RI Permit Practice Test 12

All 20 questions in test 12

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. Which freeway lane serves slower traffic plus entering and exiting vehicles?

   1. Right lane handles slower and merging traffic
   2. Left lane handles slower and merging traffic
   3. Middle lanes handle only entering traffic daily
   4. Breakdown lane handles slower through traffic
   Show answer

   Right lane handles slower and merging traffic. Freeway lanes divide labor by speed and purpose, with the far left reserved for passing and closed to trucks and buses. Middle lanes carry through traffic steadily, while the right lane gathers slower vehicles together with everyone entering or leaving. Placing slow travel on the left would trap faster drivers behind and scramble every merge near ramps. Choosing the lane that matches pace early keeps overtaking orderly and gives newcomers a calmer stream to join.

   Study this in the handbook: Licenses, insurance, phones and other laws

2. 2. What does covering the brake mean when approaching a Rhode Island intersection?

   1. Hovering the foot over the brake without touching it
   2. Pressing the brake and accelerator together lightly
   3. Resting the foot on the brake for the whole block
   4. Tapping the brake twice to warn drivers behind
   Show answer

   Hovering the foot over the brake without touching it. Covering the brake means lifting the foot off the accelerator and hovering it above the brake pedal, ready to push if a hazard appears, without touching the pedal yet. Resting the foot on the pedal for a whole block drags the brakes and lights the brake lamps constantly, which misleads followers and wears parts. Hover on every busy approach, and the stop, when needed, starts sooner.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and roundabouts

3. 3. What have studies found about people who drive after smoking marijuana?

   1. They adjust to headlight glare faster than other drivers
   2. They commit fewer traffic violations than other drivers overall
   3. They make about the same number of driving mistakes overall
   4. They make more mistakes and face more traffic arrests
   Show answer

   They make more mistakes and face more traffic arrests. Studies link driving after smoking marijuana with more mistakes and more arrests for traffic violations than other drivers face. Glare recovery actually gets harder for these drivers, so faster adjustment to headlights points the wrong way. Violation records rise rather than fall, which separates this group from average performance on the road. Feeling relaxed after smoking is not evidence of control. Stay parked, let the effects pass completely, and travel with a driver who has used nothing.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC limits and implied consent

4. 4. Can a driver be convicted of DWI without taking a chemical test?

   1. No conviction is possible unless a breath test exists
   2. Only drivers who refuse testing can be convicted then
   3. A conviction then requires a BAC above .08 percent
   4. Yes, if the court finds driving ability was affected
   Show answer

   Yes, if the court finds driving ability was affected. A driver may still be convicted of DWI when an officer convinces the court that alcohol or a drug affected driving ability, even without any chemical test. Missing breath results do not end a case built on observed impairment. Refusal status alone neither guarantees nor prevents conviction under this pathway. Likewise, prosecutors need not prove a BAC above .08 percent when ability evidence persuades the court. Assume roadside behavior and driving errors can convict, and never drive after drinking.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC limits and implied consent

5. 5. How does drinking on an empty stomach compare with drinking after a meal?

   1. Alcohol affects the body faster when the stomach is empty
   2. Alcohol affects the body slower when the stomach is empty
   3. Food in the stomach blocks alcohol from reaching the blood
   4. Eating first doubles how much alcohol a driver can handle
   Show answer

   Alcohol affects the body faster when the stomach is empty. Drinking before eating lets alcohol affect the body faster than drinking after a meal, so impairment can arrive sooner than a new drinker expects. A claim that an empty stomach slows the effect reverses the relationship and could encourage one more drink before driving. Food does not seal alcohol away from the blood either, since drinking after eating still produces impairment, just at a slower pace. Plan rides before the first drink, because a full plate never makes later driving safe.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC limits and implied consent

6. 6. Before pulling out to pass on the left, which signal should you give?

   1. Give a right turn signal before pulling out
   2. Give a left turn signal before pulling out
   3. Flash the hazard lights before pulling out
   4. Give no signal until the lane change starts
   Show answer

   Give a left turn signal before pulling out. Pulling out to pass begins on the left side, so a left signal warns drivers ahead and behind about the planned move. A right signal points toward the opposite side and invites a following driver to misread your path. Hazard flashers announce a problem rather than a passing move. After signaling, look through the rear and side mirrors and over the left shoulder for hidden vehicles. Then move left, cancel the signal once established, and at night a brief headlight flash can add warning before the pass begins beside the other vehicle.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping, turning and passing

7. 7. What does an anti lock braking system do during emergency braking?

   1. It locks the wheels firmly so the vehicle slides straight ahead
   2. It turns off braking on the rear wheels during a hard stop
   3. It keeps the wheels rotating (turning) during emergency braking
   4. It releases all braking force whenever the road feels slippery
   Show answer

   It keeps the wheels rotating (turning) during emergency braking. ABS is computer controlled and keeps the wheels rotating during emergency braking. That helps prevent a skid and leaves steering available while the driver holds firm pressure on the brake. It does not lock the wheels, release all braking on a slippery road, or switch off the rear brakes. The pedal may pulsate, and the manual says that sensation is normal. Keep pressure on the pedal rather than pumping it when ABS is operating, because pumping is for conventional brakes, not this system.

   Study this in the handbook: Skids, brake failure, blowouts and other emergencies

8. 8. A driver turns eighteen before holding a Limited Instructional Permit for one year. What may the driver apply for?

   1. A second instructional permit for one more year
   2. A Limited Provisional License without taking a road test
   3. No license until reaching age twenty-one
   4. A Full Operator's License
   Show answer

   A Full Operator's License. A person who reaches eighteen before completing a year with a Limited Instructional Permit may apply for a Full Operator's License. The rule does not require waiting until twenty-one, and it does not turn the permit into a second instructional period. A Limited Provisional License is a separate stage with its own eligibility path, including the driving test and supervised practice. Reaching eighteen changes which license may be sought, but the applicant still has to satisfy the requirements for that license before driving without the earlier restrictions.

   Study this in the handbook: The three levels of Rhode Island's graduated license

9. 9. When should you switch from high beams back to low beams?

   1. Switch after the oncoming vehicle has passed you
   2. Switch only when you reach a lighted street
   3. Switch as soon as an oncoming vehicle appears
   4. Keep high beams on behind other vehicles
   Show answer

   Switch as soon as an oncoming vehicle appears. High beams help on dark roads, yet glare can blind drivers approaching from the opposite direction at closing speed. Dip to low beams at the first sign of an oncoming vehicle, rather than waiting until that car has gone past. Holding bright lights through the meeting point leaves the other driver squinting during the closest seconds. Following another car closely with high beams creates the same glare problem in mirrors, so drop the beams there as well.

10. 10. Two vehicles reach an unsignalized intersection at about the same time from different streets. Which driver must yield?

    1. The driver on the right yields to traffic on the left side
    2. The faster driver proceeds through the intersection first
    3. The driver on the left yields to traffic on the right side
    4. The larger vehicle proceeds through the intersection first
    Show answer

    The driver on the left yields to traffic on the right side. When signs and signals are absent and two vehicles arrive together from different streets, the left-side driver gives way to the vehicle approaching from the right. Reversing that direction is tempting at a quiet crossing, yet it puts the yielding duty on the wrong car and invites both drivers to move together. Speed and vehicle size also earn no priority here. A useful picture is an open four-way crossing with no lights: check your right, and if that car arrived with you, pause and wave it through.

    Study this in the handbook: Licenses, insurance, phones and other laws

11. 11. After starting the engine and releasing the parking brake, how should you leave a parked position?

    1. Back straight into traffic without looking behind
    2. Move where reentry takes a single smooth motion
    3. Pull out slowly in two separate stopping motions
    4. Signal only after entering the traffic lane
    Show answer

    Move where reentry takes a single smooth motion. Leaving a parked spot starts with the engine running and the parking brake released, then positioning the car for reentry in one flowing motion. Look rearward, sweep the rearview and side mirrors, and glance over the left shoulder to cover blind areas hidden from glass. Signaling comes before rolling out, and the closest driving lane is the one to enter. Splitting departure into halting fragments keeps the car straddling the curb lane longer, confusing drivers approaching from behind.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping, turning and passing

12. 12. How can you help vehicles entering the roadway merge smoothly?

    1. Speed up quickly beside the vehicle entering traffic
    2. Stay in the right lane and maintain your speed
    3. Flash headlights to warn entering drivers away
    4. Vacate the right lane for merging traffic safely
    Show answer

    Vacate the right lane for merging traffic safely. Entering drivers need a gap, and the right lane sits exactly where ramps feed into flowing highway traffic. Changing lanes leftward, after checking that the move can happen safely, opens room so newcomers blend in with little braking. Holding position and pace in that curb side lane squeezes arrivals toward the shoulder or forces abrupt speed changes. A quick mirror check plus an early signal turns the courtesy into a predictable opening everyone nearby can read.

13. 13. On a Rhode Island freeway with several lanes, which lanes are intended for through traffic?

    1. The far left lane beside faster passing traffic
    2. The right lane beside entering traffic
    3. The middle lanes for through traffic flow
    4. The breakdown lane beside the shoulder
    Show answer

    The middle lanes for through traffic flow. Freeway lanes carry different jobs, and the middle lanes are reserved for traffic traveling straight through. The right lane can look like the calm through route, yet it also serves slower vehicles plus drivers entering and leaving the freeway, so merging movements interrupt it often. The far left lane serves passing, while the breakdown lane sits outside normal travel. Before a long freeway stretch, settle into a middle lane, match surrounding flow, and move right only when your exit approaches.

    Study this in the handbook: Licenses, insurance, phones and other laws

14. 14. What share of collisions where somebody dies involves drunk drivers?

    1. About one quarter of those fatal collisions
    2. More than half of those fatal collisions
    3. Nearly all of those fatal collisions
    4. About one tenth of those fatal collisions
    Show answer

    More than half of those fatal collisions. Fatal crash figures in Rhode Island teaching assign drunk drivers a share above one half of collisions where somebody is killed. One quarter or one tenth shrinks a toll that should shape how seriously you treat a drinking invitation before driving. Nearly all overshoots the figure and erases the role of speed, fatigue, and distraction in other deaths. Remember the scale this way: in a row of ten fatal crashes, more than five involve drinking, so a sober driver changes the odds greatly.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, BAC limits and implied consent

15. 15. Motorcycle mirrors are smaller and usually convex. How does that shape affect what the rider sees of your car behind?

    1. You look smaller and farther back than reality
    2. You look larger and closer than you really are
    3. You appear at your exact following distance
    4. Your car vanishes from both mirrors entirely
    Show answer

    You look smaller and farther back than reality. Smaller convex motorcycle mirrors give the rider a smaller image of you and make you appear farther back than you actually are. A rider glancing at that shrunken picture may believe a generous gap exists and change lanes or slow without expecting your bumper nearby. Your car never vanishes entirely, yet its true distance hides in miniature. Keep a three to four second cushion behind a motorcyclist, avoid lingering beside the bike, and pass decisively when a legal opportunity opens so the rider can track you clearly.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, trucks and motorcycles

16. 16. Before entering a Rhode Island roundabout, what gap condition must a driver have?

    1. A gap that lets a second car follow closely
    2. An adequate safe gap in circulating traffic
    3. No gap, since entering traffic goes first
    4. A gap only when a yield sign is missing
    Show answer

    An adequate safe gap in circulating traffic. Entry into a roundabout waits for an adequate safe gap, then the driver takes a proper lane position while entering, circulating, and leaving. Entering without a gap because entering traffic supposedly goes first reverses the yield and forces drivers already circling to brake or swerve. Roll slowly toward the yield line, track vehicles approaching from the left, and merge only when the opening fits the whole vehicle.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and roundabouts

17. 17. Which behaviour counts as aggressive driving on an ordinary road?

    1. Signaling early and leaving a comfortable gap before merging
    2. Slowing down and letting a hesitant driver enter traffic
    3. Operating a vehicle in a pushy or bold manner
    4. Waiting patiently when another driver takes a parking space
    Show answer

    Operating a vehicle in a pushy or bold manner. Pushy, bold operation captures the heart of aggressive driving, whether it shows up as crowding, darting, or forcing others to react. Signaling early with a comfortable gap respects surrounding traffic and keeps everyone predictable. Letting a hesitant driver enter also eases pressure instead of adding it. Patience over a parking space may feel annoying, but it stays within normal courtesy. Ask whether your driving is making others brake, swerve, or guess your intentions. If so, ease off, restore space, and drive in a way nearby motorists can anticipate.

18. 18. Your car develops mechanical trouble on a freeway and you pull into the breakdown lane. What hazard must you stay alert for in that lane?

    1. Another vehicle may be traveling wrongfully in it
    2. Tow trucks patrol it continuously during daylight hours
    3. Parked vehicles there always face oncoming freeway traffic
    4. Freeway exits feed directly into it without warning
    Show answer

    Another vehicle may be traveling wrongfully in it. A breakdown lane is not a guaranteed empty refuge, because another vehicle may be traveling wrongfully in it while you are stopped there. Expecting tow trucks to patrol it continuously invents a patrol that no rule promises, so that choice leaves you watching for help instead of danger. Stay near your vehicle on the side away from traffic, keep your flashers visible, and scan the lane behind you before opening a door or stepping out. Treat every passing blur as live traffic, even though your car is fully stopped.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and freeway driving

19. 19. What does a steady red light require before the crosswalk in Rhode Island?

    1. Stop before reaching the crosswalk and wait for green
    2. Slow down and yield to cross traffic only
    3. Proceed when the cross street empties
    4. Turn right without stopping at night
    Show answer

    Stop before reaching the crosswalk and wait for green. A steady red light means stop before reaching the crosswalk and wait until the light is green, unless another light such as a green arrow directs you otherwise. Slowing and yielding treats red like a flashing caution, which understates a full stop duty. A right turn on red still begins from that complete stop, followed by yielding to pedestrians and other vehicles before moving.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and roundabouts

20. 20. Which spot directly ahead of a vehicle entrance does Rhode Island ban for parking?

    1. Across from any driveway with signs posted
    2. In front of any driveway
    3. Beside any driveway on the shoulder
    4. Behind any driveway inside a lot
    Show answer

    In front of any driveway. Stopping in front of any driveway blocks residents and businesses from entering or leaving, so Rhode Island places that spot on its banned list without exceptions for brief waits. Parking across from a driveway follows a different fire station distance rule tied to posted signs, which makes that option sound related while describing another location. Before leaving a car, check that no driveway mouth sits ahead of the bumper.

    Study this in the handbook: Where you may not park or stop