ND Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. An accessible parking space has diagonal stripes beside it. What do the stripes mean for a driver who has a placard?

   1. The stripes reserve an extra space
   2. The stripes are decorative
   3. Do not park on the striped area
   4. The stripes mark a loading zone
   Show answer

   Do not park on the striped area. A placard or accessible plate allows you to use the marked accessible space, but it does not allow you to stop on the diagonal stripes beside it. Those stripes form the access aisle that a wheelchair ramp or lift needs when a door opens. The area is not a spare stall, decoration, or a loading zone. Park inside the marked stall lines only, and leave the striped aisle completely clear so the next driver can deploy equipment and transfer safely.

2. 2. You want to pass a tractor-trailer on a multi-lane highway. How should you do it?

   1. Pass on the right when the trailer is turning
   2. Pass completely and on the left without lingering
   3. Stay alongside the cab to stay visible
   4. Pass quickly on either side, then slow down
   Show answer

   Pass completely and on the left without lingering. The handbook says not to linger alongside a truck when passing. Pass a tractor-trailer completely and always on the left side. Remaining beside the cab or trailer keeps you in the driver's blind spot and removes the trucker's room to avoid an obstacle. Passing on the right is especially risky because the truck may be swinging right for a turn. Move through the pass with a steady speed, use your signal, and do not cut back into the lane until you can see the front of the truck in your mirror. Give the truck room after the pass.

   Study this in the handbook: Move over and crash reporting

3. 3. How should a lap belt fit according to the North Dakota manual?

   1. Loose across the abdomen
   2. High across the stomach
   3. Snug across the chest and collarbone
   4. Snug and low across the hips
   Show answer

   Snug and low across the hips. A lap belt should sit snug and low across the hips, where the pelvic bones can take the load in a crash. Leaving it loose or placing it across the abdomen puts pressure on soft tissue instead of bone. The chest and collarbone position belongs to the shoulder belt, not the lap belt, so that choice describes the wrong strap. A high stomach position is the same mistake in different words. Pull the lap belt down until it touches the hips, then remove any slack before the vehicle moves.

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

4. 4. A motorcycle ahead has its turn signal on, but it continues straight. What should you do?

   1. Assume the signal is correct and slow down.
   2. Pass on the right while the rider waits.
   3. Wait until you are sure the motorcycle will turn.
   4. Sound your horn to remind the rider.
   Show answer

   Wait until you are sure the motorcycle will turn.. Motorcycle turn signals usually are not self-cancelling, and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. A flashing signal therefore does not prove that the rider is about to turn. Wait until you are sure the motorcycle is going to turn before proceeding or moving into a passing position. Assuming the signal is accurate can put you beside a motorcycle that continues straight. Passing on the right adds danger, and a horn does not resolve the uncertain movement.

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

5. 5. What can a large flashing arrow panel in a work zone also be used to show besides a lane direction?

   1. A caution mode for drivers
   2. A detour for trucks only
   3. The speed of passing traffic
   4. The name of the road crew
   Show answer

   A caution mode for drivers. A large flashing or sequencing arrow panel may also be used in a caution mode, besides directing drivers into certain lanes when part of the road ahead is closed. Reading the panel as a truck-only detour sign invents a vehicle restriction the device does not announce. Day or night use means the panel can govern a lane closure around the clock. Follow the arrow early so your merge finishes before the taper begins.

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

6. 6. When may a high school driver education student operate the training vehicle without a license or permit?

   1. On any road with a parent present in the front seat during daylight hours only
   2. Under a certified instructor when the school program carries appropriate insurance
   3. Only in the school parking lot after regular hours with a licensed teacher present
   4. After passing the knowledge test given at school and logging ten practice hours
   Show answer

   Under a certified instructor when the school program carries appropriate insurance. A student enrolled in the high school driver education program may operate the driver education vehicle without an operator license or permit while under the supervision of a certified operator training instructor, if the sponsoring school district has appropriate insurance coverage for the student operator. A parent in the seat does not replace the certified instructor condition. To be eligible for behind-the-wheel training, an applicant must be at least 14 years of age. The insurance coverage condition protects the student operator during that training.

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

7. 7. What happens to impairment as a person drinks increasing amounts of alcohol?

   1. Impairment stays level until the fourth drink
   2. Impairment rises only after food is eaten
   3. The effect weakens as the body adjusts to it
   4. The degree of impairment and intensity of effect rise rapidly
   Show answer

   The degree of impairment and intensity of effect rise rapidly. Alcohol directly affects a person's ability to drive. As a person drinks increasing amounts, the degree of impairment and the intensity of the effect rise rapidly. The manual also explains that alcohol reduces the oxygen reaching brain cells. Waiting for a fourth drink misunderstands the stated pattern, and the effect does not weaken as the body adjusts. Food is not the condition that starts the impairment described in this passage.

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

8. 8. May you leave your car parked inside an intersection while you step into a nearby store?

   1. No, parking there is prohibited
   2. Yes, if you stay within the crosswalk
   3. Yes, if you leave the engine running
   4. Yes, for no more than ten minutes
   Show answer

   No, parking there is prohibited. Parking within an intersection is on the handbook's prohibited list. An intersection is a shared crossing point where turning vehicles, pedestrians, and through traffic all need the open space, so a stopped car can block sight lines and force others around it. Waiting inside the crosswalk or keeping the engine running does not change the rule, and the handbook gives no ten minute exception. Choose a legal space at the curb or in a lot. If you only need directions, pull well beyond the corner before stopping.

9. 9. How much moving water can carry away most vehicles, including SUVs and pickups?

   1. Six inches
   2. Two feet
   3. One foot
   4. Four feet
   Show answer

   Two feet. Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and pick up trucks. Six inches is a different warning: it reaches the bottom of many passenger cars and can cause loss of control or stalling. One foot and four feet are not the handbook figures for moving water. Because depth is hard to judge from the driver's seat, the safe response is to turn around at a flooded road rather than test the current.

   Study this in the handbook: Night, winter and deer

10. 10. You approach an intersection where parked vehicles block your view of cross traffic. Unless a sign says otherwise, what maximum speed applies?

    1. 25 miles per hour
    2. 35 miles per hour
    3. 20 miles per hour
    4. 15 miles per hour
    Show answer

    20 miles per hour. North Dakota sets a 20 mile per hour ceiling when you approach an intersection and your view of it is obstructed in any way, unless a sign posts a different number. The rule forces a speed low enough to stop for a vehicle that appears from behind a building, hedge, or row of parked cars. Twenty five is the business or residential default rather than the obstructed intersection figure, and neither thirty five nor fifteen matches a handbook limit for this approach. Ease off the accelerator as soon as sight lines close, then cover the brake.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way rules

11. 11. What standard must the drawbar or connection between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle meet?

    1. It must allow quick release from the cab.
    2. It must prevent unintentional uncoupling of the vehicles.
    3. It must stretch under a heavy load.
    4. It must be painted a bright color.
    Show answer

    It must prevent unintentional uncoupling of the vehicles.. A drawbar or other connection between towing vehicles must be designed, strong, and constructed to prevent the vehicles from uncoupling unintentionally. Quick release from the cab would make separation easier, not prevent it. A connection is not required to stretch under load, and paint color does not provide the strength or security required by the rule. The safety concern is keeping the towed vehicle attached throughout the trip, especially when the combination is moving on a highway.

12. 12. What may a farm vehicle tow under the Class D farm exemption?

    1. Double trailers on short farm trips only
    2. Triple trailers within the farm county
    3. A trailer except double or triple trailers
    4. Any trailer regardless of its length
    Show answer

    A trailer except double or triple trailers. Under the farm exemption, a farm vehicle may tow a trailer, semi-trailer, or farm trailer except double or triple trailers, and if the operator is under 18, a truck-tractor is also excepted. A short farm trip does not lift the double trailer bar, since distance is not the condition written into the exemption. Farm vehicles in this scheme move agricultural products, farm machines, or supplies within 150 miles of the farm. Covered farm vehicles display farm plates or a clear farm designation.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs

13. 13. A vehicle ahead at night has no taillights. Within what distance must you still be able to stop?

    1. The distance covered by your headlights
    2. Twice the distance your headlights reach
    3. The distance to the next visible intersection
    4. Only the distance of your following gap
    Show answer

    The distance covered by your headlights. You should be able to stop in the distance covered by your headlights even if you come upon a vehicle without taillights, or a parked vehicle with its lights on. Planning for twice the lit distance assumes sight you simply do not have after dark. That discipline sets your night speed more than the posted limit on an unlit rural road. Clean headlights and a clean windshield stretch the useful lit distance you have.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way rules

14. 14. How many bicyclists may ride abreast under the bicycle guidelines?

    1. Not more than two abreast, single file safest
    2. Up to four abreast on quiet residential streets
    3. As many as fit within one traffic lane width
    4. Only three abreast when no cars are present
    Show answer

    Not more than two abreast, single file safest. Under the bicycle guideline, riders should travel no more than two abreast, and single file is safest. A group of four or three exceeds that limit, while a rule based on lane width removes the stated maximum. The same guidance tells bicyclists to keep right, yield to pedestrians, and signal before turning or stopping. Those related directions do not create an exception to the two-abreast limit.

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

15. 15. How should you stop on ice in a vehicle with drum-type brakes on all four wheels?

    1. Hold constant hard pressure until you stop
    2. Turn off the engine and coast to a halt
    3. Apply only the parking brake while moving
    4. Pump the brakes to stop the vehicle on ice
    Show answer

    Pump the brakes to stop the vehicle on ice. To stop on ice, you should pump the brakes when driving vehicles equipped with drum-type brakes on all four wheels. Vehicles with disc brakes instead require a slow, intermittent braking action, fully on and then fully off, long enough to let the brakes release so all wheels roll again. If you slam on your brakes, your wheels will lock and your tires will skid either way. Antilock brakes are the exception, needing firm continuous pressure without manual pumping.

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

16. 16. For what purpose may a person not stand on the traveled portion of a street or highway?

    1. For waiting at a marked bus stop on the curb
    2. For crossing at a marked crosswalk on a green light
    3. For the purpose of hitchhiking along the roadway
    4. For directing traffic after a minor crash scene
    Show answer

    For the purpose of hitchhiking along the roadway. You are not allowed to stand on the traveled portion of the street or highway for the purpose of hitchhiking. A marked bus stop or crosswalk use is different because those places are designated for people outside vehicles. Standing in a travel lane to solicit a ride puts you where drivers do not expect a person. Walk facing traffic and use sidewalks when you can, getting as far off the road as possible where no sidewalk exists.

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

17. 17. Are joggers on the roadway treated as pedestrians under North Dakota traffic rules?

    1. Joggers count as pedestrians and must obey the rules
    2. Joggers follow vehicle rules because they move faster
    3. Joggers are exempt when training on rural roads
    4. Joggers may run against signals at any hour
    Show answer

    Joggers count as pedestrians and must obey the rules. Joggers are considered pedestrians and must also obey the pedestrian rules, because traffic rules apply to pedestrians as well as motorists. Treating a jogger as a small vehicle misses that the person must obey signals and walk in crosswalks like any other pedestrian. If you cross a road where there is no crosswalk, you must yield the right of way to all vehicles on the roadway. Drivers must always be on the lookout for pedestrians, including joggers at dawn.

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

18. 18. How should family consequences for a teen driving violation be structured to send the right message?

    1. Use chores unrelated to driving for every violation
    2. Relate them to losing driving privileges for a set time
    3. Wait until a second violation before any consequence
    4. Remove the car only after a police ticket arrives
    Show answer

    Relate them to losing driving privileges for a set time. Make consequences relate to losing driving privileges for a day, weekend, week, or month depending on the violation. Consequences unrelated to driving will not be as effective in sending the message that responsible driving is required and the rules are serious. Set consequences for common violations before they occur so the teen knows what to expect. Getting a speeding ticket or violating passenger restrictions are examples to price in advance.

19. 19. No other route exists around a flooded road. What should you do instead of crossing?

    1. Wait in the flooded lane with hazard lights on
    2. Park on the bridge and watch the water level
    3. Drive onto the median and wait there overnight
    4. Proceed to higher ground and wait for water to subside
    Show answer

    Proceed to higher ground and wait for water to subside. If there is no other route around flooding, proceed to higher ground and wait for the water to subside. Waiting in the flooded lane leaves the vehicle where rising water can reach the bottom of the car and cause stalling or loss of control. Higher ground also keeps you clear if a dam, levee, or swollen stream adds water suddenly. It is not legal to enter a road officially closed for hazardous conditions in any case.

    Study this in the handbook: Night, winter and deer

20. 20. You are waiting to turn left. Besides oncoming traffic, what should you watch for?

    1. Vehicles parked beyond the corner
    2. Vehicles turning right behind you
    3. Vehicles in the far parking lot
    4. Vehicles passing on the right of the car ahead
    Show answer

    Vehicles passing on the right of the car ahead. Left-turning drivers must yield to oncoming traffic, and the handbook adds a second warning: watch for vehicles passing on the right side of a vehicle that is turning left. A car behind that left-turner may swing around it and arrive in your path while you are focused on the first vehicle. Parked cars and distant lots are outside the immediate conflict, and traffic behind you belongs in a mirror check. Scan the oncoming lane twice before committing to the turn.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and passing