State Trooper Map Reading and Navigation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A trooper must approach a scene from the east to avoid a flooded road. The map shows the scene is in the center of a block. Which type of map notation helps identify rear access roads or alleys?
- Fine dashed lines within a block indicating alleys or service roads (Correct answer)
- Solid green shading around the block
- Blue hatching near the scene
- Bold black boundaries of the block
Correct answer: Fine dashed lines within a block indicating alleys or service roads
Alleys and service roads are typically represented by fine dashed lines inside block boundaries on detailed street maps.
Question 2: You are reading a map and notice the scale bar shows 1 inch = 2 miles. The route you plan is 4.5 inches on the map. What is the actual distance?
- 9 miles (Correct answer)
- 8 miles
- 4.5 miles
- 11 miles
Correct answer: 9 miles
Multiplying 4.5 map inches by 2 miles per inch equals 9 actual miles.
Question 3: A trooper navigating by map notices that contour lines on a hillside are very close together. What does this indicate about the terrain?
- A steep slope (Correct answer)
- A gentle, gradual incline
- A flat plateau
- A valley floor
Correct answer: A steep slope
Closely spaced contour lines indicate rapid elevation change over a short horizontal distance, meaning the terrain is steep.
Question 4: Which map symbol typically denotes a bridge on a standard highway map?
- A road line crossing a blue water feature with small perpendicular tick marks (Correct answer)
- A solid blue rectangle crossing the road
- An X mark over the road
- A red diamond symbol on the road
Correct answer: A road line crossing a blue water feature with small perpendicular tick marks
Bridges are conventionally shown as a road continuing across a water feature, often with small perpendicular lines indicating the bridge deck.
Question 5: A trooper receives a BOLO for a vehicle last seen heading eastbound. The map shows the road ends at a T-intersection 2 miles ahead. What should the trooper anticipate?
- The vehicle must have turned north or south at the T-intersection (Correct answer)
- The vehicle continued east through an unmarked road
- The vehicle stopped exactly at the intersection
- The vehicle turned around and is now westbound
Correct answer: The vehicle must have turned north or south at the T-intersection
A T-intersection with no through road forces drivers to turn either left or right, limiting the suspect's possible routes to north or south.
Question 6: What does it mean when a road on a map is shown with a brown or tan shading rather than white?
- The road is unpaved or a gravel/dirt surface (Correct answer)
- The road is under construction
- The road is a toll road
- The road is restricted to official vehicles
Correct answer: The road is unpaved or a gravel/dirt surface
Many map conventions use brown, tan, or yellow fill to distinguish unpaved roads from paved roads shown in white or grey.
Question 7: A trooper is told a crime occurred 'at the intersection of the north-south baseline road and the first road east of the county's principal meridian.' Using PLSS map notation, which section corner does this describe?
- Township 1 North, Range 1 East, at the northeast corner of the baseline-meridian origin (Correct answer)
- The center of Section 1
- The southwest corner of Township 2
- The midpoint of Range 2 East
Correct answer: Township 1 North, Range 1 East, at the northeast corner of the baseline-meridian origin
In the Public Land Survey System, the baseline runs east-west and the principal meridian runs north-south; their intersection is the origin, with Range 1 East being the first tier east.
State Trooper Map Reading and Navigation 4
A trooper must approach a scene from the east to avoid a flooded road.
The map shows the scene is in the center of a block.
Which type of map notation helps identify rear access roads or alleys?