MA Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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. Under Massachusetts's move-over law, what must you do when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying its flashing lights?

   
   1. Stop completely behind the vehicle
   2. Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions
   3. Maintain the posted limit so traffic keeps flowing
   4. Sound the horn to alert the responders
   Show answer

   Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions. Massachusetts framed its 2008 move-over law around caution and speed. When you approach a stationary emergency vehicle with its lights flashing you must proceed carefully and slow to a speed that is reasonable and safe for the conditions, moving to a farther lane when that can be done safely. Stopping in the travel lane creates a new hazard, holding the posted limit past people working on the shoulder is what the law forbids, and the horn helps no one. Slow early, give room, and watch for responders on foot.

2. 2. You are following another vehicle at night in Massachusetts with your high beams on. At what distance must you switch to low beams?

   1. Within 500 feet of the vehicle ahead
   2. Within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead
   3. Only when the driver ahead flashes their lights
   4. Within 1,000 feet of the vehicle ahead
   Show answer

   Within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead. High beams fill the mirrors of the car ahead, so Massachusetts requires low beams within 200 feet of a vehicle you are following. The 500 foot figure is the rule for an oncoming vehicle, and 1,000 feet is more than the law requires. Waiting to be flashed means you have already blinded the other driver. Dim early, and remember that low beams reach only about 100 feet, so slow down to match what you can see.

3. 3. When entering a Massachusetts roundabout and choosing a lane, which rules does the manual say to follow?

   1. The rules for a four-way stop
   2. The rules for a divided highway merge
   3. The rules for a parking lot
   4. The same rules as for a rotary
   Show answer

   The same rules as for a rotary. Massachusetts treats a roundabout as a modern rotary: enter with a right turn, travel counter-clockwise, yield to vehicles already circulating and to pedestrians, and use your signals for the exit. Lane choice follows the signs on the approach, and once inside you keep the lane you chose. A four-way stop, a highway merge and a parking lot each have different rules. Look for the lane signs early so you are positioned before you reach the yield line.

4. 4. What does Massachusetts charge for the learner's permit exam and the road test?

   1. Both are free
   2. $30 for the permit exam and $35 for the road test
   3. $100 each
   4. $10 for both together
   Show answer

   $30 for the permit exam and $35 for the road test. The learner's permit exam fee is $30, covering application processing and the exam, and it is charged again if you fail or the permit expires. The road test fee is $35, a flat fee for any license application, and the Class D or Class M license issue or renewal fee is $50. A duplicate or amended license costs $25, and all fees are subject to change.

5. 5. A white rectangular Massachusetts sign with black text, such as a speed limit sign, belongs to which category?

   1. Regulatory signs, which may include only words
   2. Warning signs
   3. Guide signs
   4. Service signs
   Show answer

   Regulatory signs, which may include only words. White signs with black or red lettering are regulatory: they state rules you can be ticketed for breaking, and speed limit signs are the most common example. The manual notes that some regulatory signs, like SPEED LIMIT, use only words. Warning signs are yellow, guide signs are green, and service signs are blue. When a white rectangle appears, read it as an instruction rather than advice.

6. 6. A Massachusetts traffic signal is not working. According to the manual, how will it usually appear?

   1. It will simply flash either red or yellow lights
   2. It will show all three colors at once
   3. It will show a steady green in every direction
   4. It will be dark and should be ignored
   Show answer

   It will simply flash either red or yellow lights. When a signal fails in Massachusetts it typically drops into flash mode, showing flashing red or flashing yellow. Flashing red works as a stop sign and flashing yellow as a warning, so the intersection still has rules. It will not show all colors, will not give everyone green, and a dark signal is never ignored; treat it with the caution you would give an uncontrolled intersection, slowing and yielding as needed. Expect the cross street to face the opposite flashing color.

7. 7. How high can the fine for tailgating be in Massachusetts?

   1. There is no fine
   2. $25
   3. $500
   4. As high as $100
   Show answer

   As high as $100. The fine for tailgating can be as high as $100, and following too closely is one of the most common causes of rear end crashes. Once you hit the brakes at highway speed you may travel another 160 feet or more before stopping, and total stopping distance at 55 mph is about 215 feet. Keep at least a three second following distance.

8. 8. How close may a Massachusetts driver follow an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm?

   1. No closer than 100 feet
   2. No closer than 500 feet
   3. No closer than 800 feet
   4. No closer than 300 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 300 feet. It is illegal to follow closer than 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm. Five hundred feet is not the Massachusetts figure. Eight hundred feet is the distance you must keep when driving by or parking near a fire, a different rule. One hundred feet is too close. After the vehicle passes, signal and check for more emergency vehicles before merging back.

9. 9. A driver is tailgating you on a Massachusetts road. What does the manual tell you to do?

   1. Brake hard to warn them
   2. Move to another lane or pull to the side of the road to let the tailgater pass
   3. Speed up to open a gap
   4. Stop in the lane until they back off
   Show answer

   Move to another lane or pull to the side of the road to let the tailgater pass. The safest response to a tailgater is to get out of the way: change lanes or pull over and let them pass. Brake checking invites the rear end crash you are trying to avoid, speeding up only moves the problem faster, and stopping in a travel lane is dangerous. If you cannot move over, keep your own following distance long so you never have to brake suddenly with someone on your bumper.

10. 10. How many surchargeable events within three years lead to an automatic 60-day suspension in Massachusetts?

    1. Three
    2. Five
    3. Twelve
    4. Seven
    Show answer

    Seven. Seven surchargeable events within a three-year period bring an automatic 60-day suspension. Three events within two years trigger the Driver Retraining course instead. Five is not a threshold. Twelve major or minor violations within five years is the habitual traffic offender level, a far more serious status. Surchargeable events also raise insurance premiums under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan, run by the Merit Rating Board.

11. 11. How close to an intersection may you park in Massachusetts?

    1. No closer than 10 feet
    2. No closer than 30 feet
    3. No closer than 50 feet
    4. No closer than 20 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 20 feet. Massachusetts bans parking within 20 feet of an intersection. Ten feet is the hydrant and fire lane distance. Thirty and fifty feet are not part of this Massachusetts rule. Cars parked close to a corner block the view of pedestrians and cross traffic. Parking in a posted loading zone, a crosswalk or in front of a handicap access ramp is also prohibited.

12. 12. What do Massachusetts regulatory signs, such as SPEED LIMIT signs, inform drivers of?

    1. Hazards ahead
    2. Distances to destinations
    3. Traffic laws or regulations
    4. Tourist attractions
    Show answer

    Traffic laws or regulations. Regulatory signs carry the rules: speed limits, turn restrictions, one-way streets, parking limits. They have a red or white background, and some use only words while others use only symbols. Hazards are the job of yellow warning signs, distances belong to green guide signs, and attractions are shown in brown. When a regulatory sign appears, treat it as a law you can be cited for breaking rather than a suggestion.

13. 13. What does the Massachusetts manual say to do before changing lanes?

    
    1. Change lanes first, then signal
    2. Sound the horn and move over
    3. Signal early and check twice
    4. Slow down sharply before moving
    Show answer

    Signal early and check twice. A lane change goes wrong in the blind spot, so the manual's advice is short: signal early, then check twice, once in the mirrors and once over your shoulder, before you move. Signaling after the move defeats the purpose, the horn is not a lane change tool, and braking hard before moving invites a rear end collision. On highways the manual asks for extra attention during lane changes and merges because closing speeds are higher.

14. 14. Unless posted otherwise, what is the Massachusetts statutory speed threshold on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district?

    1. 40 mph
    2. 50 mph
    3. 30 mph
    4. 65 mph
    Show answer

    50 mph. The Massachusetts statutory threshold is 50 mph on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district, measured over at least one-quarter mile. An undivided highway outside those districts has a 40 mph threshold instead. The distinction is the divided roadway, not simply whether a road is called a highway. Posted limits take precedence, and speed must still be reasonable for the actual traffic, weather, and road conditions.

15. 15. What does a broken yellow center line separate on a Massachusetts road?

    1. Lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions
    2. The road from the shoulder
    3. Lanes of traffic moving in the same direction
    4. A bicycle lane from a travel lane
    Show answer

    Lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions. Yellow always means the traffic on the other side is coming toward you. A broken yellow center line separates opposite directions and, because it is broken, allows a temporary crossing to pass when it is safe. Same direction lanes are divided by white lines, the shoulder is marked by a solid white edge line, and bicycle lanes use white as well. Reading the color first tells you what you would meet if you crossed the line.

16. 16. What rule does the Massachusetts manual give for keeping a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you?

    1. The one-second rule
    2. The one car length per 10 mph rule
    3. The three-second rule
    4. The fifty foot rule
    Show answer

    The three-second rule. Massachusetts measures following distance in time. Pick a fixed object, wait for the vehicle ahead to pass it, and count; if you reach it in less than three seconds you are too close. The manual calls three seconds a minimum for good conditions and moderate traffic, and asks for at least four seconds behind a motorcycle and more in rain or at night. Car lengths and fixed footages are older rules that fail to scale with speed, and one second leaves no reaction time at all.

17. 17. This WRONG WAY sign faces you. In the Massachusetts parking rules, may you park a vehicle facing the wrong way against traffic?

    
    1. No, parking facing the wrong way against traffic is prohibited
    2. Yes, if the hazard lights are on
    3. Yes, on any residential street
    4. Yes, for less than five minutes
    Show answer

    No, parking facing the wrong way against traffic is prohibited. Facing the wrong way is not only a driving error; the Massachusetts parking list forbids leaving a vehicle parked facing against the direction of traffic, alongside parking on sidewalks, in crosswalks and during weather emergencies. Residential streets get no exception, hazard lights do not legalize it, and there is no short duration allowance. The reason is the same as for the WRONG WAY sign: a vehicle pointed against traffic is a vehicle other drivers do not expect, especially at night when its reflectors face the wrong way.

18. 18. This KEEP RIGHT sign tells you to pass an obstruction on the right. What general rule about road position does the Massachusetts manual give?

    
    1. Always stay to the right side of the road, even when passing another vehicle
    2. Use the left side whenever it is empty
    3. Straddle the center line on narrow roads
    4. Drive in the center lane on any three-lane road
    Show answer

    Always stay to the right side of the road, even when passing another vehicle. Keeping right is the default position in Massachusetts, and the manual states it without exceptions: stay to the right side of the road, even when passing. The KEEP RIGHT sign applies that rule at a median, island or obstruction by telling you which side to use. Using the left because it is empty puts you in the oncoming lane, straddling the center line invites a head on crash, and the center lane of a three-lane road is often a two-way turn lane. When the sign says right, the island passes on your left.

19. 19. What is the lowest BAC threshold for Massachusetts's under-21 alcohol driving rule?

    1. 0.08 or higher
    2. 0.05 or higher
    3. 0.02 or higher
    4. Any BAC above 0.00
    Show answer

    0.02 or higher. Massachusetts sets the adult per se limit at 0.08 but applies a zero tolerance standard to anyone under 21: a BAC of 0.02 or higher, roughly a single drink, brings penalties. Point zero five is not a Massachusetts threshold, and while the manual's intent is that young drivers not drink at all, the number written into the law is 0.02 rather than any trace. The under 21 driver also faces the officer taking the license on the spot and a notice of suspension that takes effect immediately.

20. 20. During which hours may a Massachusetts JOL holder not drive unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian?

    1. Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
    2. Between midnight and 7:00 a.m.
    3. Between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
    4. Between sunset and sunrise
    Show answer

    Between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.. The Junior Operator night restriction runs from 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. During those hours a JOL holder may drive only with a parent or legal guardian in the car, and driving in violation is charged as operating without a license, which is a criminal matter. The other windows belong to other states or to guesswork. The manual adds that in the half hours at each end of the window, police enforce the restriction only after a lawful stop for another reason, but the restriction itself still applies.