Oregon DMV Permit Practice Test 28

  • 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. An orange sign reading END ROAD WORK is posted beside the highway. What does it mark?

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    Answer C: The point where the work zone restrictions stop

    The sign is installed at the downstream end of the temporary traffic control zone to tell drivers that normal conditions apply again.

  2. 2. On a long drive you notice repeated yawning, missed exits and drifting toward the lane line. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Pull off at a safe place and sleep, or change drivers

    Those are warning signs that sleepiness is already interfering with driving, and only rest restores alertness. Fresh air, music and caffeine do not reverse it.

  3. 3. What is the first thing to do once your disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder?

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    Answer A: Switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see the vehicle

    Hazard lights are the fastest way to make a stopped vehicle visible, and everything else can follow once traffic has been warned.

  4. 4. 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.

  5. 5. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?

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    Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass

    The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.

  6. 6. At a freeway exit ramp, this sign normally backs up which other regulatory sign posted nearer to the ramp terminal?

    A red rectangle with white lettering
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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.

  7. 7. 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.

  8. 8. What is threshold braking?

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    Answer C: Braking hard but staying just short of locking the wheels

    A rolling tire grips better than a sliding one, so the shortest stop comes from pressure held just below the point where the wheels lock.

  9. 9. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?

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    Answer C: The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level

    The liver removes alcohol at a steady rate, so drinking faster than the body can clear it pushes the blood alcohol level much higher.

  10. 10. How does a wet road change the distance you need to stop?

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    Answer C: It lengthens it, so you need a much bigger gap ahead

    Water between the tire and the road cuts grip, so braking distance grows and the gap that works on dry pavement is no longer enough.

  11. 11. You are turning right onto a one-way street. Which lane of that street should you enter?

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    Answer C: The lane closest to the right curb

    Even though every lane on a one-way street runs your way, a right turn must end in the lane nearest the right curb; you may change lanes afterwards when it is safe.

  12. 12. In a work zone one lane sits an inch or two lower than the lane beside it. How should you change lanes?

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    Answer C: Slow down and cross the edge at a shallow angle, holding the wheel firmly

    A vertical edge between lanes can catch a tire and jerk the steering. Crossing slowly at a shallow angle lets the wheel climb without grabbing.

  13. 13. A driver who is passing you cannot complete the pass because a vehicle is coming. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and make room for them to drop back in

    The only place for the passing vehicle to go is the gap behind you, and easing off opens that gap immediately.

  14. 14. A sign on a divided highway reads Keep Right Except to Pass. What does it require of you?

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    Answer A: Use the left lane only to overtake, then return to a lane on the right

    The left lane on such a highway is reserved for overtaking, so a driver who has finished a pass must move back to the right.

  15. 15. You have fitted small convex blind spot mirrors to the door mirrors. What is true of them?

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    Answer A: They help a good deal, but you should still look over your shoulder as well

    Add-on mirrors reduce but do not remove the blind spot, and they make vehicles look smaller and further away.

  16. 16. Under Oregon law, for how long before executing a stop or turn must a cyclist give the appropriate continuous hand and arm signal?

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    Answer C: 100 feet

    ORS 814.440 requires a cyclist to give the appropriate hand and arm signal continuously for at least 100 feet before executing a stop or turn.

  17. 17. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself

    The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.

  18. 18. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait and look both ways for a second train

    A passing train hides a second train on the other track, so wait until the signals stop and you can see that both tracks are clear.

  19. 19. You are on a city street with two lanes in your direction, cars parked along the curb and driveways every few yards. Which lane is usually safer?

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    Answer B: The lane farther from the curb, away from opening doors and vehicles pulling out

    Most of the hazards on such a street come from the curb side, so the inside lane gives you more space and more time to react.

  20. 20. A mixed drink is made with two shots of spirits. How much alcohol is that?

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    Answer C: About two standard drinks

    A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, so a glass poured with two measures counts as two drinks however it is served.

  21. 21. A driver stopped on suspicion of impaired driving refuses to take a chemical test. What happens?

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    Answer D: A license penalty follows for the refusal itself

    Under implied consent, holding a license means agreeing to testing, so a refusal brings its own suspension separately from anything the court decides.

  22. 22. Your brake pedal sinks to the floor and the vehicle does not slow down. What is a reasonable sequence of actions?

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    Answer C: Pump the pedal, shift to a lower gear and apply the parking brake gradually while steering to a safe spot

    Pumping can rebuild pressure in a partly failed system, a lower gear adds engine braking, and easing on the parking brake slows the vehicle without locking the wheels.

  23. 23. At the scene of a crash you were part of, what are you required to do besides stopping?

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    Answer B: Give your name, your address and vehicle details, and help anyone who is hurt

    Every state requires drivers involved in a crash to identify themselves and to render reasonable aid to anyone injured.

  24. 24. 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.

  25. 25. Apart from giving you room to stop, what else does a longer following gap do for you?

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    Answer D: It widens your view of the road and the traffic ahead

    Sitting further back lets you see past and around the vehicle in front, so hazards reach your eyes seconds earlier.

  26. 26. What is the recommended minimum distance between the driver's breastbone and the center of the steering wheel air bag cover?

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    Answer C: About 10 inches

    An air bag inflates extremely fast, and keeping that much space lets it deploy fully before it reaches the driver, which is why the seat should be moved back as far as still allows comfortable control of the pedals.

  27. 27. Your vehicle does not have antilock brakes and you must stop quickly on a slippery road. What is the correct technique?

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    Answer B: Apply the brakes firmly without locking the wheels, releasing slightly if they lock

    Locked wheels slide and cannot steer. Squeezing the brakes to just short of lockup, and easing off if they lock, gives the shortest stop with control.

  28. 28. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?

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    Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself

    Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.

  29. 29. 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.

  30. 30. Why are pedestrians and cyclists a special risk on unlit streets at night?

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    Answer A: Dark clothing can make them invisible until they are very close

    A person in dark clothing reflects almost no light and may not appear until they are inside your stopping distance, so cut your speed where people may be about.

  31. 31. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?

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    Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment

    An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.

  32. 32. When are the hazard warning lights properly used?

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    Answer A: When your vehicle is stopped or barely moving and is a hazard

    Hazard lights warn that your vehicle is an obstruction; they do not authorize illegal parking and they hide your turn signals while driving.

  33. 33. Fog thickens until you can barely make out the vehicle ahead. What is the safest action?

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    Answer A: Slow right down and, if needed, leave the road at a safe place

    In heavy fog the only safe speed may be very low, and if it drops below what the road allows, the answer is to pull well clear of the traffic lanes.

  34. 34. The brake warning light stays on even though the parking brake is fully released. What does it indicate?

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    Answer B: A possible brake system problem, so have the brakes checked promptly

    The brake warning light also signals low brake fluid or a failure in one part of the hydraulic system. Do not ignore it, because braking may be reduced.

  35. 35. A sign with a brown background and a white legend guides road users to

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    Answer B: parks, campgrounds and other recreational or cultural sites

    Brown is reserved for recreational and cultural interest area signing, such as parks, historic sites and scenic areas.