Michigan SOS Permit Practice Test 8
Test 8 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Michigan test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years 9 months
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1. Trees block the view along the tracks as a driver approaches this sign. What approach speed is correct?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop before the nearest rail once a train comes into view
Where the view along the track is obstructed, the only safe speed is one that still leaves stopping distance after a train first becomes visible.
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2. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?
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Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side
A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.
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3. You are backing a trailer and want its rear to move to the left. Which way should you turn the steering wheel?
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Answer A: Move the bottom of the wheel to the left, which turns the top to the right
A trailer moves opposite to the tow vehicle's steering when backing. Holding the wheel at the bottom and moving your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go makes this easier.
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4. How much community service may a Michigan court order for a first operating while intoxicated conviction?
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Answer C: Up to 360 hours
A first operating while intoxicated conviction may carry community service of not more than 360 hours, either instead of or alongside jail and a fine.
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5. What do yellow lines painted on a roadway separate?
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Answer D: Traffic moving in opposite directions
Yellow markings separate opposing streams of traffic, and they also mark the left edge of a divided highway or a one-way roadway.
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6. What is the best way to keep your phone from distracting you on a trip?
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Answer D: Silence it and stow it before you start
A phone you cannot hear and cannot reach cannot tempt you, which is far more reliable than deciding case by case while you drive.
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7. Do hazard lights make it legal to leave your vehicle in a no parking zone?
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Answer A: No, they warn other drivers but do not permit the parking
Hazard lights are a warning device, not a permit; the parking restriction applies whether they are flashing or not.
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8. How should a long trip be broken up to keep the driver alert?
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Answer D: Stop for a break every couple of hours and share out the driving
Regular breaks and a change of driver are the only reliable answers to fatigue; caffeine only postpones it.
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9. Why are eating, drinking and personal grooming risky behind the wheel?
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Answer B: They occupy hands, eyes and attention that driving requires
Each of these tasks takes a hand off the controls and attention off the road, and a spill or a dropped item can pull the driver's eyes away entirely.
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10. An orange background with a black legend on a sign indicates
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Answer B: a temporary traffic control or work zone situation
Orange is reserved for temporary traffic control signing, so an orange sign means conditions have been altered for work or another temporary operation.
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11. How does alcohol affect a driver's ability to handle several things at once?
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Answer B: It cuts the ability to divide attention between tasks
Driving means watching the road, the mirrors and the instruments together, and alcohol narrows attention so that one of those tasks is dropped without the driver noticing.
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12. How long does a Michigan driver have to request a hearing after refusing a chemical test?
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Answer A: 14 days from the date of the notice
The officer must notify the driver in writing that a hearing may be requested within 14 days of the date of the notice, and failure to request one brings the suspension automatically.
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13. What does a booster seat do for a child?
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Answer B: It lifts the child so that the adult belt crosses hips and shoulder
A booster raises the child so the adult belt lies on the strong parts of the body instead of the neck and the abdomen.
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14. After a crash, what information should you exchange with the other driver?
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Answer B: Name, address, driver license, vehicle registration and insurance details
Identification, registration and insurance information are what the other party and the insurers need. Sensitive financial details are never required.
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15. On a two-lane road, a solid yellow line runs on your side of the center while a broken yellow line runs on the other side. What does this mean?
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Answer D: You may not pass, although oncoming drivers may
Passing restrictions are read from the line closest to your own lane, so a solid yellow line on your side creates a no-passing zone for you alone.
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16. A sign on a long descent points to a RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP a mile ahead. What is that ramp for?
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Answer C: Stopping a vehicle whose brakes have failed
An escape ramp climbs into deep gravel or sand to bring a vehicle with failed brakes to a halt, so no one should stop or park in it.
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17. Why should you set the parking brake even when an automatic transmission is in Park?
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Answer B: Because it takes the strain off the transmission and holds the vehicle
The parking pawl is a small part carrying the whole vehicle; the parking brake shares that load and holds the vehicle if the pawl fails.
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18. 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.
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19. How often should you check your mirrors while driving?
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Answer C: Every few seconds, so you always know what is around you
Traffic behind and beside you changes constantly. Frequent, brief mirror checks keep a picture of your surroundings current so nothing surprises you.
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20. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?
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Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way
The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.
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21. A yellow diamond showing a bicycle is posted on a rural road. What should a driver expect?
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Answer A: Bicyclists crossing or riding along the roadway there
The bicycle warning sign is used where a bikeway crosses the road or where riders are likely to be in the traffic lanes, so drivers should look carefully and pass wide.
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22. What can a loose or doubled up floor mat on the driver side cause?
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Answer A: It can slide forward and trap the accelerator pedal down
An unsecured mat, or a second mat laid over the first, can slip forward and hold the accelerator open. Use the mat clips and never stack mats.
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23. You have just driven through a deep puddle and your brakes feel weak. What should you do?
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Answer D: Drive slowly while lightly applying the brakes until they dry and work normally
Wet brakes grip poorly and may pull to one side. Gentle braking at low speed generates heat that dries the pads and discs quickly.
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24. A line beside your lane is painted about twice the normal width. What does the extra width convey?
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Answer B: Greater emphasis on the restriction it carries
Width is part of the marking code: a wide line carries more emphasis than a normal one, which is why it is used at gores and channelizing lines.
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25. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?
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Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time
Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.
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26. A yellow sign reads SOFT SHOULDER. What is it telling you?
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Answer C: The shoulder may not carry the weight of a vehicle
A soft shoulder is unpaved and can let a wheel sink, so a driver who leaves the pavement there may lose control or become stuck.
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27. At a freeway exit ramp, this sign normally backs up which other regulatory sign posted nearer to the ramp terminal?
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Answer D: The sign that forbids entering that roadway at all
The two work as a pair at ramp terminals: one keeps drivers from turning in, and this one sits farther along to catch a driver who has already entered.
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28. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?
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Answer C: A steady yellow
The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.
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29. Two vehicles meet on a steep, narrow mountain road with no room to pass. Which driver should back up?
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Answer C: The driver heading downhill, who has more control while reversing
On a narrow mountain road the vehicle facing downhill yields, because backing uphill gives better control than reversing down a grade.
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30. Someone appears seriously injured after a crash. What should you generally do?
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Answer C: Call for emergency help and avoid moving the person unless there is an immediate danger such as fire
Moving an injured person can worsen spinal or internal injuries, so summon trained help and leave the person in place unless staying there is more dangerous than moving.
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31. How many points does Michigan assess for a moving violation that results in an at-fault collision?
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Answer B: 4 points
Any moving violation that results in an at-fault collision with another vehicle, a person or any other object carries 4 points.
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32. A train has just passed a crossing that carries more than one set of tracks. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until the warning devices stop and you can see clearly along every track
A passing train can hide a second one coming on another track, so wait for the signals to clear and check each track before moving.
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33. What do the numbers on a pedestrian countdown display show?
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Answer A: The seconds remaining to finish a crossing already under way
The countdown runs during the pedestrian change interval and shows how many seconds are left before the crossing time ends.
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34. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?
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Answer B: Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way
The restriction holds whatever the traffic or the signal is doing, so the driver has to pass the intersection and plan a different route.
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35. You are parking facing downhill on a street with a curb. Which way should the front wheels point?
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Answer A: Toward the curb, so the vehicle would roll into it if it moved
Turning the wheels toward the curb when facing downhill means a vehicle that starts to roll is stopped by the curb instead of entering the traffic lane.
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36. A bicyclist is riding around a single-lane roundabout in the middle of the lane as you wait to enter. What is your duty?
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Answer C: Yield to the bicyclist just as you would to a car
A bicyclist using the roundabout is traffic like any other vehicle and has the same claim to the circulating lane.
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37. You hear a bang and one of the front tires deflates while you are on the highway. What happens to the vehicle?
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Answer D: It pulls strongly toward the side that failed
The collapsed tire drags heavily on that corner, so the vehicle veers toward it. Hold the wheel firmly, keep your line and let the speed fall before leaving the road.
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38. Under Michigan law, which combination defines a moped rather than a motorcycle?
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Answer A: Engine no larger than 100 cc, no manual gearshift, top speed of 30 mph or less
Michigan defines a moped as having an engine of no more than 100 cubic centimeters, a drive system that does not require shifting gears and a top speed of 30 mph or less, and anything beyond those limits is a motorcycle.
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39. What separation does Michigan's move over law accept in place of moving a full lane away?
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Answer B: Two vehicle widths from the stationary emergency vehicle
The driver must yield by moving at least one moving lane or two vehicle widths away from the stationary authorized emergency vehicle.
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40. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?
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Answer D: Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer
Loose gravel gives far less grip than pavement, so speed must come down for both steering and stopping.
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41. The light turns yellow when your front wheels are already past the stop line inside the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Keep going and clear the intersection without speeding up
Once you are legally in the intersection the safest and correct action is to continue through and clear it, without accelerating.
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42. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?
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Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way
Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.
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43. May you stop in the striped triangle that separates an exit ramp from the freeway lanes?
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Answer A: No, it is not a lane and stopping there is dangerous
The striped gore area is not a travel lane or a shoulder, and a vehicle stopped there sits directly in the path of drivers correcting a late exit.
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44. You pass into a work zone with a reduced speed limit but you see no workers. What speed applies?
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Answer D: The posted work zone limit, whether or not workers are present
A posted work zone speed limit is a regulatory limit in force at all times, and narrow lanes and uneven surfaces remain dangerous when nobody is working.
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45. What does Michigan law define as any bodily alcohol content for a driver under 21?
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Answer B: 0.02 or more but less than 0.08
For drivers under 21, any bodily alcohol content means 0.02 grams or more but less than 0.08, or any presence of alcohol from drinking outside a recognized religious service.
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46. What is the minimum age to obtain a Michigan GDL Level 1 Learner's License?
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Answer A: 14 years and 9 months
Michigan teens must be at least 14 years and 9 months old before a Level 1 Learner's License can be issued.
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47. What alcohol content makes a Michigan driver guilty of operating while intoxicated?
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Answer D: 0.08 grams or more per 210 liters of breath
Michigan defines operating while intoxicated to include an alcohol content of 0.08 grams or more per 210 liters of breath or per 100 milliliters of blood.
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48. You are driving along a street lined with parked cars. What should you watch for?
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Answer B: Doors opening, vehicles pulling out and pedestrians stepping from between cars
Parked cars hide people and can move without warning. Keep as much space from them as you safely can and cover the brake.
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49. 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.
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50. When may a Michigan Level 2 driver lawfully drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.?
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Answer C: When a designated adult is in the vehicle, or when going to or from work
The 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. restriction lifts when a parent, legal guardian or a licensed driver 21 or older designated by them is in the vehicle, and when the teen is driving in the course of employment or to or from work or an authorized activity.