Fatigue and cruise control — Michigan Permit Test

Fatigue and cruise control on the Michigan permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

One of the greatest dangers in freeway driving is fatigue; if you feel tired, stop and take a 10-minute break at least every two hours.

A tired driver can drift or fall asleep without warning; breaks reset your attention.

If you feel tired, stop and take a 10-minute break at least every two hours.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

Do not rely on coffee or stay-awake drugs to fight fatigue; if necessary, let someone else drive.

Coffee may keep your eyes open but does not restore your reactions.

Do not rely on coffee or “stay awake” drugs.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

If you must keep driving while tired, keep shifting your eyes from one area of the road to another, check your mirrors, and look near and far, left and right.

Moving your eyes keeps you from staring into a trance at the road ahead.

If you must drive, keep shifting your eyes from one area of the road to another.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

Cruise control is best suited for rural areas with little traffic; set it at or below the posted speed limit.

In light traffic a steady speed is easy to hold; in busy traffic you need your foot ready.

Cruise control is best suited for use in rural areas where there is not much traffic.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

Accelerating does not cancel the cruise control setting; pressing the brake pedal does.

Knowing what turns it off lets you slow down quickly when you need to.

Acceleration does not cancel the cruise control setting – depressing the brake pedal will.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

Using cruise control in heavy traffic, near many exits and entrances, or on roads slippery from rain, snow or ice is not recommended.

On slick roads and in heavy traffic you would keep resetting it, and that takes your mind off driving.

Using cruise control in heavy traffic, near large numbers of exit and entrance ramps or when roads are slippery from rain, snow or ice is not recommended.
What Every Driver Must Know, p.62

On the test

How often should you take a break on a long freeway drive?

At least every 2 hours. A tired driver can drift or fall asleep without warning; breaks reset your attention. What Every Driver Must Know, p.62: “If you feel tired, stop and take a 10-minute break at least every two hours.”

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.

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against What Every Driver Must Know, published by the Michigan Department of State, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-03.