Mississippi DPS Permit Practice Test 44
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?
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Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks
Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.
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2. The trapezoid sign shape is associated with
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Answer C: recreational and cultural interest area signing
The trapezoid is used for recreational and cultural interest area guide signs and for national forest route markers.
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3. A driver leaves the vehicle at the curb where this sign is posted and walks away for two minutes. Is that allowed?
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Answer B: No, leaving the vehicle unattended there is prohibited whatever the length of the absence
Walking away leaves the vehicle parked, and the prohibition holds regardless of how long the driver is gone or whether the engine is left running.
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4. How far in advance of the expiration date may a Mississippi driver renew a license?
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Answer A: Up to six months early
Mississippi allows a license to be renewed at any time within six months of the expiration date.
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5. A Mississippi teen who receives a Regular Learner's Permit at 15 normally must hold it for how long before upgrading to a Class R license?
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Answer C: One year
The permit must be held for one year before a Class R license may be issued, although a holder who turns 17 first becomes eligible at that point.
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6. 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.
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7. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Answer D: The full width of the lane
A motorcycle is entitled to the full lane, and riders move within it to stay visible and to avoid surface hazards, so drivers should never try to share a lane with one.
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8. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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9. Where is signing of this kind normally placed along a freeway?
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Answer D: Ahead of the interchange and again at the exit, so a driver can reach the correct lane in time
Guide information for an interchange is repeated on the approach and at the ramp, because a driver who learns about the exit only at the last moment has no room left for a safe lane change.
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10. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?
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Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way
Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.
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11. In a vehicle with automatic transmission, which foot should operate the brake and accelerator?
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Answer D: The right foot for both pedals
Using only the right foot prevents pressing both pedals at once and keeps the response the same in every vehicle you drive. The left foot rests on the floor or the footrest.
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12. A child in the back seat unfastens a seat belt while you are on the freeway. What should you do?
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Answer A: Pull off safely and refasten the belt
Turning or reaching back takes your eyes and hands off a high speed task, so leave the freeway or use the shoulder only if there is no exit, then fix the belt.
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13. A sign reads MINIMUM SPEED 40. What does it require of a driver?
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Answer C: Not to drive below that speed when conditions allow
A minimum speed limit keeps unnecessarily slow vehicles from obstructing traffic, but it never overrides the duty to slow down for weather or congestion.
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14. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?
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Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews
A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.
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15. A center lane is bordered by a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, with turn arrows painted inside it. What is that lane for?
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Answer C: Left turns made by traffic traveling in either direction
That marking pattern identifies a two-way left-turn lane, which drivers approaching from both directions may use to prepare for a left turn.
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16. Which use of a hand-held mobile telephone is prohibited while driving in Mississippi?
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Answer B: Writing, sending or reading a text message
Mississippi bans writing, sending or reading text messages and posting to social networking sites on a hand-held phone while driving; voice-operated and hands-free use is not covered by that ban.
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17. Why must you never leave the engine running in a closed garage?
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Answer B: Because carbon monoxide builds up and can kill within minutes
Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, which has no smell or color and can reach fatal levels in an enclosed space very quickly.
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18. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
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Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
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19. How much moving water is generally enough to float and carry away most passenger vehicles?
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Answer D: About one foot
About a foot of moving water will float most cars, and even less will stall an engine. That is why the rule is to turn around instead of judging the depth.
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20. 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.
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21. What is true about an airbag once it has inflated in a crash?
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Answer B: It must be replaced by a technician before the car is driven any further
An airbag is a single use device, and the module and often the belts must be replaced before the vehicle protects anyone again.
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22. You correct a rear wheel skid and the back of the vehicle swings the other way. Why?
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Answer D: You steered too far, so be ready to correct back the other way
Over correcting sends the tail past straight and starts a second skid the opposite way. Steer smoothly and be ready to unwind the correction.
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23. Halfway through a curve you realize you are going too fast. What is the best response?
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Answer C: Ease off the gas gently and look where you want to go
Easing off transfers a little weight to the front tires without upsetting the balance, and looking through the curve keeps your steering smooth.
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24. Reaching for a drink in the cup holder is which kind of distraction?
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Answer A: Manual and visual at the same time
Your hand leaves the wheel and your eyes flick down to find the cup, so a task that feels trivial takes away two of the three things driving needs.
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25. Where is a three-point turn most clearly a bad idea?
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Answer A: On a busy street near a curve, where approaching drivers cannot see you
The maneuver leaves you blocking the road for several seconds, so it needs light traffic and a long clear view; a blind curve gives neither.
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26. May you stop in the striped triangle that separates an exit ramp from the freeway lanes?
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Answer A: No, it is not a lane and stopping there is dangerous
The striped gore area is not a travel lane or a shoulder, and a vehicle stopped there sits directly in the path of drivers correcting a late exit.
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27. On traffic control devices, the color green shows direction to a destination and also shows
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Answer C: that a movement is permitted
Green carries two assignments: guidance toward destinations, and the idea that the movement shown is allowed, as on a green arrow.
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28. How do you avoid the sharp nod at the end of a stop?
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Answer A: Ease the pedal pressure off slightly just before the vehicle stops
The nod comes from the suspension unloading at the instant the wheels stop. Releasing a little pressure at the end lets the vehicle settle smoothly.
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29. How many hours of observed driving must the Mississippi affidavit signed by a parent, teacher or guardian certify?
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Answer C: 50 hours
Mississippi requires an affidavit stating that the signer witnessed the applicant operate a motor vehicle for at least 50 hours and attesting to the applicant's proficiency.
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30. Why is texting considered one of the most dangerous distractions?
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Answer B: It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction at the same time
Reading or writing a message takes your eyes off the road, at least one hand off the controls and your attention off driving simultaneously.