MD Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. What kind of instruction does the pictured sign provide?

   
   1. An optional suggestion for busy intersections
   2. A traffic-law regulation that must be obeyed
   3. A warning about changing weather
   4. A guide to nearby services
   Show answer

   A traffic-law regulation that must be obeyed. The pictured sign provides a traffic-law regulation, so it must be obeyed at the signed location. It is not optional advice for busy intersections, a weather warning, or a guide to food, fuel, or other services. Maryland explains that regulatory signs concern traffic laws and must be followed. Read the arrow and words carefully, then apply the restriction while continuing to watch for signals, markings, and other controls. A useful habit is to classify the sign before acting: regulatory means an immediate rule for your lane, not a suggestion to reconsider later.

2. 2. What practice record must a Maryland applicant submit before moving from a permit to a provisional license?

   1. A school transcript showing 30 classroom hours only
   2. A signed Practice and Skills Log showing at least 60 practice hours, or 14 for an applicant age 25 or older
   3. A receipt proving 45 days of vehicle ownership
   4. A driving diary with exactly 100 daytime hours
   Show answer

   A signed Practice and Skills Log showing at least 60 practice hours, or 14 for an applicant age 25 or older. The applicant must submit a completed and signed Practice and Skills Log. It must show at least 60 practice hours with a supervising driver, or 14 hours when the applicant is 25 or older. Classroom time and vehicle ownership do not substitute for logged driving practice. Before testing, check that the log is complete, signed, and records the age-appropriate total.

3. 3. What must a driver do when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on a Maryland roadway?

   
   1. Stop in the adjacent lane regardless of traffic
   2. Maintain speed because the emergency vehicle is off the roadway
   3. Move over one lane if safe, or slow down if moving over is not safe
   4. Pass on the shoulder without reducing speed
   Show answer

   Move over one lane if safe, or slow down if moving over is not safe. Maryland's Move Over rule protects people working beside traffic. If a lane change can be made safely, leave an open lane between your vehicle and the stopped emergency vehicle. If traffic or road design prevents that move, slow down to a safe speed instead. Maintaining speed ignores the roadside risk, while an unconditional stop in a live lane can cause a new collision. Look well ahead for flashing lights, check the next lane early, and make the protective adjustment before reaching the vehicle.

4. 4. What is a safe speed choice when a road has pedestrians or animals nearby?

   1. Increase speed to pass the area quickly
   2. Reduce speed so you have more time to respond
   3. Maintain the posted limit regardless of visibility
   4. Match the fastest nearby vehicle
   Show answer

   Reduce speed so you have more time to respond. Maryland lists roads where pedestrians or animals may be present among the conditions that call for reduced speed. Slowing gives a driver more time to see movement, judge distance, and brake smoothly. Accelerating through the area reduces that time, while holding the posted number can be unsafe if visibility or traffic makes the maximum inappropriate. The fastest nearby vehicle is not a reliable safety measure. Scan the edges of the roadway, cover the brake, and choose a pace that lets you stop before a person or animal enters your path.

5. 5. After stopping at a steady red signal, which turn may be permitted unless a sign prohibits it?

   1. A U-turn from the intersection
   2. Any left turn across two-way traffic
   3. A right turn, or a left turn from one one-way street to another
   4. A straight movement through the red signal
   Show answer

   A right turn, or a left turn from one one-way street to another. A steady red signal requires a complete stop and normally keeps the driver stopped. After that stop, Maryland permits a right turn, or a left turn from one one-way street to another one-way street, unless a sign prohibits the movement. In either case, yield to pedestrians and all other traffic. A general left turn across two-way traffic, a U-turn, or continuing straight would exceed the listed permission. Check for a stop line first, then the crosswalk, and make the permitted turn only when the path is clear.

6. 6. What shape warns that a railroad crossing is ahead?

   1. A round sign
   2. A pentagon sign
   3. A diamond sign
   4. A rectangular sign
   Show answer

   A round sign. Maryland uses a round sign to warn that a railroad crossing is ahead. The shape is a recognition cue that helps a driver prepare before the tracks become visible or the crossing is reached. A pentagon identifies a school zone or school crossing, a diamond warns of special conditions or hazards, and a rectangle generally provides regulatory or guide information. Shape recognition should prompt attention, not an automatic maneuver. After identifying the round warning, reduce distractions, scan for trains and signals, and follow the crossing controls.

7. 7. What following gap should you use behind a bus or delivery van that stops often?

   1. Four or five seconds, and possibly more if needed
   2. The same three seconds required in every condition
   3. One second because the vehicle is moving slowly
   4. One car length regardless of speed
   Show answer

   Four or five seconds, and possibly more if needed. Vehicles that stop frequently require more room because their speed and position can change repeatedly. The manual advises four or five seconds, with still more space when conditions call for it. The ordinary three to four second recommendation is a baseline for ideal conditions, not an upper limit for a delivery vehicle. One second leaves little time for a sudden stop, and a car length is not a reliable measure because its meaning changes as speed changes. Watch the vehicle ahead and expand the gap before it brakes again.

8. 8. A school bus is stopped with flashing red lights on the other side of a divided road. When may you continue?

   1. Only after the bus driver waves you through
   2. Whenever the bus is more than 20 feet away
   3. Whenever no children are visible
   4. When a physical barrier divides the roadways
   Show answer

   When a physical barrier divides the roadways. Maryland makes an exception when the road is divided by a physical barrier and the bus is on the opposite side. A painted line alone is not the same protection. Distance from the bus, the absence of visible children, or a missing wave from the driver does not create the exception. On other approaches, stop at least 20 feet from the bus and wait until it moves or turns off its flashing red lights. The deciding cue is the actual barrier separating the two roadways, not the number of lanes by itself.

9. 9. Under Maryland's seat belt restriction for Provisional License holders under 18, who must be buckled up?

   1. Only the driver
   2. Only passengers in the front seat
   3. Only passengers under 16
   4. The driver and every passenger, with children in child safety seats
   Show answer

   The driver and every passenger, with children in child safety seats. A Provisional License carries a seat belt restriction that covers everyone in the vehicle. The driver must always use a safety belt, and all passengers must use safety belts or child safety seats. Limiting the rule to the driver, the front seat, or young passengers leaves out people the restriction plainly covers. Breaking a license restriction is a serious offense in Maryland, and the manual warns that it can cost a new driver the driving privilege.

10. 10. For Maryland's required night practice hours, what time period counts as night?

    1. From sunset to sunrise only
    2. From 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
    3. From 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise
    4. From 12:00 midnight to 5:00 a.m.
    Show answer

    From 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise. Maryland defines the night practice window by the sun, not by the clock. Practice counts toward the night requirement when it happens in the period that starts 30 minutes before sunset and ends 30 minutes after sunrise. Plain sunset to sunrise leaves out the half hours on each side. A fixed 9:00 p.m. start is not used. Midnight to 5:00 a.m. is the Provisional License night restriction, a separate rule about when a new driver may drive unsupervised.

11. 11. Under Maryland's implied consent law, what happens if a police officer submits a certified statement that you refused a test?

    1. Nothing, because the test is voluntary
    2. The MVA will suspend your license
    3. You receive only a warning on a first refusal
    4. Your license is canceled for life
    Show answer

    The MVA will suspend your license. Driving or trying to drive on a road or on private property used by the public counts as agreement to take a drug or alcohol test when an officer asks. If the officer submits a certified statement that you refused, the MVA will suspend your license. The test is therefore not voluntary in the sense of being free of consequences, and the manual gives no first-refusal warning. Cancellation is a different and harsher action that the manual ties to fraud or false application information.

12. 12. What does yielding the right of way require a driver to do?

    1. Use the horn to make another road user wait
    2. Claim priority whenever the driver reaches the intersection first
    3. Stop permanently until every nearby road is empty
    4. Let another vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian move ahead or cross first
    Show answer

    Let another vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian move ahead or cross first. Yielding means allowing another vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian to move ahead of you or cross the road in front of you. It is an active safety decision, not a permanent stop and not a claim based on the loudest horn. The manual also warns drivers not to assume automatic priority. Scan the whole conflict area, identify who needs to go first, and let that road user clear your path.

13. 13. When must Maryland drivers turn on headlights because of windshield wipers?

    1. Only when visibility falls below 500 feet
    2. Only after sunset, regardless of weather
    3. Whenever wipers are being used in inclement weather
    4. Only when another driver flashes headlights
    Show answer

    Whenever wipers are being used in inclement weather. Maryland requires headlights whenever the windshield wipers are in use because of inclement weather. The rule is not limited to nighttime, a 500-foot visibility measurement, or another driver's warning. The practical cue is simple: if bad weather requires the wipers, turn on the headlights as well so you can see and be seen. This habit also makes the vehicle easier for other road users to notice.

14. 14. What should a driver do when a warning sign identifies a sharp turn?

    
    1. Stop in the lane at the sign every time
    2. Accelerate through without checking the road
    3. Prepare to slow and take appropriate action
    4. Ignore the sign if the road is dry
    Show answer

    Prepare to slow and take appropriate action. Maryland classifies signs for special conditions or hazards as warnings and says a driver may have to slow down and should be ready to take appropriate action. A sharp-turn warning therefore calls for an early speed adjustment and careful lane control. Accelerating, stopping in the travel lane without a reason, or ignoring the sign on a dry road all remove safety margin. Look through the turn, reduce speed before steering demand increases, and follow any advisory speed or additional control that appears.

15. 15. Who must wear a helmet on a bicycle in Maryland?

    1. No one, helmets are optional
    2. Everyone regardless of age
    3. Only riders on state highways
    4. Anyone under 16, including passengers who are not steering
    Show answer

    Anyone under 16, including passengers who are not steering. Helmets are required for anyone under age 16 riding on a bike, including passengers who are not steering, and they are strongly recommended for people of all ages. By law all bicycles must have brakes that can stop within a short distance, and at night a white headlight and red rear reflector visible from 600 feet. The manual says bicycles are generally allowed on sidewalks, but local jurisdictions can prohibit sidewalk riding, so riders should check the local code.

16. 16. What does orange indicate on a traffic sign?

    1. Construction or maintenance work
    2. A hospital or other driver service
    3. A destination, distance, or exit
    4. A recreation or cultural interest area
    Show answer

    Construction or maintenance work. Orange is reserved for construction and maintenance work area warnings. When an orange sign appears, the driver should expect changed conditions, temporary controls, workers, or lane changes and should pay close attention. Blue signs identify services, green signs guide drivers to destinations and exits, and brown signs point toward recreation or cultural interests. Color is therefore an early classification tool before the words or symbols are read. The cue is orange means work activity, so reduce distractions and prepare for an altered roadway.

17. 17. What must other vehicles do when a funeral procession is crossing their path?

    1. Yield until the procession has passed
    2. Cut between vehicles if the signal is green
    3. Honk so the procession stops
    4. Pass through the procession before its last vehicle arrives
    Show answer

    Yield until the procession has passed. Other vehicles must yield the right-of-way to a funeral procession even when they have a green signal, continuing to yield until all vehicles have passed unless they can proceed without crossing the procession's path. Cutting into the line or using a horn creates a conflict with a protected group. The cue is to identify the procession as one moving unit, slow down, and wait until the route no longer intersects it.

18. 18. How much litter do Maryland highway workers remove from state roads each year, according to the manual?

    1. About 500 pounds
    2. Over two million pounds
    3. About 10,000 pounds
    4. About 100 tons
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    Over two million pounds. Highway workers remove over two million pounds of litter from Maryland state roads each year, and the crews doing that work are exposed to high speed traffic. Fines for littering can reach $1,500 or 30 days in prison. Secure loads so nothing blows out of the vehicle, and keep a trash bag in the car instead of tossing anything out the window.

19. 19. What does a single solid white line separating same-direction lanes indicate?

    1. Passing is allowed only by crossing into opposing traffic
    2. Traffic on the other side travels toward you
    3. A lane change is required immediately
    4. Lane changing is discouraged
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    Lane changing is discouraged. A single solid white line separates lanes moving in the same direction and discourages changing lanes. It is guidance to remain in the lane unless a safe, lawful maneuver requires otherwise. Yellow center-line rules apply to opposing traffic, so the oncoming-traffic choice describes the wrong marking. The line does not command an immediate lane change, and it does not authorize crossing into an opposing lane. The cue is white means same direction, while solid means treat the lane boundary as a reason to stay put.

20. 20. What speed should a driver generally use when moving with traffic?

    1. The same speed as most traffic, up to the maximum limit
    2. Any speed above the posted limit if traffic is moving quickly
    3. A speed lower than all other traffic in every situation
    4. The speed shown on the sign plus five miles per hour
    Show answer

    The same speed as most traffic, up to the maximum limit. Maryland says it is safest to travel at the same speed as most traffic, but never above the posted maximum. This guidance helps reduce repeated passing by faster vehicles while preserving the legal ceiling. It does not authorize speeding when surrounding drivers are moving too quickly, and it does not require a driver to copy traffic when conditions make that unsafe. Watch the road, weather, visibility, and traffic flow together. If most traffic is at the limit, stay near that pace when appropriate; if hazards require slower travel, safety controls the choice.