ND Permit Practice Test 20

All 20 questions in test 20

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. How much greater are your chances of being killed if you are thrown from a vehicle in a crash?

   1. Twice as great as staying inside the vehicle
   2. The same as remaining belted inside it
   3. Ten times greater in every type of crash
   4. Four times greater if you are thrown from it
   Show answer

   Four times greater if you are thrown from it. Your chances of being killed are four times greater if you are thrown from the vehicle in a crash. Most traffic deaths and serious injuries occur when drivers and passengers are ejected or thrown onto the dashboard. Seat belts help keep occupants in place, reducing the chance of death or injury on highways and near home alike. Injury crashes are most likely under 40 miles per hour and within 25 miles of home, so belt use matters on short trips.

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

2. 2. Floodwater across a road looks shallow enough to cross. What does the flooding guidance say?

   1. Cross in the lowest gear available.
   2. Cross behind another car.
   3. Do not attempt to cross the flooded road.
   4. Cross only if driving an SUV or pickup.
   Show answer

   Do not attempt to cross the flooded road.. Even when floodwater appears shallow enough to cross, the guidance says not to attempt the crossing. Water can hide dips, and the current can wash away the road surface beneath it. Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, including SUVs and pickup trucks, so vehicle size is not a safe test. Do not follow another car into the water or rely on a low gear. Turn around when possible and wait on higher ground if no route is open.

   Study this in the handbook: Night, winter and deer

3. 3. What drive system must a motorized bicycle have under its definition?

   1. An automatic drive system not requiring a clutch
   2. A manual clutch system with at least three gears
   3. A chain drive operated by hand controls
   4. Any drive system the owner chooses to fit
   Show answer

   An automatic drive system not requiring a clutch. A motorized bicycle must have an automatic drive system not requiring the use of a clutch, along with foot pedals or footrests. Its maximum piston or rotor displacement of 49.98 cc enables a speed not exceeding 30 miles per hour on a level surface, and the vehicle is no more than 32 inches wide. A manual clutch machine falls outside that definition even if it looks similar. To operate one you must be at least 14 and carry a valid license or permit.

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

4. 4. A tractor-trailer ahead signals for a right turn but first swings toward the left. What is the driver doing?

   1. The driver is preparing to pass another truck.
   2. The driver is signaling for you to pass on the right.
   3. The driver is avoiding a pothole in the right lane.
   4. The driver is making room for the trailer's rear wheels.
   Show answer

   The driver is making room for the trailer's rear wheels.. The rear wheels of a long vehicle follow a shorter path than its front wheels. As the vehicle gets longer, that difference becomes greater, so a tractor-trailer often swings left before making a right turn to give the trailer room to clear the corner. The maneuver is not an invitation to pass on the right. Stay behind the truck, watch its signals, and wait until the tractor and trailer have completed the turn before moving into the space beside it.

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

5. 5. By accepting a North Dakota driver's license, a driver gives consent to what?

   1. A yearly physical examination at a state clinic
   2. Release of the driving record to any employer
   3. A chemical test of blood, breath, urine, or saliva
   4. A vehicle safety inspection at every renewal
   Show answer

   A chemical test of blood, breath, urine, or saliva. Holding a North Dakota license means the driver has already consented to a chemical test that measures alcohol or drug content in blood, breath, urine, or saliva. The consent is part of the implied consent law, and it applies without a separate signature at the roadside. A yearly physical, employer access to the record, and a renewal inspection are not conditions of that consent. If an officer asks for a sample, refusal carries its own license consequences, so know that the obligation began when the license was issued.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC and implied consent

6. 6. Which vehicle must stop at a railroad crossing even when no train is visible?

   1. A passenger car
   2. A pickup truck
   3. A gasoline tank truck
   4. A motorcycle
   Show answer

   A gasoline tank truck. School buses, vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids such as gasoline trucks, and buses carrying passengers must stop at railroad crossings. The handbook says they must stop within 50 feet and not less than 15 feet from the tracks. Other drivers should watch for them and should not pass while they are stopped at the crossing. A passenger car, pickup, or motorcycle does not fall into those categories, although every driver must still look and listen and stop when a train or signal requires it. The hazard of a tanker or bus is the reason for the extra stop.

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

7. 7. A front tire blows out while you are driving. Which way will the vehicle tend to pull?

   1. Toward the blown tire
   2. Toward the opposite side
   3. From side to side
   4. It will stay straight
   Show answer

   Toward the blown tire. When a front tire blows out, the vehicle pulls in the direction of the blown tire. A rear tire failure produces a different symptom: the rear of the car sways back and forth. The handbook's response is to grip the wheel tightly, steer straight, and ease off the accelerator without braking until you have control. Expecting a sideways sway belongs to a rear tire, and a perfectly straight path ignores the pull. Hold the wheel with both hands and let the car slow before you move to the shoulder.

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

8. 8. A crew has opened an excavation beside the curb. When does the handbook forbid parking there?

   1. Only when workers are present
   2. When parking would obstruct traffic
   3. Only during the hours of darkness
   4. Whenever the hole is deeper than one foot
   Show answer

   When parking would obstruct traffic. The handbook prohibits parking alongside or opposite a street excavation when parking would obstruct traffic. The concern is the movement of vehicles around the work area, not the depth of the hole or whether a crew is on site at that moment. An unattended excavation can still narrow the roadway and force drivers into the opposing lane. Work zone signs, cones, and barricades often extend the restricted area, so obey them as well. If the open trench leaves no safe passage, keep moving and park on a nearby side street.

9. 9. Before making any turn, what should a driver check?

   1. Only vehicles approaching from the left side.
   2. Traffic and pedestrians in both directions.
   3. The signal color at the next intersection.
   4. Whether the parking lane is fully occupied.
   Show answer

   Traffic and pedestrians in both directions.. Before any turn, check both ways for traffic and pedestrians. Looking only left can miss a person, bicycle, or vehicle approaching from the right side of the cross street. The next intersection's signal color and the number of parked vehicles do not replace that search. The turn also requires a continuous signal for the last 100 feet, but the immediate safety check is the traffic and pedestrian movement in both directions.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance, lane changes and headlights

10. 10. What does night driving do to the distance within which you can react to a hazard?

    1. You gain the same view as in daylight hours
    2. Streetlights remove the need for headlights
    3. Your reaction distance doubles after sunset
    4. You can only see as far as your headlights
    Show answer

    You can only see as far as your headlights. Night driving tends to be more difficult because you can only see as far as your headlights, and this cuts down on your time to react. Be mindful not to overdrive your headlights by traveling faster than that lit distance lets you stop. Use headlights from sunset to sunrise and at any other time necessary for safe driving. Slow down at night rather than trusting that an empty-looking road stays empty.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way rules

11. 11. Which devices are the most commonly used channelizing devices in a work area?

    1. These are flashing arrow panels and flags used to guide traffic through the work zone.
    2. These are portable traffic signals used to regulate traffic through the work zone.
    3. These are painted arrows used to guide drivers through the work zone.
    4. These are barricades, vertical panels, drums, cones, and tubes.
    Show answer

    These are barricades, vertical panels, drums, cones, and tubes.. The manual identifies barricades, vertical panels, drums, cones, and tubes as the devices most commonly used to alert drivers to work-area conditions and guide them safely. Flashing arrow panels have a separate job: they direct traffic into lanes or show that part of the road is closed. Portable signals and painted arrows are not the listed group of common channelizing devices. Treat the devices in a work zone as the boundary and guidance for the path through the area.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, school and work zone signs

12. 12. What colors may a pedestrian warning sign use in North Dakota?

    1. Fluorescent yellow-green or standard yellow
    2. Orange with black lettering only
    3. White letters on a green panel
    4. Red with white lettering throughout
    Show answer

    Fluorescent yellow-green or standard yellow. Pedestrian signs may be fluorescent yellow-green or standard yellow in color. Orange with black lettering belongs to construction and maintenance signing rather than a pedestrian crosswalk warning. The bright yellow-green finish is chosen so a crossing warning stands out in daylight and under headlights. Slow down and scan both curbs when either color appears near a school route or marked crossing.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, school and work zone signs

13. 13. During what period must a vehicle parked on a public highway display the required lamps?

    1. From one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
    2. From one-half hour before sunset until one-half hour after sunrise.
    3. From one hour after sunset until midnight.
    4. From midnight until one-half hour before sunrise.
    Show answer

    From one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.. North Dakota requires a parked vehicle to show at least one white or amber lamp in front and a red light on the rear from one-half hour after sunset through one-half hour before sunrise. B reverses both boundaries by starting before sunset and ending after sunrise. C stops at midnight, even though the duty continues before sunrise. D omits the period after sunset and begins too late. The rule applies when the vehicle is parked on a public highway, so both the time window and the highway location matter.

14. 14. What happens when you cut into the open space in front of a truck to reach an exit?

    1. The truck can stop in the shorter space quite easily
    2. The truck driver gains extra time to react
    3. You remove the truck driver's cushion of safety
    4. The truck can change lanes without risk
    Show answer

    You remove the truck driver's cushion of safety. Cutting into the open space in front of a truck removes the truck driver cushion of safety. A loaded truck needs more room to stop than a car, so the shorter space does not stay easy to use. The driver loses reaction time rather than gaining it, and any lane change still carries risk. Slow down and drop behind the truck to leave by the exit instead. The delay costs a few seconds and keeps the truck stopping room intact ahead of you.

    Study this in the handbook: Move over and crash reporting

15. 15. What information should you give authorities when reporting an aggressive driver?

    1. Only the vehicle's color, make, model, and age.
    2. A photograph taken while driving beside the other vehicle.
    3. The driver's name read through the other vehicle's glass.
    4. Vehicle description, license number, location, and travel direction if possible.
    Show answer

    Vehicle description, license number, location, and travel direction if possible.. The handbook says to provide authorities with a vehicle description, license number, location, and, if possible, direction of travel when reporting an aggressive driver. Those details help identify the vehicle and show where it is moving. A color and make alone may describe many vehicles, and taking a photograph while driving creates a distraction. You may not be able to read the driver's name, and the report should be made only when it can be done safely.

16. 16. How quickly can a vehicle's inside temperature climb in the first minutes after parking?

    1. It rises about two degrees in the first hour
    2. It can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes
    3. It stays equal to the outside temperature
    4. It rises only after thirty minutes pass by
    Show answer

    It can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes. The inside temperature of a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes. An outside temperature in the mid 60s can cause the inside to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so a mild day is not a safe day to leave a child. It is never okay to leave a child alone in a vehicle for any amount of time. Keep the vehicle locked and keys out of reach at home as well.

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

17. 17. Before backing out of a driveway, what does the manual tell you to do?

    1. Honk twice and rely on the rear camera
    2. Walk around the vehicle to check for clearance
    3. Ask a passenger to watch the left side
    4. Open the driver's door and look backward
    Show answer

    Walk around the vehicle to check for clearance. The handbook says that backing must be done without interfering with other traffic and that you are responsible for backing onto a lane safely. Before backing, walk around the vehicle to check for clearance so you do not back into children or other obstacles. A rear camera shows only part of the area, a passenger cannot see every side, and looking backward from the driver's seat leaves blind spots. Complete the walk around, then back slowly and keep checking. If you cannot see clearly, stop and look again.

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

18. 18. What is the highest posted speed that qualifies a paved highway for a licensed driver over 16 to operate a registered class III off-highway vehicle?

    1. No more than 45 miles per hour.
    2. No more than 55 miles per hour.
    3. No more than 65 miles per hour.
    4. No more than 75 miles per hour.
    Show answer

    No more than 65 miles per hour.. A licensed driver over 16 may operate a registered class III off-highway vehicle on a paved highway only when the highway is designated and posted at no more than 65 miles per hour. Lower posted speeds, including 45 or 55 miles per hour, also qualify, but the question asks for the highest qualifying posting. A 75-mile-per-hour sign exceeds the handbook limit. The driver must check both the vehicle class and the number on the highway sign before using this allowance.

19. 19. Traffic has backed up beyond a railroad crossing you are about to enter. What must you not do?

    1. Wait before the tracks for space beyond them.
    2. Stop or park on the railroad tracks.
    3. Look both ways before crossing.
    4. Stop at least 15 feet before the tracks.
    Show answer

    Stop or park on the railroad tracks.. Never stop or park on railroad tracks for any reason. When traffic is backed up, remain before the crossing until there is enough room beyond the tracks for the entire vehicle. Looking both ways is part of approaching safely, and stopping at least 15 feet before the tracks is required when a stop is necessary. The danger comes from entering without clear space and then being forced to leave the vehicle on the rails.

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

20. 20. Which government employees are exempt from needing a North Dakota license while driving for work?

    1. It covers U.S. government or North Dakota National Guard employees operating government vehicles on official business.
    2. It covers federal contractors operating personal vehicles on official government business.
    3. It covers state employees operating state vehicles for personal travel.
    4. It covers county employees operating personal vehicles for county business.
    Show answer

    It covers U.S. government or North Dakota National Guard employees operating government vehicles on official business.. The exemption covers employees of the United States government or North Dakota National Guard while they operate a government vehicle on official business. A federal contractor in a personal car does not meet both listed conditions. Driving a state-owned vehicle home is not official business as described, and a county worker using a personal vehicle is not one of the named exemptions. The government employee, vehicle, and official-business conditions must all match the passage.

    Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and licenses for minors