ME Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. Sleep needs vary widely by person. At the high end, how much sleep might someone require each night?

   1. Exactly 8 hours for everyone
   2. As much as 10 hours
   3. As little as 4 hours
   4. No more than 6 hours
   Show answer

   As much as 10 hours. Bodies keep individual sleep budgets. While some people manage on less, you could be someone who requires as much as 10 hours of sleep, and skimping below personal need invites drowsy driving. A universal eight hour prescription ignores the variation described at both ends of the range. Four hours leaves nearly everyone impaired. Learn your own requirement during off duty days and protect that full amount before any long drive.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue and distractions

2. 2. The traffic lights at a Maine intersection are dark and not operating. A pedestrian is crossing in the marked crosswalk. What must you do?

   1. Proceed because the signal is not controlling traffic
   2. Yield only if the pedestrian has reached your lane
   3. Yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian
   4. Sound the horn and continue through the crosswalk
   Show answer

   Yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian. When traffic control devices at an intersection are not operating, a driver must still yield to a pedestrian crossing inside a marked crosswalk. A dark signal removes the light's commands, not the pedestrian's protection. Proceeding because nothing is controlling traffic, or waiting until the person reaches your lane, defeats the purpose of the marked walkway. Sounding the horn does not transfer the right-of-way. Cue: treat an outage like an all way stop and watch the crosswalk, not just the empty signal head.

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

3. 3. A 16 year old visitor holds a valid learner permit from home and wants to drive during a Maine vacation. May this visitor drive in Maine?

   1. Yes, on the home state permit at age 16 or older
   2. No, visitors must hold a Maine permit
   3. Yes, only with a Maine licensed passenger
   4. No, visitors must be 18 to drive
   Show answer

   Yes, on the home state permit at age 16 or older. Maine honors a visiting driver who is at least 16 and carries a valid operator license or learner permit issued by the home state. Requiring a Maine permit would bar ordinary tourist driving that the reciprocity rule plainly allows. Adding a Maine licensed passenger invents a supervision condition the visitor rule never mentions. Watch for the home credential in the wallet and confirm the visitor has reached sixteen before handing over the keys.

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

4. 4. A driver on a provisional Maine license is convicted of a moving violation committed during that provisional period. What happens to the license?

   1. A warning letter only
   2. No consequence if points stay low
   3. Suspension for one year
   4. Suspension for 30 days
   Show answer

   Suspension for 30 days. A moving violation conviction during provisional status brings a firm penalty: the license will be suspended for 30 days. A warning letter understates a consequence the licensing section states as an actual suspension. Stretching the loss to a full year overshoots the listed period just as badly. Treat every ticket during the provisional window as career serious, slow down, and keep the record clean until full status arrives.

   Study this in the handbook: Young driver restrictions, points and suspensions

5. 5. You reach a flooded roadway with large bodies of standing water. What should you do?

   1. Find another route instead of driving through
   2. Drive through slowly in the center of the road
   3. Drive through quickly before the water gets deeper
   4. Follow another vehicle closely through the water
   Show answer

   Find another route instead of driving through. Standing water hides depth, current, and washed out pavement. Do not drive through large bodies of standing water, and if the roadway is flooded, find another route. Creeping through the center still risks stalling mid flood with no way back. Hurrying adds a bow wave and deeper risk. Following another vehicle closely leaves you stranded if that vehicle stalls in deeper water ahead. Turn around early, choose higher streets, and let the water fall before you try that road again.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and school zones

6. 6. Car trouble forces you to stop along a roadside. Where should the car go if possible?

   1. Halfway off, near the line
   2. Fully off the road, clear of traffic
   3. In the travel lane with flashers
   4. On the center median
   Show answer

   Fully off the road, clear of traffic. A disabled car must exit the stream of traffic completely. If possible, pull all the way off the road so you are well out of traffic, using the full shoulder and verge rather than hugging the fog line. Half measures leave doors opening into passing mirrors. Travel lanes and medians place occupants inside the fastest, least forgiving space. Coast fully clear before stopping, then set warnings behind the car.

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

7. 7. A railroad crossing has two sets of tracks but no sign stating that fact. What must a driver remember?

   1. Assume one track only
   2. Look for extra tracks, trains, vehicles
   3. Cross quickly after the first train
   4. Stop on the far track to check
   Show answer

   Look for extra tracks, trains, vehicles. One train can hide another at multi track crossings. Not all crossings with more than one track have signs, so always look for more than one track, train, or railroad vehicle at each crossing before proceeding. Assuming a single track invites a second train masked by the first. Speeding across or pausing on far rails compounds the danger. Clear the gates, scan both directions along every track, then cross in one steady motion.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, railroad and work zone signs

8. 8. What advantage does an anti lock braking system give during hard braking?

   1. Shorter stops on every surface
   2. Replaces tire maintenance
   3. Locks wheels for steering
   4. Helps you stop without skidding
   Show answer

   Helps you stop without skidding. Anti lock systems manage the edge of traction automatically. An ABS braking system helps you stop without skidding, pulsing pressure faster than feet can pump while preserving steering control. Universal shorter stops overpromise, since loose gravel can lengthen ABS distances even as control improves. Locking wheels is the failure mode ABS exists to prevent. Keep tires sound, press the pedal firmly, and steer while the system works.

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

9. 9. Which list gives proper reasons to downshift while driving?

   1. To save fuel while cruising at a steady speed
   2. To save the brakes from any use at all
   3. To roll faster down a long steep hill
   4. Gain power, accelerate, steer, slow the car
   Show answer

   Gain power, accelerate, steer, slow the car. Downshifting serves control in several distinct moments. Reasons include gaining power, accelerating, steering effectively, slowing the car on a down slope except when the road is slippery, and slowing or stopping. Cruising at a steady speed to save fuel calls for a higher gear, not a lower one. Letting the car roll faster downhill gives up the engine braking that helps control speed on a descent. Saving the brakes from any use also misstates the technique, since downshifting assists braking rather than replacing it. Match the gear to the coming demand before the need turns urgent.

10. 10. Why must speed drop and following distance grow on gravel or dirt rural roads?

    1. Gravel grips better than pavement
    2. Dirt roads are always empty
    3. There is less traction on gravel or dirt roads
    4. Loose surfaces shorten stops
    Show answer

    There is less traction on gravel or dirt roads. Loose surfaces float tires on rolling stones and dust. There is less traction on gravel or dirt roads, so slow down and increase following distance as these surfaces may cause a skid when stopping your vehicle. Pavement comparisons flatter gravel with grip it cannot offer. Empty road assumptions fail at the first farm truck around a bend. Gentle braking, patient spacing, and modest speed keep the car planted where pavement habits would slide it.

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

11. 11. Stranded in winter waiting for help, why should everyone stay with the vehicle?

    1. Cars are warmer than any shelter
    2. Walking summons help faster
    3. Leavers get lost and freeze
    4. Rescuers fine those who walk
    Show answer

    Leavers get lost and freeze. The car is shelter, beacon, and survival kit in one. Stay with your car; most deaths occur when people leave the car, get lost, and freeze to death in whiteout wandering. Walking for help trades a findable metal box for an invisible figure in blowing snow. Fines for walking exist in no survival guidance. Hang a red flag, run the heater in cycles, keep occupants awake and active, and let rescuers find the vehicle they are searching for.

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

12. 12. A driver takes medication that can impair driving. What drinking rule applies alongside that medication?

    1. One drink is safe with any medication
    2. Only hard liquor must be avoided
    3. Drinking is fine if the dose was small
    4. Never drink when taking other drugs
    Show answer

    Never drink when taking other drugs. Mixing alcohol with other drugs stacks impairments unpredictably. Never drink when you are taking other drugs, because combined effects on reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness can exceed what either substance causes alone. One supposedly safe drink ignores how widely drug interactions vary by person and prescription. Dose size and liquor type cannot tame that uncertainty. When medication is on board, keep alcohol entirely out of the driving equation.

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

13. 13. At a four-way stop in Maine, which vehicle goes first when the arrivals are not simultaneous?

    1. The vehicle approaching from the left
    2. The vehicle that signals for a turn
    3. The vehicle that reached the intersection first
    4. The vehicle traveling on the wider road
    Show answer

    The vehicle that reached the intersection first. At a four way stop, every vehicle must come to a stop, and the one that reached the intersection first goes first. The right side rule applies only when two vehicles arrive at essentially the same moment, so it does not decide a staggered arrival. Signaling for a turn does not earn priority, and the width of the road or the direction of approach does not override the arrival order. Cue: note who stopped first, then confirm the intersection is clear before moving.

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

14. 14. How close to a fire station driveway entrance may you park in Maine?

    1. No closer than 5 feet
    2. No closer than 10 feet
    3. No closer than 25 feet
    4. No closer than 15 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 15 feet. Maine lists a fire station driveway as a place to keep clear: do not park within 15 feet of the entrance, and do not park directly across from it. The across the street restriction protects the wide swing a fire apparatus needs when it pulls out. Ten feet is the hydrant distance, so that figure sounds familiar but applies to a different object. Five feet and 25 feet are outside the stated rule; 25 feet would be more cautious than required but is not the listed minimum. Cue: a fire station driveway gets the same 15 foot buffer as a crosswalk.

15. 15. When should a Maine driver give the horn a light tap?

    1. When a pedestrian or bicyclist may enter the driver's lane
    2. Whenever a driver is traveling below the speed limit
    3. Before every traffic signal changes
    4. When approaching a horse beside the road
    Show answer

    When a pedestrian or bicyclist may enter the driver's lane. The horn is a warning tool, not a routine sound to use at every control or for every slower driver. Maine says to give it a light tap when pedestrians or bicyclists appear to be moving into your lane. The manual also cautions drivers to avoid using the horn near bicyclists or horses because they may be startled, unless danger is near. Use a brief warning to attract attention when it can help prevent a collision.

16. 16. Besides signals, signs, and road markings, what does Maine include among traffic controls?

    1. Directions from law enforcement, highway workers, and school crossing guards
    2. Directions from a passenger about a preferred lane or route
    3. Directions from a navigation device about the fastest route
    4. Directions from another driver who waves you forward
    Show answer

    Directions from law enforcement, highway workers, and school crossing guards. Maine treats directions from law enforcement, highway workers, and school crossing guards as traffic controls, alongside signals, signs, and road markings. A passenger's route suggestion is personal advice, not an official direction. A navigation device supplies route guidance, and a wave from another driver is only communication between drivers. Neither replaces a traffic control. When a person in one of the listed roles directs traffic, that direction belongs to the same category of controls as the roadway signs and signals.

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

17. 17. A vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do?

    1. Move onto the shoulder to give it more room
    2. Stay in your lane and hold a steady speed
    3. Speed up to prevent the pass
    4. Brake hard as soon as the pass begins
    Show answer

    Stay in your lane and hold a steady speed. When another driver is passing, stay in your lane and hold a steady speed so the pass can occur predictably. Moving onto the shoulder creates a separate hazard, and speeding up makes the passing distance and timing harder to judge. Hard braking can also disrupt the maneuver unless an immediate hazard requires it. Keep a consistent position, watch the other vehicle, and allow it to complete the pass without competing for the lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Passing and no passing zones

18. 18. An intersection has no marked crosswalk. Where must a driver stop for a stop sign or signal?

    1. Before it, close enough to see traffic
    2. In the middle of the intersection
    3. Past the intersection if view is blocked
    4. No stop is required without markings
    Show answer

    Before it, close enough to see traffic. Missing paint does not erase stopping duty. If crosswalks are not marked, then you must stop before the intersection close enough to see approaching traffic, balancing a clear view against staying out of cross paths. Mid intersection stopping blocks everyone crossing your route. Rolling past to find a view converts a stop into a gamble. Halt at the edge, lean for sight lines if needed, and go when certain.

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

19. 19. At night behind a large vehicle, what headlight courtesy is required?

    1. Dim beams while following
    2. Use high beams to see over it
    3. Flash beams at each mile
    4. Turn lights off briefly
    Show answer

    Dim beams while following. Glare in oversized mirrors blinds the professional ahead of you. Always dim your headlights when following a large vehicle at night, because high beams flood tall mirrors and destroy the driver night vision for seconds at a time. Seeing over the trailer with brights helps you while harming the person guiding forty tons. Mile flashes repeatedly dazzle without purpose. Drop to low beams, keep distance, and let the truck driver eyes stay adapted to the dark road.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, move over and traffic stops

20. 20. Your medical condition has changed and you now use special driving equipment. What licensing step may follow?

    1. Nothing ever changes
    2. A driving evaluation may be required
    3. Automatic license loss forever
    4. Only a new photo is needed
    Show answer

    A driving evaluation may be required. Licenses assume the body that originally passed the tests. If your medical condition has changed, or you have started to use special equipment, a driving evaluation may be required to confirm that driving remains safe with the new reality. Automatic lifetime loss punishes conditions that evaluations often clear with restrictions. A fresh photograph documents appearance, not capability. Report major changes honestly and welcome the evaluation that keeps both your license and the public defensible.