ME Permit Practice Test 15

All 20 questions in test 15

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. A moose stands in the roadway ahead and will not move. Which maneuver must you avoid?

   1. Slowing down for it
   2. Trying to drive around the moose
   3. Staying in your vehicle
   4. Giving it room and time
   Show answer

   Trying to drive around the moose. A moose owns any standoff by size and temperament. When spotting a moose in or near the roadway you should slow down and do not try to drive around a moose, staying in your vehicle and giving the animal time to wander off, especially during mating season from August through October. Driving around can trigger a charge or a sidestep into your path. Slow, stay inside, grant room, and let the animal choose the exit.

   Study this in the handbook: Moose and deer

2. 2. Besides crash protection, how do safety belts help during sudden stops and turns while driving?

   1. They tighten steering feel
   2. They silence warning chimes
   3. They replace mirror checks
   4. Keep you planted in the seat
   Show answer

   Keep you planted in the seat. Belts work on ordinary maneuvers long before any crash arrives. They keep you from moving around on the seat at sudden stops and turns, holding your body where pedals, wheel, and mirrors were adjusted to be reached. Sliding sideways mid turn forces steering corrections a planted driver never needs. Mirror checks and chimes serve unrelated purposes. Buckle to stay positioned for control itself, with crash survival as the second, graver dividend.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat position, seat belts and child safety

3. 3. What happens in Maine when a driver refuses a lawfully requested alcohol test?

   1. The driver receives only a parking ticket
   2. The refusal has no administrative consequence
   3. The driver's license is immediately suspended
   4. The license is renewed for a shorter term
   Show answer

   The driver's license is immediately suspended. Maine treats a refusal as an administrative license suspension, and the suspension can occur without waiting for court action. The no consequence option overlooks the implied consent rule, while a parking ticket or shortened renewal has nothing to do with the refusal penalty. The manual says the driver is not physically forced to take the test, but choosing not to take it carries a serious licensing consequence. Remember the sequence: operating in Maine implies consent, refusal leads to immediate suspension, and separate OUI consequences may still follow from the officer's testimony or other evidence.

   Study this in the handbook: OUI law, implied consent and penalties

4. 4. Before moving into a shared center left turn lane, what checks are required?

   1. Horn tap and a quick mirror glance
   2. Mirrors, ahead scan, signal, blind spot
   3. Right signal and right blind spot check
   4. No checks if the lane looks empty
   Show answer

   Mirrors, ahead scan, signal, blind spot. Shared turn lanes collect traffic from both directions, so entry needs a full scan. When using a shared left turn lane check your mirrors and for vehicles ahead, signal left and check your left blind spot before moving in. A horn tap cannot reveal a driver already occupying the lane beside you. Right side checks aim the wrong way for a leftward move. Mirror, signal, blind spot, then glide in ready to wait for a gap.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school children and blind pedestrians

5. 5. When is stopping on an expressway acceptable in Maine?

   1. For a quick phone call
   2. To let passengers swap seats
   3. Whenever the shoulder looks wide
   4. Never, unless it is an emergency
   Show answer

   Never, unless it is an emergency. Expressway shoulders exist for trouble, not convenience. Never stop on an expressway unless it is an emergency, because traffic at full speed cannot react to parked cars appearing in peripheral vision. Calls and seat swaps belong at exits and rest areas built for stationary vehicles. A wide shoulder tempts, yet passing drivers drift toward what they watch. Keep rolling to the next exit for every non emergency need, no exceptions for errands.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, lane changes, expressways and school buses

6. 6. Why should a driver avoid holding the inside of the steering wheel while driving?

   1. It wears the wheel cover faster
   2. It blocks the speedometer view
   3. It shortens the distance needed to stop
   4. It makes vehicle control less precise
   Show answer

   It makes vehicle control less precise. The Maine manual connects hand placement with vehicle control. Holding the inside of the wheel can leave the driver in a weaker position for steering inputs, especially during a turn, so the outside rim provides better control. Wheel-cover wear, speedometer visibility, and stopping distance are not the reason for the warning. Keep both hands in a stable position on the outer part of the wheel and preserve the ability to guide the vehicle smoothly.

7. 7. You drive a pickup on a public way with your dog in the open bed. What securing duty applies?

   1. Dogs may ride loose always
   2. Dogs must ride in the cab
   3. Secured against falling out
   4. Only farm dogs need securing
   Show answer

   Secured against falling out. Open beds turn braking and bumps into launching ramps for animals. A person driving an open vehicle, including pick-up trucks and convertibles, may not transport a dog in the open portion on a public way unless the dog is secured in a manner that prevents the dog from falling, jumping or being thrown from the vehicle, with farm and hunting exceptions. Loose riding gambles the animal life on smooth driving. Secure the dog, or give it a protected inside place.

8. 8. How should you announce a pass to surrounding vehicles before overtaking?

   1. Flash the high beams repeatedly
   2. Weave slightly toward the line
   3. Tap the horn three times
   4. Use the appropriate blinker
   Show answer

   Use the appropriate blinker. Passing begins with communication, not acceleration. Always notify other vehicles of your intent to pass by using the appropriate blinker, giving the driver ahead a mirror warning and followers a clear picture. High beam flashes can dazzle or be mistaken for permission games. Horn taps startle without direction. Signal, check the blind spot, and only then roll into the passing lane with everyone informed.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, lane changes, expressways and school buses

9. 9. What condition must the exhaust system meet for Maine inspection?

   1. No holes, leaks, excess noise
   2. Loud sport tone allowed
   3. Chrome tips required
   4. Silence at all speeds
   Show answer

   No holes, leaks, excess noise. Exhaust integrity protects air, hearing, and cabin safety together. All parts must be free of holes, leaks and must not make excessive noise, since gaps leak carbon monoxide toward occupants and rotted pipes announce themselves blocks away. Sport tones that cross into excess fail the same standard as visible holes. Total silence demands more than any muffled engine delivers. Inspect hangers and joints when noise climbs, because small leaks grow into inspection failures.

   Study this in the handbook: Title, registration, insurance and inspection

10. 10. A bicyclist runs a stop sign and rides on the left side of the road. What legal exposure follows?

    1. Fines for breaking traffic laws
    2. None, bikes are unlicensed
    3. A warning instead of a fine for a first offense
    4. Only a license point penalty
    Show answer

    Fines for breaking traffic laws. Unlicensed does not mean unlawful behavior goes free. If you break any traffic laws, like riding a bike on the left side of the road, running a stop sign or traffic light, you are subject to fines as a bicycle operator in Maine. Points attach to driver licenses that bicycles do not carry, so points miss the actual penalty. An automatic warning for a first offense invents mercy that the rule never grants. Riders owe the same obedience at signs and signals, enforced through the fines available against them.

11. 11. Why might an unskillful bicycle rider endanger traffic without warning?

    1. Riders always announce swerves
    2. Riders travel faster than cars
    3. Swerve, run signs, ride unlit
    4. Riders keep a steady line in traffic
    Show answer

    Swerve, run signs, ride unlit. Novice riders handle machines unpredictably under pressure. An unskillful rider may swerve without notice, ignore traffic signs and signals, and ride without a light at night, appearing suddenly in a headlight beam. Expecting every rider to announce a swerve or hold a steady line describes a skillful rider instead. Speed comparisons miss the point; instability, not velocity, creates the surprise. Give bicycles generous passing room and assume a wobble could widen their path at any moment, especially after dark.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and large vehicles

12. 12. How do traffic rules of the road apply to bicyclists traveling in Maine?

    1. Same rules as other vehicles
    2. Bikes are exempt from road rules
    3. Only motor vehicles obey signals
    4. Bikes obey rules on trails only
    Show answer

    Same rules as other vehicles. Bicycles are vehicles in the eyes of road law. Bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as other vehicles, stopping at signs, signaling turns, and riding lawfully among traffic. Exemptions would dissolve the predictability that keeps riders alive beside cars. Trail only logic ignores streets where bikes legally belong. Expect lawful behavior from riders, grant them lawful space, and hold them to the same signals you obey.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and large vehicles

13. 13. Why should a driver avoid sunglasses or colored lenses at night?

    1. They reduce the light needed for good vision
    2. They make high beams brighter
    3. They improve vision in darkness
    4. They prevent every kind of headlight glare
    Show answer

    They reduce the light needed for good vision. The manual warns drivers not to wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night or on cloudy days because tinted lenses reduce the light needed for good vision. They do not improve darkness vision or make the vehicle's high beams stronger. They also are not a universal solution for headlight glare. Use clear vision and the vehicle's proper lighting so the road edges, signs, and hazards remain visible when available light is already limited.

    Study this in the handbook: Night, rural, winter and wet weather driving

14. 14. When preparing to pass near a hill or curve, what should you assume?

    1. The road is clear until the crest
    2. The hill or curve is a safe place to accelerate
    3. An oncoming vehicle may be hidden
    4. A blocked view is a reason to pass faster
    Show answer

    An oncoming vehicle may be hidden. A blocked view at a hill or curve should be treated as evidence that an oncoming car is just out of sight. The manual says to treat the hill or curve as you would an oncoming car, so a driver should not begin passing within one-third of a mile of it. The choice that calls the road clear ignores the hidden-traffic risk. Accelerating there or passing faster does not remove the obstruction and leaves less time to respond. Wait until the view is open and the pass can be judged safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Passing and no passing zones

15. 15. You stop behind a truck or bus at an intersection on a hill. Why leave extra space in front?

    1. It may roll back before moving forward
    2. It will always roll forward on the hill
    3. It gives you room to pass the truck
    4. It lets you stop watching the vehicle
    Show answer

    It may roll back before moving forward. A heavy truck or bus can roll backward briefly while starting on a hill. Leaving space in front gives that movement room and reduces the chance of a collision with the vehicle ahead. The vehicle will not always roll forward immediately, and the extra gap is not an invitation to pass or stop paying attention. Keep the vehicle in your lane, watch the truck or bus, and preserve enough distance for a short rollback before it moves ahead.

16. 16. Braking will not stop you before hitting an obstacle ahead. What driving action remains?

    1. Keep braking and steer straight at the obstacle
    2. Speed up and pass beside the obstacle
    3. Turn away from the obstacle toward clear space
    4. Release the brake and wait for more room
    Show answer

    Turn away from the obstacle toward clear space. If braking cannot stop the vehicle in time, the remaining action is to steer away from the obstacle. The manual says to concentrate on steering and, if possible, stay off the brakes while turning because that lessens the chance of a skid, especially onto a soft shoulder. Keeping the vehicle pointed at the obstacle does not use that escape path. Speeding up shortens the time available, and waiting leaves the vehicle on the collision course. The goal is a controlled turn into clear space, not continued braking through the turn.

    Study this in the handbook: Collisions, crash reports and first aid

17. 17. Unless angle parking lines are painted on the roadway, how must a vehicle be parked along a Maine public road?

    1. At a 45 degree angle to the curb
    2. Parallel to the edge of the road
    3. Perpendicular to the curb with the hood inward
    4. With the rear wheels against the curb
    Show answer

    Parallel to the edge of the road. Along an ordinary Maine street, a parked car belongs parallel to the edge of the roadway, with its body lined up with the curb. Angle parking is allowed only where painted lines mark angled spaces, such as a lot or a signed downtown block. Parking at 45 degrees or nose in without those markings juts into the travel lane and blocks sight lines for drivers and pedestrians. The painted lines are the cue: if the spaces are marked at an angle, follow the lines; otherwise pull in parallel and leave room for passing traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Intersections, lane changes, expressways and school buses

18. 18. What does Maine use to decide the posted speed limit for a road?

    1. The number of driveways and traffic signs
    2. Road condition, sight distance, and typical traffic
    3. Vehicle weight limits and shoulder width
    4. The speed most drivers travel during rush hour
    Show answer

    Road condition, sight distance, and typical traffic. Maine bases posted limits on three things: the condition of the road, how far a driver can see, and what typical traffic is like. Engineers study those factors, along with crash history, to choose a reasonable maximum. The number of driveways and signs, vehicle weight limits, shoulder width, and rush hour habits are not the listed basis. A limit chosen from those would miss the road surface and sight distance that determine a safe speed. Cue: the posted number reflects the road and its normal traffic, not the fastest driver on it.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and school zones

19. 19. Your turn is just beyond an intersection. Why should you wait to signal until after passing it?

    1. It makes the car behind you stop immediately
    2. It changes the intersection's traffic signal
    3. It grants cross traffic the right of way
    4. It may cause another driver to pull into your path
    Show answer

    It may cause another driver to pull into your path. A signal that starts before the intersection can be mistaken for a turn at that intersection. Another driver may then pull into your path, expecting you to leave the roadway before reaching the actual turn. The signal does not change the traffic light, grant a new right-of-way rule, or force the following driver to stop. Pass the side street first, then signal for the turn you really intend to make.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, headlights and signals

20. 20. A driver delivers newspapers with frequent stops and exits along the route. How does the belt rule treat that work?

    1. Belts are required at every stop
    2. Exempt while doing active delivery
    3. Belts are required only between towns
    4. A harness must replace the belt
    Show answer

    Exempt while doing active delivery. Delivery work with constant exits earns a narrow belt exception. A newspaper delivery person is not required to be secured in a seat belt while engaged in the actual delivery of newspapers from a vehicle or performing duties that require frequent entry and exit. Requiring a belt at every stop would nullify the very exception described. Between towns travel outside active delivery loses that shelter. Buckle for ordinary driving legs and reserve the exception for the stop and go route itself.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat position, seat belts and child safety