The truck is not trying to block faster cars, and the lane choice has nothing to do with skipping weigh stations or setting up a right turn. When you approach a truck in the center lane, pass on the left, leave space, and avoid cutting in front of it to reach an exit.

   Study this in the handbook: Move over and crash reporting

4. 4. What are the two most common types of Interstate interchanges?

   1. The trumpet and the directional stack
   2. The roundabout and the signalized ramp
   3. The diamond and the cloverleaf types
   4. The loop ramp and the frontage crossing
   Show answer

   The diamond and the cloverleaf types. The two most common types of interchanges are the diamond and the cloverleaf. Different states use different names for the ramps used for getting on and off the interstate highway, so the guidance settles on calling them interchanges. Entrance ramps allow you to adjust speed and merge safely with highway flow. Exit ramps are for leaving the highway, and you should never stop or back up on those ramps.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way rules

5. 5. Why must drivers be especially cautious around flooded roads at night?

   1. Nighttime makes floodwater easier to see
   2. Visibility is limited at night around floodwater
   3. Headlights hide the depth of floodwater
   4. Darkness makes the road edges appear closer than they are
   Show answer

   Visibility is limited at night around floodwater. North Dakota's flooding guidance connects the added nighttime caution to limited visibility. Darkness can make a flooded roadway, its edges, and hazards near the water harder to see. The manual does not say that nighttime makes floodwater easier to see, that headlights hide the water, or that darkness changes the apparent distance to the road edges. Those ideas are different visual claims from the stated reason. The passage identifies reduced visibility as the nighttime hazard around flooded roads.

   Study this in the handbook: Night, winter and deer

6. 6. When backing is necessary, what condition must the maneuver satisfy?

   1. It may block one lane briefly at any speed
   2. It may be done at any speed if you signal
   3. It must be done without interfering with other traffic
   4. It is allowed only from a public roadway
   Show answer

   It must be done without interfering with other traffic. When backing your vehicle is necessary, it must be done without interfering with other traffic, and you are responsible for backing onto a lane of traffic safely. Blocking a lane briefly still interferes with drivers who may not expect a vehicle reversing into their path. Before backing, walk around your vehicle to check for clearance and for children or obstacles behind it. A driver or passenger guide can help on a farm or worksite but does not remove that responsibility.

   Study this in the handbook: Residency, license classes and insurance

7. 7. Which action toward another driver is listed as an aggressive driving behavior?

   1. Yielding the right of way to avoid a conflict
   2. Denying entry into your lane or preventing passing
   3. Allowing a merging driver to enter your lane early
   4. Slowing down to increase a following gap
   Show answer

   Denying entry into your lane or preventing passing. Denying entry into your lane or preventing passing appears among the behaviors that indicate aggression rather than inexperience. Honking, yelling, or making visible insulting gestures and speeding past another car while revving the engine belong to the same list. Yielding to avoid a conflict is the defensive opposite of that pattern. When you meet such a driver, avoid eye contact and create distance instead of competing for the lane.

8. 8. What does the heatstroke guidance say about leaving a child alone in a vehicle?

   1. Wait ten minutes for an adult to return.
   2. Leave a note and continue on your way.
   3. Take action; leaving a child alone is never okay.
   4. Assume a sleeping child is safe.
   Show answer

   Take action; leaving a child alone is never okay.. The heatstroke guidance says to take action when a child is alone in a vehicle and explains that leaving a child alone is never okay for any amount of time. Waiting for a parent, leaving a note, or assuming sleep means safety can leave the child in a dangerous cabin. The instruction is directed at preventing a tragedy, so noticing the child calls for action rather than passive observation.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and heatstroke

9. 9. Under certain conditions, which vehicles may be more prone to roll-overs than other types?

   1. Small trucks and SUVs are more prone to roll-overs
   2. Full-size sedans with smaller engines and airbags
   3. Station wagons driven at legal highway speeds
   4. Any vehicle with four doors and dual front airbags
   Show answer

   Small trucks and SUVs are more prone to roll-overs. Under certain conditions, small trucks and SUVs may be more prone to roll-overs than other types of vehicles. Their higher center of gravity matters in a sharp swerve or a trip off the pavement edge. That is one reason mid- to full-size sedans and station wagons with smaller engines and airbags are described as safest for teen drivers. A novice who overcorrects at speed needs a vehicle that forgives the mistake.

10. 10. How much can a North Dakota driver reduce the point total for each three-month period with no points recorded?

    1. One point
    2. Two points
    3. Three points
    4. Five points
    Show answer

    One point. The point total can come down by one point for every three-month period in which the driver has no points recorded. The reduction is tied to a clean stretch on the record, but it is only one point at a time, not two, three, or five. A driver who completes an approved driver improvement course can earn three points under a separate provision, so the course figure should not be confused with the clean-period credit. Mark the end of each three-month stretch and check the record, because a single new violation during the period interrupts the credit.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, texting and other penalties

11. 11. A North Dakota driver's record shows 13 or more points. How is the suspension period set?

    1. Seven days for every point on the record
    2. Ten days for each point over 12
    3. Thirty days for the first 13 points
    4. Seven days for each point over 11
    Show answer

    Seven days for each point over 11. At 12 points the suspension is seven days. Once the total is 13 or more, the handbook changes the calculation to seven days for each point over 11, so 14 points would mean 21 days. The choice of seven days for every point on the record would count the first 11 points too, which the table does not do. Ten days per point and a flat 30 days for the first 13 points are not part of the schedule. Use the number over 11, not the full total, when you estimate how long a suspension will last.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, texting and other penalties

12. 12. A crosswind is blowing snow across the road and you cannot see. What should you do?

    1. Follow the taillights ahead closely
    2. Speed up to clear the snow cloud
    3. Stop in the travel lane with lights off
    4. Wait until you can see before entering it
    Show answer

    Wait until you can see before entering it. The manual says never drive through whiteouts caused by crosswinds or by plowing light snow. Pull over and wait until visibility returns, because the snow cloud can hide a stopped vehicle or a plow in your lane. Following taillights closely invites a rear end crash, speeding up lengthens the distance you need to stop, and stopping in the travel lane without lights makes you harder to see. Move as far off the roadway as you can, turn on your hazard lights, and stay put until the air clears.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, texting and other penalties

13. 13. Where will a speed limit sign normally be placed?

    1. On the right-hand side of the road
    2. On the left shoulder facing traffic
    3. Overhead above the center lane
    4. Painted on the pavement itself
    Show answer

    On the right-hand side of the road. A speed limit sign is a regulatory sign showing the maximum speed permitted under ideal conditions, and the handbook says these signs are normally found on the right hand side of streets and highways. That placement keeps the message in the driver's primary scanning area. Signs facing traffic from the left shoulder, overhead placements, and pavement paint are not the normal arrangement described. Scan the right shoulder as you leave a town or pass a school zone so a lower limit does not surprise you.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs

14. 14. Which factor influences a person's alcohol concentration?

    1. The type of vehicle driven
    2. The length of the trip
    3. The driver's experience
    4. The person's lean body weight
    Show answer

    The person's lean body weight. A person's lean body weight is one of the three factors the handbook says changes alcohol concentration. A larger person has more blood and body fluids, so the same amount of alcohol is diluted more than it would be in a smaller person. Vehicle type, trip length, and driving experience do not appear in that list, because they do not change how much alcohol reaches the bloodstream. The other two factors are the alcohol content of the drinks and the period over which they were consumed, so account for both the drink and the clock, not just your size.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and heatstroke

15. 15. Before entering or leaving a traffic lane, what check should you make for motorcycles?

    1. Rely only on the motorcycle turn signal
    2. Wait for the rider to sound the horn
    3. Check only the center mirror once
    4. Check mirrors and blind spots visually
    Show answer

    Check mirrors and blind spots visually. Make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane and at intersections. Motorcycles are small, so a rider can hide in a blind spot or be missed in a quick glance. A turn signal alone cannot be trusted, since motorcycle signals often stay on after a turn. No horn signal is required from the rider. Turn your head and look at the lane beside you before you move into it.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians

16. 16. Which traffic control devices may an active railroad crossing have installed?

    1. It may have flashing red lights, with or without bells, and gates.
    2. It may have only a crossbuck and an advance warning sign.
    3. It may have a yield sign facing train traffic.
    4. It may use pavement markings as its only warning.
    Show answer

    It may have flashing red lights, with or without bells, and gates.. An active railroad crossing has a traffic control device installed to regulate traffic. The manual lists flashing red lights with or without bells and flashing red lights with bells and gates. A crossbuck and advance warning sign describe recognition devices at a passive crossing, while a yield sign facing train traffic is not an active road control. Pavement markings alone also do not regulate traffic as an active device would.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, blowouts, equipment failure and railroad crossings

17. 17. An official No Parking sign is posted along a curb with open space. What does the sign mean for parking there?

    1. Parking is allowed for up to fifteen minutes.
    2. Parking is barred anywhere that sign applies.
    3. Only commercial vehicles may park there.
    4. Parking is allowed overnight only there.
    Show answer

    Parking is barred anywhere that sign applies.. An official No Parking sign prohibits parking anywhere the sign applies. Open curb space does not create a short-stop exception, and the sign does not reserve the area for commercial vehicles or overnight parking. The restriction may cover only the stretch indicated by a sign arrow, so read the sign and its direction before leaving the vehicle. The important distinction is the posted prohibition, not whether the curb happens to be empty.

18. 18. In what order does the guidance recommend looking when approaching an intersection where you must yield?

    1. Look to the right, then to the left, then ahead.
    2. Look first to the left, then to the right, then left again.
    3. Look only to the left before entering.
    4. Look straight ahead, then to the right twice.
    Show answer

    Look first to the left, then to the right, then left again.. The recommended scan begins to the left, moves to the right, and returns to the left before the driver proceeds, while remaining ready to yield. Looking right first changes the stated sequence. Looking only left can miss traffic approaching from the other side, and looking straight ahead with two rightward checks omits the second left check. The repeated left look gives the driver another chance to see traffic that was hidden or still approaching.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and passing

19. 19. An emergency vehicle approaches a roundabout you are about to enter. What does the roundabout guidance require?

    1. Do not enter the roundabout if one is approaching
    2. Enter quickly to clear its path ahead
    3. Stop inside the circle beside the island
    4. Yield only after it enters the circle
    Show answer

    Do not enter the roundabout if one is approaching. Clear the roundabout to allow emergency vehicles to pass and do not enter the roundabout if one is approaching. Stopping inside the circle beside the island blocks the very path the emergency vehicle needs through the junction. The entering rule pairs with yielding to circulating traffic before entry. Hold at the yield line and let both the emergency vehicle and circulating cars clear before proceeding in.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way rules

20. 20. What does a flagperson in a highway work zone use to direct traffic?

    1. A white glove and a flashlight.
    2. Red flags or stop and slow paddles.
    3. A whistle and a striped barricade.
    4. A yellow flashing light on a handheld pole.
    Show answer

    Red flags or stop and slow paddles.. Flagpersons use red flags or stop and slow paddles to direct traffic through work zones. The red flags and paddles are the signals named for this job. A white glove and flashlight, a whistle with a barricade, and a yellow flashing light on a handheld pole are not the devices identified in this passage. The role is to stop, slow, or guide traffic safely through the work area, so the driver should watch the flagperson's displayed signal rather than infer permission from an open-looking lane. Work-zone traffic may be directed one way at a time.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs