MD Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

Every question below comes from the Maryland 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. Your vehicle stops running on a Maryland interstate shoulder. Why is walking beside the road so risky?

   1. Shoulders are reserved for police only
   2. Traffic nearby travels at very high speeds
   3. Walking makes your vehicle harder to tow
   4. Flashers stop working once you exit
   Show answer

   Traffic nearby travels at very high speeds. Interstate traffic passes a shoulder at highway speed, so a person on foot has almost no protection or reaction room. Maryland warns that standing or walking along such a road is very dangerous for that reason. Staying inside a buckled vehicle, or waiting behind a barrier away from lanes, reduces exposure to a passing vehicle that drifts. If you must leave the vehicle, move well away from the traveled lanes and face traffic while you wait.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroads, work zones, roundabouts, highways and processions

2. 2. Your phone rings while you are driving alone in Maryland. What does the manual suggest you do?

   1. Answer quickly and keep the call short
   2. Hold the phone low and answer on speaker
   3. Let your voicemail answer the call
   4. Answer at the next red light and keep talking
   Show answer

   Let your voicemail answer the call. Even hands-free phone use should be kept to a minimum in Maryland. The manual's tips are to use the phone only in emergencies, have a passenger make the call if possible, pull safely off the road and stop before making a call, let your voicemail answer incoming calls, and keep conversations short. Answering at a red light and then talking as you drive keeps the distraction going, and holding the phone is illegal while driving. Return the call once you have stopped safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Aggressive, distracted and drowsy driving

3. 3. How does traveling well above the limit change a driver's ability to handle a sudden hazard in Maryland?

   1. It sharpens hazard spotting by raising alertness
   2. It leaves hazard spotting unchanged at any speed
   3. It reduces the ability to recognize and react to a hazard
   4. It removes the need to react by clearing traffic ahead
   Show answer

   It reduces the ability to recognize and react to a hazard. Higher speed shrinks the time between spotting a problem and reaching it, so recognition and reaction both suffer. A hazard that feels manageable at a moderate pace can become unavoidable when the same stretch is covered twice as fast. Other road users also get less time to see and judge the fast vehicle. Slowing down restores the margin that lets eyes, brain, and brakes work together. Scanning far ahead restores much of the reaction time that speed takes away.

   Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving and who goes first

4. 4. What does Maryland law require about your speed choice on any road?

   1. Match the fastest traffic around you
   2. Drive at a reasonable speed and watch for hazards
   3. Always use the posted limit as your exact speed
   4. Slow only when a police officer is visible
   Show answer

   Drive at a reasonable speed and watch for hazards. Maryland law asks for a speed that fits the road and the hazards present, not a number copied from the fastest nearby driver. A posted limit caps how fast you may go, yet curves, traffic, weather, or people near the road can call for less. Scanning for existing and possible hazards helps you pick that reasonable pace early. When conditions worsen, easing off sooner gives you more room to stop or steer without a sudden move.

   Study this in the handbook: Defensive driving and who goes first

5. 5. Dotted yellow or white lines continue through a Maryland intersection. What should drivers do there?

   1. Stay inside the lane markings through the intersection
   2. Change lanes freely inside the intersection
   3. Stop on the dotted lines to check traffic
   4. Ignore the dotted lines, since they are optional
   Show answer

   Stay inside the lane markings through the intersection. Lane lines can fade from view inside a wide intersection, right where drivers most need to hold a path. Short dotted extensions carry each lane line across that open space so vehicles stay aligned with the lane they entered. Holding that alignment prevents drifting into a turning or through lane beside you. Maryland guidance also warns against lane changes inside intersections, which can surprise drivers who expect each vehicle to keep its path. The dotted guides end where full lane lines resume on the far side of the crossing.

   Study this in the handbook: Lines and pavement markings

6. 6. Your signal is green and the way is safe. Which movements may you make in Maryland?

   1. Go straight or turn unless a sign or signal bars the turn
   2. Turn only, because green reserves the junction for turns
   3. Go straight only, because turns need an arrow
   4. Any movement, including turns a posted sign prohibits
   Show answer

   Go straight or turn unless a sign or signal bars the turn. A green signal allows you to enter and continue straight or make a turn that no sign or other signal forbids. Before moving, check that the junction is clear and give way to people and vehicles still inside it. An arrow is not required for an ordinary permitted turn, though a posted prohibition still controls. Reading the signs at the junction together with the signal keeps a legal turn from becoming a conflict with crossing traffic.

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

7. 7. You want to know how far it is to the next town on a Maryland highway. Which sign color should you watch for?

   1. Brown
   2. Blue
   3. Green
   4. White
   Show answer

   Green. Green signs show destinations, distances, and directions, so a driver checking how far the next town is should look for green guide signs. Blue signs point to services such as food, gas, and rest areas. Brown signs identify recreation and cultural interest areas. White backgrounds carry speed limits, keep right instructions, and some guide signs, but distances to destinations are the job Maryland gives to green. Recognizing the color early lets you read the sign without slowing sharply or drifting out of your lane.

   Study this in the handbook: Sign colors and shapes

8. 8. You need to place a call that cannot wait while traveling in Maryland. What is the safe way to do it?

   1. Hold the phone low where others cannot see
   2. Dial quickly at the next red signal
   3. Use speaker mode while weaving through traffic
   4. Pull off the road and stop first
   Show answer

   Pull off the road and stop first. A call competes for eyes, hands, and thought even with speaker mode, and traffic weaving makes that competition dangerous. Hiding the phone changes nothing about attention. Dialing at a signal still splits focus when the light changes and traffic surges. Stopping clear of travel lanes removes the conflict entirely, letting you finish the conversation and re-enter traffic fresh. Plan calls before departure when you can, let a passenger handle urgent communication, and keep stops brief, legal, and well clear of moving lanes.

   Study this in the handbook: Aggressive, distracted and drowsy driving

9. 9. Your turn in Maryland crosses a bike lane and shoulder where a person is riding a bicycle. What must you do before crossing them?

   1. Cross quickly because the rider must stop for turning cars
   2. Enter the bike lane early and travel within it to the turn
   3. Give way to the rider traveling in that lane or shoulder
   4. Sound the horn so the rider moves onto the sidewalk
   Show answer

   Give way to the rider traveling in that lane or shoulder. A bike lane or shoulder carrying a bicycle is an occupied travel path, even though it sits beside the main lanes. Crossing it for a turn without waiting puts the vehicle directly across the rider's line of travel. Entering early and driving within the lane extends that conflict over a longer distance. Check mirrors and blind areas, wait for the rider to pass, then cross the lane and shoulder cleanly at the turn point with space to spare.

   Study this in the handbook: Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and mopeds

10. 10. You enter a tunnel in Maryland on a clear day. Which beam choice helps other drivers see you?

    1. High beams, so the tunnel walls reflect more light
    2. Low beams when entering a tunnel or construction area
    3. Parking lights only, since the tunnel has its own lights
    4. No lights, to avoid distracting workers inside the tunnel
    Show answer

    Low beams when entering a tunnel or construction area. Entering a tunnel or construction area is a setting where lower beams help others spot your vehicle without blinding them. The law does not always require lights there, but using them makes a vehicle easier for other drivers and construction workers to see during the change from daylight to a darker space. Lower beams also fit fog, rain, and snow, plus normal night driving on roads with streetlights. Brighter beams belong on roads without streetlights, with dimming for oncoming and followed traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Lines and pavement markings

11. 11. Some Maryland pavement lines are extra wide or have reflective markers attached. Why?

    1. To mark a lane for emergency vehicles
    2. To show that a speed camera is nearby
    3. To tell you the road surface is slippery
    4. To draw your attention and help you see the lines
    Show answer

    To draw your attention and help you see the lines. Pavement markings give guidance without making you look away from the road. Maryland says lines may be extra wide in some locations or have reflective markers attached to draw your attention and help you see the lines. The extra width or markers do not change what the line means. They do not reserve a lane, warn of cameras, or say the surface is slippery. Read the color and pattern of the line to know the rule.

    Study this in the handbook: Lines and pavement markings

12. 12. A motorcycle is traveling beside you in the next lane in Maryland. May you move into part of its lane?

    1. Yes, if your vehicle is smaller than the motorcycle
    2. Yes, when traffic is moving slowly
    3. No, do not share a lane with a motorcycle
    4. Only while passing on a divided highway
    Show answer

    No, do not share a lane with a motorcycle. A motorcycle needs its full lane to adjust for wind, surface hazards, and visibility, so a car may not share that lane. Moving alongside within the same lane squeezes the rider toward the edge and removes an escape path. Treat the motorcycle like any vehicle occupying a lane: wait, signal, and use a separate lane to pass. Giving the rider the whole lane also leaves room for the small position changes riders make to be seen.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school buses

13. 13. You are in the right lane of a Maryland road when you see the pictured warning sign. What does it mean for you?

    
    1. A new lane is being added on your right
    2. Your lane ends ahead, so merge left safely
    3. The road divides around a median ahead
    4. You may pass on the shoulder ahead
    Show answer

    Your lane ends ahead, so merge left safely. The Lane Ends Merge Left sign warns that the right lane is ending and its traffic must move into the lane to the left. Signal, check your mirrors and blind spot, adjust your speed, and merge when there is a safe gap, rather than racing to the end of the lane. Drivers in the lane you are joining should expect merging traffic. The sign does not add a lane, mark a divided road, or allow driving on the shoulder.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory, warning and guide signs

14. 14. You are about to change lanes on a Maryland road with motorcycles around. What should you do first?

    1. Rely on one quick glance in the inside mirror
    2. Change lanes fast so riders can see you sooner
    3. Honk once so any rider in your blind spot moves
    4. Look twice, using mirrors and a look over your shoulder
    Show answer

    Look twice, using mirrors and a look over your shoulder. Maryland tells drivers to look twice before changing lanes or merging into traffic, using the mirrors and a look over the shoulder to be sure it is safe. Motorcycles can be hidden in your blind spot or missed in a quick look because they are smaller. One glance in the mirror can miss a rider, and moving quickly or honking does not reveal one either. Check again just before you move, and signal so riders know what you plan to do.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school buses

15. 15. You are 19 and at a family gathering in Maryland. What is the rule about drinking?

    1. A small amount is allowed with family present
    2. Beer is allowed but spirits are not
    3. Drinking is allowed on private property only
    4. Drinking any alcohol is against the law under 21
    Show answer

    Drinking any alcohol is against the law under 21. Maryland's rule is simple: if you are not yet 21 years old, it is against the law for you to drink any alcohol. Having family present, being on private property, or choosing beer instead of other drinks does not create an exception. A driver under 21 who is stopped after drinking will have the license suspended or revoked and could also be charged with violating the alcohol restriction on the license. Even for adults, any amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and driving

16. 16. Snow begins covering a road that is already wet. How should the gap ahead of your car change in Maryland?

    1. Use even more space on roads covered with snow or ice
    2. Keep dry-road spacing if headlights are switched on
    3. Use slightly less space so traffic stays grouped together
    4. Match nearby drivers regardless of the road surface
    Show answer

    Use even more space on roads covered with snow or ice. Snow and ice stretch stopping distance far beyond what dry pavement needs. Extra space ahead buys time to brake gently, steer around trouble, and absorb mistakes by drivers nearby. Headlights help you see but do not add tire grip. Closing up to stay grouped removes that buffer and invites a chain collision. Copying nearby drivers can copy an unsafe gap. Build space early before speed rises, test braking lightly where safe, and widen the gap again when spray, glare, or slick patches appear.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, night driving and fog

17. 17. In Maryland, thick mist makes other traffic hard to judge at night. Which lighting setup helps you see and be seen?

    1. Use high beam headlights only to reach farther ahead
    2. Use low beams only and fog lights if you have them
    3. Use parking lights only until visibility improves
    4. Turn off headlights and rely on emergency flashers
    Show answer

    Use low beams only and fog lights if you have them. Thick mist scatters light, so a lower and wider pattern works better than a long bright beam. Low beams keep glare down for you and for drivers coming toward you. Extra lamps made for mist add light low near the road where the view is clearest. High beams bounce back and can hide lane edges. Parking lights alone give too little view ahead. Flashers signal a stopped hazard, not a moving car. Slow down as well, watch the right edge, and leave extra space ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, night driving and fog

18. 18. A uniformed school crossing guard near a school directs you to proceed in a way that differs from a posted sign. What should you do in Maryland?

    1. Follow the crossing guard's direction
    2. Obey the sign and ignore the guard
    3. Stop and wait for a green signal
    4. Honk and continue past the guard
    Show answer

    Follow the crossing guard's direction. Everyone in Maryland must obey traffic control devices, meaning signals, signs, and pavement markings. The only time you do not have to obey them is when someone authorized tells you to do something different: a police officer or other emergency personnel, or a school crossing guard in uniform directing traffic near a school. When a uniformed guard near a school directs you differently from a posted sign, follow the guard. Ignoring the guard, waiting for a signal that does not apply, or honking past them goes against that rule.

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

19. 19. You are waiting to turn left in Maryland, and an oncoming motorcycle is approaching the intersection. What should you do?

    1. Turn now, since a motorcycle can stop quickly
    2. Turn, because a small motorcycle needs less room to pass
    3. Turn if the rider flashes a headlight at you
    4. Yield and let the motorcycle pass before turning
    Show answer

    Yield and let the motorcycle pass before turning. When turning left, you must yield to drivers in the opposing lane, and Maryland specifically says to yield the right-of-way to an oncoming motorcycle. Motorcycles are smaller than cars, so it can be harder to judge their speed and distance, and a rider may be closer than it looks. Wait until the motorcycle has passed and the way is clear, then make your turn. A flash of the rider's headlight is not permission to turn in front of it.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school buses

20. 20. Your Maryland signal turns steady yellow while a car ahead of you is already inside the intersection. Besides warning you, what does the yellow give that car?

    1. Time to finish crossing before the light turns red
    2. The right to turn left ahead of all other traffic
    3. A signal to back up behind the stop line
    4. Permission to stop and wait inside the intersection
    Show answer

    Time to finish crossing before the light turns red. A steady yellow signal means the light is changing from green to red. It gives approaching drivers time to stop safely, and it also gives vehicles already in the intersection time to get through before the signal turns red. The car ahead should keep moving and clear the intersection, not stop inside it or back up. If you are still approaching, stop if you can do so safely, and continue carefully only if you are too close to stop safely.

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