RI Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Rhode Island 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 far from a crosswalk at an intersection must a Rhode Island driver avoid parking?

   1. Within 20 feet
   2. Within 5 feet
   3. Within 50 feet
   4. Only directly on the painted stripes
   Show answer

   Within 20 feet. Rhode Island's parking restrictions include the space within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. The prohibition is broader than the painted stripes themselves, so parking five feet away still blocks the protected approach and is not allowed. Fifty feet is a different distance used elsewhere in the parking list, including railroad crossings. Before leaving a vehicle, scan beyond the exact markings and measure the nearby curb features that create a statutory buffer.

2. 2. After holding a Rhode Island Limited Instructional Permit for the required period and passing the road test, what comes next?

   1. A second classroom permit
   2. A Full Operator's License immediately
   3. A motorcycle-only permit
   4. A Limited Provisional License
   Show answer

   A Limited Provisional License. The next graduated stage is the Limited Provisional License. Reaching it requires more than simply possessing a permit: the applicant must satisfy the holding period, testing, driving-history, and supervised-experience conditions described in the manual. A full operator's license is the later Level Three stage, not the immediate next step. The motorcycle-only option is unrelated, and a second classroom permit is not part of the sequence. Think of the road test as the gateway from supervised permit practice to provisional privileges.

3. 3. Under Rhode Island's texting law, which use of a wireless handset is prohibited while operating a motor vehicle?

   1. Calling emergency services during an actual emergency
   2. Using a phone only after parking in a legal space
   3. Composing, reading, or sending a text message
   4. Listening to a passenger's spoken directions
   Show answer

   Composing, reading, or sending a text message. The manual states that, regardless of age, a driver may not use a wireless handset to compose, read, or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle. The parking choice describes a stopped situation but does not state the prohibited conduct, and emergency calling is not the listed texting activity. Spoken directions from a passenger are not handset texting. Remember the three covered actions: compose, read, and send.

4. 4. What does the Rhode Island manual list as the first-offense penalty for failing to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?

   1. A fine of up to $1,000 and a 1 year suspension
   2. A $75 fine with no suspension
   3. A fine of up to $300 and/or suspension up to 30 days
   4. A warning for the first offense
   Show answer

   A fine of up to $300 and/or suspension up to 30 days. A first violation of the school bus stop law brings a fine of up to $300 and/or a license suspension of up to 30 days, and penalties increase for later violations. The rule to stop and remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing applies on public highways, private roads, and parking lots. The $1,000 figure is the maximum fine for failing to yield to a blind pedestrian. A flat $75 fine understates the penalty, and the manual lists no warning.

5. 5. What travel pattern does the arrow on this ONE WAY sign identify?

   
   1. The next turn must be made only on red
   2. Traffic on the street travels only in the arrow's direction
   3. The right lane is reserved for passing vehicles
   4. Traffic may travel either way until the next block
   Show answer

   Traffic on the street travels only in the arrow's direction. ONE WAY identifies a roadway where traffic moves in the direction shown by the arrow. It does not authorize a turn on red, reserve a lane for passing, or permit opposing travel until another block. Before turning onto such a street, confirm that the vehicle will enter with the flow. The arrow’s direction is the key visual check whenever lane orientation is uncertain.

6. 6. What is the first action in the IPDE defensive driving system?

   1. Predict only what the nearest driver will do
   2. Execute a steering maneuver immediately
   3. Decide on a route without scanning
   4. Identify hazards in the driving scene
   Show answer

   Identify hazards in the driving scene. IPDE begins with Identify, meaning the driver locates hazards by getting the big picture. Prediction, decision, and execution follow in that order. Steering immediately skips observation, and focusing only on the nearest driver is too narrow for the system’s broad scan. The sequence is a practical mental checklist: identify what is present, predict possible conflicts, decide on a response, then execute it. Beginning with a wide view gives the driver time to recognize a developing problem before a sudden maneuver becomes necessary.

7. 7. What minimum total visible light transmittance must Rhode Island vehicle windows keep under the window tint law?

   1. 35%
   2. 50%
   3. 70%
   4. 20%
   Show answer

   70%. Rhode Island follows the federal safety standard of a total visible light transmittance of not less than 70 percent. The 35%, 50%, and 20% choices would allow darker film than Rhode Island permits. Illegal tint can also get a vehicle rejected for the road test, since the examiner checks for legal tint only as part of the pre-test safety inspection.

8. 8. During the first twelve months of a Limited Provisional License, how many unrelated passengers under 21 may ride?

   1. Any number during daylight
   2. No more than two
   3. Up to four if belted
   4. No more than one
   Show answer

   No more than one. For the first twelve months of a Limited Provisional License, Rhode Island permits no more than one licensed passenger younger than 21. Immediate family and household members are exempt, so the rule is about the number of other young passengers rather than every young person in the vehicle. Two passengers and a larger belted group exceed the stated limit, while daylight does not change it. The study cue is one young passenger for the first year, with the family and household exception kept separate from the basic count.

9. 9. How much clearance should a motorist allow when passing a bicyclist?

   
   1. No extra space if the bicycle stays near the curb
   2. Exactly 6 inches
   3. One vehicle length regardless of speed
   4. As much as possible, about 3 to 5 feet
   Show answer

   As much as possible, about 3 to 5 feet. The bicycle guidance calls for as much clearance as possible, specifically identifying 3 to 5 feet as a useful passing space. That room protects a rider from contact and allows for movement around potholes, puddles, debris, or a sudden fall. Six inches is plainly inadequate, and a fixed vehicle length does not describe lateral clearance. Staying near the curb does not remove the risk. A driver should wait for a safe opportunity, leave the stated buffer, and be prepared to stop if the bicyclist moves into the lane.

10. 10. On an undivided road, what must traffic do when a school bus displays flashing red lights?

    
    1. Traffic approaching from either direction must stop and remain stopped
    2. Only vehicles directly behind the bus must stop
    3. Opposing traffic may continue at reduced speed
    4. All traffic may proceed once the bus doors close
    Show answer

    Traffic approaching from either direction must stop and remain stopped. The school-bus rule protects children who may cross from either side of an undivided roadway. When red lights flash, motorists approaching from both directions must make a full stop and stay stopped until the lights no longer flash. The behind-the-bus-only option ignores opposing traffic, and slowing without stopping is insufficient. Closing the doors is not the release condition. Watch for the red lights, stop completely, and wait for the bus signal to end before moving.

11. 11. Which item is listed among the Rhode Island manual’s warning signs?

    1. Hospital
    2. Yield Sign Ahead
    3. R.I. Route
    4. Food
    Show answer

    Yield Sign Ahead. The warning-sign group includes advance notices such as Yield Sign Ahead, Traffic Signal Ahead, Stop Sign Ahead, and Railroad Crossing Ahead. Hospital, Food, and R.I. Route appear in the manual’s guide-sign material, so they identify services or routes rather than the warning group. Use the sign’s message and placement to anticipate a roadway condition before reaching it. A sign that says Yield Sign Ahead tells the driver to prepare for the upcoming yield control, not to treat the warning itself as the final intersection command.

12. 12. A Rhode Island limited provisional license holder is driving without supervision. During which period is that unsupervised driving permitted?

    1. Only from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
    2. From 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM
    3. Only from sunrise to sunset
    4. At any hour if the vehicle has a safety belt
    Show answer

    From 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM. The manual permits unsupervised driving from 5:00 AM through 1:00 AM, with additional allowances for travel to or from work and certain volunteer emergency organizations. That means the restricted overnight interval is 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM. The sunrise-to-sunset choice is too narrow because the rule uses clock times, and a safety belt does not erase the time restriction. Read the schedule as daytime and evening driving bounded by those two stated times.

13. 13. Besides suspension, fines, and assessments, what other consequence can follow a Rhode Island chemical test refusal?

    1. Public community service and drunk driving school or alcohol treatment referral
    2. A vehicle repainting inspection and motorcycle test
    3. A permanent ban on public transportation
    4. Only a written warning with no program requirement
    Show answer

    Public community service and drunk driving school or alcohol treatment referral. The refusal rule includes public community service and drunk driving school or a referral to an alcohol treatment program, in addition to the license suspension, fine, and highway safety assessment. The vehicle and motorcycle choices describe unrelated requirements, while a permanent transit ban is not a listed driving penalty. Read the consequence as a package rather than isolating the suspension. The treatment or education component is the clue that separates refusal penalties from ordinary paperwork violations.

14. 14. What roadway pattern is shown by a winding-road warning sign?

    
    1. The road surface is newly paved
    2. A series of curves lies ahead
    3. Strong crosswinds are guaranteed
    4. A four-way stop is immediately ahead
    Show answer

    A series of curves lies ahead. A winding-road warning means the driver should expect several bends rather than one isolated curve. Slow before the first bend and maintain a speed that leaves room to manage the following changes in direction. Newly paved pavement, crosswinds, and a four-way stop are separate conditions that are not conveyed by the repeated curved arrow. Keep scanning beyond the first bend because the next turn may hide traffic or a narrowing roadway. The repeated shape is the cue: the road will continue changing direction.

15. 15. What speed limits does the manual list for residential areas and most highways?

    1. 45 mph in residential areas and 55 mph on every highway
    2. 15 mph in residential areas and 35 to 45 mph on most highways
    3. 35 mph in residential areas and 70 to 80 mph on most highways
    4. 25 mph in residential areas and 50 to 65 mph on most highways
    Show answer

    25 mph in residential areas and 50 to 65 mph on most highways. The manual’s highway guidance lists 25 miles per hour in residential areas and 50 to 65 miles per hour on most highways. Those figures describe the listed limits, not permission to ignore posted signs or conditions. The Basic Speed Law still requires a speed suited to weather, traffic, pedestrians, and the road surface. Check the sign for the specific segment, then slow below the maximum when conditions make that necessary.

16. 16. A Rhode Island driver age 30 has a BAC of 0.06% and shows other signs of impairment. Can the driver be convicted?

    1. No, because 0.08% is the only limit for adults
    2. Yes, a driver 21 or older with a BAC over 0.05% but under 0.08% can be convicted if there is other evidence of influence
    3. Only if the driver refuses a breath test
    4. Only if a crash occurred
    Show answer

    Yes, a driver 21 or older with a BAC over 0.05% but under 0.08% can be convicted if there is other evidence of influence. The manual explains that when a test shows a BAC in excess of .05% but less than .08%, drivers 21 or older can be convicted if there is other evidence the driver was under the influence. So 0.08% is not a safe harbor. At .08% or more, the BAC alone is enough. Refusing a test and causing a crash are separate matters; neither is needed for a conviction here. A driver can even be convicted without a chemical test if the officer shows the court that alcohol affected driving.

17. 17. What is the safest first response to a tire blowout?

    1. Accelerate so the tire can clear the roadway quickly
    2. Brake hard and turn sharply toward the shoulder
    3. Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and avoid braking at first
    4. Shift into reverse while the vehicle is still moving
    Show answer

    Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and avoid braking at first. A blowout can make the vehicle pull or vibrate, so hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the vehicle traveling straight while easing off the accelerator. Avoid braking immediately because a sudden brake application can worsen the loss of control. Once speed has fallen and the vehicle is stable, move carefully to a safe location. Hard braking and a sharp turn are the most dangerous distractors because they add abrupt forces. The cue is control first, slowing second, and steering off the roadway only when stable.

18. 18. How far before a turn should a driver give the required signal?

    1. At least 100 feet before making the turn
    2. Only after beginning to turn the steering wheel
    3. Exactly 25 feet before every turn
    4. Only when another vehicle is directly behind
    Show answer

    At least 100 feet before making the turn. Rhode Island requires a driver to signal at least 100 feet before making a turn, and a signal is also required when driving out of a parking space. Signaling early gives drivers behind time to understand your plan and adjust their speed or position. Waiting until the steering wheel moves can leave no useful warning, while 25 feet is shorter than the stated minimum. Do not make signaling dependent on seeing a vehicle behind you. Use the cue of the upcoming maneuver and signal with enough distance to communicate it.

19. 19. Which sign in the Rhode Island manual identifies a roadway exit?

    1. Exit Ahead
    2. No Passing Zone
    3. Slippery When Wet
    4. Stop Sign Ahead
    Show answer

    Exit Ahead. Exit Ahead is listed with the manual’s guide signs, which provide navigation information before or along a route. No Passing Zone, Slippery When Wet, and Stop Sign Ahead belong to warning or regulatory information and describe restrictions or hazards rather than a destination decision. When you see an exit guide sign, plan your lane position early and avoid a sudden crossing of traffic. The study cue is the sign’s purpose: guide signs help you navigate, while warning signs prepare you for conditions and regulatory signs direct lawful conduct.

20. 20. What do solid roadway lines generally mean under Rhode Island’s roadway-marking guidance?

    1. Only motorcycles may cross them
    2. Passing is required immediately
    3. Passing and lane changes are not permitted
    4. They always mark traffic moving in opposite directions
    Show answer

    Passing and lane changes are not permitted. Solid lines separate lanes, and the manual says motorists are not permitted to pass other vehicles or change lanes across them. That restriction is not the same as saying every solid line separates opposing traffic. Yellow and white colors provide additional information about traffic direction and lane use. A solid line may be crossed in listed emergencies, such as a legal turn, breakdown, or object in the road. Treat the line as a barrier during ordinary travel, then look for a permitted condition before crossing it.