Alaska DMV Permit Practice Test 21

  • Questions20
  • Correct to pass16
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age14 years

20 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 16 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. 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.

  2. 2. The green left-turn arrow ends and a steady red ball comes on for your lane, at an intersection where no turn on red is allowed. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop and wait, because no turn is allowed while the red ball is lit

    Once a red indication faces your lane and no turn on red is permitted there, the turn is over; only a vehicle already inside the intersection completes its movement.

  3. 3. What does it mean to cover the brake, and when should you do it?

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    Answer B: Hold your foot over the brake pedal without pressing it when a hazard seems likely

    Covering the brake cuts reaction time when you expect trouble, such as near children, parked cars or a vehicle that may pull out. Riding the brake wears it out and confuses drivers behind you.

  4. 4. Which Alaska child must be secured in a booster seat rather than in a seat belt alone?

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    Answer C: One over 4 and under 8, below 57 inches and 20 to 65 pounds

    Alaska requires a booster seat for a child over four but under eight years of age who is less than 57 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds or more but less than 65 pounds.

  5. 5. A short driver cannot get ten inches between the chest and the steering wheel airbag. What is the answer?

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    Answer D: Move the seat back and tilt the wheel downward, or fit pedal extenders

    Distance from the airbag is gained by moving the seat back and aiming the wheel at the chest, using pedal extenders if the pedals are then out of reach.

  6. 6. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?

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    Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians

    A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.

  7. 7. Why does this warning matter more on a motorcycle than in a car?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer B: Because a sudden jolt can unsettle a two-wheeled machine and the rider can lose control

    A jolt can push a motorcycle off line or lift a wheel, so a rider slows early, comes slightly off the seat and keeps a relaxed but firm hold on the handlebars.

  8. 8. 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.

  9. 9. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?

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    Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane

    A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.

  10. 10. Traffic safety experts describe three kinds of driver distraction. Which set is correct?

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    Answer A: Visual, manual and cognitive

    Distraction takes the eyes off the road, the hands off the controls or the mind off driving, and many activities do more than one of those at once.

  11. 11. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?

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    Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit

    An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.

  12. 12. You park on level ground in a lot. Where should the front wheels be pointing?

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    Answer C: Straight ahead, so the car would not veer if it moved

    On the level the wheels go straight so that the car stays in its own space, and so that a shunt from behind does not send it across a lane.

  13. 13. How far from a stopped Alaska school bus with flashing red lights must an approaching driver stop?

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    Answer C: Not less than 30 feet

    Alaska requires a driver approaching a school bus from any direction with flashing red lights in operation to stop not less than 30 feet from the bus and to wait until the lights stop and the bus moves.

  14. 14. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What should you do before driving onto the tracks?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the tracks until there is room to clear them completely

    Never enter a crossing until you are certain you can drive completely across without stopping, because a vehicle trapped on the tracks cannot get out of a train's way.

  15. 15. A pedestrian near the curb is staring at a phone and not looking at traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Slow down and be ready to stop, because the pedestrian may step out without looking

    Distracted pedestrians step into the street without checking. Assume they have not seen you and give yourself time and space to stop.

  16. 16. You back into an unattended parked car in a lot and cause visible damage. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Try to find the owner, or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report the crash

    Hitting an unattended vehicle carries the same duties as any crash. Leaving without identifying yourself is a hit-and-run offense.

  17. 17. Driving at night you notice that the raised markers along the line beside you are throwing back red light. What does that tell you?

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    Answer C: You are facing traffic and must get off that roadway

    Red retroreflection is shown only toward traffic that should not be there, so a red return means the vehicle is heading the wrong way.

  18. 18. You feel fine twenty minutes after your last drink. Why is that a poor guide to driving?

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    Answer B: Your blood alcohol level can still be rising

    Alcohol keeps being absorbed for some time after the last drink, so a driver who feels able at the door can be more impaired a few miles down the road.

  19. 19. It is dark, it is raining and you are towing a trailer. How should you set your following gap?

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    Answer B: Add extra seconds for each condition, well beyond three

    Each factor that lengthens your stopping distance or shortens your view calls for another second or more, and they add up when several occur together.

  20. 20. A fire truck with lights and siren has just passed you and is heading down the same road. How closely may you follow it?

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    Answer B: Well back, because following a responding emergency vehicle closely is illegal

    Following a responding emergency vehicle closely is prohibited; the exact minimum distance is set by each state, so stay far enough back to keep the scene and other responders clear.