MA Permit Practice Test 14

All 20 questions in test 14

Every question below comes from the Massachusetts 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 does Massachusetts law say about wearing headphones while driving, and what is allowed for a driver who is 18 or older?

   1. Headphones are allowed in both ears below 35 mph
   2. Any wireless headset is allowed because it has no cord
   3. Wearing headphones or any headset that restricts attention while driving is illegal, though a driver 18 or older may use one earplug with a cell phone
   4. Drivers under 18 may wear headphones, but older drivers may not
   Show answer

   Wearing headphones or any headset that restricts attention while driving is illegal, though a driver 18 or older may use one earplug with a cell phone. It is illegal to wear a radio headset, headphones, or another wired or wireless device that restricts your attention to the environment while driving. The manual says a driver who is 18 or older can use one earplug with a cell phone. A low speed or wireless connection does not remove the stated restriction. The restriction includes wireless devices that restrict attention to the driving environment.

   Study this in the handbook: Hands free law and distracted driving

2. 2. How much following time should you keep behind heavy equipment such as dump trucks and tractors in Massachusetts?

   1. At least ten seconds
   2. At least four seconds
   3. At least three seconds
   4. At least six seconds
   Show answer

   At least ten seconds. Heavy equipment needs far more room than a passenger car. Massachusetts calls for at least ten seconds of space between your vehicle and heavy equipment such as dump trucks and tractors. Four seconds is the added margin described for following a motorcycle, not for heavy machinery. Three seconds is only the minimum for good conditions and moderate traffic behind an ordinary vehicle. Six seconds improves on that minimum yet still falls short of the stated figure for this vehicle type. Never cut in front of heavy equipment, since its weight demands much more distance to stop safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and safe following distance

3. 3. Before driving in snow, what must a Massachusetts driver clear from the vehicle?

   1. Only the windshield needs clearing, and loose snow carries no charge
   2. All windows, wipers, headlights, and brake lights, plus the roof, hood, and trunk
   3. Only the roof matters, and lights may stay covered for short trips
   4. Snow may be left on the hood if the windshield is clear
   Show answer

   All windows, wipers, headlights, and brake lights, plus the roof, hood, and trunk. Snow left on a vehicle becomes a hazard for everyone behind it. Before driving, remove all ice and snow and clear every window, the windshield wipers, headlights, and brake lights. The roof, hood, and trunk matter just as much, because snow blowing off them can blow into vehicles behind you. Clearing only the windshield leaves lights and side glass blocked. Clearing only the roof ignores vision and lighting. A clear windshield does not excuse snow sitting on the hood. Start slowly and test braking gently on the cleared vehicle before joining faster traffic.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

4. 4. After resolving an out of state violation, what must a driver pay Massachusetts before the state license can be reinstated, and what is its minimum?

   1. No fee is due once the other state clears the case
   2. A flat 25 dollar filing fee
   3. Only the other state fine, paid again to Massachusetts
   4. A reinstatement fee with a minimum of 100 dollars
   Show answer

   A reinstatement fee with a minimum of 100 dollars. If your driving privileges are suspended for an out-of-state violation, you must give the RMV proof that you resolved your out-of-state obligations and pay Massachusetts a reinstatement fee of at least $100 before your Massachusetts license can be reinstated. Massachusetts applies its suspension penalties to out-of-state violations, and its penalty may be stricter than the other state’s. The manual requires proof of resolved out-of-state obligations and a Massachusetts reinstatement fee of at least $100.

   Study this in the handbook: Citations, surchargeable events and suspensions

5. 5. Your Massachusetts license was suspended over a bad payment to the RMV. What must you pay to clear it, and how must payment be made?

   1. Only the original fee, by personal check
   2. A flat 100 dollar fee by credit card online
   3. Nothing, once the bank honors the payment
   4. The original fee, a license reinstatement fee, and a 15 dollar bad payment fee, using cash or a certified bank check payable to MassDOT
   Show answer

   The original fee, a license reinstatement fee, and a 15 dollar bad payment fee, using cash or a certified bank check payable to MassDOT. To clear a license suspension for a bad payment to the RMV, pay the original fee, a license reinstatement fee, and a $15 bad-payment fee. You can make a reservation at an RMV Full Service Center. Payment must be cash or a certified bank check payable to MassDOT. Bad payments can include rejected checks or canceled credit-card payments. You must pay the original fee, a reinstatement fee, and the $15 bad-payment fee using cash or a certified bank check payable to MassDOT.

   Study this in the handbook: Junior Operator suspensions

6. 6. What does the Massachusetts Highway Division 511 phone service provide?

   1. Only tow truck dispatch
   2. Up to date traffic and weather conditions and construction projects, plus a way to report road problems
   3. License renewal by phone
   4. Court dates for citations
   Show answer

   Up to date traffic and weather conditions and construction projects, plus a way to report road problems. The Highway Division’s 511 phone service provides up-to-date traffic and weather conditions and construction information. You can also report road problems. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The manual lists traffic, weather, construction information, and road-problem reporting as 511 functions, not citation court dates. Tow help alone misses traffic, weather, construction, and problem reporting. Renewals are RMV transactions, not the highway information service.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and work zones

7. 7. The light turns steady yellow as you approach. What does it require?

   1. The signal is changing from green to red, so stop if it is safe; if already stopped, stay stopped
   2. Speed up to clear the intersection before red
   3. Stop only if a camera is mounted on the pole
   4. Proceed because yellow gives you right-of-way over cross traffic
   Show answer

   The signal is changing from green to red, so stop if it is safe; if already stopped, stay stopped. A steady yellow circle means the signal is changing from green to red. You must stop if it is safe. If you are already stopped at an intersection or stop line, you may not proceed. Yellow signals a change to red and grants no priority over cross traffic. The duty to stop safely applies whether or not a camera is present. You must stop for a steady yellow light if it is safe to do so.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

8. 8. A 20 year old tries to buy alcohol and is caught. What license suspension follows for that attempt?

   1. A 180 day suspension
   2. A 90 day suspension
   3. A 30 day suspension
   4. A one year suspension in every attempt case
   Show answer

   A 180 day suspension. Buying or merely trying to buy alcohol before age 21 brings a 180 day license suspension. The wider band of 90 days to one year covers breaking either of the two alcohol laws, including buying and possessing or transporting, so grabbing that floor understates purchase conduct. Transporting alcohol stays lawful for younger people only alongside a parent or guardian. Picture a store clerk sliding the bottle back across the counter; that refused sale still costs half a year of driving, a steep price for a transaction never even completed at the register that evening.

   Study this in the handbook: Operating under the influence and chemical tests

9. 9. Your vehicle starts to hydroplane on a wet Massachusetts road. What should you do?

   1. Press the brakes firmly and steer sharply away from the water
   2. Speed up briefly to push through the water film
   3. Slowly step off the gas pedal without hitting the brakes or turning suddenly
   4. Hold the gas steady and turn the wheel hard
   Show answer

   Slowly step off the gas pedal without hitting the brakes or turning suddenly. Hydroplaning occurs when the tires ride on water and have no contact with the road. The manual says that if your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you are driving too fast. Slowly step off the gas pedal. Never hit the brakes or turn suddenly, because you may lose control and skid. Speeding up worsens hydroplaning because excess speed caused tires to ride on water. Firm braking plus sharp steering can trigger a skid once tires lose road contact.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

10. 10. You notify your insurer after a Massachusetts crash that requires a report. Has that step alone met the reporting duty?

    1. Yes, once the insurer opens a claim number
    2. No, reporting only to the insurer is not enough
    3. Yes, provided police responded at the scene
    4. No separate filing is needed for property damage alone
    Show answer

    No, reporting only to the insurer is not enough. Reporting a crash only to your insurer is not enough. For a reportable crash, file a written report with the RMV within five days and send copies to the local police department where the crash happened and to your insurer. Keep a copy for your own files. The manual requires the official report copies even when you have notified your insurance company. Property damage at or above the reporting threshold still requires the official written filing.

11. 11. A driver waves you through stopped traffic into a turn. When may you safely make that turn in Massachusetts?

    1. Only when you can see there is no oncoming traffic, or that all oncoming traffic is stopped
    2. As soon as anyone waves, without checking
    3. Never; waved turns are always illegal
    4. Only when the waving driver honks twice
    Show answer

    Only when you can see there is no oncoming traffic, or that all oncoming traffic is stopped. Making the turn should depend on traffic and visibility. If you can see that there is no oncoming traffic, or that all oncoming traffic is stopped, you can safely make the turn. Oncoming traffic has the right-of-way regardless of whether someone waves you through. Waving drivers through stopped traffic can create confusion and cause a courtesy crash. The turn is allowed once visibility confirms traffic is absent or stopped.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, right of way and rotaries

12. 12. What does red pavement mark on a Massachusetts roadway?

    1. Bicycle lanes shared with cars
    2. Travel lanes or station stops used by public transit systems
    3. Fire lanes for emergency parking
    4. Loading zones for delivery trucks
    Show answer

    Travel lanes or station stops used by public transit systems. Red pavement is used for travel lanes or station stops used by public transit systems, including buses, streetcars, trolleys, light-rail trains, and rapid transit fleets. Green pavement identifies areas where motor vehicles and bicycles could have road-sharing conflicts. Red transit pavement is not the marking the manual gives for the other answer choices. The manual identifies red pavement with public transit travel lanes or station stops, not delivery loading zones.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

13. 13. How are numbered Massachusetts state highway routes and Interstate highways signed?

    1. State routes on green circles and Interstates on white squares
    2. Both use brown recreational signs
    3. State routes on orange signs and Interstates on yellow diamonds
    4. State routes on white rectangular signs with black letters and borders; Interstate signs are blue, red, and white shields
    Show answer

    State routes on white rectangular signs with black letters and borders; Interstate signs are blue, red, and white shields. Massachusetts numbered state routes use white rectangular signs with black letters and borders. Interstate highway signs are blue, red, and white shields. Brown signs indicate recreational, historic, or scenic sites; orange signs warn of construction or maintenance. Orange signals construction warning, while yellow diamonds warn of hazards, not route identity. Green circles and white squares are not the state route or Interstate marker designs.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign colors and types

14. 14. Your traffic signal is red, or red and yellow together. What must you do for pedestrians?

    1. Yield to pedestrians
    2. Proceed if no vehicle is coming
    3. Honk and continue slowly
    4. Pedestrians must wait for vehicles in all cases
    Show answer

    Yield to pedestrians. Yield to pedestrians when your traffic signal is red or red and yellow. Also yield to pedestrians entering or using a crosswalk in your travel path, and never block a crosswalk. An absence of vehicles does not cancel the duty to yield to pedestrians on red phases. Pedestrians do not always wait; on red or red and yellow, drivers yield to them. A honk warns but does not replace yielding and stopping for pedestrians.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

15. 15. You will take your road test in a rented vehicle. What must you show the examiner?

    1. Only the rental keys and your permit
    2. The rental agreement plus a letter on company letterhead authorizing you and your sponsor to use the vehicle for a road test
    3. Proof that the rental company carries Massachusetts plates
    4. A letter is needed only for leased vehicles
    Show answer

    The rental agreement plus a letter on company letterhead authorizing you and your sponsor to use the vehicle for a road test. Rental use needs paper permission that names the test purpose. Show the examiner the rental agreement and a letter from the rental company, on its letterhead, authorizing both applicant and sponsor to use the vehicle for a driver license road test. Keys and a permit prove possession for the moment, not company consent for examination use. Plate origin is not the concern the examiner checks here. Leased vehicles are expressly excused from this showing, so demanding the letter only for leases reverses the rule. Gather agreement plus letterhead authorization before leaving the rental counter.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

16. 16. According to the manual, when may customers serving a mandatory suspension for certain drug trafficking offenses seek a hardship license?

    1. Only after half the suspension has passed
    2. Only during the final thirty days
    3. At any time during the suspension period
    4. Never, since hardship is barred for that offense
    Show answer

    At any time during the suspension period. Customers serving a mandatory suspension for certain drug trafficking offenses may seek a hardship license at any time during their suspension period. The final month is not the only window, since seeking is allowed throughout. No halfway waiting period is stated for seeking hardship under this note. Hardship is expressly open for these offenses, not barred. The cited passage states the point directly: Customers serving a mandatory suspension for certain drug trafficking offenses may seek a hardship license at any time during their suspension period.

17. 17. When parallel parking in Massachusetts, how far alongside the vehicle ahead of the space should you position your car?

    1. About ten feet alongside it
    2. Touching its bumper exactly
    3. Half a car length behind it only
    4. About two or three feet between your vehicle and the parked one, with bumpers or front seats lined up
    Show answer

    About two or three feet between your vehicle and the parked one, with bumpers or front seats lined up. Choose a legal space long enough for your vehicle. Pull alongside the vehicle in front of the space, leaving about two or three feet between the vehicles. Align your rear bumper or front seats with the other vehicle’s rear bumper or front seats. Check behind in both directions, then back slowly with the steering wheel turned toward the curb, looking directly out the rear window.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

18. 18. A police officer cites a bicyclist for a traffic violation. How does that citation affect the bicyclist?

    1. A fine plus points will be added to the driving record
    2. No fine may be issued to a bicyclist
    3. The record is affected only when the fine exceeds one hundred dollars
    4. A fine is possible, but the violation will not affect the driving record
    Show answer

    A fine is possible, but the violation will not affect the driving record. A police officer may issue a citation to a bicyclist for a traffic violation. The bicyclist can be fined, but the violation will not affect the driving record. A bicyclist must give a true name and address when asked and can be fined for failing to do so; refusing to give a name can also lead to arrest. A bicycle traffic citation can result in a fine, but it will not affect the bicyclist’s driving record.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles and mopeds

19. 19. At night, how should you set the inside rearview mirror and interior lights?

    1. Mirror in day position and dome light on
    2. Tilt the mirror toward the ceiling
    3. Put the inside rearview mirror in the night position to reduce glare and keep inside lights off
    4. Turn on high interior lights to stay awake
    Show answer

    Put the inside rearview mirror in the night position to reduce glare and keep inside lights off. At night, put the inside rearview mirror in its night position to reduce glare from headlights behind you. Keep inside lights off. High interior lights go against the instruction to keep inside lights off at night. Use the mirror’s night position to reduce glare and keep inside lights off. A ceiling tilt removes the rear view the mirror must provide. The cited passage states the point directly: Put your inside rearview mirror in the "night" position. This will reduce the glare from headlights behind you. Keep inside lights off.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

20. 20. According to the Massachusetts manual, what happens if your vehicle starts to hydroplane?

    1. Your brakes will stop the car more quickly
    2. You should accelerate to regain traction
    3. It means you are driving too fast for the conditions
    4. It cannot happen below 50 mph
    Show answer

    It means you are driving too fast for the conditions. Hydroplaning happens when your tires are riding on water and have no contact with the road, and the manual's blunt diagnosis is that it means you are driving too fast. It is caused by road conditions, water and speed. If it starts, slowly step off the gas pedal and never hit the brakes or turn suddenly, because you may lose control and skid. Braking does not help when the tires have no contact with the road, accelerating adds the speed that caused the problem, and the manual sets no speed below which it cannot happen. Slow down as soon as the rain starts.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather