WI Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

Every question below comes from the Wisconsin 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. In Wisconsin, you must back up in a tight parking area with people walking nearby. How fast should you back up?

   1. At normal road speed, to clear the area quickly
   2. As fast as the backup camera shows a clear path
   3. No faster than a slow walking pace
   4. At whatever speed keeps other drivers from waiting
   Show answer

   No faster than a slow walking pace. When backing is necessary, back up no faster than a slow walking pace. That crawl lets you stop instantly for a child, cart, or vehicle crossing behind you. Normal road speed, camera confidence, or pressure from waiting drivers does not raise the limit for reversing. Turn and look behind you, creep backward, and pause whenever your view of the area behind the vehicle is blocked or unclear.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, passing, backing and parking

2. 2. In Wisconsin, a flashing yellow traffic signal hangs over the road ahead. What should you do?

   1. Make a full stop, then proceed when it is safe to go
   2. Proceed at full posted speed, because flashing yellow always means go ahead
   3. Slow down, check for cross traffic, and proceed with caution
   4. Stop and wait for the signal to turn steady green
   Show answer

   Slow down, check for cross traffic, and proceed with caution. At a flashing yellow traffic signal, slow down, check for cross traffic, and proceed with caution. It does not demand the full stop that flashing red requires, and it does not license full speed or a wait for green. The caution covers vehicles entering from side streets and people crossing ahead. Ease off, scan both directions, cover the brake, and continue only when the crossing path is clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

3. 3. In Wisconsin, while backing up, what must a driver not rely on by themselves?

   1. Mirrors and a backup camera without looking directly behind
   2. The steering wheel and brake pedal used together while reversing
   3. A helper standing outside the vehicle nearby
   4. The view available through the rear window
   Show answer

   Mirrors and a backup camera without looking directly behind. Do not depend only on your mirrors and backup camera when backing up, because both leave blind areas low and to the sides. Turn your body and look through the rear window, adding mirror and camera views as supplements. A helper outside and direct window views are assets, not crutches to avoid. Children, pets and low posts hide exactly where lenses and mirrors fail.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, passing, backing and parking

4. 4. In Wisconsin, turning right from a four-lane roadway, which lane must the driver turn from?

   1. The lane nearest the center line
   2. The second lane, to swing wider
   3. The lane nearest the right curb or edge of the roadway
   4. Either left lane, if the signal is green
   Show answer

   The lane nearest the right curb or edge of the roadway. To turn right off a four-lane roadway, turn from the lane nearest the right curb or edge, so your path does not cross other lanes. Turning from the center or left lanes slices across drivers going straight and bicyclists at the curb. Move right well before the corner, check the blind spot for riders, and turn into the nearest lawful lane.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, passing, backing and parking

5. 5. In Wisconsin, two solid yellow lines separate your lane from oncoming traffic on a straight road. What do they mean for passing?

   1. Passing is allowed from either side when the road is empty
   2. Passing is allowed from the side with more room today
   3. No lane of travel can pass across those lines
   4. Only trucks are barred from passing across the lines
   Show answer

   No lane of travel can pass across those lines. Two solid yellow lines mean no lane of travel can pass. That double barrier applies to cars and trucks alike, and an empty oncoming lane or extra room on one side does not create an exception. Stay in your lane behind slower traffic, however frustrating the delay. The lines mark a stretch where opposing speed and limited view make a pass unsafe for drivers in both directions.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane lines, crosswalks and special lanes

6. 6. In Wisconsin, a police car is stopped on the roadside with its lights and sirens on as you approach. What must you do?

   1. Hold your lane and speed, because the car is already stopped
   2. Move over or slow down to give the police car room
   3. Stop in your lane beside the police car and wait there
   4. Pass in the nearest lane at the posted speed limit
   Show answer

   Move over or slow down to give the police car room. When a police car is stopped on the roadside with lights and sirens on, move over or slow down to give it room. Holding speed in the nearest lane treats the stopped responder as scenery. Stopping beside it in a live lane creates a second blockage. Change lanes away when traffic allows; when it does not, slow well down and pass only with a wide, careful margin.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school buses

7. 7. In Wisconsin, you see a round yellow sign ahead on your route. What does that sign warn about?

   1. A school crossing where children might be crossing
   2. A merge where one lane joins the next lane of traffic ahead
   3. A sharp turn where the road bends hard to one side
   4. A railroad crossing ahead where a train might be close
   Show answer

   A railroad crossing ahead where a train might be close. The round yellow railroad warning sign announces a railroad crossing where a train might be close. Its round shape separates it from the five-sided school sign, the merge symbol, and the sharp turn arrow. That advance warning is your cue to slow down, look both ways along the tracks, and listen before reaching the rails. Treat every such crossing as active until your own check proves it clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossing signs and rules

8. 8. In Wisconsin, after using alcohol or drugs a driver tries to judge gaps in traffic. What problem does that driver have?

   1. Sharper judgment of traffic gaps, because the senses feel heightened after use
   2. No change in judgment, if the driver drives slowly
   3. Better night vision for reading the road far ahead
   4. Trouble judging distances, speed and the movement of other vehicles
   Show answer

   Trouble judging distances, speed and the movement of other vehicles. After using alcohol or drugs, a driver has trouble judging distances, speed and the movement of other vehicles. Those judgments decide every gap acceptance, lane change, and stop, so the impairment strikes exactly where driving decisions are made. Feeling heightened, driving slowly, or trusting night vision does not restore them. The only remedy is not driving after use and letting a sober driver take the trip.

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

9. 9. In Wisconsin, a solid white line runs between your lane and the lane beside you. What does that line generally mean?

   1. You cannot cross it except for a hazard or an imminent turn within the next block
   2. You may cross it freely whenever the next lane looks empty and no officer is present
   3. You must cross it at every intersection to change lanes
   4. It marks the right edge of the traffic lane beside you
   Show answer

   You cannot cross it except for a hazard or an imminent turn within the next block. A solid white line between lanes generally means you cannot cross it except for a hazard or an imminent turn within the next block. Free lane changing across it, crossing at every intersection, or treating it as a road edge line all misread the marking. Keep your lane through the solid line, and prepare turns early so the one block window is enough. Only a genuine hazard justifies crossing it sooner.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane lines, crosswalks and special lanes

10. 10. In Wisconsin, a Lane Ends warning shows one side narrowing. What does the picture tell you?

    1. Whether the right or the left lane is ending
    2. Whether the road becomes one-way at night
    3. Whether trucks must exit at the next ramp ahead
    4. Whether the speed limit drops by ten
    Show answer

    Whether the right or the left lane is ending. The Lane Ends warning can picture either the right or the left lane ending, so read which side narrows on the sign you face. That tells you which way to merge when it is safe. The sign does not announce nighttime one-way use, truck exits, or a ten unit speed drop. Glance at the diagram, check the mirror on the merging side, and move over smoothly.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning and construction signs

11. 11. In Wisconsin, as a driver nears a roundabout, what do the overhead signs tell the driver?

    1. How long the wait at the yield line will be
    2. Which driver arrived at the circle first
    3. How fast traffic inside the circle is moving
    4. What lane the driver needs to be in
    Show answer

    What lane the driver needs to be in. Signs above you on the roundabout approach tell you what lane you need to be in for your exit. They do not predict your wait, rank arriving drivers, or measure circulating speed. Reading them early lets you change lanes calmly before the yield line. A late lane change at a roundabout entrance cuts across drivers who planned ahead, so use the signs as your first decision point.

    Study this in the handbook: Roundabouts, metered ramps and funeral processions

12. 12. In Wisconsin, how should a driver slow down when leaving a high-speed roadway?

    1. Brake hard while still in the through lane
    2. Slow down only after reaching the ramp curve
    3. Gradually slow down in the deceleration lane
    4. Speed up on the ramp, then brake at the end
    Show answer

    Gradually slow down in the deceleration lane. In the deceleration lane, slow down gradually as the exiting traffic around you does. Braking hard in the through lane invites a rear-end crash, waiting until the ramp curve can carry you in too fast, and speeding up first wastes the lane built for slowing. Stay at traffic speed until you are in the off-ramp lane, then ease off smoothly toward the ramp speed.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the sight distance rule

13. 13. In Wisconsin, which of these places counts as an intersection where drivers must watch for crossing traffic?

    1. Only streets fitted with a traffic light installed
    2. Driveways and parking lot entrances, plus cross streets
    3. Only corners fitted with a painted crosswalk
    4. Only places where two highways meet together
    Show answer

    Driveways and parking lot entrances, plus cross streets. Intersections include cross streets, driveways, parking lot entrances and railroad crossings, so crossing traffic can appear at far more places than signalized corners. A driveway or lot entrance without lights or paint still sends cars and people across your path. Scan every opening in the curb line as a possible entry. Treating plain driveways as intersections prevents the surprise pull-out that causes many town crashes.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way

14. 14. In Wisconsin, a railroad crossing looks quiet, with no train in sight and no warnings flashing. What must you still do before crossing?

    1. Assume no train is coming because the crossing is quiet
    2. Cross quickly without looking, to spend less time on tracks
    3. Wait for the warning lights to flash before looking
    4. Look both ways along the tracks and listen for a train
    Show answer

    Look both ways along the tracks and listen for a train. Before crossing railroad tracks, look both ways and listen for a train, even if warning signs are not flashing. A quiet crossing with no train in sight is exactly where assuming safety fails, because trains can approach quickly and quietly. Speeding across unchecked or waiting for lights before looking both skip the driver check that remains. Slow down, open a window if needed, look in both directions, listen, and cross only when clear.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossing signs and rules

15. 15. In Wisconsin, why should a driver keep the radio at a low volume while driving?

    1. So emergency vehicles can be heard approaching
    2. So the battery lasts longer on long trips
    3. So passengers can sleep in the back seat
    4. So turn signals can be heard clicking
    Show answer

    So emergency vehicles can be heard approaching. Keep your radio at a low volume so you can hear emergency vehicles approaching, because a siren you hear early is a pull-over you complete calmly. Battery life, sleeping passengers, and signal clicks are not the safety reason. Headphones in both ears are also prohibited for the same reason: driving needs your hearing. Let outside sounds, sirens, horns, and rail bells, reach you without competition.

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

16. 16. In Wisconsin, at an uncontrolled T-intersection with no signals, whose traffic must a turning driver yield to?

    1. Traffic waiting in driveways beside the T
    2. Cross traffic moving through the uncontrolled T-intersection
    3. Traffic that has already left the intersection
    4. No traffic at all, because T-intersections have no rules for anyone
    Show answer

    Cross traffic moving through the uncontrolled T-intersection. At an uncontrolled T-intersection, the driver on the road that ends must yield to cross traffic traveling on the through road, because those drivers have no stop either and their path is continuous. Driveway traffic must wait its own turn, departed traffic no longer conflicts, and the absence of signals never means an absence of rules. Slow, scan both directions of the through road, and enter only into a clear gap.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way

17. 17. In Wisconsin, how should the lap part of a seat belt fit the person wearing it?

    1. Loosely across the stomach for comfort
    2. Snugly across the hip bones, just under the stomach
    3. Across the upper chest near the neck
    4. Under both arms to keep it out of the way
    Show answer

    Snugly across the hip bones, just under the stomach. The lap belt should fit snugly across your hip bones just under your stomach, so crash forces spread over strong pelvis bone. A loose belt over the stomach lets organs take the force and lets you slide under it, while chest and under-arm placements belong to other belt errors. Pull the lap belt low and tight every ride, then position the shoulder belt across your chest.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, seat belts, child seats and insurance

18. 18. In Wisconsin, parking uphill with a curb present, which way must the front wheels be turned?

    1. All the way to the left before putting the car in park
    2. All the way to the right before putting the car in park
    3. Straight ahead, parallel with the curb
    4. Toward whichever side is downhill
    Show answer

    All the way to the left before putting the car in park. Parked uphill with a curb, turn your wheels all the way to the left before putting the car in park. If the car rolls backward, the turned front wheel rolls back against the curb, which blocks the roll. Right turns, straight wheels, or guessing by slope side miss that protection. Set the parking brake as well, every time you park on a hill.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, passing, backing and parking

19. 19. In Wisconsin, borrowing a friend car for a trip, whose job is it to confirm insurance?

    1. The friend must mail proof to the DMV first
    2. The borrowing driver must make sure the car has insurance
    3. Passengers share the job equally by law stated
    4. No one, because borrowed cars need no insurance
    Show answer

    The borrowing driver must make sure the car has insurance. If you drive someone else car, it is your job to make sure it has insurance before you turn the key. The owner mailing proof, passengers sharing a legal duty, or borrowed cars being exempt all misplace that responsibility. Ask to see current proof, check the vehicle matches the policy, and decline the drive if coverage cannot be shown. Your license is on the line when you drive.

    Study this in the handbook: Points, seat belts, child seats and insurance

20. 20. In Wisconsin, on a long downhill grade a driver lets the car coast in neutral to save fuel. Why should that be avoided?

    1. Coasting in neutral is the recommended way to descend hills
    2. Neutral coasting only matters for manual transmissions
    3. Coasting is safe whenever the brake lights still work
    4. Staying in gear helps keep full control of the vehicle
    Show answer

    Staying in gear helps keep full control of the vehicle. Avoid coasting in neutral, because staying in gear helps keep full control of the vehicle. In neutral the car can gain speed on a grade while the driver depends on brakes alone, and reengaging a gear takes time during a surprise. Transmission type and working brake lights do not change that control reason. Keep the vehicle in gear on descents and let the drivetrain share speed control.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the sight distance rule