Pedestrian signals — Alaska Permit Test
Pedestrian signals on the Alaska permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
On a steady upraised hand, pedestrians may not leave the sidewalk, but those already crossing when it comes on proceed across the roadway.
Turning back mid-crossing confuses drivers; finishing the crossing clears the road soonest.
Pedestrians shall not leave the sidewalk or enter the roadway in the direction of the signal. Pedestrians already crossing when the signal comes on shall proceed across the roadway.
A flashing upraised hand means pedestrians may not enter the roadway, but those already in the roadway may proceed to the other side.
The flashing hand warns that the crossing time is running out, too short for someone just starting across.
The FLASHING UPRAISED HAND indicates that pedestrians may not enter the roadway, however those already in roadway may proceed to the other side.
With a flashing upraised hand and countdown timer, pedestrians may leave the curb if they can complete the crossing before the timer reaches zero.
Someone still in the road when the time runs out will be there when cars get a green light.
The FLASHING UPRAISED HAND WITH COUNTDOWN TIMER indicates that pedestrians are permitted to leave the curb if they can complete the crossing before the timer reaches zero.
A countdown timer shows pedestrians the seconds remaining to complete crossing the roadway; at zero the hand turns steady and the timer goes dark.
Knowing exactly how much time is left lets a walker judge whether to start and how fast to go.
The COUNTDOWN TIMER indicates to pedestrians the seconds remaining to complete crossing the roadway.
On a WALK signal, pedestrians may enter the roadway when it is safe in the direction of the signal, staying within marked crosswalks.
A walk light does not stop a driver who is turning or running the light, so a walker still has to look first.
Pedestrians may enter the roadway when it may be done with safety in the direction of the signal but should stay within marked crosswalks and observe due courtesy to others.
On the test
When a steady upraised hand comes on, what should a pedestrian already crossing do?
Continue across the roadway. Turning back mid-crossing confuses drivers; finishing the crossing clears the road soonest. Alaska Driver Manual, p.57: “Pedestrians shall not leave the sidewalk or enter the roadway in the direction of the signal. Pedestrians already crossing when the signal comes on shall proceed across the roadway.”
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.
Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
What it costs
- One payment, once — not a subscription. Nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel, for an exam you sit one time.
- Free to start: a 10-question test and the first section of cards. No sign-up and no account.
- Paying opens the rest of the cards, unlimited full-length practice tests, and retests built from exactly the questions you got wrong.
- Every level up to Prepared — 3 tests passed in a row.
- Do the work, fail the real exam, and we refund you.
Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against Alaska Driver Manual, published by the Alaska Department of Administration, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-04.
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/AK.pdf (Alaska Driver Manual, REV.10/2025, Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, retrieved 2026-09-14 and re-checked 2026-10-04; sha256 pinned in SOURCES.json)
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/AK.pages.txt (the plain pdftotext fixture every citation here was cut from and verified against; sha256 pinned in SOURCES.json)
- https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/drivermanual/ (read 2026-10-04; links the manual)
- https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/instruction-permit/ (read 2026-10-04; states no count or mark)
- https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/your-first-alaska-drivers-license/ (read 2026-10-04; states no count or mark)
- https://www.akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp?media=print&secStart=2.90.010&secEnd=2.90.990 (2 AAC 90, read 2026-10-04; 2 AAC 90.420(h)(2) sets the knowledge test's retest wait and no figure)