Mississippi DPS Permit Practice Test 16
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same moment from adjacent roads. Who should go first?
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Answer A: The driver on the right
When two drivers stop at a four-way stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
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2. You and the driver facing you both have stop signs at a two-way stop. You are going straight and that driver is turning left. Who has the right of way?
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Answer B: You do, and the turning driver must wait
Between two opposing drivers who both stopped, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.
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3. A driver passes this sign and the signal beyond it is already showing green. What is the safest response?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and be ready to stop, because an indication that has been showing for a while is about to change
A signal that has been displaying the same indication for some time is close to changing, so arriving at a controlled speed with the brake covered is safer than accelerating to beat it.
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4. A driver extends the left arm out the window and points it downward toward the road surface. What is being signaled?
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Answer A: Slowing down or stopping
The left arm extended downward is the standard hand signal for slowing or stopping.
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5. What does a traction control system do?
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Answer A: It limits wheel spin when you accelerate
Traction control cuts power or brakes a spinning wheel so the tires can grip when you pull away or accelerate on a slippery surface.
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6. The trailer you are towing begins to sway from side to side at highway speed. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel steady and let the speed drop
Sway grows with speed and with sudden inputs. Reducing speed gently while keeping the steering steady lets the trailer settle behind you.
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7. The red lights on a stopped school bus go out and the bus begins to move away. What should you do?
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Answer B: Move off slowly and keep watching for children near the road
Children who have just left the bus may still be near the roadway or crossing behind it, so pull away gently and keep looking for them.
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8. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?
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Answer D: Loss of muscle control and steady steering
Higher levels of alcohol reach the parts of the brain that control movement, which shows up as clumsy steering, late braking and poor lane control.
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9. The tire pressure monitoring symbol lights up on your dashboard. What is the system telling you?
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Answer A: At least one tire is significantly underinflated
The system warns when a tire falls well below the recommended pressure. Check all four with a gauge and inflate to the placard figure while they are cold.
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10. A yellow diamond showing two vertical arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down, warns that
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Answer A: the road ahead carries traffic in both directions
The two-way traffic sign warns that the roadway ahead is not divided and that vehicles will be coming from the opposite direction.
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11. You are approaching a marked school crossing and children have started to cross the roadway. What is required?
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Answer A: Stop and let the children finish crossing the roadway
Drivers give way to people in a marked crossing, stopping if that is what it takes, and children in particular may change direction without warning.
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12. What does Mississippi law say about state assessments on a texting while driving penalty?
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Answer C: No state assessments may be imposed or collected for the violation
Section 63-33-1 states that no state assessments shall be imposed or collected for a texting while driving violation.
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13. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?
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Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt
What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.
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14. What maximum speed does Mississippi list for the Natchez Trace Parkway?
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Answer B: 50 mph
The Natchez Trace Parkway has its own listed maximum of 50 mph, lower than ordinary two-lane state highways.
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15. You are driving slower than the general flow on a multilane highway. Which lane should you use?
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Answer D: The right lane, keeping the left lanes free for faster traffic and passing
Slower traffic must keep right so that faster vehicles and overtaking traffic can use the left lanes without weaving between lanes.
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16. Federal law lets a state open its high-occupancy vehicle lanes to certain vehicles carrying only one person. Which of these is covered by that allowance?
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Answer B: Motorcycles
Federal law lets states allow motorcycles into high-occupancy vehicle lanes regardless of the number of occupants, because keeping riders in the flow is safer than the alternative.
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17. In a normal signal cycle, what comes after a steady red indication?
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Answer A: A green indication that starts the next movement
Yellow is a warning that a movement is ending, so it never precedes a green; a red is followed by a green or a green arrow.
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18. How does heavy cargo on a roof rack change the way a vehicle handles?
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Answer D: It raises the center of gravity, so the vehicle tips more in turns and needs gentler steering
Weight carried high makes the vehicle lean more and roll over more easily, and extra weight lengthens stopping distance. Drive slower and steer smoothly with a loaded roof.
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19. You are first in the queue at a red light with a marked crosswalk. Where should your vehicle stop?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, so that the crosswalk stays clear
Stopping short of the line keeps the crosswalk usable for people on foot and keeps your vehicle out of the path of turning traffic.
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20. What must a driver be ready to do along the stretch of road where this sign is posted?
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Answer D: Slow down and stop for a child who steps into the roadway
Children misjudge speed and distance and act without warning, so the driver reduces speed, covers the brake and scans the sidewalks and parked vehicles.
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21. You see brake lights several vehicles ahead of you in your lane. What is the best first step?
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Answer C: Ease off the gas and cover the brake pedal
Reacting to the trouble several vehicles ahead, rather than waiting for the car in front, cuts your reaction time and warns the driver behind you.
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22. A marked accessible space is signed as van accessible. What is different about it?
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Answer B: It has a wider aisle for a ramp or a lift to come out
The extra width beside the space is there so a side ramp or lift can deploy and a wheelchair can get clear of the vehicle.
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23. Your low beams light about 250 feet of road, but at your speed you would need more than that to stop. What is that called?
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Answer D: Overdriving your headlights
When your stopping distance is longer than the stretch of road your headlights show, you cannot react to anything you finally see. Slow down until you can.
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24. When is passing another vehicle on the right generally permitted?
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Answer C: When the road has two or more lanes in your direction, or the vehicle ahead is turning left and there is room without leaving the pavement
Passing on the right is limited to situations where a lawful lane exists for it or the vehicle ahead is turning left, and it may never be done by driving onto the shoulder.
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25. A stop line is painted across the pavement at this sign. Where must the vehicle come to rest?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, with no part of the vehicle across it
The vehicle must halt behind the stop line; where no line is painted the driver stops before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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26. What should you do as you approach your exit from a roundabout?
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Answer A: Signal right and check the crosswalk for pedestrians before leaving
A right signal tells following drivers and waiting drivers that you are leaving, and pedestrians cross at the exit leg, so the crosswalk must be checked.
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27. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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28. At many crossings the walk indication appears only after a button is pressed. What happens if a pedestrian does not press it?
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Answer B: The signal may cycle without showing a walk indication
An actuated pedestrian phase is called in by the pushbutton, so without it the controller may serve the vehicle movements alone.
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29. 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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30. A driver who has been drinking has two cups of strong coffee. What has changed?
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Answer D: The driver is more awake but just as impaired
Coffee can make a drinker feel alert, but nothing except time removes alcohol from the blood, so a wide awake drinker is still an impaired driver.