WI Permit Practice Test 19

All 20 questions in test 19

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, what makes a roadway divided for the school bus stop exception?

   1. Painted double yellow lines without any barrier
   2. A wide paved shoulder on each side
   3. Street lights mounted in the center median
   4. A barrier between lanes going in opposite directions
   Show answer

   A barrier between lanes going in opposite directions. A divided highway has a barrier between lanes going opposite directions, which is why drivers on the opposite side need not stop for a school bus. Paint alone, wide shoulders, and median lights do not create that physical separation. If opposing lanes share pavement with only paint between them, you must stop at least twenty feet from the bus when its red lights flash.

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

2. 2. In Wisconsin, positioning for a left turn, where should the driver keep the vehicle?

   1. Close to the right curb to hide from traffic
   2. Close to the center line while checking that the path is clear
   3. In the crosswalk where pedestrians can see better
   4. Straddling two lanes to block followers
   Show answer

   Close to the center line while checking that the path is clear. Position for a left turn close to the center line, after checking mirrors and confirming your path ahead is clear. Hugging the right curb hides your intent, waiting in the crosswalk endangers walkers, and straddling lanes blocks traffic lawfully passing. The center position shortens your turn, displays your signal to oncoming drivers, and leaves room for them to turn in front of you when paths allow.

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

3. 3. In Wisconsin, a crash has no injuries but your car cannot move. What should you do?

   1. Push the car alone through moving traffic lanes
   2. Wait inside the travel lane for a friend
   3. Leave the car dark and walk home quietly
   4. Call 911, follow their directions, and stay clear of traffic
   Show answer

   Call 911, follow their directions, and stay clear of traffic. With no injuries but a vehicle that cannot move, call 911 and follow their directions, and stay away from traffic while you wait. Pushing alone through lanes, waiting in the travel path, or abandoning a dark vehicle all invite a second collision. Turn on flashers, exit on the side away from traffic if you must leave the car, and stand well beyond the shoulder.

   Study this in the handbook: Avoiding crashes, crash duties and roadside emergencies

4. 4. In Wisconsin, after yielding at a roundabout entrance, when may the driver enter?

   1. As soon as the car ahead begins to move
   2. Whenever the entrance lane is empty behind
   3. After honking to claim the entrance
   4. When there is a safe gap in the circulating traffic
   Show answer

   When there is a safe gap in the circulating traffic. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in traffic, judged by the speed and distance of vehicles already circulating. The car ahead moving, an empty entrance behind you, or a horn blast cannot create that gap. If the gap would force a circulating driver to brake, it is not safe. Wait for the next opening; roundabout gaps come frequently and cost only seconds.

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

5. 5. In Wisconsin, you are involved in a crash on a rural road and the other driver is injured. Must this crash be reported to police?

   1. Yes, a crash where someone is injured or killed must be reported
   2. No, injuries alone never require a report to police
   3. Only if the damage also passes a high dollar figure
   4. Only when both drivers agree together that the crash should be reported
   Show answer

   Yes, a crash where someone is injured or killed must be reported. A Wisconsin crash must be reported to police when someone is injured or killed, among other listed conditions. Injury alone triggers that duty, without any damage threshold or mutual agreement. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is also a crime. Stop safely, call for help, aid the injured within your ability, and remain at the scene until responders release you.

   Study this in the handbook: Avoiding crashes, crash duties and roadside emergencies

6. 6. In Wisconsin, which shoulder belt habit must a driver never use?

   1. Wearing the belt across the chest and over the shoulder, good and snug
   2. Adjusting the belt before starting the car trip
   3. Checking that passengers wear their belts too
   4. Placing it under your arm or letting it hang loose over your arm
   Show answer

   Placing it under your arm or letting it hang loose over your arm. Never put the shoulder belt under your arm or leave it so loose that it hangs over your arm, because that placement lets your head and chest fly forward in a crash. Across-the-chest wear, pre-drive adjustment, and passenger checks are all correct habits. If the belt rubs your neck, adjust the anchor height or seat position rather than rerouting the belt off your shoulder.

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

7. 7. In Wisconsin, what headlight rule applies while driving in winter conditions?

   1. Use high beams to melt falling snow
   2. Drive with parking lights only all day
   3. Turn headlights on, but do not use high beams
   4. Turn headlights off to save the battery
   Show answer

   Turn headlights on, but do not use high beams. In winter driving, turn on your headlights and do not use your high beams, because brights reflect off snow and fog back into your eyes while low beams light the road and make you visible. Parking lights are too dim for travel, and lights off hides you in gray weather. Low beams help you see lane edges and help others place your car in the murk.

   Study this in the handbook: Bad weather, skids, winter and rural roads

8. 8. In Wisconsin, you see a yellow Slippery When Wet warning sign as rain begins. What response does the sign call for?

   1. Keep the posted speed, because rain has only just started
   2. Speed up to cross the wet stretch before it worsens
   3. Slow down when you see the slippery warning sign
   4. Stop on the shoulder until the rain fully ends today
   Show answer

   Slow down when you see the slippery warning sign. A Slippery When Wet warning tells the driver the road ahead might be slippery, and the recommended response is to slow down when you see the sign. Holding posted speed or speeding across the wet stretch keeps your speed mismatched to the reduced grip. Parking until rain ends is not required either. Ease off the accelerator, increase following distance, and brake and steer gently through the warned stretch.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning and construction signs

9. 9. In Wisconsin, before changing lanes where motorcycles travel nearby, what check is essential?

   1. Check blind spots first, and give motorcycles extra room
   2. Assume motorcycles will always dodge your car
   3. Watch only the largest truck in your view
   4. Signal after the lane change is fully complete
   Show answer

   Check blind spots first, and give motorcycles extra room. Give motorcyclists extra room, especially when following one, and check your blind spots before moving, because a motorcycle hides easily in the space a car fills in your mirror. Riders cannot always dodge, trucks do not represent every hazard, and late signals warn nobody. Look twice specifically for the narrow profile of a bike before any lane change, turn, or merge.

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

10. 10. In Wisconsin, besides pavement lines, what else can tell a driver where passing is allowed?

    1. Mirrors that show the speed of cars behind
    2. Rumble strips that change sound in passing zones
    3. Shoulder colors that turn green where passing is legal
    4. Signs that tell you where you can and cannot pass
    Show answer

    Signs that tell you where you can and cannot pass. Some passing zones also use signs to tell you where you can and cannot pass, adding a roadside message to the pavement lines. Mirrors, rumble strip sounds, and shoulder colors do not carry that legal message. Read both the lines and any passing signs before you pull out. If either one bars passing, stay in your lane until the restriction ends.

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

11. 11. In Wisconsin, what sign check should a driver make before choosing a parking spot?

    1. Check that no No Parking sign applies to the spot
    2. Check that a street name sign faces the spot
    3. Check that a mile marker stands near the parking spot
    4. Check that a route sign matches the spot
    Show answer

    Check that no No Parking sign applies to the spot. Before parking, make sure no No Parking sign applies where you plan to leave the vehicle. A street name sign only names the road, a mile marker only gives location, and a route sign only identifies the highway system. A quick sign check before you turn off the engine prevents a ticket and keeps fire lanes, bus stops and other restricted curb space clear.

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

12. 12. In Wisconsin, the posted limit is 35 but fog and wet pavement hide the road ahead. What speed should you choose?

    1. Exactly 35, because the posted maximum always controls
    2. A slower speed than the posted maximum for the conditions
    3. Five miles per hour over the limit to clear the fog sooner
    4. The speed of the fastest vehicle passing you in the fog
    Show answer

    A slower speed than the posted maximum for the conditions. A safe driving speed can be lower than the posted maximum when visibility and road conditions require it. Fog and wet pavement shorten what you can see and lengthen stopping, so holding the posted number just because it is posted misreads the rule. Matching a faster driver or adding speed to escape the fog makes the margin smaller. Slow until your speed fits what you can actually see ahead and stop for.

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

13. 13. In Wisconsin, a driver must turn across a reserved lane but a bicyclist is riding in it. What should the driver do?

    1. Pass the bicyclist closely and cut in front to turn
    2. Honk until the bicyclist leaves the lane
    3. Move behind the bicyclist and turn once it is safe
    4. Speed up and turn across the lane ahead of the bicyclist
    Show answer

    Move behind the bicyclist and turn once it is safe. If a bicyclist is in the reserved lane you must cross, move behind the bicyclist and make your turn once it is safe. Passing closely and cutting in, honking the rider out of the way, or speeding up to turn ahead of the bicyclist all create conflict. Fall in behind, match speed briefly, check again, and turn only when the rider is clear of your path.

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

14. 14. In Wisconsin, what gear action must a driver avoid while crossing railroad tracks?

    1. Shifting gears while crossing the tracks
    2. Looking both ways before starting across
    3. Checking for room beyond the far rail
    4. Slowing down before the first rail
    Show answer

    Shifting gears while crossing the tracks. Drivers must not shift gears while crossing railroad tracks, because a missed shift can stall the vehicle on the rails. Looking both ways, checking for room beyond the tracks, and slowing before the crossing are all required habits. Pick a gear that will carry you fully across, then drive through without stopping or shifting until every wheel is clear of the rails.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossing signs and rules

15. 15. In Wisconsin, at a steady red light with no turn planned, when may the driver proceed?

    1. Proceed right after a full stop, like a stop sign
    2. Wait for green, and proceed only with no cross traffic left
    3. Honk once to warn cross traffic through the light
    4. Proceed after thirty seconds, even on red
    Show answer

    Wait for green, and proceed only with no cross traffic left. At a steady red with no turn planned, come to a full stop and wait until the light turns green and there is no cross traffic. A steady red is not a stop sign for through travel, honking grants no passage, and no thirty-second rule releases you. Right and one-way left turns on red follow their own stop-and-yield rules, but straight travel waits for green.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

16. 16. In Wisconsin, before starting a U-turn, what checks must the driver make first?

    1. Check only the sign on the far corner
    2. Check only the speed of the car behind
    3. Check all mirrors and check for traffic before turning
    4. Check that the road behind is empty for a mile
    Show answer

    Check all mirrors and check for traffic before turning. Before a U-turn, check all your mirrors and check for traffic, because you will cross every lane around you during the motion. A far sign, the single car behind, or a mile of empty road each cover only part of that circle. Add a blind spot check and confirm no sign bans the turn. If any approach is unclear, skip the U-turn and go around the block.

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

17. 17. In Wisconsin, what three checks must a driver make before starting any turn?

    1. Check mirrors, surroundings and blind spot before turning
    2. Check only the speedometer and fuel gauge
    3. Check only the car waiting behind you
    4. Check only the color of the traffic light
    Show answer

    Check mirrors, surroundings and blind spot before turning. Before turning, check your mirrors, your surroundings and your blind spot, because a turn crosses paths on several sides at once. Gauges, the single car behind, or the light color each miss the bicyclist beside you or the pedestrian stepping off the curb. Signal first, run the three checks, then turn while staying in your lane. That order prevents most turning crashes.

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

18. 18. In Wisconsin, why do mile markers help during a highway emergency?

    1. They show the speed limit for the next stretch of highway ahead
    2. They show which rest area has open parking
    3. They improve emergency response times to highway incidents
    4. They warn drivers that a crash closed the road
    Show answer

    They improve emergency response times to highway incidents. Mile markers improve emergency response times because they let you give an exact highway location when you call for help. Responders can drive straight to that mile instead of searching a long stretch of road. The markers do not show speed limits, report rest area parking, or announce road closures. Reading your nearest marker aloud to a dispatcher is a simple step that speeds up help.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory, destination and service signs

19. 19. In Wisconsin, using the four second rule you count toward a fixed object and reach it before finishing the count. What does that tell you?

    1. Your following distance is already correct for normal driving in traffic
    2. You are following too closely and going too fast for the gap
    3. You should count faster so the count ends sooner
    4. The fixed object was simply too close to the road
    Show answer

    You are following too closely and going too fast for the gap. Under the four second following distance rule, you pick a stationary object and count one thousand one through one thousand four as the vehicle ahead passes it. Reaching that object before the count finishes means you are going too fast for the space ahead, in other words following too closely. Counting faster or blaming the object does not change the measured gap. Back off until the full four second count fits.

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

20. 20. In Wisconsin, in a standard traffic signal, where is the red light positioned?

    1. Bottom position, below the green light placed in the middle
    2. Top position, above yellow in the middle, green at bottom
    3. Left side position in a horizontal row only
    4. Center position, surrounded by yellow lights
    Show answer

    Top position, above yellow in the middle, green at bottom. A standard signal stacks red on top, yellow in the middle, and green at the bottom. Red never sits at the bottom of that stack, and green never sits in the middle. The stack described in the rule is vertical, not a horizontal row with red on the left. Keeping the order in mind lets a driver name each light by its place in the stack as well as by its color.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows