ME Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Maine question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. By how much do properly used lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury, according to the Maine handbook?

   1. 40 to 55 percent
   2. 100 percent
   3. 5 percent
   4. 10 percent
   Show answer

   40 to 55 percent. When used properly, lap and shoulder belts can reduce the risk of a serious or fatal injury by 40 to 55 percent. Wear the lap belt low across the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest, never behind the back. Infants under age 2 should always ride in the back seat facing the rear, and every passenger must be belted under Maine law.

2. 2. A Maine driver is convicted of street racing. What license suspension does the handbook list for this conviction?

   1. Up to 90 days
   2. Exactly 60 days
   3. Up to 120 days
   4. Permanent revocation
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   Up to 90 days. Eluding a police officer, passing a roadblock, and street racing are grouped together, and a conviction for any of them may bring a suspension of up to 90 days. Sixty days is the listed period for operating after suspension. Up to 120 days is the extra suspension for someone suspended three times within three years. Permanent revocation is reserved for cases such as vehicular manslaughter involving alcohol.

3. 3. Under Maine's violation free credit system, what is the most credit points a driver can build up?

   1. Two
   2. Six
   3. Ten
   4. Four
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   Four. Maine awards one violation free credit point for each calendar year with no convictions or suspensions, and a driver may accumulate up to four of these credits. Two is fewer than the cap. Six and ten are more than the law allows. The credit rewards a clean record over time, one calendar year at a time. Each credit point takes a full calendar year free of convictions or suspensions to earn.

4. 4. How should a Maine driver use right of way rules when another road user may not act as expected?

   1. Stop in every intersection even when traffic is clear
   2. Accelerate to force the other driver to yield
   3. Assume the legal priority guarantees safety
   4. Use the right of way sensibly and never insist on it
   Show answer

   Use the right of way sensibly and never insist on it. Maine's guidance says a driver with the right of way should use it sensibly and never insist on it. Legal priority does not protect a driver from another person's mistake, so accelerating to force compliance or assuming safety is guaranteed can create a crash. Stopping in every intersection is not the stated solution either. The practical cue is defensive awareness: check the actual situation, look for what other road users are doing, and preserve a safe escape option even when priority appears clear.

5. 5. What is the safest sequence when a gas pedal remains stuck while you are driving?

   1. Shift to neutral, brake smoothly, steer to safety, then turn off the engine
   2. Pump the gas pedal repeatedly and continue at the same speed
   3. Turn the key off immediately while keeping the vehicle in drive
   4. Release the steering wheel so the vehicle can slow by itself
   Show answer

   Shift to neutral, brake smoothly, steer to safety, then turn off the engine. Neutral removes the engine's drive force from the wheels, allowing braking and steering to bring the vehicle under control. The manual then directs the driver toward a safe place to pull off and says to turn off the engine as the car stops. Pumping a stuck pedal does not free it, and switching the engine off while still moving fast can complicate steering control. Keep your eyes on the road, use gentle inputs, and seek assistance rather than driving again if the pedal may stick another time.

6. 6. When making a left turn, which traffic has priority over the turning vehicle?

   
   1. Only vehicles approaching from behind
   2. Oncoming traffic that is close enough to create a hazard
   3. No traffic, because the turn signal creates priority
   4. Vehicles parked along the left curb
   Show answer

   Oncoming traffic that is close enough to create a hazard. A left turn crosses the path of vehicles traveling toward you, so the turn must wait when an oncoming vehicle is near enough to create danger. Signaling communicates intent but does not grant priority or make the other driver stop. Vehicles behind you and parked cars are not the traffic described by the manual's left-turn rule. Set up from the leftmost portion of your lane, watch the approaching lane, and turn only after the gap is safely available.

7. 7. After a vehicle breaks down on the roadway, how far behind it should emergency flares be placed?

   1. About 20 to 30 feet
   2. About 200 to 300 feet
   3. About 500 to 600 feet
   4. Directly in front of the vehicle
   Show answer

   About 200 to 300 feet. Emergency flares placed well behind a disabled vehicle give approaching drivers advance notice that something is in or near the roadway. The manual specifies a range of 200 to 300 feet, not a short placement close to the car. A position directly in front would not warn traffic soon enough, while the 500 to 600 foot range is not the figure given for this breakdown procedure. After pulling away from traffic, turn on the flashers and make the disabled vehicle visible from a substantial distance.

8. 8. What does Maine law prohibit a driver from doing when a posted speed limit is in effect?

   1. Slowing for a roadway hazard
   2. Driving below the posted limit in rain
   3. Choosing a speed below the number
   4. Exceeding the posted limit
   Show answer

   Exceeding the posted limit. Maine law makes it illegal to exceed the posted speed limit. The sign's number is a maximum, so a driver may need to travel more slowly when weather, traffic, visibility, or pavement conditions make that speed unsafe. A driver is not required to reach the displayed number, and a clear road does not authorize going above it. Distinguish this rule from Maine's default limits, which apply only when no different limit is posted. The practical cue is simple: read the sign as a ceiling, then adjust downward when conditions require.

9. 9. What does a green arrow above a reversible lane permit you to do?

   1. Enter the lane only to park temporarily
   2. Use that lane during the time the arrow is displayed
   3. Use the lane against the indicated direction of travel
   4. Treat the lane as closed until a red X appears
   Show answer

   Use that lane during the time the arrow is displayed. A reversible lane changes its permitted direction at certain times, so the overhead signal controls whether entry is allowed. The green arrow authorizes use of that lane, while a red X means the lane cannot be used. Parking is not the purpose of the control, and a driver should never travel against the direction shown by the lane arrangement. Before entering, check the overhead display and the surrounding markings so you know which lanes are available at that moment.

10. 10. You are driving with high beams behind another vehicle in Maine. Within what distance must you switch to low beams?

    1. 300 feet
    2. 100 feet
    3. 200 feet
    4. 500 feet
    Show answer

    300 feet. Maine law requires dimming to low beams when following a vehicle within 300 feet and when meeting an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet. Five hundred feet is the oncoming distance, not the following distance. One hundred and 200 feet are closer than the law allows, so the high beams would already be glaring into the other driver's mirrors. Any fog auxiliary light must also be turned off.

11. 11. What can happen to a Maine driver whose license has been suspended three times within three years?

    1. A further suspension of up to 120 days
    2. Nothing beyond the third suspension
    3. Permanent revocation
    4. A $50 fee
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    A further suspension of up to 120 days. Any person whose license has been suspended three times within a three year period by the Secretary of State or by a court may be subject to a further suspension for a period of up to 120 days. The added suspension recognizes a pattern rather than a single mistake. Each suspension also carries its own reinstatement fee and any court ordered conditions.

12. 12. What colors may appear in the letters or symbols on Maine regulatory signs?

    1. Orange backgrounds with purple markings
    2. Yellow backgrounds with blue markings only
    3. White backgrounds with black, red, or green markings
    4. Blue backgrounds with yellow markings only
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    White backgrounds with black, red, or green markings. Regulatory signs use white backgrounds with black, red, or green letters or symbols. The color combination helps distinguish rules from yellow warning signs and orange work-zone signs, but the driver must still read the specific instruction. A white regulatory sign can govern speed, lane use, turning, parking, or direction. Treat its message as an enforceable traffic control, not as scenery or a service marker. Slow enough to read it before the point where the rule applies.

13. 13. What does an orange diamond or rectangular work zone sign warn drivers about?

    1. A recreational area with no traffic changes
    2. A hospital or emergency room entrance
    3. Road work and people working on or near the road
    4. A permanent route number and county boundary
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    Road work and people working on or near the road. Orange work zone signs identify road construction or maintenance activity and warn that workers may be close to moving traffic. They can accompany messages about reduced speed, detours, machinery, or surface changes. The color does not identify hospitals, recreation sites, or route numbers. Once the warning appears, reduce speed, watch for cones and barriers, and be prepared to stop or follow a flagger. Work zones can remain hazardous even when no workers are immediately visible.

14. 14. At what BAC does the Maine manual say vision is impacted for all drivers?

    1. 0.05 BAC
    2. 0.02 BAC
    3. 0.08 BAC
    4. 0.15 BAC
    Show answer

    0.02 BAC. The manual identifies 0.02 BAC as a level at which vision is impacted for all drivers. The 0.08 figure is associated elsewhere with a criminal OUI threshold, not the point at which visual effects begin. A lower reading can still change focus, distance judgment, or recognition of movement before a driver reaches that legal threshold. Use the number as an early warning rather than a permission level: after consuming alcohol, do not drive. The useful memory cue is that impairment of a key driving sense starts well below the commonly remembered 0.08 figure.

15. 15. What must a Maine applicant under 18 complete to obtain a learner's permit?

    1. A two year driving record
    2. A commercial driver course
    3. A motorcycle endorsement exam
    4. An approved driver education course
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    An approved driver education course. Applicants younger than 18 must complete an approved driver education course before obtaining a Maine learner's permit. The commercial and motorcycle options concern different licensing needs, not the ordinary under 18 permit requirement. A driving record cannot exist for the required period as a substitute for instruction. Pair this course rule with the separate minimum permit age of 15 and the written knowledge examination. The practical cue is the applicant's age: under 18 adds driver education, while the permit process also requires passing the knowledge test and arranging qualified supervision.

16. 16. For how long is the first Maine license issued to a new applicant under age 21 provisional?

    1. One year
    2. Six months
    3. Two years
    4. Until the driver's 21st birthday
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    Two years. The first license for a new applicant younger than 21 is provisional for two years. One year is the period stated for someone who is at least 21 when receiving a first license, which makes that choice an especially easy age-based mix-up. During the provisional period, a moving violation can trigger a 30 day suspension, with more severe consequences for later offenses. Remember the distinction as a timeline: under 21 means two provisional years, while a first license issued at 21 or older has a one year period.

17. 17. At a Maine traffic circle, which vehicle has the right-of-way?

    
    1. The vehicle that reaches the entrance first
    2. The vehicle entering from the widest road
    3. The vehicle already in the circle
    4. The vehicle approaching from the left
    Show answer

    The vehicle already in the circle. At a traffic circle, a vehicle already in the circle has the right-of-way. An entering driver must slow, watch circulating traffic, and wait for a safe opening. Reaching the entrance first does not create priority, and a wider approach road does not change the rule. Proceed to the right around the center island, follow pavement markings, and use the exit signal when leaving. The location cue is decisive: circulating traffic has priority over traffic waiting to enter.

18. 18. What does the arrow on this ONE WAY sign tell you about traffic?

    
    1. Traffic must turn around at the next block
    2. Traffic may move only in the arrow's direction
    3. The street has a reversible center lane
    4. Vehicles may travel either way after yielding
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    Traffic may move only in the arrow's direction. On a one-way street, traffic moves only in the direction shown by the arrow. A driver may not turn or travel opposite that direction, even if the street appears clear. The sign does not announce a reversible lane, require a U-turn, or permit two-way travel after yielding. Check the arrow before turning onto the street and continue with the permitted flow. If a route requires the opposite direction, use another street rather than crossing into oncoming movement.

19. 19. Why should a driver reduce speed after seeing a Maine warning sign?

    
    1. To increase the vehicle’s stopping distance
    2. To make the warning sign disappear
    3. To avoid obeying the next signal
    4. To have time to react if there is trouble
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    To have time to react if there is trouble. Maine advises reducing speed after seeing a warning sign so the driver will have time to react if trouble appears. Extra time helps with a curve, merging traffic, a crossing, or another hazard that may be hidden until the vehicle gets closer. The other choices describe no safety benefit or reverse the purpose of slowing. Treat the sign as advance notice: ease off the accelerator, look farther ahead, and keep enough space to stop or steer safely if conditions change.

20. 20. What hazard does this round yellow RXR sign warn you to approach?

    
    1. A roundabout with no train tracks
    2. A pedestrian-only plaza ahead
    3. A railroad crossing ahead
    4. A bicycle lane crossing the roadway
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    A railroad crossing ahead. The round yellow sign with the RXR symbol warns that a railroad crossing is ahead. It gives the driver time to slow, look in both directions, listen, and be ready to stop. It is not a sign for a roundabout, pedestrian plaza, or bicycle lane. Rail equipment can approach quickly, and warning devices may not always be working, so the driver should not wait for a flashing light before becoming cautious. See the sign as an advance railroad warning and prepare before reaching the tracks.