ME Permit Practice Test 19

All 20 questions in test 19

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. How do illegal drugs affect a driver compared with alcohol?

   1. Reflexes, judgment, vision, alertness, like alcohol
   2. They improve alertness on long drives
   3. They affect only eyesight
   4. They matter only when mixed with alcohol
   Show answer

   Reflexes, judgment, vision, alertness, like alcohol. Illegal drugs impair through familiar channels. They can affect reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness just like alcohol, degrading every skill safe driving demands. Claims of sharper alertness invert the danger these substances create behind the wheel. Eyesight alone understates a four part impairment picture. Solo use without alcohol still counts, since the comparison shows the drugs themselves do the damage. Treat any impairing substance as a reason to hand the keys to someone sober.

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

2. 2. You are in very heavy rain and cannot see properly even after slowing down. What does the Maine manual say to do?

   1. Turn on high beams and maintain a steady speed
   2. Follow the taillights of the vehicle ahead
   3. Stop in your lane and turn on the hazard lights
   4. Pull off the road and wait for conditions to improve
   Show answer

   Pull off the road and wait for conditions to improve. In very heavy rain, a snowstorm, or thick fog, visibility can fall so low that no safe speed exists. The manual's instruction is to pull off the road and wait for conditions to improve, not to push on with high beams or to follow the taillights ahead. High beams reflect off precipitation and make matters worse, and taillights can lead a driver off the pavement. Stopping in the travel lane leaves the car exposed to a rear end strike. Cue: when you cannot see properly, leave the roadway completely, stop well off it, and wait.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and school zones

3. 3. What purpose do painted stop lines serve at a Maine intersection?

   1. They mark where buses load passengers
   2. They leave walkway space for pedestrians
   3. They show where parking ends near a corner
   4. They divide lanes that travel in opposite directions
   Show answer

   They leave walkway space for pedestrians. A stop line is painted back from the crosswalk so a stopped car does not intrude on the space set aside for people on foot. Drivers must halt before the line, which leaves a clear walkway in front of the bumper. Bus loading zones and parking limits are marked by signs or curb colors, and opposing traffic is divided by center lines rather than stop bars. Cue: when a white bar crosses your lane at an intersection, stop before it and look for the crosswalk beyond.

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

4. 4. What counts as a distraction while driving in Maine guidance?

   1. Watching the road ahead with hands on the wheel
   2. Checking mirrors while watching traffic ahead
   3. Anything that takes mind or body away from driving
   4. Slowing down early and leaving extra following room
   Show answer

   Anything that takes mind or body away from driving. A distraction is anything that takes your mind or body away from driving, whether eyes leave the road, hands leave the wheel, or thoughts wander somewhere else. Watching the road with hands on the wheel is the attentive baseline, not a distraction. Checking mirrors while watching traffic is part of scanning, and slowing early with extra following room protects attention instead of stealing it. Judge each activity by whether it pulls mind or body off the driving task, not by whether a phone or other device happens to be involved.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue and distractions

5. 5. You must get out on the street side of a car parked at a Maine curb. What should you check before opening the door?

   1. The curb for painted markings
   2. Whether the parking brake is released
   3. The distance to the car ahead
   4. Traffic behind you, especially bicycles
   Show answer

   Traffic behind you, especially bicycles. Leaving a parked car on the curb side is safer because you step away from moving traffic. When that is not possible, the manual says to check behind you for traffic, with particular attention to bicycles, before opening the door. A bicycle can close quickly and is easy to miss in a mirror. Painted curb markings tell you where parking is restricted, not whether a door can be opened safely, and the parking brake should stay set until you drive away. Cue: street side door, look back for bikes first, then open slowly.

6. 6. What fines follow Maine excessive vehicle sound violations for first, second, and third or subsequent offenses?

   1. $25, $50, and $75
   2. $50, $100, and $150
   3. $100, $200, and $300
   4. A single $500 fine
   Show answer

   $50, $100, and $150. Sound violations escalate in steady fifty dollar steps. Violation of this law is a traffic infraction and will be assessed $50 for a first offense, $100 for a 2nd offense and $150 for a 3rd or subsequent offense, teaching repeat offenders that volume carries a cost. Halving or doubling the ladder misstates every rung at once. A flat five hundred ignores the graduated design entirely. Keep the system modest and the fine schedule remains trivia rather than experience bought through repeated tickets.

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

7. 7. A motorcycle is coming toward you while you prepare to turn left across its path. What should you do?

   1. Turn quickly before the motorcycle reaches you
   2. Wait for the motorcycle to pass before turning
   3. Turn if the motorcycle looks far away and slow
   4. Flash your lights and turn across its path
   Show answer

   Wait for the motorcycle to pass before turning. Left turns across motorcycles fail on judgment, not on rights. Wait for an oncoming motorcyclist to pass before turning left, because drivers often fail to see the motorcycle or think it is going slower than it really is. Turning quickly on a guess risks meeting a machine that arrives sooner than expected. A distant look proves little at closing speed, and flashing lights grants no right to cut across. Hold your turn until the motorcycle has clearly passed and the lane beyond sits empty.

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

8. 8. A loaded truck traveling at 55 mph needs at least how much distance to stop?

   1. About 150 feet
   2. The same as a car
   3. About 500 feet
   4. At least 335 feet
   Show answer

   At least 335 feet. Heavy loads rewrite stopping math that car drivers take for granted. A loaded truck at 55 mph takes at least 335 feet to stop, more than one and a half times the stopping distance a car would need at the same speed. One hundred fifty feet describes an automobile on dry pavement, not forty tons of freight. Cutting in front of a truck inside that distance removes the only margin its brakes can use. Never steal a truck stopping gap.

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

9. 9. Stopping on icy or snow covered roads without anti lock brakes, how should the brakes be applied?

   1. Slam and hold firmly
   2. Pump them very gently
   3. Never touch the brakes
   4. Alternate with the horn
   Show answer

   Pump them very gently. Feathered inputs keep tires rolling on frozen surfaces. When stopping on icy or snow-covered roads, pump brakes on and off very gently, feeling for the threshold where wheels keep turning instead of locking into a slide. Slamming spends traction in the first second. Refusing brakes entirely lets momentum choose the stopping place. Gentle pulses, straight steering, and patience stretch a short icy stop into a controlled one.

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

10. 10. How many driver's license classes does Maine issue?

    1. Five
    2. Two
    3. Four
    4. Three
    Show answer

    Three. Maine issues three classes of driver's licenses: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A and B are commercial classifications distinguished by vehicle size and weight, while Class C is the standard classification for most motor vehicle operators. Two is a tempting count if commercial classes are grouped together, but the manual still treats them as separate classes. Motorcycle, bus, and school bus operation may require endorsements and examinations, yet those uses do not create additional license classes. Keep the structure in mind: three classes, with special endorsements layered onto them when needed.

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

11. 11. After completing a turn or lane change, what signal housekeeping remains?

    1. Make sure the signal cancels
    2. Leave it flashing briefly
    3. Signal the opposite way briefly
    4. Ignore the dashboard arrow
    Show answer

    Make sure the signal cancels. Finished maneuvers need silent signals. After you have made a turn or lane change, make sure the signal cancels, checking the dashboard arrow rather than trusting the self canceling cam. A brief extra flash still tells followers another move is coming when none is. Opposite flashes scramble the record entirely. Glance down, thumb off any survivor, and drive on with indicators truthful and dark.

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

12. 12. Driving uphill in a manual car, how fast may you need to go before shifting into fourth or fifth?

    1. 25 mph or more
    2. 55 mph or more
    3. 40 mph or more
    4. No extra speed is ever needed
    Show answer

    40 mph or more. Grades demand momentum before an upshift. When driving uphill, you may need to achieve 40 mph or more before shifting to fourth or fifth gear, because the higher gear must hold speed against gravity. Twenty five leaves the engine lugging and losing ground on the climb. Fifty five overshoots the stated preparation speed. Build pace in the lower gear, shift decisively, and keep revs where the car still pulls.

13. 13. After facing bright headlights, about how long do eyes normally need to recover from glare?

    1. About one second
    2. About three seconds
    3. About seven seconds
    4. About thirty seconds
    Show answer

    About seven seconds. Glare steals more time than most drivers expect. Eyes normally take about seven seconds to recover from headlight glare, and at 55 miles per hour that span covers almost two football fields of travel. One or three seconds would suggest vision snaps back almost at once. Thirty seconds exaggerates recovery into half a minute of blindness. Look toward the right edge after meeting bright beams and ease off speed until sharp vision returns.

    Study this in the handbook: How alcohol affects driving

14. 14. After passing the exit before the one you want in a Maine roundabout, how do you leave the circle?

    1. Signal and make a right turn out of the circle
    2. Signal and make a left turn across the island
    3. Drive straight over the raised center island
    4. Back up to the missed exit and turn right
    Show answer

    Signal and make a right turn out of the circle. A roundabout is left by signaling and making a right turn off the circle. If you pass the exit you wanted, the safe response is to continue around and come back to it rather than stopping, backing up, or cutting across the center island. Turning left against the flow or driving over the raised island is both illegal and dangerous to traffic already circulating. Cue: count the exits as you pass them, signal before yours, and steer right as you leave.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, traffic circles and roundabouts

15. 15. On a horizontal traffic signal, which color appears on the left?

    1. Green
    2. Yellow
    3. Red
    4. White
    Show answer

    Red. Maine mounts signals vertically with red at the top, but a horizontal installation turns that order sideways. The red lens sits at the left end, yellow occupies the middle, and green sits at the right end. A driver who scans from right to left may misread the far end as a go signal, yet green is the rightmost lens, not the left one. Color position also tells you where to look when several heads hang over different lanes. Cue: at a horizontal head, treat the leftmost lens as the one that controls a stop.

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

16. 16. How long does a Maine learner permit remain valid in ordinary circumstances?

    1. One year
    2. Six months
    3. Until the holder turns 21
    4. Two years
    Show answer

    Two years. A Maine learner permit generally stays valid for two years, giving a new driver a long practice window before the road test. One year understates that span and could push a learner to rush testing before skills mature. Six months is shorter still and matches no permit rule in the licensing section. Tie study and supervised practice to the two year horizon, and book the road test well before the permit lapses.

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

17. 17. A crash with a large animal is unavoidable. What brake and steering technique improves survival?

    1. Brake straight, then ease off before impact
    2. Brake hard and swerve sharply around the animal
    3. Speed up to clear the animal before impact
    4. Wait to brake until after the animal is hit
    Show answer

    Brake straight, then ease off before impact. When a crash with an animal is imminent, apply the brakes and steer straight. Just before impact, let up on the brakes so the front of the vehicle rises slightly, and try to hit the tail end of the animal. That can reduce the chance of the animal striking the windshield area. A sharp swerve can create a different collision, while speeding up or waiting to brake gives up useful stopping distance.

    Study this in the handbook: Moose and deer

18. 18. On an unfamiliar winter road, how can you learn how slippery it truly is while driving?

    1. Test brakes gently at low speed
    2. Brake hard once at speed
    3. Watch other cars only
    4. Assume ice everywhere always
    Show answer

    Test brakes gently at low speed. Winter grip announces itself through careful experiment. Get the feel of the road; try the brakes occasionally while driving slowly to determine just how slippery the road is and adjust your speed accordingly. One hard brake at speed converts a test into a skid. Other cars may carry better tires, chains, or luck than yours. Small slow probes return honest data while mistakes still cost nothing, so test early and often as conditions change.

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

19. 19. A load on a passenger vehicle may not extend sideways in which direction beyond the fender line?

    1. Over the right side freely
    2. Past left fender line
    3. Six inches on the left
    4. Any amount with flags
    Show answer

    Past left fender line. Load width limits protect traffic passing on either flank. No passenger type vehicle should carry a load which extends over the sides of the vehicle beyond the line of the fenders on the left side, where overtaking traffic passes closest and fastest. The right side earns a measured six inch allowance instead, a distinction easy to swap under loading pressure. Flags warn but cannot legalize excess width. Measure both flanks before rolling and shift cargo inward until fenders bound the load.

    Study this in the handbook: Moose and deer

20. 20. You wake with a short term illness, feverish and foggy, with errands to run. Who decides whether you drive?

    1. You decide if you can drive
    2. Your passengers decide
    3. Any illness always bars driving
    4. Only a doctor can ever decide
    Show answer

    You decide if you can drive. Brief illnesses rarely come with official verdicts attached. With short-term illnesses, you must decide for yourself if you can safely drive, weighing fever, medication drowsiness, and slowed thinking before touching the keys. Passengers cannot feel your reaction times from the next seat. Absolute bans ignore mild sniffles that leave drivers fully capable. Be brutally honest on sick mornings; errands survive a day of rest far better than drivers survive a foggy crash.