Montana · Handbook chapter 2 · 4 min read

Montana's vehicle checks, required lights and their distances, high and low beams, slow-moving vehicle emblems, projecting loads, seat belt and child restraint laws.

Why this chapter matters

Montana's manual is full of distances for lights, horns and mirrors, and its seat belt law covers every person in the car. These are easy marks on a practice test once you know them.

Check your vehicle

• Brakes: have them checked if they are noisy, smell odd or the pedal sinks to the floor.
• Lights: check turn signals, brake lights, taillights and headlights from outside the vehicle.
• Tires: check pressure when the tires are cold. Use a penny head-first in the tread: if the tread does not reach the top of the head, replace the tire.
• Exhaust: a leak can make you drowsy and can kill in a short time. Never run the engine in a garage.
• Loose objects: nothing on the floor that could roll under the brake pedal.
• Horn: use it only as a warning.

Light and equipment distances

Headlights are required from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and any time weather or dust cuts visibility below 500 feet. Never drive on parking lights alone.

Other equipment rules

• Flashing or rotating lights (other than turn signals) are only for emergency or authorized vehicles.
• No siren, whistle or bell except on authorized emergency vehicles.
• A load sticking out four feet or more behind the body needs a red flag at least 12 inches square by day, and a red light visible for 500 feet when headlights are required.
• A vehicle may carry no more than two spot or fog lamps; turn spot lamps off when meeting another moving vehicle.
• Vehicles that normally run at 25 mph or less, such as farm equipment and animal-drawn vehicles, display the slow-moving vehicle emblem: a fluorescent yellow-orange triangle with red reflective borders, 14 inches wide and 14 inches high.

Keep your view clear

Clean every window, inside and out, and clear snow, ice and frost from all glass before you drive. Dirt on light lenses can cut their output by 50%. Do not hang things from the mirror. Adjust the seat so you see the road clearly, and set the head restraint to touch the back of your head.

Safety belts

• No one may drive in Montana unless each occupant wears a properly adjusted and fastened belt.
• The driver is responsible, and a driver who breaks the law is fined $20.
• Wear both the lap and shoulder belt; either one alone greatly reduces protection.
• Exceptions include vehicles made before January 1, 1968, a written medical statement, and special mobile equipment.

Child restraints

• Babies and children up to age 6 and 60 pounds must ride in a child safety seat.
• A booster seat is recommended until the adult belt fits, usually at about 4 feet 9 inches.
• Children under 13 should ride in the back seat whenever possible.
• Never put a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag.
• Never hold a child on your lap: at 30 mph, a crash turns a 100-pound adult into a 3,000-pound force.