Montana Car / Permit practice
Montana Car / Permit: Handling Emergencies practice test
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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12 sample Handling Emergencies questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
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1. The engine dies while you are driving. What does the manual say about the controls?
Correct answer: Steering gets harder and the brakes need a much harder push, but both still work
Steering becomes stiff but is still workable with a firm grip, and the brakes continue to function although the pedal may need a very hard push.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
2. Your vehicle is about to be struck from behind. What does the manual advise?
Correct answer: Press back into the seat with your head on the restraint and be ready to brake
Since the impact throws you backward, push yourself into the seat back with your head against the restraint, and be ready to brake so the vehicle is not shoved into someone else.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Protect Yourself in Collisions
3. Your right wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder. What does the manual tell you to do?
Correct answer: Lift off the gas, steer parallel, and ease back on once you have slowed
Come off the gas and steer parallel to the road, then once you have slowed, ease back onto the pavement with a small left turn of the wheel and brake after you are back on.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
4. Your brakes stop working while you are driving. What is the first thing the Montana manual tells you to try?
Correct answer: Pump the brake pedal several times
Working the brake pedal up and down repeatedly will often rebuild enough pressure in the system to bring the vehicle to a halt.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
5. What does the Montana manual say about turning versus stopping to avoid a crash?
Correct answer: Turning is usually quicker than stopping, so consider steering away
In most cases a vehicle can be steered away from trouble faster than it can be brought to a halt, so turning deserves serious consideration.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Avoiding Collisions
6. Pumping the pedal has not restored your brakes. What comes next?
Correct answer: Apply the parking brake slowly, ready to release it if a skid starts
Draw the parking brake handle up slowly so the rear wheels do not lock and start a skid, and be ready to release it if the vehicle begins to slide.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
7. When must a Montana crash be reported immediately to law enforcement?
Correct answer: Whenever someone is hurt or killed, or damage reaches $500
Any injury or death triggers the requirement, as does property damage reaching five hundred dollars, and the written report has to be filed within ten days.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Accidents
8. Your headlights go out at night. What sequence does the manual recommend?
Correct answer: Ease off the gas and brake, try the switch and high beams, then use flashers or fog lamps and pull off
Stay calm and picture the road, come off the gas and begin braking, work the switch and try the high beams, and if nothing helps use the flashers, signals, or fog lamps and get off the road.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
9. You brake hard in a vehicle without anti-lock brakes and feel it begin to skid. What should you do?
Correct answer: Quickly let up on the pedal, then press again once the skid ends
Ease off the pedal quickly so the wheels turn again, then push it down once more, repeating that cycle until the vehicle has come to rest.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Avoiding Collisions
10. You need to stop quickly in a vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes. What should you do?
Correct answer: Press hard and keep pressing, even if the pedal pushes back
Push the pedal down as firmly as you can and keep it there; the system only operates while the pedal is held down, even though it may push back at your foot.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Avoiding Collisions
11. According to the Montana manual, what three options does a driver have for avoiding a collision?
Correct answer: Stop, turn, or speed up
The manual lists stopping, steering away, and accelerating, and notes that many drivers freeze rather than choosing one of them.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Avoiding Collisions
12. A tire suddenly goes flat at highway speed. What should you do?
Correct answer: Hold the wheel firmly, keep straight, slow gradually, and leave the road safely
Grip the wheel firmly to hold your line, ease off the gas and brake only lightly, and get off the roadway somewhere safe rather than halting in a lane.
Source: Montana Driver Manual — Chapter 7, Vehicle Emergencies
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