Oregon DMV Permit Practice Test 18

  • Questions35
  • Correct to pass28
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

35 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 28 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A preferential lane sign reads HOV 2+ and lists the hours it applies. During those hours, which vehicles may use the lane?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Vehicles carrying at least two people, counting the driver

    The number on an HOV sign is the minimum number of occupants, driver included, that a vehicle must carry to use the lane while the restriction is in effect.

  2. 2. How long after a provisional license is first issued does Oregon's midnight-to-5-a.m. driving restriction apply, assuming the holder has not yet turned 18?

    Show answer

    Answer A: For the first year after the license is issued

    ORS 807.122 applies the midnight-to-5-a.m. driving restriction for the first year after a provisional license is issued, unless the holder turns 18 sooner.

  3. 3. The light turns yellow when your front wheels are already past the stop line inside the intersection. What should you do?

    Show answer

    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.

  4. 4. You brake hard in a vehicle with antilock brakes and feel the pedal pulsing under your foot. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Keep firm, steady pressure on the pedal and steer where you need to go

    The pulsing is the system releasing and reapplying the brakes so the wheels keep rolling, which is what lets you steer while braking. Pumping the pedal defeats it.

  5. 5. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?

    Show answer

    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.

  6. 6. You have strapped luggage to the roof rack for a long trip. What should you expect?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A higher center of gravity, so take the curves and lane changes gently

    Weight on the roof raises the center of gravity and makes the vehicle lean and respond more slowly to steering.

  7. 7. After a crash your door will not open and you need to get out of the car. What should you try?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Try another door of the vehicle, or a window that will still open properly

    A jammed door is common after an impact, and the simplest escape is a different door or a window rather than forcing the damaged one.

  8. 8. A turn restriction sign at the corner shows a range of times below the symbol. What does that mean?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The turn is banned only during the hours shown on the sign

    Times posted under a regulatory symbol set the period during which the restriction applies; outside those hours the movement is permitted.

  9. 9. You come up behind a group of cyclists riding two abreast on a narrow rural road. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Wait for a clear stretch and pass them as one group

    Passing a group as a single unit when the way ahead is clear is safer than several rushed passes, and cutting through the group leaves nobody any escape room.

  10. 10. The only person offering you a ride home has been drinking. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Do not get in; find another way home

    A passenger in an impaired driver's vehicle shares all of the risk and can do nothing about it from the seat, so the only safe answer is another ride.

  11. 11. 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?

    Show answer

    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.

  12. 12. Red pavement markings are used on a roadway to show that

    Show answer

    Answer A: it must not be entered from that direction

    Red markings identify a roadway that is not to be entered or used, and they also mark the pavement of truck escape ramps.

  13. 13. You have a green light and an ambulance with lights and siren enters the intersection against its red. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stop and let the ambulance go through

    An emergency vehicle answering a call may cross against a red, and every other driver yields to it whatever their own signal shows.

  14. 14. What does it mean to scan the road while driving?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Moving your eyes constantly over the road, the sides and the mirrors

    Scanning keeps information coming in from every direction, while a fixed stare leaves you blind to everything else.

  15. 15. What is the driver expected to do after passing this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a small eight sided shape above a black arrow pointing at it
    Show answer

    Answer A: Begin slowing so that a complete stop can be made at the intersection ahead

    It is used where the control at the intersection stays hidden until late, so braking should begin here rather than at the stop line.

  16. 16. Under Oregon law, exceeding a posted speed limit by 21 to 30 miles per hour is punishable as which class of traffic violation?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Class B traffic violation

    ORS 811.109 classifies speeding 21 to 30 mph over the posted limit as a Class B traffic violation, one step below the top Class A tier reserved for more than 30 mph over.

  17. 17. You are driving down a parking aisle and reach the main lane that runs along the front of the store. What is the usual rule?

    Show answer

    Answer C: The main through lane has the right of way over the vehicles leaving the aisles

    In a parking lot the wide lane that runs across the ends of the aisles works like a through road, and drivers leaving an aisle yield to it.

  18. 18. You are about to pass a large truck on a two-lane highway. Which practice is correct?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Finish the pass without delay and expect wind turbulence beside the truck

    Lingering beside a truck keeps you in its blind spot and exposes you to air turbulence. Pass on the left, keep moving, and move back only when you can see the whole truck in your mirror.

  19. 19. Your vehicle has stalled on railroad tracks and no train is in sight. After getting everyone away, whom should you call first?

    Show answer

    Answer B: The railroad emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, giving the crossing number

    Every public crossing has a blue emergency notification sign with a phone number and a crossing identification number. That call lets the railroad stop or slow trains before they reach you.

  20. 20. You come upon a person riding a horse on the roadway ahead of you. What is the correct way to pass?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Slow down, give plenty of room and do not use the horn

    Horses startle easily, and a frightened horse can throw its rider into your path. Pass slowly and wide, and avoid any sudden noise.

  21. 21. You enter a corner faster than the turn can be taken. What is the most likely result?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The vehicle runs wide and may cross into another lane

    Excess speed uses up the available grip, so the vehicle follows a wider arc than intended and drifts out of its lane.

  22. 22. In a work zone, the flagger's instructions conflict with the pavement markings still visible on the road. Which do you follow?

    Show answer

    Answer B: The flagger, because a person directing traffic outranks the markings

    An authorized flagger controlling a temporary traffic control zone overrides signs, signals and markings, and drivers must obey the flagger's signals.

  23. 23. You see smoke coming from under the hood while driving. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Signal, pull well off the road, shut off the engine and move everyone away from the vehicle

    Stopping and shutting off the engine cuts the fuel supply to a possible fire, and distance protects you if it spreads. Raising the hood can feed the fire a rush of air.

  24. 24. How often should you check your mirrors while driving?

    Show answer

    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.

  25. 25. A power line has fallen across your vehicle after a crash. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Stay inside and wait for utility workers unless fire forces you out

    The vehicle body may be energized, and touching it and the ground at the same time can be fatal. If you must leave because of fire, jump clear with both feet together and shuffle away.

  26. 26. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine

    The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.

  27. 27. Why does a heavier vehicle need more room to stop than a light one from the same speed?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Because there is more mass in motion for the tires to slow down

    More mass means more energy at the same speed, and the brakes and tires need more distance to get rid of it.

  28. 28. How should you follow a school bus in traffic?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Far enough back to see its lights and stop in time

    A school bus stops often and with little warning, so a longer following distance gives you time to see the lights come on and stop clear of it.

  29. 29. How do stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine typically affect driving?

    Show answer

    Answer D: They can make the driver overconfident and more willing to take risks

    Stimulants create a false sense of alertness and encourage aggressive, risky driving. When they wear off, sudden fatigue can follow.

  30. 30. You face a red light at an intersection that has no stop line and no marked crosswalk. Where must you stop?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Before entering the intersection

    With no line and no crosswalk, the stopping point is the near edge of the intersecting roadway, close enough to see cross traffic but clear of it.

  31. 31. A curb lane is marked BUS ONLY 7 AM TO 9 AM. What may the driver of a car do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Use the lane outside those hours

    A part-time bus lane is reserved only during the posted period, and outside it the lane serves general traffic like any other.

  32. 32. Traffic in a work zone is down to one lane in each direction, separated by a temporary double yellow line. May you pass?

    Show answer

    Answer C: No, temporary markings prohibit passing just as permanent ones do

    A temporary marking has the same legal force as a permanent one, and a work zone is the last place with room to spare for an overtaking vehicle.

  33. 33. An arrow panel in a work zone shows four flashing lamps in caution mode instead of an arrow. What does that display mean?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Warning only, so pass the work area with caution in your current lane

    Caution mode gives a general warning without directing a lane change, so drivers stay alert and pass the activity with care.

  34. 34. May you exceed the posted speed limit in order to complete a pass?

    Show answer

    Answer C: No, the posted limit applies while you are passing too

    The limit does not lift for passing; if you cannot complete the pass within it, there is not enough room and you should stay back.

  35. 35. Many signs use a symbol instead of words. The main advantage is that a symbol

    Show answer

    Answer C: can be read from farther away and by more people

    A symbol is recognized at greater distance than a line of text and does not depend on the reader knowing English.