Minnesota Driver License: Stopping, School Buses, Right-of-Way and Pedestrians

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Stopping, School Buses, Right-of-Way and Pedestrians. Free, no account needed.

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1. You stop at a stop sign, but a parked van blocks your view of the cross street. What does the manual tell you to do?

  1. Be ready to stop again
  2. Proceed immediately, since you already made your legal stop
  3. Follow the next car through the intersection
  4. Sound your horn, then pull out

Answer: A — Be ready to stop again

A blocked view does not end your duty at the first stop: the manual says be ready to stop again.

2. A traffic signal ahead is flashing red. How should you treat it?

  1. As a stop sign
  2. As a yield sign
  3. As a malfunctioning signal, proceed with caution but no stop required
  4. As a flashing yellow, slow down only

Answer: A — As a stop sign

A flashing red light is treated the same as a stop sign.

3. A freeway entrance ramp meter ahead shows a red light. What must you do?

  1. Yield only, no full stop needed
  2. Proceed since ramp meters don't apply to drivers already on the ramp
  3. Stop
  4. Slow down and merge if the ramp is clear

Answer: C — Stop

Drivers must come to a complete stop at a freeway ramp meter showing red.

4. Exiting a parking lot onto a public street, when must you stop?

  1. Not required, yield only
  2. Only at night
  3. Before crossing the sidewalk
  4. Only if traffic is approaching

Answer: C — Before crossing the sidewalk

Drivers must stop completely before crossing a sidewalk when entering a road from a parking lot, driveway, or similar.

5. A school bus turns on its yellow warning lights on a road with a 45 mph speed limit. About how far before stopping does this happen?

  1. 100 feet
  2. 300 feet
  3. 500 feet
  4. 200 feet

Answer: B — 300 feet

Where the speed limit is higher than 35 mph, the bus driver activates yellow lights at least 300 feet before stopping.

6. A school bus ahead of you switches on its flashing yellow lights. On which side does the law specifically forbid passing it?

  1. Whichever side the stop arm swings out on
  2. The left
  3. The right
  4. Neither, the lights must be red before any passing restriction applies

Answer: C — The right

Passing a bus on its right is illegal while either color flashes, so the restriction is already in force under yellow.

7. A school bus stopped ahead has its red lights flashing as you approach from behind. How far back must you stop?

  1. 50 feet
  2. 20 feet
  3. 100 feet
  4. 10 feet

Answer: B — 20 feet

Drivers must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights, whether facing its front or back.

8. What is the minimum fine for failing to stop for a school bus's flashing red lights?

  1. $100
  2. $5,000
  3. $500
  4. $1,000

Answer: C — $500

Failing to stop for a school bus is a misdemeanor with a fine of at least $500.

9. A school bus stops with red lights flashing on the opposite side of a physically divided highway from your lane. Must you stop?

  1. No, a divided roadway is an exception
  2. Only during school hours
  3. Only if there is no median
  4. Yes, always

Answer: A — No, a divided roadway is an exception

The only exception to stopping for a school bus is a divided roadway where the bus is on the other side of the divider.

10. A student safety patrol member is helping classmates cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?

  1. Yield only if the patrol signals you
  2. Slow down only
  3. Stop completely
  4. Proceed if no children are visible in the road

Answer: C — Stop completely

Drivers must stop completely for a student safety patrol helping schoolmates cross.

11. You arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your right. What should you do?

  1. Proceed since you arrived first
  2. Sound your horn and proceed
  3. Yield to the vehicle on your right
  4. Yield only if you are turning

Answer: C — Yield to the vehicle on your right

At an intersection without signals, when two drivers arrive at the same time, the one on the left yields to the one on the right.

12. You want to turn left at an intersection with oncoming traffic approaching. What must you do?

  1. Oncoming traffic must yield to you
  2. Yield only to pedestrians, not vehicles
  3. Proceed if your light is green
  4. Yield to oncoming vehicles in or near the intersection

Answer: D — Yield to oncoming vehicles in or near the intersection

When turning left, a driver must yield to oncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be a risk.

13. You have a green left-turn arrow, but a pedestrian is still finishing crossing in your path. What should you do?

  1. Proceed, since the arrow gives you the right-of-way
  2. Honk to hurry them along
  3. Only slow down, no need to stop
  4. Yield until the pedestrian clears

Answer: D — Yield until the pedestrian clears

A green left arrow still requires yielding to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection.

14. At a T-intersection with no traffic signs, you are on the road that ends and must turn onto the through road. Who has the right-of-way?

  1. You, since you are turning
  2. Whoever is on the right
  3. The through traffic; you must yield to all cross traffic
  4. No one; proceed with caution and no yielding required

Answer: C — The through traffic; you must yield to all cross traffic

At an uncontrolled T-intersection, the turning driver yields to all cross traffic.

15. A transit bus signals and begins merging from a bus stop into the right lane ahead of you. What should you do?

  1. Speed up to pass before it merges
  2. Honk to alert it that you're there
  3. Yield to the bus
  4. Merge left immediately regardless of traffic there

Answer: C — Yield to the bus

Drivers in the right lane must yield to transit and Metro Mobility buses merging from a stop or shoulder.

16. An ambulance with flashing lights and a siren approaches from behind on a two-way street. What should you do?

  1. Stay in your lane and stop in place
  2. Speed up to clear the intersection first, then stop
  3. Pull to the left and stop
  4. Pull to the right and stop

Answer: D — Pull to the right and stop

On a two-way road, drivers must pull right and stop for an approaching emergency vehicle.

17. An emergency vehicle with lights and siren is approaching on the opposite side of a median-divided highway from your lane. Must you pull over?

  1. Only at night
  2. Yes, always
  3. Only if it is audible
  4. No, a barrier separates you from it

Answer: D — No, a barrier separates you from it

Drivers need not stop when a barrier such as a fence, wall, or median separates them from the emergency vehicle.

18. You're driving on a road with two lanes in your direction and see a police car stopped on the shoulder with its lights flashing. What should you do if it is safe?

  1. Flash your own lights and proceed
  2. Stop completely in your lane
  3. Move to the lane farthest from it
  4. Maintain your speed and lane

Answer: C — Move to the lane farthest from it

Under the Move Over law, drivers must move to the lane farthest from a stopped emergency vehicle if safe to do so.

19. A tow truck with its warning lights on is stopped on the shoulder of a road with two lanes in your direction. Does the Move Over law apply?

  1. No, it covers only vehicles stopped in a traffic lane, not on the shoulder
  2. Only while the tow truck is actively hooking up a disabled vehicle
  3. Yes, tow trucks are named in the law alongside ambulances, fire trucks and police cars
  4. No, it covers only vehicles on an emergency run

Answer: C — Yes, tow trucks are named in the law alongside ambulances, fire trucks and police cars

The Move Over law names tow trucks explicitly and applies to vehicles stopped on or beside the road.

20. How closely may an ordinary vehicle follow a fire truck that is responding to a call?

  1. Must stay exactly 1,000 feet back
  2. Within 100 feet
  3. Not within 500 feet
  4. No restriction if hazard lights are on

Answer: C — Not within 500 feet

Only vehicles on official emergency business may follow within 500 feet of a fire truck on a run.

21. What method is used to judge a safe following distance?

  1. Two-second rule
  2. One-second rule
  3. One car length per 10 mph rule
  4. Three-second rule

Answer: D — Three-second rule

A safe following distance is judged using the three-second rule.

22. Two drivers intentionally speed up alongside each other to see whose car is faster, without exceeding the posted speed limit. Is this considered racing?

  1. Only if police witness it directly
  2. Yes, racing does not require exceeding the speed limit
  3. Only if it happens on a highway
  4. No, since the speed limit wasn't exceeded

Answer: B — Yes, racing does not require exceeding the speed limit

Racing is defined as intentionally comparing or contesting speeds whether or not the limit is exceeded.

23. Knowingly disregarding a substantial, unjustifiable risk while driving is defined as which offense?

  1. Distracted driving
  2. Negligent driving
  3. Reckless driving
  4. Careless driving

Answer: C — Reckless driving

Reckless driving is defined as knowingly disregarding a substantial, unjustifiable risk.

24. An officer signals you to pull over on a multi-lane road. You are in the left lane, nearer the left shoulder than the right, and the left shoulder is a full lane wide. Where should you stop?

  1. The right shoulder, whatever the road
  2. In your current lane, with hazard lights on
  3. The left shoulder
  4. At the next exit or side street

Answer: C — The left shoulder

The right shoulder is the default, but on a multi-lane road you may use the left shoulder when you are nearer it and a full lane exists.

25. You are stopped by police and there is a firearm in the vehicle. What does the manual tell you to do?

  1. Step out of the vehicle before the officer reaches your window so nothing is misread
  2. Take the firearm out and hand it to the officer so they can secure it
  3. Say nothing about it unless the officer asks
  4. Tell the officer at the first approach that you have one and where it is, keeping your hands on the wheel

Answer: D — Tell the officer at the first approach that you have one and where it is, keeping your hands on the wheel

Keep your hands on the wheel and tell the officer at the first approach that you have a firearm and where it is; do not reach for it, the officer may hold it during the stop.

26. What does accepting a traffic citation mean?

  1. A promise to appear in court
  2. An admission of guilt
  3. A waiver of the right to contest the ticket
  4. An automatic conviction

Answer: A — A promise to appear in court

Accepting a citation is not admitting guilt but a promise to appear.

27. A driver flees from a police officer in a vehicle and no one is injured. What is this offense and its maximum penalty?

  1. Misdemeanor, $500 fine
  2. Felony, up to ten years and $20,000
  3. Gross misdemeanor, $3,000 fine
  4. Felony, up to three years and a day and $5,000

Answer: D — Felony, up to three years and a day and $5,000

Fleeing an officer in a vehicle is a felony carrying up to three years and a day in prison and up to $5,000, with the ten-year/$20,000 penalty reserved for cases where someone dies.

28. A vehicle ahead of you has stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. What should you do?

  1. Pass carefully on the other side
  2. Pass if the crosswalk is unmarked
  3. Honk to alert the pedestrian
  4. Not pass, and watch for the pedestrian

Answer: D — Not pass, and watch for the pedestrian

Passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian is illegal; you should look for the pedestrian and be ready to stop.

29. A blind pedestrian using a white cane is crossing slowly in front of you. How should you let them know you are waiting?

  1. Rev the engine so they can hear where your car is
  2. Tap the horn once, lightly
  3. Nothing audible: never honk or rev at a blind pedestrian, and stay stopped until they have passed your lane
  4. Edge forward slowly so they can hear the tires

Answer: C — Nothing audible: never honk or rev at a blind pedestrian, and stay stopped until they have passed your lane

Never honk or rev at a blind pedestrian with a white or metallic cane or a guide dog, and stay stopped until they pass your lane.

30. There are no painted lines at the corner where a sidewalk meets a road, but a pedestrian starts crossing there. Does a crosswalk legally exist?

  1. Only at intersections with traffic signals
  2. No, only marked crosswalks count
  3. Yes, an unmarked crosswalk exists there
  4. Only if there is a stop sign nearby

Answer: C — Yes, an unmarked crosswalk exists there

Unmarked crosswalks exist wherever a road meets a sidewalk.

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