OR Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

Every question below comes from the Oregon 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. When driving slower than the normal flow of traffic in Oregon, where should you drive?

   1. In the right lane or as close as possible to the right curb or edge
   2. In the left lane to make faster traffic pass on the shoulder
   3. On the center line so both lanes remain visible
   4. In whichever lane has the highest posted limit
   Show answer

   In the right lane or as close as possible to the right curb or edge. A driver traveling slower than normal traffic must use the right lane or drive as close as possible to the right curb or edge, unless preparing for a left turn. The left lane choice interferes with faster traffic and does not authorize shoulder travel. The center line is not a lane for ordinary slow travel, and lane selection is not based on finding a higher posted limit. Watch for congestion building behind you, then pull off at the first safe area when needed to let traffic pass.

   Study this in the handbook: The Basic Rule and Variable Speed Signs

2. 2. What should a driver anticipate after seeing the pedestrian crossing warning?

   
   1. A vehicle checkpoint ahead
   2. A roadway where pedestrians are forbidden
   3. A sidewalk repair zone with no crossing activity
   4. People crossing the driver's path
   Show answer

   People crossing the driver's path. The walking figure warns that people may cross the vehicle's path. It calls for active observation and readiness to yield, not for treating the area as a no-pedestrian zone. The choice “A sidewalk repair zone with no crossing activity” misses the purpose of the warning because construction is not what the symbol communicates. Reduce speed when needed, search both sides of the roadway, and watch for a person who is already in or about to enter the crossing. A flashing beacon, when present, can reinforce that a crossing movement is occurring.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, Guide and Service Signs

3. 3. What road situation is associated with the five-sided school sign?

   
   1. An adult-only crosswalk outside a school area
   2. A recreation area where pedestrians are prohibited
   3. A school zone or school crossing requiring extra attention
   4. A park entrance where vehicles have priority
   Show answer

   A school zone or school crossing requiring extra attention. The distinctive five-sided shape is used for school-related warnings, including a school zone or school crossing. Drivers should slow as required by the roadway, watch carefully for children, and be prepared for people to enter the crossing unexpectedly. The choice “A park entrance where vehicles have priority” reverses the safety message by suggesting that vehicles have priority near a park or school. Keep scanning sidewalks, curb lines, and crossing points, and do not let a clear moment make you stop looking for a child who may be approaching.

   Study this in the handbook: Oregon Speed Limits

4. 4. Which vehicles does Oregon allow a passenger vehicle to tow at one time?

   1. Two trailers if the total weight is low
   2. None, towing requires a commercial license
   3. Any number with a permit
   4. A maximum of one boat, trailer, or other vehicle
   Show answer

   A maximum of one boat, trailer, or other vehicle. Oregon law allows you to tow a maximum of one boat, general utility trailer, or other vehicle behind a passenger or recreational vehicle, and you cannot tow a second trailer or vehicle. Total weight and a permit do not change that limit. The manual also notes that vehicles towing a trailer take longer to accelerate and stop and need more room to turn, so check your speed and traffic behind you often and pull off at the first safe turnout when traffic stacks up.

5. 5. Which vehicles must stop at railroad tracks even when no train is immediately visible?

   1. Only buses carrying children during school hours
   2. All school buses, hazmat vehicles, and some school activity vehicles
   3. All passenger vehicles towing a trailer
   4. Only farm vehicles displaying a slow-moving emblem
   Show answer

   All school buses, hazmat vehicles, and some school activity vehicles. Oregon specifically requires all school buses, hazmat vehicles, and some school activity vehicles to stop at railroad tracks. The rule is based on the vehicle category, not only on whether children are aboard or whether the driver sees a train. Passenger vehicles towing trailers and farm vehicles are not the listed group. If you are following one of these vehicles, expect it to stop and leave room behind it. Slow down, look and listen, and remember that one train can hide another on a nearby track.

   Study this in the handbook: School Buses and Railroad Crossings

6. 6. Which minimum liability amount covers property damage to others under Oregon's required insurance?

   1. $20,000 per collision
   2. $15,000 per collision
   3. $10,000 per collision
   4. $25,000 per collision
   Show answer

   $20,000 per collision. Oregon’s minimum required coverage for damage to another person’s property is $20,000 per collision. The $25,000 figure belongs to bodily injury for one person, and $50,000 applies to bodily injury or death involving two or more people. $10,000 and $15,000 are below the property-damage minimum described in the manual. When reviewing an insurance policy, separate property damage from personal injury protection and bodily-injury limits so a familiar number is not assigned to the wrong category.

   Study this in the handbook: Insurance, Collisions and Reports

7. 7. When must you stop before Oregon railroad tracks even if no train is visible?

   1. When another vehicle stops first
   2. When a crossing gate is fully lowered
   3. When a stop sign is posted
   4. Never if the warning lights are off
   Show answer

   When a stop sign is posted. Oregon requires a driver to stop before railroad tracks when a stop sign is posted, even if no train can be seen. The absence of a visible train or flashing lights does not cancel a posted stop. Waiting for another vehicle is also unsafe because each driver has an independent duty to obey the sign. Stop at the marked line or, if there is no stop line, at least 15 feet from the nearest rail. Look carefully for trains in both directions before crossing.

   Study this in the handbook: School Buses and Railroad Crossings

8. 8. What does the Oregon manual say about using alcohol and marijuana together before driving?

   1. Marijuana offsets alcohol’s effects on driving
   2. The combination affects alertness but not physical driving skills
   3. Only the alcohol matters when judging driving ability
   4. The combination can reduce the ability to drive safely
   Show answer

   The combination can reduce the ability to drive safely. Alcohol and marijuana used together can reduce a person’s ability to drive safely. The manual does not describe one substance as canceling the other or limit the effects to alertness alone. Alcohol and drugs affect both mental and physical abilities, so a driver must consider more than the amount of alcohol consumed. Oregon recommends leaving the driving to someone else after using drugs and avoiding driving after any drug that affects reaction time or physical abilities.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, Drugs and DUII

9. 9. An Oregon school speed limit sign applies when children are present. Which situation meets the manual's definition of children being present?

   1. Children are playing on a school field behind a fence
   2. A school bus is parked in the school parking lot
   3. Children are riding as passengers in a nearby car
   4. Children are waiting at a crosswalk
   Show answer

   Children are waiting at a crosswalk. Oregon's school speed limit sign for when children are present applies any day, at any time children are present. The manual defines children as present when children are waiting at a crosswalk, when they are occupying or walking within a crosswalk, or when a traffic patrol member is present to assist children at a crosswalk. Children playing behind a fence, a parked school bus, or children riding in another car do not meet that definition. In a school zone, actively look for children and be ready to stop.

   Study this in the handbook: Oregon Speed Limits

10. 10. When following another vehicle at night, within what distance must you dim your high beams?

    1. 350 feet
    2. 200 feet
    3. 500 feet
    4. 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    350 feet. Dim your headlights when you follow another vehicle within 350 feet. High beams can produce glare in that driver’s rearview mirror and interfere with their vision. The following distance threshold differs from the 500-foot threshold for an oncoming vehicle. When you are required to dim your headlights, auxiliary lights such as fog lights must also be off. Keep the purpose of the rule in mind: your lighting should help you see without making it difficult for another driver to see.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights and Hazardous Conditions

11. 11. What does a wide solid white line mark on an Oregon road, and may you cross it?

    1. It is a barrier that may never be crossed
    2. It directs traffic into specific lanes and separates bike lanes; crossing is permitted but discouraged
    3. It separates opposing traffic
    4. It marks a shoulder that may be used for passing
    Show answer

    It directs traffic into specific lanes and separates bike lanes; crossing is permitted but discouraged. A wide solid white line is used to direct traffic into specific lanes, such as turn lanes, and to separate bike lanes from other traffic lanes. Crossing a wide solid white line is permitted but discouraged, so it is not an absolute barrier. A regular solid white line marks the edge or fog line, a broken white line separates lanes going the same direction, and yellow lines separate opposing traffic. Nothing about this marking turns a shoulder into a passing lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings

12. 12. A driver faces the pictured DO NOT ENTER sign at the end of a ramp. What does it indicate?

    
    1. The ramp is reserved for buses during daytime hours
    2. The driver may enter after yielding to freeway traffic
    3. The driver must not enter that road or freeway
    4. Parking is prohibited beside the ramp
    Show answer

    The driver must not enter that road or freeway. This square regulatory sign marks an entrance that a driver must not take. It commonly appears where a road or freeway is being entered from the wrong direction, so continuing would put the vehicle into conflict with normal traffic. The choice “The driver may enter after yielding to freeway traffic” is especially risky because yielding cannot make an illegal entry safe. Stop before committing to the ramp, check for a safe way to leave the area, and follow a route that uses the proper entrance. Never treat the sign as a parking instruction.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory Signs

13. 13. At what age may someone apply for an Oregon Class C instruction permit?

    1. 18 years of age
    2. 14 years of age
    3. 16 years of age
    4. 15 years of age
    Show answer

    15 years of age. For an Oregon Class C noncommercial driving privilege, the minimum age to apply for an instruction permit is 15. That threshold is separate from the minimum age to apply for a license, which is 16. Choosing 14 moves the permit age below the stated minimum, while 16 and 18 confuse license eligibility with permit eligibility. A new applicant should first identify whether the question concerns the instruction permit or the full license because the manual gives those two ages separately.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and Teen Licenses

14. 14. For what limited purposes may a car briefly use a signed transit-only lane?

    1. To turn into a driveway, turn at the next intersection, or pull over to park
    2. To pass a queue of slower cars
    3. To travel straight until traffic clears
    4. To enter the lane whenever a bus is not nearby
    Show answer

    To turn into a driveway, turn at the next intersection, or pull over to park. A car may briefly use the transit lane for three listed purposes: turning into a driveway, turning at the next intersection, or pulling over to park along the curb where allowed. Passing congestion and traveling straight are not included. The absence of a nearby bus also does not convert a transit lane into an ordinary travel lane. Drivers should read the lane-use sign, enter only for the permitted movement, and leave the lane promptly. This preserves the continuous path intended for transit vehicles and any people biking identified by the sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory Signs

15. 15. Two same-direction lanes are separated by double solid white lines. What must you do?

    1. Cross them only after signaling
    2. Stay in your lane without changing lanes across them
    3. Cross them when the adjacent lane is empty
    4. Use them as guidance but cross with caution
    Show answer

    Stay in your lane without changing lanes across them. Double solid white lines mean you are not allowed to change lanes. Stay in your lane through the marked section. These lines are usually accompanied by a sign prohibiting lane changes for a certain distance. Signaling or finding an empty adjacent lane does not change the meaning of the marking. This differs from a broken white line, which may be crossed with caution, and a wide solid white line, where crossing is permitted but discouraged.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings

16. 16. Two drivers at a red light see who can accelerate faster when it turns green, while staying under the speed limit. Under Oregon's definition, is that racing?

    1. No, racing requires exceeding the speed limit
    2. No, racing only counts on a closed course
    3. Yes, any acceleration or speed contest counts as racing
    4. Only if the drivers bet money on the result
    Show answer

    Yes, any acceleration or speed contest counts as racing. Oregon makes racing illegal on any road and defines it broadly: any acceleration or speed contest, or an attempt to make a speed record. A contest to see who pulls away from a light faster fits that definition even if neither car goes over the limit, so speeding is not an element. The rule applies on public roads, so the closed course idea misreads it, and whether money changes hands does not matter. Pull away from a light at a normal pace.

    Study this in the handbook: The Basic Rule and Variable Speed Signs

17. 17. The car in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What does Oregon law say about passing it?

    1. You may pass if you sound your horn first
    2. Passing it is against the law
    3. You may pass at 10 mph or less
    4. You may pass if you cannot see a pedestrian
    Show answer

    Passing it is against the law. Oregon makes it illegal to pass a vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk. The stopped driver may be waiting for a pedestrian who is hidden from your view by that vehicle, so failing to see anyone is exactly the danger, not a reason to go. A horn warning or a slow speed does not make the pass legal. Be ready to stop yourself, and never stop with any part of your vehicle overhanging the crosswalk.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians and Bicycles

18. 18. What information do green guide signs generally provide?

    1. Warnings about slippery pavement
    2. Exit information or the direction of roads and cities
    3. Rules prohibiting lane changes
    4. Locations where fuel and lodging are available
    Show answer

    Exit information or the direction of roads and cities. Green guide or information signs help drivers navigate by showing exit information and the direction of roads or cities. They are different from yellow warning signs, which announce hazards, and white regulatory signs, which impose requirements. Blue signs point to motorist services such as fuel or lodging. A driver should read the route name, arrow, and exit number early enough to choose a lane safely. The cue is green for guidance: it helps you decide where to go, rather than warning or commanding a maneuver.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, Guide and Service Signs

19. 19. What does a broken white line separate?

    1. A parking area from a railroad track
    2. Traffic moving in opposite directions
    3. Lanes of traffic going in the same direction
    4. A lane where changing position is never allowed
    Show answer

    Lanes of traffic going in the same direction. A broken white line separates lanes carrying traffic in the same direction. Oregon permits crossing that line with caution, so it guides lane separation without creating the no-change restriction associated with double solid white lines. Yellow center markings, not broken white lines, separate opposing traffic. A driver should signal, check mirrors and blind spots, and cross only when the lane change is safe. The color and pattern work together: white generally organizes same-direction lanes, while a broken pattern indicates a cautious crossing may be possible.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement Markings

20. 20. What advice does the Oregon manual give about letting a driver signaling for a lane change move over?

    1. Help by slowing down or speeding up a little if needed
    2. Speed up to close the gap
    3. Hold your speed exactly
    4. Flash the high beams
    Show answer

    Help by slowing down or speeding up a little if needed. Sharing space means adjusting for others. The manual says to help other drivers signaling for a lane change make the move safely by slowing down or speeding up a little if needed, to move over a lane for vehicles entering a freeway when no one is beside you, and to keep extra space from parked cars because a door may open in your path. Closing the gap or refusing to adjust invites a sideswipe.