OR Permit Practice Test 4

All 20 questions in test 4

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. On a two lane road, what may an Oregon driver do when approaching a stopped vehicle with flashing lights?

   1. Drive over any fire hose at the scene without permission
   2. Pass closely because the stopped vehicle is not moving
   3. Stop beside the vehicle until its lights turn off
   4. Allow as much room as safely possible and slow down when needed
   Show answer

   Allow as much room as safely possible and slow down when needed. When approaching an emergency scene or another stopped vehicle with flashing lights, the driver should slow down and be prepared to stop, while giving the stopped vehicle as much room as safely possible. Passing closely treats the warning lights as irrelevant. Stopping beside the vehicle creates a second obstruction, and fire hoses must not be crossed unless officials direct the driver to do so. Reduce speed early, look for people and equipment, and leave a generous buffer around the scene.

2. 2. Before crossing a transit lane to reach a driveway, whom must the driver yield to?

   1. Transit vehicles and people riding bicycles
   2. Only vehicles behind the driver
   3. No one if the turn signal is on
   4. Only pedestrians outside the intersection
   Show answer

   Transit vehicles and people riding bicycles. A driver crossing a transit lane for a permitted movement must yield to transit vehicles and people riding bicycles in the lane. Activating a turn signal communicates intent but does not grant priority. Traffic behind the driver is not the only concern, and the manual does not limit this duty to pedestrians outside an intersection. Scan the lane before crossing it, wait for transit or bicycle traffic to clear, and merge behind them after they pass. The lane's special use rule and its yielding rule operate together.

3. 3. A low speed Oregon crash leaves only $400 of vehicle damage, but the other driver is injured. Is a DMV collision report required?

   1. No, because damage is under the $2,500 threshold
   2. No, the injured driver is the one who must report
   3. Yes, any injury or death makes the collision reportable
   4. Only if the injured driver goes to a hospital that day
   Show answer

   Yes, any injury or death makes the collision reportable. Oregon's reporting list includes any collision that results in injury or death, regardless of the dollar amount of damage. The $2,500 figure applies to the damage conditions, not to injury crashes, so a small repair bill does not excuse the report. Every driver involved has a duty to report, not just the person who was hurt. The manual sets no hospital visit condition. File the report within 72 hours, and remember that a police report at the scene does not replace the one owed to DMV.

4. 4. At a four-way stop, who should normally proceed first when drivers arrive at different times?

   1. The driver who stopped first
   2. The driver in the largest vehicle
   3. The driver turning left regardless of arrival time
   4. The driver who accelerates first
   Show answer

   The driver who stopped first. At an intersection with stop signs in all four directions, Oregon describes it as common courtesy to let the driver who stops first go first. Vehicle size and acceleration do not establish priority, and a left turn does not automatically outrank an earlier arrival. If drivers stop at nearly the same time or the order is unclear, the manual says to yield to the driver on your right. Make eye contact only as a supplement, never as a substitute for a complete stop and careful scanning.

5. 5. After stopping at a red light, when may you turn left onto a one-way road?

   1. Only after the signal turns green
   2. After stopping and yielding to traffic and pedestrians
   3. Whenever the cross street has no parked vehicles
   4. Only when a police officer waves you through
   Show answer

   After stopping and yielding to traffic and pedestrians. Oregon permits a left turn on red onto a one-way road from either a one-way or a two-way road, after stopping and yielding, unless a sign or police officer prohibits it. A left turn onto a two-way road against a red light remains illegal. An empty curb does not replace the required checks for traffic and pedestrians. Stop completely, confirm the turn is permitted and the way is clear, then turn into the proper lane.

6. 6. What preparation is appropriate when this signal-ahead sign appears?

   
   1. Expect a police checkpoint instead of a traffic control signal
   2. Turn off the vehicle because the streetlights are broken
   3. Speed up so the next signal cannot change before arrival
   4. Slow down and be ready to stop for a traffic signal ahead
   Show answer

   Slow down and be ready to stop for a traffic signal ahead. This yellow warning sign gives advance notice of a traffic signal. The driver should reduce speed as appropriate and be prepared to stop when reaching the signal, which may change before arrival. The choice “Speed up so the next signal cannot change before arrival” encourages rushing toward a control device and removes the time needed for a safe stop. Keep a gap from the vehicle ahead, watch the signal itself as it comes into view, and avoid assuming that the current color will remain unchanged all the way to the intersection.

7. 7. What does the inverted triangle in the image tell you to do?

   
   1. Stop every time, even when no road user is present
   2. Reduce speed and yield the right of way, stopping if needed
   3. Accelerate through the junction before cross traffic arrives
   4. Enter without looking because the sign grants priority
   Show answer

   Reduce speed and yield the right of way, stopping if needed. A yield sign calls for a speed reduction and a right of way check. Let other road users proceed when they have priority, and stop if the traffic situation requires a full stop. The choice “Stop every time, even when no road user is present” turns a yield sign into a universal stop sign, which is not what the manual says. Even when a stop is unnecessary, the driver still needs enough control to give way smoothly. Look left, right, and toward the intended path before joining the intersection or roadway.

8. 8. What roadway condition is shown by the Sharp Turn warning sign?

   
   1. A railroad crossing is immediately ahead
   2. A four-way intersection is ahead
   3. The road is narrowing to one lane
   4. A sharp turn in the road is ahead
   Show answer

   A sharp turn in the road is ahead. The Sharp Turn symbol warns that the road will change direction abruptly ahead. The crossroad choice belongs to a different warning symbol, and lane reduction or railroad crossing signs communicate separate hazards. The practical response is to slow before the turn, keep the vehicle in its lane, and follow any advisory speed shown. Entering too quickly can carry the vehicle across the center line or off the roadway, especially when the view beyond the turn is blocked.

9. 9. When may you carry a dog in the bed of your pickup truck in Oregon?

   1. Only when a framework, carrier, or other device keeps it from falling
   2. Any time, because the external passenger rule covers only people
   3. Only on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less
   4. Never, because dogs must always ride inside the cab
   Show answer

   Only when a framework, carrier, or other device keeps it from falling. The external passenger rule reaches animals too. A dog may not ride on an external part of the vehicle, including the pickup bed, unless it is protected by a framework, carrier, or other device that keeps it from falling out. That means an unsecured dog in the bed is not allowed, and no speed limit makes it acceptable. Riding in the bed is not banned outright either, so the claim that dogs must always ride in the cab goes too far. Inside the vehicle, the manual adds that you should not hold an animal in your lap while driving.

10. 10. What speed limit does Oregon law set on an ocean shore where vehicles are permitted, when no other speed is posted?

    1. 15 mph
    2. 20 mph
    3. 25 mph
    4. 35 mph
    Show answer

    25 mph. Oregon's statutory 25 mph limit covers residential districts, public parks, and ocean shores where vehicles are allowed. It applies whether or not a sign is posted, unless a different speed is posted. Fifteen mph is for alleys and narrow residential areas, and 20 mph is for business districts and school speed zones. There is no statutory 35 mph category on the list. Beach driving still falls under the basic rule, so soft sand, people walking, and poor visibility can require a speed well below 25.

11. 11. A bus from a place of worship stops ahead of you and turns on flashing red lights. How should you respond?

    1. Ignore them, because only school buses require a stop
    2. Treat the lights the same as you would a school bus
    3. Slow to 20 mph and pass carefully
    4. Stop only if you can see children getting off
    Show answer

    Treat the lights the same as you would a school bus. Oregon permits places of worship and worker transport buses to use flashing amber and red lights. When such a bus turns them on, drivers must respond exactly as they would for a school bus, so flashing red means stopping as the school bus rules require. Ignoring the lights is wrong, and slowing to 20 mph to pass applies nowhere in this rule. Whether you can see passengers does not matter, since people stepping off may be hidden by the bus itself.

12. 12. What should you expect when you see the SLOW MOVING VEHICLE emblem on farm equipment?

    1. The equipment can travel at freeway speed
    2. You should slow down or adjust your position
    3. The equipment must leave the highway immediately
    4. You may pass without checking for traffic
    Show answer

    You should slow down or adjust your position. Farm equipment and other slow-moving vehicles use a reflective red-and-orange emblem on a public highway. Seeing that emblem is a warning to reduce speed or adjust your position because the vehicle ahead may move much more slowly than surrounding traffic. The emblem does not grant permission to pass without checking, and it does not mean the equipment must leave the road. Spot the bright triangular marking early, ease off the accelerator, and wait for a safe passing opportunity with a clear view.

13. 13. What does an Oregon octagonal STOP sign require?

    1. A yield without stopping
    2. A rolling slowdown if cross traffic is absent
    3. A stop only when a pedestrian is visible
    4. A complete stop, followed by yielding as required
    Show answer

    A complete stop, followed by yielding as required. The octagonal STOP sign requires a complete stop. After stopping, yield to other vehicles and stop and stay stopped for pedestrians crossing in marked or unmarked crosswalks. The sign does not permit a rolling slowdown when the intersection looks empty, and it is broader than a pedestrian-only instruction. Use the stop line when one is present, check all approaches and both crosswalks, then enter only when the intersection is safe.

14. 14. How far may a load on an Oregon passenger vehicle extend beyond the right fenders?

    1. No more than 12 inches
    2. No more than 6 inches
    3. No more than 4 feet
    4. Not at all, the same as on the left side
    Show answer

    No more than 6 inches. Passenger vehicles may carry a load that sticks out no more than 6 inches beyond the right fenders. The left side is stricter: loads must not extend beyond the left fenders at all, so treating the right side the same way misstates the rule. Four feet is the limit for how far a load may extend in front of any vehicle, and 12 inches is the minimum size of the red flag for a rear overhang. Check both sides before driving off with a wide load.

15. 15. Your car breaks down on a highway shoulder just past a blind curve, where approaching drivers cannot see it. Where should warning flags or flares go?

    1. At least 50 feet behind the vehicle only
    2. Directly beside the vehicle
    3. At least 200 feet from the vehicle in each direction
    4. At least 500 feet ahead of the vehicle only
    Show answer

    At least 200 feet from the vehicle in each direction. If a disabled vehicle on the shoulder cannot be seen from 200 feet in each direction, Oregon says approaching traffic must be warned with flags, flares, signs, signals, or flaggers placed at least 200 feet from the vehicle in each direction. Fifty feet behind gives far too little notice, and warnings beside the car do nothing for drivers still around the curve. Placing them only ahead ignores traffic from the other direction. Turn on your hazard lights as well, and if you leave, stop the engine, take the key, and set the brakes.

16. 16. What does a solid yellow line on your side of a double center line indicate?

    
    1. The broken line permits passing in both directions
    2. Passing is allowed only for vehicles behind you
    3. Passing is not allowed on your side
    4. The center line may be crossed whenever the road is dry
    Show answer

    Passing is not allowed on your side. A solid yellow line on your side of a double center line marks a no-passing restriction for your direction. The broken-line rule applies to the side with the broken marking, not automatically to both directions. Dry pavement does not cancel a solid-line restriction, and the line does not grant a special privilege to vehicles behind you. Check the marking nearest your lane before considering an overtake. If it is solid yellow, remain behind the slower vehicle until the center marking changes or another legal passing opportunity appears.

17. 17. How may an Oregon driver 18 or older use a cell phone while driving?

    1. Only with a hands-free accessory that needs minimal use of a finger to activate
    2. Held in the hand on rural roads
    3. Held in the hand while stopped at a light
    4. Freely, at any age
    Show answer

    Only with a hands-free accessory that needs minimal use of a finger to activate. Oregon bars drivers under 18 from using a cell phone or other mobile electronic device at all while driving. Drivers 18 or older must use a hands-free accessory, and that accessory must require only minimal use of a finger to activate or deactivate a function. Holding the phone while stopped in traffic still counts as use. Turning the phone off or putting it in the back seat is the manual's advice.

18. 18. You are next to a double center line, and the broken yellow line is on your side. What is permitted?

    
    1. No passing under any circumstances on that side
    2. Passing only after crossing into the opposing lane without checking
    3. Passing when the roadway is clear and the maneuver is safe
    4. Driving on the yellow line until the next intersection
    Show answer

    Passing when the roadway is clear and the maneuver is safe. A broken yellow line on the driver's side of a double center line indicates that passing is allowed, but only after the driver checks that the maneuver is safe and legal. The solid line on the opposite side restricts that direction, not yours. The choice “Passing only after crossing into the opposing lane without checking” skips the required safety check, while the choice “No passing under any circumstances on that side” ignores the meaning of the broken line. Driving on the marking is not a passing rule and can place the vehicle between opposing streams. The cue is broken on your side means evaluate a pass, never assume one.

19. 19. What does a steady green arrow indicate?

    1. You have the right of way and may make the movement shown by the arrow
    2. You must stop before making the movement shown
    3. You may turn only after yielding to every vehicle behind you
    4. The movement shown is prohibited until the next signal cycle
    Show answer

    You have the right of way and may make the movement shown by the arrow. A steady green arrow gives the driver the right of way to make the movement indicated by the arrow. It is more specific than a circular green because the arrow identifies the permitted direction. The stop choice treats the signal like a red or yellow indication, while the prohibition choice says the opposite of what the arrow communicates. Even with an arrow, scan the intended path for people or hazards and follow lane markings. Use the arrow as permission for that movement, not as a reason to ignore safe vehicle control or road users.

20. 20. What does Oregon say about speed limits on interstate highways?

    1. Every interstate has the same fixed limit
    2. Only weather determines the interstate limit
    3. Interstates have no maximum limit
    4. Interstate limits vary by highway and posting
    Show answer

    Interstate limits vary by highway and posting. The manual states that speed limits vary on interstate highways. A driver must therefore read the applicable posting instead of assuming one statewide interstate number. Interstates still have maximum limits, so the no-limit choice is incorrect, and weather alone does not establish the posted figure. The statement that every interstate shares one fixed limit is also too broad. Once the sign is identified, the basic rule remains relevant: poor visibility, traffic, or a slick surface can require a speed below that posted maximum.