Michigan SOS Permit Practice Test 24

  • Questions50
  • Correct to pass40
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age14 years 9 months

50 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 40 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?

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    Answer B: Move into the lane to your left

    An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.

  2. 2. You reach a stop-controlled intersection at the same time as a driver on your left, but that driver is already moving through the crossing. Who goes first?

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    Answer C: The driver who is already inside the intersection

    A vehicle already in the intersection has the right of way, and the rule about yielding to the right applies only before anyone has entered.

  3. 3. A curb sign reads No Standing. What does it allow you to do?

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    Answer B: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers

    No Standing bars waiting for any purpose except the brief moment needed to let passengers in or out, which is stricter than No Parking.

  4. 4. Where should you be looking as you back into a parallel parking space?

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    Answer B: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing all around

    Mirrors and cameras leave blind areas, so turn and look through the rear window while checking the front of your car and both sides as it swings.

  5. 5. The route marker used for an Interstate highway is a shield with

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    Answer A: white numerals on a blue field under a red band carrying the word INTERSTATE

    The Interstate route marker is a cutout shield with a white border, the word INTERSTATE in white on red across the top and the route number in white on blue.

  6. 6. A Michigan Level 2 driver is convicted of a moving violation. Until when is the restricted period extended?

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    Answer A: Until 12 consecutive months pass with no further violation, or until age 18

    A recorded moving violation extends the Level 2 restricted period until the licensee completes 12 consecutive months without a moving violation, suspension or restricted period violation, or reaches age 18.

  7. 7. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?

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    Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks

    Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.

  8. 8. What should you avoid when a hostile driver pulls alongside you?

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    Answer A: Making eye contact, or answering the gestures in any way at all

    Any response, including a look, encourages an aggressive driver, so give none and let the vehicle go.

  9. 9. When is a Michigan school zone speed limit in force?

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    Answer D: Up to 30 minutes before the first session and 30 minutes after the last

    The school zone limit applies for not more than 30 minutes before the first regularly scheduled session until school starts, and from dismissal until not more than 30 minutes afterwards.

  10. 10. You are on a two-lane road where a broken yellow line runs on your side of the center. What does that pattern allow?

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    Answer C: Passing when the way ahead is clear and it is otherwise legal

    A broken yellow center line marks a stretch where passing is permitted for traffic on that side when it can be completed safely.

  11. 11. What is true about driving away from a crash you were involved in?

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    Answer B: It is a serious offense, even if the other driver has driven away too

    Leaving the scene is a criminal offense in every state, and the behavior of the other driver does not excuse it.

  12. 12. You signaled a lane change and the signal did not switch itself off afterwards. Why does that matter?

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    Answer B: Other drivers may act on a turn you do not intend to make

    A signal left on tells other drivers you are about to turn, and someone may pull out in front of you. Cancel it as soon as the maneuver is finished.

  13. 13. Your low beams light about 250 feet of road, but at your speed you would need more than that to stop. What is that called?

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    Answer D: Overdriving your headlights

    When your stopping distance is longer than the stretch of road your headlights show, you cannot react to anything you finally see. Slow down until you can.

  14. 14. The curb ahead is signed as a bus stop. May you wait there with your vehicle?

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    Answer C: No, the space must stay clear for buses

    A bus stop must stay open so that a bus can reach the curb and let passengers on and off safely, so no other vehicle may occupy it.

  15. 15. Where is the best place in the car for a child safety seat?

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    Answer A: In the rear seat, secured either with the belt or with the lower anchors

    The rear seat is furthest from most impacts and from the front airbags, and the seat must be locked in with the belt or the anchors.

  16. 16. A driver leaves the vehicle at the curb where this sign is posted and walks away for two minutes. Is that allowed?

    A white square showing the letter P inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer B: No, leaving the vehicle unattended there is prohibited whatever the length of the absence

    Walking away leaves the vehicle parked, and the prohibition holds regardless of how long the driver is gone or whether the engine is left running.

  17. 17. How does Michigan's hands-free law interact with local ordinances on device use while driving?

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    Answer B: It supersedes them, except one that substantially corresponds to the state law

    The state hands-free law supersedes local ordinances regulating device use while driving, though a local unit may adopt or enforce an ordinance that substantially corresponds to it.

  18. 18. An overhead lane-use control signal shows a steady red X above the lane you are traveling in. What does it require?

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    Answer D: Leave that lane, because it is closed to you

    A steady red X means road users are not permitted to use the lane beneath it, so you must move into a lane that is open.

  19. 19. How much following distance should you keep behind a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: At least three to four seconds

    A motorcycle can slow or stop very quickly and is easily upset by a surprise, so allow three to four seconds instead of the usual car gap.

  20. 20. A yellow diamond showing the silhouette of a deer warns that

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    Answer D: large animals may cross the road in that area

    The sign marks a stretch where animals are known to cross, so drivers should reduce speed and scan both roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk.

  21. 21. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?

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    Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load

    Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.

  22. 22. What happens to the fine for a moving violation committed in a Michigan work zone or school bus zone?

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    Answer D: It is doubled

    Michigan doubles the fine for a moving violation committed in a work zone, at an emergency scene, in a school bus zone, or in a school zone during the period from 30 minutes before school until 30 minutes after school.

  23. 23. Your road ends at a T-intersection with no signs or signals. Who has the right-of-way?

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    Answer A: Traffic on the through road, and you must yield before entering

    A driver on a road that ends at a T-intersection must yield to traffic on the through road that continues past the junction.

  24. 24. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?

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    Answer C: A left turn

    The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.

  25. 25. Compared with dry pavement, how much room does a vehicle need to stop on packed snow?

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    Answer D: Several times as much

    Grip on packed snow is a fraction of that on dry pavement, so stopping distance grows several times over. Antilock brakes help you steer, not stop shorter.

  26. 26. You are stopped at an intersection where bushes block your view of cross traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Edge forward slowly until you can see, then proceed when clear

    Creeping forward a little at a time lets you gain a view without committing to the crossing. Never enter an intersection you cannot see into.

  27. 27. The school bus stop ahead sign is installed where

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    Answer C: a school bus stop cannot be seen from far enough away by approaching drivers

    This school warning sign is used in advance of a bus stop that lacks adequate sight distance and cannot be relocated, so drivers are warned before the stopped bus comes into view.

  28. 28. Which violation cannot be kept off a Michigan record by taking the Basic Driver Improvement Course?

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    Answer B: Any violation carrying 4 or more points

    A driver is ineligible for the course when the violation carries 4 or more points, is a criminal offense, or is one of the listed offenses such as careless driving or failing to stop for a school bus.

  29. 29. A center lane is marked with a broken yellow line on each side and is controlled by overhead lane signals. How is that lane used?

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    Answer A: It carries traffic one way or the other according to the signals

    A reversible lane is marked with broken yellow lines on both sides and its direction of travel is set by the lane control signals above it.

  30. 30. Two solid white lines separate your lane from the lane beside it. What do they mean?

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    Answer B: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited

    A solid double white line marks a boundary that road users may not cross, such as the entrance to a preferential lane.

  31. 31. A speed limit sign carries a second panel reading TRUCKS 55. What does that panel do?

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    Answer B: It sets a lower legal limit for trucks

    A truck speed limit panel is regulatory, so trucks are bound by the lower figure while other traffic keeps to the main limit.

  32. 32. Should you drive with your hazard lights flashing while moving in fog?

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    Answer A: No, they hide your turn signals and suggest you are stopped

    Hazard lights on a moving vehicle tell other drivers you are stopped or disabled, and they cancel out your turn signals just when clarity matters most.

  33. 33. How should the outside mirrors be aimed to reduce your blind spots?

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    Answer A: Outward, so each one covers the lane beside you rather than repeating the inside mirror

    Mirrors aimed too far inward show you the same road three times and leave a large gap beside the vehicle, so aiming them outward shrinks the blind spot.

  34. 34. The vehicle in front of you has stopped and is waiting to turn left, and there is a paved shoulder to the right. May you use it to get by?

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    Answer D: No, in most states a pass may not be made by leaving the paved travel lanes

    Passing on the right is normally lawful only inside the marked travel lanes, and most states prohibit driving onto the shoulder to get around a turning vehicle; the few states that allow it attach strict conditions.

  35. 35. The divided highway ends warning sign means that

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    Answer D: the median separating the directions ends and the road returns to two-way operation

    Beyond this sign opposing traffic is no longer separated by a median, so the driver must keep right and expect vehicles approaching in the adjacent lane.

  36. 36. You come up behind a bicyclist who is descending a steep hill in the middle of the traffic lane. What should you take into account?

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    Answer D: The rider may be moving at close to the speed of the traffic

    A bicycle can reach the speed of traffic on a descent, so there is little to gain from a pass and the rider needs the whole lane to steer around surface hazards.

  37. 37. An oncoming vehicle at night has its high beams on and you are being dazzled. Where should you look?

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    Answer A: Toward the right edge of your lane

    Looking toward the right edge line keeps you on course while sparing your eyes the worst of the glare. Slow down and do not retaliate with your own high beams.

  38. 38. You are about to leave a roundabout when a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk on your exit. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Yield to the pedestrian and wait for the crosswalk to clear

    Roundabout crosswalks sit on the entries and exits, and drivers must yield to pedestrians using them.

  39. 39. You are first in the queue at a red light with a marked crosswalk. Where should your vehicle stop?

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    Answer A: Behind the stop line, so that the crosswalk stays clear

    Stopping short of the line keeps the crosswalk usable for people on foot and keeps your vehicle out of the path of turning traffic.

  40. 40. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?

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    Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background

    In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.

  41. 41. What are front fog lights for?

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    Answer D: Adding a low, wide beam close to the car when visibility is poor

    Fog lights throw a low, wide beam under the fog, which is why they are mounted low and are used only in poor visibility.

  42. 42. In a work zone the temporary lane lines conflict with the old lines still visible on the pavement. Which do you follow?

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    Answer C: The temporary markings, which show the current traffic pattern

    Temporary markings define the traffic pattern in force, and the old lines are simply the layout that no longer applies.

  43. 43. You are about to pass another vehicle at night with your high beams on. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Switch to low beams as you come up behind it and while you are alongside

    High beams shining into the mirrors of the vehicle ahead blind the very driver whose reaction you depend on during the pass.

  44. 44. On loose gravel or deep fresh snow, how does an antilock system affect the stopping distance?

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    Answer D: It can lengthen it, although you keep the ability to steer

    On loose surfaces a locked wheel piles up a wedge of gravel or snow that helps it stop, so the antilock stop can be longer even though steering still works.

  45. 45. You approach an intersection where the signal is flashing yellow. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Slow down and cross the intersection with caution

    A flashing yellow signal warns you to slow down and cross with care; it does not require a stop, but it does not give you priority either.

  46. 46. A person with a guide dog is standing at the corner facing the street you are about to cross. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Stop well back and wait quietly for them to decide

    Blind pedestrians rely on engine sound to judge traffic, so stop back from the crossing and avoid the horn, which only confuses them.

  47. 47. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?

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    Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass

    Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.

  48. 48. Which warning light colors trigger Michigan's move over duty at a stationary authorized emergency vehicle?

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    Answer A: Red, blue, white or amber

    The duty applies to a stationary authorized emergency vehicle giving a visual signal by flashing, rotating or oscillating red, blue, white or amber lights.

  49. 49. What is a driver being warned about here?

    A yellow diamond showing two black arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down
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    Answer B: The pavement ahead carries vehicles traveling in the opposite direction

    Beyond this point vehicles come the other way on the same pavement, which commonly happens where a one-way section or a separated stretch comes to an end.

  50. 50. Besides a vision test and Segment 1, what must a Michigan applicant produce before Level 1 status is issued?

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    Answer A: Written approval of a parent or legal guardian

    Michigan issues Level 1 status only after a vision test, successful completion of Segment 1, and written approval of a parent or legal guardian.