MA Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

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. Where may a low speed vehicle be driven in Massachusetts?

   1. On any road posted up to forty miles per hour, including limited access highways
   2. On limited access highways whenever traffic is light
   3. Not on a limited access or express state highway, and not on any road with a speed limit faster than thirty miles per hour
   4. Only on streets posted at twenty miles per hour or less
   Show answer

   Not on a limited access or express state highway, and not on any road with a speed limit faster than thirty miles per hour. You may not drive a low speed vehicle on a limited-access or express state highway or on a road with a speed limit above 30 mph. Low speed vehicles may also be prohibited in areas with heavy traffic. The stated speed-limit threshold is 30 mph, not 20 mph. Highway and heavy-traffic restrictions also apply. Light traffic does not open limited access highways to LSVs.

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

2. 2. When preparing a turn in Massachusetts, in what order should you signal and brake?

   1. Brake hard first, then signal during the turn
   2. Signal only after the turn has started
   3. Brake and signal at the exact same moment
   4. Signal before you apply your brakes
   Show answer

   Signal before you apply your brakes. It is best to signal before applying your brakes so other drivers know your intentions. The manual directs you to signal at least 100 feet before a turn, or at least 500 feet on a highway, then reduce speed and check mirrors and the blind spot on the turning side. The manual recommends signaling before braking, rather than waiting until the turn to signal.

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

3. 3. You complete a Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report. Where must one copy go?

   1. Mail or deliver one copy to the local police department in the city or town where the crash happened
   2. Only to your insurance company
   3. Only to the RMV office in Boston
   4. To the other driver involved in the crash
   Show answer

   Mail or deliver one copy to the local police department in the city or town where the crash happened. Mail or deliver one completed report copy to the police department in the city or town where the crash happened. Mail separate copies to your insurer and the RMV. A reportable crash must be reported within five days, and you should keep a copy for your own files. The manual names the local police department, insurer, and RMV as recipients of the completed report copies.

4. 4. Your vehicle begins to skid on a Massachusetts road. What should you do with the brakes?

   1. Press the brakes firmly to stop the slide quickly
   2. Pump the brakes rapidly until the tires grip again
   3. Keep off the brakes because braking will make the skid worse
   4. Hold the brakes down and steer against the slide
   Show answer

   Keep off the brakes because braking will make the skid worse. Slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal and shift into neutral. Do not hit the brakes, because this will make the skid worse. Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid: left if the rear tires slide left, and right if they slide right. The manual says not to hit the brakes during a skid because this will make the skid worse.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, skids, brake failure and breakdowns

5. 5. What fine range applies to parking on the Massachusetts Turnpike?

   1. No fines apply on the Turnpike
   2. Fines range from 15 to 100 dollars
   3. A flat 300 dollar fine
   4. Fines start at 500 dollars
   Show answer

   Fines range from 15 to 100 dollars. Parking on the Massachusetts Turnpike carries fines ranging from $15 to $100. The manual separately lists a $300 first-offense fine for unauthorized parking in an HP-DV space and a minimum $500 fine for wrongful use of a disabled person or veteran plate or placard. A minimum $500 fine is listed for wrongful use of a disabled person or veteran plate or placard; Turnpike parking fines range from $15 to $100.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

6. 6. A bicyclist in Massachusetts is involved in a crash. Which crashes must be reported, and to whom?

   1. Only crashes with car damage over 1,000 dollars, to the RMV
   2. No bicycle crash ever needs reporting
   3. Any crash involving personal injury and any crash with property damage over 100 dollars, to the police in the municipality where it occurred
   4. Only fatal crashes, to the State Police
   Show answer

   Any crash involving personal injury and any crash with property damage over 100 dollars, to the police in the municipality where it occurred. Bicycle crash reporting uses lower thresholds than car crash reporting and a local destination. A bicyclist must report any crash involving personal injury and any crash involving property damage in excess of 100 dollars to the police in the municipality where it occurred. The 1,000 dollar figure and RMV filing belong to motor vehicle crash reports due within five days. Claiming no reporting duty erases the rule entirely. Limiting reports to fatal crashes skips every injury and property case the rule plainly covers. Separately, riders should stay at least three feet from parked cars to avoid the door zone; this is a safety recommendation.

7. 7. How much more likely is a crash with alcohol alone, and with alcohol combined with marijuana?

   1. Five times with alcohol and twelve times with alcohol combined with marijuana
   2. Twice with alcohol and three times with both
   3. No increase until BAC reaches 0.08
   4. Lower with both because marijuana calms the driver
   Show answer

   Five times with alcohol and twelve times with alcohol combined with marijuana. Risk figures separate single substance impairment from combined use. Alcohol use makes the risk of a crash five times more likely. Alcohol combined with marijuana raises that risk to twelve times more likely. Doubling and tripling understate both rungs of the ladder. Waiting for a 0.08 reading misses impairment and crash risk that build before any legal threshold becomes the question. Calming language reverses marijuana contribution entirely. The jump from five to twelve explains why mixing deserves special warning: the combined state is not alcohol risk plus a harmless passenger, but a far steeper danger.

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

8. 8. The RMV denies your permit, license, or ID application. How long do you have to file an appeal, and does informal review extend that time?

   1. Ten days after receiving the written denial, and informal review time does not extend the ten-day period
   2. Thirty days, and informal review pauses the clock
   3. Six months, by phone only
   4. Appeals are not allowed for ID cards
   Show answer

   Ten days after receiving the written denial, and informal review time does not extend the ten-day period. A denied application carries a short appeal clock. You may file an appeal within ten days after receiving a written denial from the RMV, and any additional time required by informal review does not extend that ten day period. Thirty days overstates the window and would leave an appeal late. Six months by phone matches neither the deadline nor the filing route. ID card applications sit squarely inside the appeal right alongside permits and licenses, since the rule covers permit, license, or ID card applications together. Act as soon as the written denial arrives.

9. 9. What protection do front air bags provide, and how do they relate to safety belts?

   1. They replace belts and protect in side and rear crashes
   2. They work instead of belts in every crash type
   3. They protect only unbelted drivers
   4. They are made to work with belts, and front bags are only made for head-on crashes, not side or back crashes
   Show answer

   They are made to work with belts, and front bags are only made for head-on crashes, not side or back crashes. Air bags supplement belts within a narrow crash direction. A front air bag is made to work with safety belts, not instead of them, and the driver still needs lap and shoulder belts. Front bags are only made for head-on crashes and do not protect in crashes from the side or back. Replacing belts therefore fails twice: it removes everyday restraint and expects coverage where none exists. Claiming protection only for unbelted drivers inverts the partnership. Buckle first, then let the bag serve as a head-on supplement rather than a substitute.

10. 10. What do yellow and fluorescent yellow-green warning signs warn you about?

    1. Motorist services such as gas and lodging
    2. Hazards or changes in conditions ahead
    3. Traffic laws that carry fines
    4. Construction detours only
    Show answer

    Hazards or changes in conditions ahead. Warning panels speak before a hazard arrives. Yellow and fluorescent yellow-green warning signs warn of hazards or changes in conditions ahead, covering shifts in road layout, school zones, and special situations where slowing down matters. Services like gas and lodging ride on blue guide panels, not warning diamonds. Laws and fines belong to regulatory signs with red or white backgrounds. Construction has orange panels of its own. Slow down and obey the warning whenever yellow fills the sign ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign colors and types

11. 11. You are on a one-way street and want to turn left at a red light. When may you turn?

    1. Never; left turns on red are always banned
    2. Without stopping, if no police officer is present
    3. Only when a green arrow also appears
    4. After stopping and yielding, when turning onto another one-way street and no NO TURN ON RED sign is posted
    Show answer

    After stopping and yielding, when turning onto another one-way street and no NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. You may turn left on red from a one-way street onto another one-way street after coming to a complete stop and yielding to pedestrians and other vehicles, provided no NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. The same rules for right turns on red apply to left turns on red. A green arrow is not required for this permitted left turn on red, but you must stop, yield, and obey any NO TURN ON RED sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

12. 12. When passing a bicycle or moped, why should you lower your speed?

    1. A slower pass lets the rider draft behind your vehicle
    2. State law caps every bicycle pass at ten miles per hour
    3. Slowing down lets you honk continuously beside the rider
    4. Air pushed by your vehicle can throw the rider off balance
    Show answer

    Air pushed by your vehicle can throw the rider off balance. Lower your speed when passing a bicycle or moped. The wind caused by your vehicle can throw the rider off balance. Leave plenty of room, and wait if there is not enough room to pass safely. The manual tells you to lower your speed because your vehicle’s wind can throw a rider off balance. Drafting is not the stated hazard of a faster pass.

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

13. 13. Which vehicles may a Massachusetts Class A license holder operate?

    1. Any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the towed vehicle exceeds 10,000 pounds GVWR
    2. Only a single vehicle weighing 26,001 or more pounds
    3. Any motorcycle defined under Massachusetts law
    4. Only passenger cars, SUVs, and family vans
    Show answer

    Any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the towed vehicle exceeds 10,000 pounds GVWR. Class A covers combinations with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more when the GVWR of the towed vehicle or vehicles exceeds 10,000 pounds. With appropriate endorsements, Class A holders may also operate vehicles in Classes B, C, and D. Motorcycle privileges are Class M. Class A is not limited to passenger vehicles; it covers qualifying combinations and also permits Class B, C, and D vehicles with appropriate endorsements.

    Study this in the handbook: The learner's permit and permit exam

14. 14. How fast should traffic travel through a Massachusetts roundabout?

    1. Up to 40 miles per hour like a big rotary
    2. The posted highway speed for the road
    3. 25 miles per hour or less
    4. No speed guidance applies
    Show answer

    25 miles per hour or less. Roundabouts are generally smaller than rotaries and have a smaller central barrier. Their small size requires vehicles to reduce speed to 25 miles per hour or less. Look for approach signs to choose a lane, and follow the same entering and lane-choice rules as for a rotary. Slow speeds make roundabouts safe for bicyclists. The manual says roundabouts require vehicles to reduce speed to 25 miles per hour or less.

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

15. 15. After passing on a two way Massachusetts road, when must you return to the right lane?

    1. Within 500 feet of the passed vehicle
    2. Before any oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet of you
    3. Only after reaching the next intersection
    4. Whenever the passed vehicle flashes its lights
    Show answer

    Before any oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet of you. After passing safely, signal right and make sure there is enough space before returning to the right lane. Wait at least until you can see the passed vehicle’s headlights in your mirror. Return before any oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet, and turn off your signal after returning. The return deadline is before an oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet, not at the next intersection.

    Study this in the handbook: Passing, school buses and the move over law

16. 16. A road test sponsor holds only a foreign driver license. May that person sponsor a Massachusetts Class D road test?

    1. Yes, if the foreign license is translated
    2. Yes, if the sponsor is over 21 with experience
    3. Yes, for family members only
    4. No. Holders of foreign licenses are not eligible to be sponsors
    Show answer

    No. Holders of foreign licenses are not eligible to be sponsors. Sponsor eligibility turns on where the license was issued, not just age or experience. A sponsor needs a valid license issued by a home state, and holders of foreign driver licenses are not eligible to be sponsors. Translation helps officials read a document yet does not change its issuing authority. Age over 21 with driving experience satisfies other sponsor elements while leaving the foreign license defect untouched. Family relationship creates no exception in this requirement. Before test day, confirm the sponsor card comes from a state; otherwise the applicant arrives without a qualified sponsor.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

17. 17. A Junior Operator passenger restriction is running when the license is suspended. What happens to the six month clock?

    1. It stops during suspension; after reinstatement the remainder must still be completed unless the driver has turned 18
    2. It keeps running during the suspension and ends on schedule
    3. It restarts from zero after reinstatement in every case
    4. It converts into a night restriction after reinstatement
    Show answer

    It stops during suspension; after reinstatement the remainder must still be completed unless the driver has turned 18. The six-month passenger restriction stops running during a suspension. When the Junior Operator License is reinstated, the driver must complete the portion remaining when the suspension began, unless the driver has already turned 18. The passenger limit stays a passenger limit after reinstatement; it does not become a night rule. A suspended driver is not earning passenger restriction credit while the clock is stopped.

    Study this in the handbook: The Junior Operator License (ages 16 1/2 to 18)

18. 18. Which horn uses are improper in Massachusetts?

    1. Warning a pedestrian of possible trouble
    2. Avoiding a crash by alerting another driver
    3. Showing anger, trying to get a slower driver to move faster, or trying to get vehicles moving in a traffic jam
    4. Alerting a driver who is drifting toward your lane
    Show answer

    Showing anger, trying to get a slower driver to move faster, or trying to get vehicles moving in a traffic jam. A horn functions as a warning tool, not a vent or a prod. Improper uses include showing anger or complaining about mistakes, trying to push a slower driver to move faster, and trying to get vehicles moving in a traffic jam. Warning a pedestrian of trouble and alerting another driver to avoid a crash are the legitimate purposes the horn serves. A drift toward your lane likewise calls for warning rather than punishment. Before sounding the horn, ask whether danger needs announcing; frustration, impatience, and jam pressure all fail that test.

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

19. 19. A car strikes a pedestrian while traveling at 40 mph. About what share of pedestrians are seriously injured or killed at that speed?

    1. About 13 percent
    2. About 73 percent
    3. About 40 percent
    4. About 25 percent
    Show answer

    About 73 percent. Risk to a person on foot climbs sharply with vehicle speed. At 20 mph about 13 percent of struck pedestrians are seriously injured or killed, at 30 mph the share reaches 40 percent, and at 40 mph it reaches 73 percent. Picking 40 percent mixes up the 30 mph figure with the faster impact described here, so it understates the danger by a wide margin. Treat every extra 10 mph as a major jump in harm, not a small step.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the dangers of speeding

20. 20. On a Massachusetts road with one solid and one broken yellow center line, which drivers may pass?

    1. Drivers on the side with the solid line
    2. Drivers on the side with the broken line, when it is safe
    3. Drivers on both sides
    4. No one
    Show answer

    Drivers on the side with the broken line, when it is safe. The pair tells each direction its own rule. Drivers with the broken line on their side may cross to pass another vehicle when it is safe; drivers with the solid line closer to them cannot cross the lines. So the marking never frees both sides at once, and it never shuts out both sides either, because the broken side stays open when it is safe. When you do pass from the broken side, you must be able to see clearly at least 400 feet ahead and return to the right lane before an oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet. Check which line is nearest your lane before you commit to a pass.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes