Colorado DMV Permit Practice Test 33
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. You are about to descend a long steep grade. How should you control your speed?
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Answer D: Select a lower gear before starting down and use the brakes in firm, brief applications
Engine braking in a lower gear carries most of the load down the grade, while continuous brake pressure overheats the brakes and reduces their effectiveness.
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2. May you stop in a marked bicycle lane to let a passenger out?
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Answer B: No, stopping there forces riders into the traffic lane
A vehicle stopped in a bike lane pushes riders out into moving traffic, which is exactly what the lane exists to prevent.
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3. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.
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4. Your wiper blades smear the windshield instead of clearing it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Replace the blades, because smearing means that the rubber is worn
Worn or hardened rubber cannot wipe cleanly, and blades are cheap compared with driving without a clear view.
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5. A bicyclist is riding in the middle of a narrow travel lane ahead of you. What is the correct response?
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Answer D: Slow down and wait until you can pass with wide clearance, changing lanes if needed
A bicyclist has the same right to use the lane as a driver, and a narrow lane may not leave safe passing room, so wait for a gap that lets you move over and pass with a wide margin.
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6. After a crash your door will not open and you need to get out of the car. What should you try?
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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.
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7. A trailer that sways badly at speed is often loaded the wrong way. What is the usual fault?
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Answer A: Too much of the load sits behind the trailer axle
Weight behind the axle lightens the hitch and lets the trailer wag the vehicle. Most of the load should sit ahead of the axle to keep weight on the hitch.
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8. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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9. Trees block the view along the tracks as a driver approaches this sign. What approach speed is correct?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop before the nearest rail once a train comes into view
Where the view along the track is obstructed, the only safe speed is one that still leaves stopping distance after a train first becomes visible.
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10. The rear of your vehicle begins to slide sideways on a slippery surface. What is the correct correction?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go
Looking and steering toward your intended path lines the front wheels up with the direction of travel, while sudden braking or a sharp opposite input usually makes the slide worse.
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11. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?
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Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle
Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.
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12. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?
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Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it
Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.
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13. A high truck ahead of you hides the traffic signal as you approach the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer A: Drop back so you can see the signal and the truck's brake lights
Extra following distance restores your view of the signal, so you are reacting to the light yourself rather than copying the truck driver.
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14. What is the function of a regulatory sign?
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Answer A: To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
Regulatory signs state requirements that carry the force of law where they are posted, so disregarding one is a violation rather than a lapse of judgment.
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15. On a clear day with light traffic, a driver stays far below the maximum this sign sets. What can that cause?
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Answer B: Obstruction of the normal flow of traffic, which is prohibited in itself
Driving so slowly that other traffic is impeded is an offense in its own right when nothing about safety, weather or the road calls for it.
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16. You cannot avoid a wide puddle that covers only the right half of your lane. What should you expect?
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Answer D: The water can tug the vehicle toward that side, so slow before it and grip the wheel
Water dragging on the tires of one side only pulls the vehicle that way. Reduce speed before you reach it and hold the wheel firmly.
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17. You have stopped on the shoulder of a busy freeway with a flat tire that you cannot change safely. Where should you and your passengers wait?
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Answer A: Well away from the traffic side, behind a barrier or up the bank if there is one
People struck on the shoulder are a common cause of roadside deaths, so wait away from the traffic side and behind any barrier.
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18. An orange sign reads RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. What is the correct response?
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Answer A: Move left in good time and keep a steady pace
The sign is placed well before the taper so that drivers can merge smoothly rather than braking hard where the lane actually closes.
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19. You park facing downhill on a one-way street where the curb is on your left. Which way do the front wheels go?
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Answer A: Left, toward the curb on that side
Standard practice follows the curb rather than the side of the road: facing downhill the wheels point into the curb so a rolling vehicle is stopped by it. States differ on whether this is legally required.
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20. There is a driveway and a side street between you and the corner where you will turn right. When should you signal?
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Answer C: After passing the openings, so nobody pulls out in front of you
A signal switched on before an opening tells drivers waiting there that you are turning in, and they may pull out into your path.
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21. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
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Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.
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22. An orange sign showing the symbol of a person holding a flag or a sign paddle means that
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Answer D: a person is controlling traffic ahead and the driver must obey that person
The flagger sign warns that a trained flagger is directing traffic further on, and the flagger's instructions govern movement through the work zone.
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23. Colorado applies a separate point bracket to a driver who proves the tickets happened in the course of work as a chauffeur. How many points within 12 months suspend that driver?
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Answer C: 16 points
Colorado suspends a chauffeur at 16 or more points within any 12 months, 24 or more within 24 months, or 28 or more within 48 months.
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24. A vehicle ahead of you displays a reflective orange triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?
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Answer B: The vehicle is built to travel at 25 mph or less
The orange triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem used on farm and construction equipment designed for 25 mph or less, warning you that you are closing on it much faster than it appears.
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25. Why is a shoulder check especially important on a road with motorcycles and bicycles?
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Answer D: A narrow vehicle can disappear completely in the blind spot
A motorcycle or a bicycle is small enough to be hidden entirely by a door pillar or by the blind spot the mirrors do not cover.