Colorado DMV Permit Practice Test 16
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Why is heavy braking a poor idea while two wheels are still on a soft shoulder?
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Answer B: The two sides have different grip, so the vehicle can pull sharply
With one pair of wheels on pavement and the other on loose material, hard braking slows one side more than the other and swings the vehicle around.
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2. An arrow panel in a work zone shows four flashing lamps in caution mode instead of an arrow. What does that display mean?
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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.
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3. Why does even a small reduction in speed matter so much where people are walking?
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Answer D: Because a pedestrian struck at a lower speed is far more likely to survive
The chance that a pedestrian survives falls steeply as impact speed rises, so a few miles per hour can decide the outcome.
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4. About how far ahead do low beam headlights let you see on a dark road?
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Answer B: About 250 feet
Low beams light roughly 250 feet of road, and high beams roughly 350 to 500 feet, which sets the limit on a safe night speed.
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5. What is the proper use of the horn?
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Answer C: To give a brief warning when another road user may not have seen you
The horn is a warning device meant to alert someone to your presence when a collision is possible, and using it in anger tends to escalate conflict rather than prevent crashes.
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6. How should you use your mirrors while another vehicle overtakes you on a multilane road?
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Answer C: Follow it from the inside mirror to the side mirror and then to your own view
Handing the vehicle from one mirror to the next keeps it in sight through the blind spot instead of losing it there.
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7. A crossing guard steps into the roadway ahead of this sign with one hand raised. What must the driver do?
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Answer B: Stop and stay stopped until the guard waves traffic on
An adult guard is controlling traffic at that crossing, so the instruction given by that person governs and the driver waits to be released.
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8. 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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9. You are in the open lane where another lane is merging into yours. What is your part in the merge?
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Answer A: Keep a steady speed and leave a gap for one vehicle to come in
A merge works when each driver in the through lane lets one vehicle in, which keeps both lines moving instead of stopping them both.
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10. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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11. You have loaded the trunk heavily. Why might oncoming drivers flash their lights at you at night?
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Answer D: The rear sits lower, so your headlights point higher and dazzle them
Weight in the back tips the vehicle nose up and lifts the beam pattern, so low beams shine into the eyes of drivers coming the other way.
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12. Your power steering fails while you are driving. What happens and what should you do?
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Answer B: Steering becomes much harder but still works, so slow down and pull off the road
Without power assistance the steering still works, but it takes much more effort, especially at low speed. Keep both hands on the wheel and get off the road.
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13. Under Colorado's Express Consent Law, what happens if a driver refuses a chemical test?
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Answer D: The license is revoked for one year and an ignition interlock device is required for two years
Colorado's Express Consent Law revokes the license for one year on refusal and requires an ignition interlock device on any vehicle the person drives for two years.
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14. A yellow pennant, an isosceles triangle with its long axis horizontal, is reserved for which message?
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Answer D: No passing zone
The pennant shape is used only for the no passing zone sign, which marks the point where overtaking is no longer allowed.
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15. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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16. On a rural two-lane road you pass small blue signs, each naming one business with an arrow and a distance. What are they?
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Answer D: Tourist-oriented directional signs for traveler businesses
Tourist-oriented directional signs carry a white legend on blue and are used on rural conventional roads to guide travelers to eligible businesses.
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17. While you wait for the ambulance at a crash, what is the most useful help you can give?
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Answer C: Keep the person still and warm, and press down firmly on any heavy bleeding
Keeping an injured person still and warm and controlling bleeding are among the few things a bystander can safely do.
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18. Your light turns green, but a vehicle is still in the middle of the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer D: Wait until the intersection is clear before you move ahead
A green light means go only when the way is clear. Drivers already inside the intersection must be allowed to finish crossing.
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19. What happens to your field of vision as your speed increases?
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Answer C: It narrows, so you notice less at the sides of the road
The faster you travel, the more your useful field of view narrows toward the center, so a hazard coming from the side is seen late or missed altogether.
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20. You reach the end of the acceleration lane and there is still no gap in the traffic. What should you do?
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Answer B: Slow down and merge behind the traffic rather than forcing your way in
Merging behind the traffic costs you only a little speed, while forcing into a space that is not there puts you alongside a vehicle with nowhere to go.
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21. Traffic is heavy and a truck is stopped in the lane on your right. How do you keep an out?
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Answer B: Keep space open ahead of you and avoid being boxed in on both sides at once
Being hemmed in on both sides with no gap ahead removes every option, so keep at least one direction open.
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22. You want to turn right at a steady red light and no sign prohibits the turn. What is required?
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Answer B: Come to a complete stop, then yield to traffic and pedestrians before turning
A right turn on a steady red is permitted only after a complete stop and only after yielding to cross traffic and to pedestrians, and a posted sign can prohibit it entirely.
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23. What is an SR-22 in Colorado?
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Answer B: A form the insurer files with the DMV
The SR-22 is not an insurance policy; it is a form filed with the Colorado DMV that obliges the insurance company to notify the department if the policy is cancelled.
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24. How should you follow a school bus in traffic?
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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.
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25. You reach an intersection with no signs, signals or markings clearly before a vehicle that is approaching on your right. What is the rule?
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Answer B: You may go first because you got there first
At an uncontrolled intersection the first driver to arrive goes first; the yield to the right rule only settles a tie.