Alaska DMV Permit Practice Test 49
- Questions20
- Correct to pass16
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. A bicyclist ahead of you extends the left arm out with the forearm bent upward. What does that signal mean?
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Answer A: The bicyclist intends to turn right
Bicyclists use the same hand signals as drivers: left arm straight out means left, left arm bent up means right, and left arm bent down means stop or slow.
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2. You are turning left across tracks that run along the center of the street. What should you do before crossing them?
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Answer B: Look along the tracks in both directions and cross only when clear
Rail vehicles running in the street can arrive from either direction and cannot stop quickly, so look along the tracks before you turn across them.
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3. You are approaching an uncontrolled intersection on a residential street where parked cars hide the cross street. What is the correct approach?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop and creep out until you can see
Without a sign or signal you still have to be able to yield, and you cannot yield to traffic you have not seen.
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4. A driver stopped at a red signal wants to turn right and this sign is posted at the corner. What is permitted?
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Answer A: Nothing: the turn is barred whether the signal is red or green
The restriction works independently of the signal, so the usual permission to turn right after stopping at a red light does not exist where this sign is posted.
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5. What does a posted speed limit sign represent?
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Answer B: The maximum speed permitted under ideal conditions
A speed limit is an upper limit that assumes good weather, good visibility and light traffic, so the safe speed is often lower than the posted figure.
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6. In which situation should you increase your usual following distance?
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Answer B: On wet roads, at night, in fog, when towing a trailer, or when following a motorcycle
Reduced traction, reduced visibility, a heavier load and a vehicle that can stop faster than yours all require extra space to keep the same margin of safety.
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7. What visual acuity does Alaska require before a license or permit is issued?
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Answer B: At least 20/40 in each eye or with both eyes together
Alaska requires at least 20/40 vision in each eye or with both eyes together, and a driver who needs corrective lenses to reach the standard must wear them while driving.
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8. You are waiting to turn left and a motorcycle is approaching from the opposite direction. Why should you take extra care judging its speed and distance?
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Answer A: Its small size makes it look farther away and slower than it really is
A motorcycle's narrow profile fools the eye, so drivers often misjudge how soon it will arrive. Left turns across an oncoming motorcycle are a leading cause of rider deaths.
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9. What makes up the total distance needed to bring a vehicle to a stop?
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Answer A: The distance covered while you perceive the hazard, the distance covered while you react, and the braking distance
Total stopping distance combines the ground covered while you notice the hazard, the ground covered while you move your foot to the brake, and the ground covered while the brakes slow the vehicle.
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10. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right
Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.
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11. You are turning left from a one-way street onto a two-way street. How should the turn be made?
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Answer B: Start in the far left lane and finish just to the right of the center line
Left turns begin from the lane nearest the left edge of the street you are leaving and must finish on the right-hand side of the center line of a two-way street.
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12. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?
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Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked
Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.
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13. What does electronic stability control do that ordinary brakes cannot?
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Answer C: It brakes single wheels to bring the vehicle back on your intended path
The system compares where you have steered with where the vehicle is actually going, then brakes individual wheels to pull it back into line.
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14. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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15. 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.
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16. A SHOULDER DROP OFF sign warns that
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Answer B: there is a step down from the pavement to the shoulder
The sign is used where the edge of the pavement stands several inches above the shoulder, which can grab a wheel and pull the vehicle sideways.
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17. You are behind a slow vehicle on a two-lane road and a marked passing lane begins a mile ahead. What is the sensible choice?
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Answer D: Wait for the passing lane rather than using the opposing lane
A passing lane lets you overtake without ever entering the lane used by oncoming traffic, which is far safer than a pass a minute earlier.
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18. At an intersection where turning on a red arrow is not permitted, the signal shows a red left arrow next to a steady green ball. What may you do?
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Answer D: Go straight or turn right if permitted, but not left
An arrow controls only the movement it points to, so here the red arrow stops the left turn while the green ball still allows the other movements.
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19. What must a driver be ready for beyond this sign?
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Answer C: Vehicles approaching from the opposite direction in the next lane over
The separation between the two directions runs out, so from that point oncoming vehicles share the same pavement and the driver has to keep right.
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20. This sign comes into view ahead of a driver who has already started along a ramp. What should the driver do?
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Answer B: Pull clear where it is safe, then turn around and leave the ramp traveling properly
The driver is traveling against the legal flow, so the safest response is to stop clear of the lanes, turn the vehicle around and get off the ramp before meeting traffic head on.