ME Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

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 tire goes flat where the only shoulder puts you beside a traffic lane. What does Maine guidance say about changing it there?

   1. Change it quickly facing traffic
   2. Use the lane briefly with flashers
   3. Skip it if you would stand in a lane
   4. Let a passenger stand as a shield
   Show answer

   Skip it if you would stand in a lane. Some repairs must wait for a safer stage. Do not change a tire if it means you must stand in a traffic lane, because passing drivers need only a glance away to drift across the fog line. Flashers announce the car but cannot armor a kneeling mechanic. A human shield trades one life for another. Stay off the roadway, call for help, and wait in a safe place clear of traffic until help arrives or you can move the car somewhere safer to work.

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

2. 2. Which group is included in Maine's use of the word drug?

   1. Illegal drugs and alcohol, but no medicines.
   2. Prescription medicines and remedies, but no illegal drugs.
   3. Prescription medicines, over-the-counter remedies, and illegal drugs.
   4. Caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol, but no medicines.
   Show answer

   Prescription medicines, over-the-counter remedies, and illegal drugs.. Maine uses the word drug for prescription medications, over-the-counter remedies, and illegal substances. That definition includes medicines a driver may legally possess, so a prescription or nonprescription remedy can still affect safe driving. Alcohol is discussed as a separate substance in the passage, not as one of the three groups listed in this definition. The caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol group also leaves out the prescription and over-the-counter medicines that the manual includes.

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

3. 3. When may a driver use a disability parking access aisle to enter or exit a vehicle?

   1. When the adjacent parking space is empty.
   2. When a platform lift or mobility device needs it for entry or exit.
   3. When a passenger needs extra door room.
   4. When the space is convenient for loading groceries.
   Show answer

   When a platform lift or mobility device needs it for entry or exit.. Maine reserves an access aisle for the space needed to enter or exit a disability parking vehicle with a platform lift or another mobility device. An empty neighboring space does not make the striped aisle available for ordinary use. Extra room for a passenger or convenience while loading groceries is not the lift or mobility-device need described by the manual. The disability plate or placard belongs with the reserved parking space, while the aisle must remain usable for the device.

4. 4. You have just become a Maine resident and still hold a valid license from your former state. How long do you have to exchange it for a Maine license?

   1. 90 days after moving
   2. 6 months after moving
   3. 60 days after establishing residency
   4. 30 days after establishing residency
   Show answer

   30 days after establishing residency. Moving to Maine starts a 30 day clock for licensing. A new resident holding a valid out of state license must surrender that license and apply for a Maine license within 30 days of establishing residency. Waiting 90 days or six months leaves the driver unlicensed under Maine rules well past the deadline. Mark the move date on a calendar and visit a branch office before day thirty arrives with the old license in hand.

   Study this in the handbook: Getting a learner's permit and a license

5. 5. In a crash, what do air bags and safety belts do together for the driver?

   1. Replace each other fully
   2. Hold cargo in place
   3. Deploy the brakes
   4. Shield head and body
   Show answer

   Shield head and body. Belts and bags form one protective system with shared work. In a crash, air bags and safety belts help keep your head and upper body from hitting the steering wheel or dash, belts holding position while bags cushion the forward arrival. Neither replaces the other; unbelted bodies meet bags off center and lose the benefit. Brakes and cargo belong to different systems entirely. Buckle first, sit upright and back, and let the partnership perform as engineered.

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

6. 6. Dirty headlight lenses and burned bulbs threaten night driving in what measurable way?

   1. Can cut your night vision by more than half
   2. Can make the headlight beam look brighter
   3. Can affect only the vehicle's appearance
   4. Can matter only when fog reduces visibility
   Show answer

   Can cut your night vision by more than half. Burned out bulbs and dirty headlight lenses can cut night vision by more than half. That loss affects the usable light and sight distance available to the driver, so the problem is a safety issue rather than appearance alone. The claim that the beam can look brighter reverses the manual's warning. Reduced night vision is not limited to foggy conditions, because a dirty lens or burned bulb can reduce light on a clear night too. Replacing burned bulbs and cleaning dirty lenses addresses the maintenance problem described in the manual.

7. 7. Both a stop line and a crosswalk are painted before an intersection. Which one governs where you stop?

   1. The crosswalk, rolling over the line
   2. Neither, if no pedestrians are visible
   3. Whichever is closer to traffic
   4. The stop line before the crosswalk
   Show answer

   The stop line before the crosswalk. Painted order on the pavement sets the stopping point. If there is a stop line before the crosswalk, you must stop at the stop line, keeping the crosswalk fully clear for people on foot. Rolling to the crosswalk buries the line purpose under your bumper. Empty crosswalks still deserve the buffer, since walkers can arrive mid stop. Stop at the first line, then creep only after the stop is complete and the way is clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane markings, lane use and special lanes

8. 8. You stop at a red light and turn right on red where allowed. What yielding is required?

   1. Yield to pedestrians and all vehicle traffic
   2. Yield to no one after stopping
   3. Yield only to vehicles on your left
   4. Yield only when a sign requires it
   Show answer

   Yield to pedestrians and all vehicle traffic. Right on red remains a yielding movement despite the stop. Vehicles making a right turn on red must yield to pedestrians and all vehicle traffic, since cross traffic holds a green light. Stopping alone does not manufacture a gap where none exists. Limiting yield to one direction ignores walkers and traffic from elsewhere. Scan every approach, let conflicting users pass, and turn into the opening they leave behind.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, arrows and lane lights

9. 9. You feel drowsy an hour from home and consider pushing through to your destination. What driving choice fits Maine fatigue guidance?

   1. Push through while alertness lasts
   2. Drive faster to arrive sooner
   3. Pull off and find a safe place to rest instead
   4. Roll down windows and continue
   Show answer

   Pull off and find a safe place to rest instead. Willpower loses to sleep pressure near the end of a trip. Never try to push through to your destination rather than pulling off the road and finding a safe place to rest, because micro sleeps can strike without warning. Speeding compresses the trip while multiplying crash energy and shortening reaction margins. Cold air may feel stimulating for minutes yet cannot repay a sleep debt. Rest first, then finish the drive awake.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue and distractions

10. 10. A driver is entering a public Maine road from a private driveway. Who must yield?

    1. Only vehicles already on the public road
    2. The driver leaving the private driveway
    3. The driver on the public road approaching from the left
    4. Whichever driver arrives at the road first
    Show answer

    The driver leaving the private driveway. A car coming out of a private drive or road must yield to every vehicle and pedestrian already on the public way. That includes traffic from either direction, not just from the left, and it includes people on foot. Being the first to reach the edge of the road does not create a right to enter. The responsibility is to wait for a gap that does not interfere with anyone on the public street. Cue: private pavement yields, public pavement goes.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections and highways

11. 11. A steady yellow X is lit above a highway lane. What does it mean?

    1. The lane is reserved for left turns only
    2. The lane may be used by through traffic
    3. Clear the lane before the signal changes
    4. The lane stays open for the rest of the day
    Show answer

    Clear the lane before the signal changes. A steady yellow X is a warning that the lane control is about to switch to red. Drivers already in that lane should finish their move and leave it promptly, and nobody should enter it. Left-turn use belongs to the flashing yellow X, so the steady yellow version does not create a turn lane. Through traffic is exactly what must vacate the lane, and the signal does not promise the lane will stay open all day. Cue: a solid yellow X means exit the lane now.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals, arrows and lane lights

12. 12. An unbelted occupant keeps moving when a car stops suddenly at 30 mph. What impact does that motion resemble?

    1. Falling from a one story roof
    2. Falling from a three story building
    3. Stepping off a curb at speed
    4. Rolling down a grassy hill
    Show answer

    Falling from a three story building. Physics gives an unbelted body no gentle option in a crash. At 30 MPH the occupant continuing forward resembles hitting the ground from the top of a three story building once the dashboard or windshield stops the travel. A one story fall softens a comparison meant to show multi story force. Curb steps and grassy rolls remove the hard impact entirely. Buckle before the car moves; the belt is what keeps that fall from ever starting.

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

13. 13. You are driving below the speed of surrounding traffic on a two-lane Maine road and cars are bunching behind you. What does the manual suggest?

    1. Slow a little or pull to the right so you can be passed
    2. Speed up above the limit to match traffic
    3. Stay in the lane and wave the cars past
    4. Stop on the shoulder and wait for the road to clear
    Show answer

    Slow a little or pull to the right so you can be passed. When many cars are lining up to pass, the manual suggests easing off a little or moving to the right side of the lane so they can get by safely, even if you are already at the posted limit. The goal is to reduce the time others spend in the oncoming lane. Accelerating above the limit to match them is illegal and prolongs the hazard, waving cars past does not create space, and stopping on the shoulder is unnecessary for a brief pass. Cue: make yourself predictable and let the faster traffic clear.

14. 14. How does the Maine manual describe a bicyclist's position on the road?

    1. A guest who must yield to every motor vehicle
    2. A vehicle with the same rights and duties as a driver
    3. A pedestrian who belongs on the sidewalk
    4. A rider who may ignore signs on an empty road
    Show answer

    A vehicle with the same rights and duties as a driver. Maine treats bicycles as vehicles, and their riders must follow the same rules of the road as other drivers. They are not pedestrians who belong on the sidewalk, and they are not guests who must yield to every car. That means a bicyclist can claim a lane and must obey signs and signals, while motorists owe them the same courtesies as any other vehicle. Calling a rider a pedestrian or assuming an empty road excuses a red light gets the legal status wrong. Cue: expect a bicycle to behave like a slow vehicle.

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

15. 15. A vehicle sound system on a Maine public way becomes unlawful at what volume reach?

    1. Audible beyond 25 feet and over 85 decibels
    2. Audible beyond 100 feet at any level
    3. Only inside residential zones at night
    4. Only when passengers complain
    Show answer

    Audible beyond 25 feet and over 85 decibels. Excessive sound carries a measured legal limit on public ways. A person may not operate a sound system in a vehicle on a public way at a volume that is audible at a distance greater than 25 feet and that exceeds 85 decibels, or that is unreasonable for the location and nearby persons. A hundred foot test quadruples the stated reach. Zone, hour, and complaint limits appear nowhere in the standard. Judge volume by distance and decibels before a citation measures it for you.

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

16. 16. A motorcycle ahead flashes a turn signal and keeps riding straight. Why should you not trust that signal alone?

    1. Motorcycle signals always cancel by themselves
    2. The rider must signal with a hand instead
    3. The signal may stay on after the rider forgot it
    4. Motorcycles use signals only when parked
    Show answer

    The signal may stay on after the rider forgot it. A flashing motorcycle signal can lie without meaning to. Turn signals on a motorcycle may not self-cancel, so the rider may have forgotten the signal is on and may keep riding straight. Trusting the blink alone can pull you into a turn across a rider who never planned to turn. Hand signals are not required in place of working signals, and signals serve moving traffic, not parked bikes. Watch the rider speed, lane position, and head movement, and wait until the turn truly begins.

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

17. 17. Stopping a car equipped with anti lock brakes on slick roads, how should the pedal be used?

    1. Pump it rapidly by foot
    2. Avoid the pedal entirely
    3. Tap it lightly once
    4. Press firmly, steer steadily
    Show answer

    Press firmly, steer steadily. Anti lock systems pump faster than any human foot can manage. When stopping a car with anti-lock brakes, simply press firmly on the brake pedal and follow instructions in owner's manual, steering while the system pulses pressure at each wheel. Foot pumping fights the computer and lengthens the stop. A single light tap never summons full assistance. Firm, steady pressure plus calm steering is the entire technique modern brakes ask of you.

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

18. 18. An oncoming driver fails to dim bright headlights at night. Where should you look to avoid temporary blindness?

    1. Directly at the lights
    2. Into the left mirror
    3. At your dashboard lights
    4. Right side of the road
    Show answer

    Right side of the road. Staring into glare guarantees the blindness you fear. If an oncoming vehicle does not dim their headlights, look towards the right side of the roadway, letting the edge line guide your lane while peripheral vision tracks the approaching car. Dashboard glances drop your eyes from the road entirely at the critical moment. Mirrors face backward toward nothing relevant. Ride the right edge visually until the bright car passes and full vision returns.

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

19. 19. Moose and deer travel most actively during which daily period that drivers should respect?

    1. Between dusk and dawn
    2. Midday hours
    3. Early afternoon
    4. Only during storms
    Show answer

    Between dusk and dawn. Wildlife commutes run on darkness. Moose and deer are most active between dusk and dawn as they tend to travel at night, so be especially alert after sunset because dark colored animals can be very difficult to see until they are right in front of your vehicle. Midday sightings happen, yet the mass movement favors night. Storm only limits miss the nightly pattern entirely. Slow down on rural night roads and scan the ditches for legs and eye shine.

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

20. 20. You must slow suddenly where drivers behind will not expect it. How can you warn the driver behind?

    1. Flash the headlights twice
    2. Tap brakes three or four times fast
    3. Wave an arm out the window
    4. Sound the horn continuously
    Show answer

    Tap brakes three or four times fast. Brake lights speak to following drivers, and repetition sharpens the message. If you will stop or slow where another driver does not expect it, tap the brake pedal three or four times quickly to signal your intention to the driver behind. Headlight flashes face forward and warn oncoming traffic instead. Arm waves confuse more than they clarify at speed. Give the follower those extra flashes before firm braking begins.