MD Permit Practice Test 4

All 20 questions in test 4

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. How old must you be for a Maryland Type 2 Learner's Instructional Permit, and how long does it last?

   1. At least 15, lasting one year
   2. At least 18, lasting 90 days
   3. At least 16 years and 6 months, and it lasts up to 180 days
   4. At least 16, lasting two years
   Show answer

   At least 16 years and 6 months, and it lasts up to 180 days. You must be at least 16 years and 6 months old to apply for a Type 2 Learner's Instructional Permit, which lasts for up to 180 days. Applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian co signer, and those under 16 must show school attendance certification. Under 18 you must hold the permit at least 9 months without a violation before a provisional license; older applicants hold it a shorter time.

2. 2. What does the Maryland manual say about U-turns?

   
   1. They can be extremely dangerous and are not legal everywhere
   2. They are always required at a dead end
   3. They are legal at every intersection
   4. They may be made without checking traffic
   Show answer

   They can be extremely dangerous and are not legal everywhere. Maryland warns that U-turns can be extremely dangerous and are not legal everywhere. The manual tells a driver who must make one to first check whether U-turns are allowed, then signal, stop, and yield before completing the maneuver. That means a driver cannot assume every intersection permits a reversal or make the turn without checking. The remaining choices treat a U-turn as automatic or universally legal. Look for the legal opening, confirm visibility, and yield to traffic before changing direction.

3. 3. What does the triangular yield sign require a driver to do?

   1. Come to a stop even when the road is empty
   2. Change lanes before reaching the intersection
   3. Continue without checking because the triangle grants priority
   4. Slow down and give way to other vehicles and pedestrians when necessary
   Show answer

   Slow down and give way to other vehicles and pedestrians when necessary. The triangle communicates yield, which means the driver must reduce speed and be ready to stop for traffic or pedestrians. It does not impose a fixed stop every time, and it certainly does not grant priority to the approaching vehicle. The strongest habit is to enter the decision point slowly enough to see the left, right, and crossing path. If another road user is present or close enough to create a conflict, wait and let that road user go first.

4. 4. What is the Maryland rule for a flashing red traffic signal?

   1. Slow down but keep moving without yielding
   2. Stop, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when clear
   3. Treat it as a steady green signal
   4. Stop only if another vehicle is visible
   Show answer

   Stop, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when clear. A flashing red signal has the stopping and yielding meaning of a stop-controlled approach. The driver stops at the line, crosswalk, or before the intersection, then yields to other traffic and pedestrians. Moving through without yielding is not permitted merely because the signal is flashing. Waiting for a visible vehicle is too narrow because a pedestrian may be crossing or traffic may be approaching from another direction. After stopping, proceed only when the route is clear and safe.

5. 5. What can the main background color of a traffic sign quickly tell you?

   
   1. Whether the road is privately owned
   2. How much the vehicle weighs
   3. Which fuel the vehicle uses
   4. What kind of information the sign has
   Show answer

   What kind of information the sign has. Maryland says the main background color of a traffic sign can quickly tell a driver what kind of information it has. For example, red communicates stop or wrong way, yellow gives a general warning, orange marks construction, and green gives destinations and directions. Color does not identify vehicle weight, fuel type, or road ownership. Use the color as the first reading cue, then confirm the message through the sign’s wording, number, or symbol before choosing an action.

6. 6. What should a Maryland driver do when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren operating?

   
   1. Race ahead so the emergency vehicle can use the same lane
   2. Follow the emergency vehicle closely through the intersection
   3. Move to the right side of the road and stop
   4. Stop in the center of the nearest intersection
   Show answer

   Move to the right side of the road and stop. Maryland gives emergency vehicles a clear path by requiring ordinary traffic to move toward the right side and stop. Staying in the travel lane can block the response vehicle, and following it closely creates a new hazard. The option about stopping in an intersection is also unsafe because it can obstruct cross traffic and the emergency route. Check mirrors, signal your movement, pull as far right as practical, and remain stopped until the vehicle has passed and it is safe to continue.

7. 7. A Maryland learner age 25 or older must log 14 practice hours. How many of those hours must be in the dark period around sunset and sunrise?

   1. At least 3
   2. At least 10
   3. At least 1
   4. At least 7
   Show answer

   At least 3. Applicants 25 and older complete at least 14 supervised practice hours, and at least 3 of those hours must fall between 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after sunrise. Ten night hours is the rule for learners under 25, who log 60 hours in total. One hour is too few, and seven is not the figure the manual sets for this group. The hours are recorded in the Practice and Skills Log, which is turned in before the Provisional License.

8. 8. In Maryland, how does the revocation of a driver's license compare with a suspension?

   1. Revocation is milder and ends automatically after 30 days
   2. They are the same action with different names
   3. Revocation is more severe, and there is a minimum waiting period before you can ask to be reinstated
   4. Revocation only restricts driving to work and school
   Show answer

   Revocation is more severe, and there is a minimum waiting period before you can ask to be reinstated. Maryland describes revocation as more severe than a suspension. After a revocation you may not drive until the MVA decides you can drive safely again, and there is a minimum waiting period before you can even request reinstatement, which the MVA can deny. It does not end automatically after 30 days, and it is not the same as a suspension. A license limited to work and school is a restricted license, which the MVA may grant in some suspension cases.

9. 9. A Maryland officer believes a driver is impaired by drugs. Who may request that the driver submit to a blood test?

   1. Only a judge after a hearing
   2. Only the MVA after a written notice
   3. A tow truck operator at the scene
   4. A drug recognition expert
   Show answer

   A drug recognition expert. When an officer has reason to believe a driver is impaired by drugs, alcohol or a controlled substance, the officer may have a drug recognition expert request that the driver submit to a blood test. No court hearing or MVA notice is needed first, because implied consent already applies to anyone driving on a public road. A tow operator has no role in testing. The license is suspended at a BAC of .08 or higher or if drugs impair the driver.

10. 10. About what share of Maryland drivers and passengers wear seat belts, according to the manual?

    1. About 50 percent
    2. About 90 percent, with a goal of 100 percent
    3. About 25 percent
    4. Nearly 100 percent already
    Show answer

    About 90 percent, with a goal of 100 percent. About 90 percent of Maryland drivers and passengers wear their seat belt, but the state's goal is 100 percent. Each year hundreds of unbelted drivers and passengers are seriously injured or killed on Maryland roads, and most of those injuries and deaths could have been prevented. Wear the belt on every trip, in the front seat or the back, and make sure every passenger does the same before you move.

11. 11. What do blue traffic signs identify?

    1. No-passing zones and passing restrictions
    2. General warnings about hazards ahead
    3. Destinations and route distances
    4. Services such as food, gas, and rest areas
    Show answer

    Services such as food, gas, and rest areas. Blue signs provide service information, including food, gas, and rest areas. They help a driver locate useful facilities rather than impose a speed rule or warn about a roadway hazard. Yellow is the manual's general warning color, green identifies destinations, distances, and directions, and a no-passing instruction is communicated by a regulatory sign or pennant. The cue is to associate blue with help available along the route, then read the symbol or words for the particular service.

12. 12. If your vehicle begins to skid, which action helps you regain control?

    1. Turn sharply away from the direction of the skid
    2. Press the brake pedal harder immediately
    3. Release the accelerator or brake pedal you are using
    4. Accelerate rapidly before looking ahead
    Show answer

    Release the accelerator or brake pedal you are using. A skid means the tires have lost some grip, so removing the current accelerator or brake input helps the vehicle regain control. After releasing that input, steer in the direction of the skid and look where you want the vehicle to go. Braking harder can prolong the slide, and a sharp turn away from the skid can make the loss of control worse. Rapid acceleration is not the general first response. Once the tires grip the road again, braking can resume if needed. The cue is to restore traction before demanding another maneuver.

13. 13. How long must a Maryland applicant under 18 hold a learner's permit before becoming eligible for a provisional license?

    1. At least 30 days
    2. At least 3 months
    3. At least 9 months without a violation
    4. At least 2 years
    Show answer

    At least 9 months without a violation. If you are under age 18, you must hold the learner's permit for at least 9 months without a violation before being eligible for a provisional license, along with meeting the other graduated licensing requirements. An applicant who is 18 with a diploma or GED, or 19 to 24, holds it at least 3 months. A violation restarts the clock, which is the program's incentive for clean early driving.

14. 14. Why should a driver reduce speed below the posted limit when conditions are adverse?

    1. The law allows a slower speed when road conditions require it
    2. A driver may exceed the limit to match traffic in bad weather
    3. The posted number becomes a minimum during rain or snow
    4. Lower speeds are required only on roads without center lines
    Show answer

    The law allows a slower speed when road conditions require it. Maryland requires a reasonable speed that accounts for existing and potential hazards. A driver may go slower than the posted limit when road, weather, visibility, or traffic conditions call for it, but may not go faster than the limit. Matching fast traffic is not a defense for speeding in rain or snow. A concrete cue is to treat the posted number as a ceiling and conditions as a reason to lower your speed.

15. 15. What do two-way left-turn arrows allow a driver to use a lane for?

    1. Passing traffic at any speed
    2. A left turn
    3. Parking while waiting
    4. Driving straight through the center lane
    Show answer

    A left turn. Maryland explains that a flashing yellow X signal or two-way left-turn arrows allow use of the lane for a left turn. The lane may be shared with left-turning vehicles coming from the opposite direction, so it is not a passing lane, a parking space, or a through lane. Check for opposing traffic, signal your intention, and use the center lane only to position for the turn. Keep the maneuver brief and return to the proper travel lane once the turn is complete.

16. 16. At a T intersection, which vehicle has priority?

    
    1. The vehicle closest to the center of the intersection
    2. The vehicle leaving the road that ends
    3. The vehicle that sounds its horn first
    4. Traffic already on the through road
    Show answer

    Traffic already on the through road. At a T intersection, drivers already traveling on the through road have priority over a vehicle coming from the road that ends. The ending road must yield before entering the continuing roadway. A horn does not establish right-of-way, and proximity to the center is not the rule given by the manual. The driver approaching from the terminating road should slow, assess traffic, and wait for a safe opening. The cue is to picture the road ending at the stem of the T, where entering traffic yields to the crossbar road.

17. 17. How should you adjust following distance on a wet road compared with a dry road?

    1. Leave much more space
    2. Keep the same gap because tires stop normally
    3. Reduce the gap to prevent another vehicle from entering
    4. Use exactly one car length
    Show answer

    Leave much more space. Wet pavement increases the room needed to react and stop, so the following gap should be much greater than on a dry road. Snow or ice requires even more space. Keeping the ordinary dry-road gap assumes traction and stopping performance that may not exist. Reducing the gap invites a rear-end crash, and one car length is not a dependable measure at changing speeds. Pair the larger gap with a lower speed, good tire tread, and smooth controls so the vehicle has time to respond if traffic slows unexpectedly.

18. 18. When must a Maryland driver use headlights because visibility is limited?

    1. Only when visibility is below 100 feet
    2. When there is not enough light to clearly see at least 1,000 feet ahead
    3. Only during a snowstorm after stopping
    4. Only when driving on an interstate
    Show answer

    When there is not enough light to clearly see at least 1,000 feet ahead. The manual sets the visibility trigger at the point where there is not enough light to clearly see at least 1,000 feet in front of the vehicle. That includes situations such as fog and stormy weather, and it is not limited to interstates or to a 100-foot threshold. Turn on the headlights before visibility becomes dangerously short, not after the road disappears ahead.

19. 19. Which license is issued to a new driver who has never held a driver license?

    1. A Provisional Driver’s License
    2. A commercial driver license
    3. A temporary learner card
    4. A motorcycle instruction card
    Show answer

    A Provisional Driver’s License. Maryland describes the Provisional Driver’s License as the stage issued to new drivers who have never held a driver license. It permits unsupervised driving but includes restrictions, such as limits on passengers and nighttime driving. A commercial license is a different credential for qualified commercial operation. A learner card is held before the provisional stage and requires supervision. The motorcycle card does not describe this graduated licensing stage. Keep the sequence in mind: the learner permit comes first, the provisional license follows the required practice and testing, and the regular driver license is the final stage.

20. 20. You are stopped at a T intersection and want to enter the road that continues across. Who must receive the right of way?

    1. The vehicle that signals first
    2. Traffic already on the road you are entering
    3. The driver stopped at the end of the T
    4. Traffic approaching from the less busy direction only
    Show answer

    Traffic already on the road you are entering. A driver entering from the stem of a T intersection must yield to drivers already traveling on the through road. Being stopped does not create priority, and a turn signal from either driver does not change the basic rule. Before moving, scan for traffic in both directions and wait until the through road is clear. Treat the road you are joining as having priority over your entry.