Where should you look to reduce glare from oncoming headlights?

Toward the right edge of the road

Straight into the oncoming lights

Manitoba Commercial: Fuel-smart driving, night driving and vehicle controls

Fuel efficiency habits, starting and warming up, night driving distances and dimming, hand position, clutch and double-clutching, engine rpm and gear changes, shifting before hills, curves and railway crossings, lane use.

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Fuel-smart driving, night driving and vehicle controls · Question 1Score 0/0

What is the most precise way to know when to change gears?

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Study reference: MPI Professional Driver's Manual (PDF, Dec. 2025), Ch. 2 Efficient and safe vehicle operation — Fuel efficiency, Night driving, Vehicle operation, Visibility and safety

All 13 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

What is the most precise way to know when to change gears?
1. Feeling the vehicle vibration
2. Watching the speedometer only
3. Listening to the engine sound
4. Watching the tachometer
For progressive shifting, at what engine speed does MPI suggest changing gears?
1. Between 2,000 and 2,400 rpm
2. Between 1,400 and 1,600 rpm
3. At the maximum governed rpm
4. Between 600 and 800 rpm
What following distance does MPI's defensive driving advice call for?
1. At least one car length
2. At least eight seconds
3. At least two seconds
4. At least four seconds
Where should you look to reduce glare from oncoming headlights?
1. Straight into the oncoming lights
2. Toward the right edge of the road
3. Toward the centre line
4. At your instrument panel
Where should your hands be on the steering wheel of a heavy vehicle?
1. At ten and two o'clock
2. At six o'clock with one hand
3. At nine and three o'clock
4. One hand palming the top
During a trip, how often does MPI suggest checking gauges, tires and cargo?
1. Every 30 minutes
2. Every three hours
3. Once at the end of the day
4. Every eight hours
How long should a truck engine warm up when the temperature is below 0 °C?
1. One to two minutes
2. Three to five minutes
3. At least 30 minutes
4. Seven to 10 minutes
How far ahead do low-beam headlights light the road under ideal night conditions?
1. About 110 m
2. About 60 m
3. About 30 m
4. About 150 m
How far from an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
1. At least 60 m
2. At least 150 m
3. At least 450 m
4. At least 1 km
When should you select the gear for crossing railway tracks?
1. While on the first rail
2. Whenever the engine labours
3. After crossing the first track
4. Before you reach the tracks
In a city with several lanes, which lane should a professional driver normally use?
1. The centre lane only
2. The median or left lane
3. Whichever lane is moving fastest
4. The curb or right lane
When double-clutching, what do you do right after shifting into neutral?
1. Shift directly into the next gear without releasing the clutch
2. Turn off the engine retarder
3. Apply the trailer hand valve
4. Release the clutch and match engine speed
When may the clutch brake be engaged by pressing the clutch to the floor?
1. Each time you double-clutch while moving
2. When slowing down on a steep downgrade to save the brakes
3. Whenever you shift into a higher gear
4. Only when the vehicle has come to a complete stop

Fuel-smart driving, night driving and vehicle controls: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Ch. 2 Fuel efficiency (pp. 12–14)

Road transportation produces nearly 30% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.
Aim for 80–90% payload capacity rather than 60%; summer fuel above 0 °C can improve economy up to 3%.
Cutting aerodynamic drag 10% reduces fuel use about 5%; each 10 psi of under-inflation adds about 1% fuel use.
Snow-covered roads can raise fuel use 15–20%.
Start with zero throttle and do not pump it; warm up three to five minutes, or seven to ten below 0 °C.
Check gauges, tires and cargo every three hours during a trip.
Every 10 km/h over 90 km/h uses about 10% more fuel.
Progressive shifting: shift between 1,400 and 1,600 rpm, before maximum governed rpm.
An idling class 8 truck burns up to four litres an hour at 900 rpm.
Keep a following distance of at least four seconds; at 70 km/h stopping takes about 90 m.

Ch. 2 Lighting and night driving (pp. 20–21)

Daytime running lights are required on vehicles built on or after December 1, 1989.
Low beams light about 30 m ahead and high beams about 110 m; never outdrive your headlights.
Dim your lights at least 450 m from oncoming vehicles and 60 m when following.
To reduce glare, look toward the right edge of the road.
Keep interior lights off at night; use low beams in fog, under street lights and when following closely.

Ch. 2 Vehicle operation (pp. 22–24)

Hold the wheel at nine and three o'clock; never palm the wheel or steer with one finger.
A big turn may take up to eight turns of the steering wheel.
Do not ride or slip the clutch to hold on a hill; it overheats and wears out.
The clutch brake is used only when stopped; do not push the clutch to the floor while moving.
Double-clutching: clutch in, neutral, clutch out, match engine rpm, clutch in, select gear.
Engines are usually efficient between 1,200 and 1,800 rpm; the tachometer is the most accurate way to time shifts.
An automatic can be shifted down for engine braking on a hill.
Select your gear before starting down a hill, before a curve and before railway tracks; do not shift on the tracks.
In cities large vehicles should use the curb lane; slower vehicles must use the right lane on multi-lane highways.
A stale green light has been green for a while and will probably change soon.

Study the Fuel-smart driving, night driving and vehicle controls rules as flashcards →