RI Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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. What should a driver expect after seeing this traffic signal warning sign?

   
   1. A police checkpoint will replace the next intersection
   2. A streetlight is broken and traffic control is suspended
   3. A traffic signal is ahead and requires preparation to obey it
   4. A signal applies only to vehicles turning left
   Show answer

   A traffic signal is ahead and requires preparation to obey it. The traffic signal warning sign announces a signal ahead, so the driver should adjust speed and prepare to respond to the upcoming light. It does not mean the light is broken, identify a police checkpoint, or limit the signal to left-turning traffic. Keep scanning beyond the warning sign until the actual intersection comes into view, then follow the displayed signal and lane markings.

2. 2. What does this DO NOT ENTER sign tell a driver?

   
   1. Continue straight but reduce speed for a work zone
   2. Parking is allowed only on the side displaying the sign
   3. The road is a two-way street with priority traffic
   4. Do not proceed into that roadway or ramp entrance
   Show answer

   Do not proceed into that roadway or ramp entrance. DO NOT ENTER prohibits entering the roadway from the sign’s approach, commonly at a one-way street or ramp exit. It is not a parking instruction, a two-way priority notice, or a work-zone speed warning. A driver who sees it should not cross the point of entry, even if the pavement appears open. Check for a lawful route around the blocked direction before continuing.

3. 3. May a Rhode Island driver wear earphones or a headset while driving on a public highway?

   1. No, operating a vehicle on a public highway while wearing earphones or headsets is prohibited
   2. Yes, if the volume is low
   3. Yes, for navigation directions only
   4. Yes, in one ear only
   Show answer

   No, operating a vehicle on a public highway while wearing earphones or headsets is prohibited. Rhode Island lists among its driver rules that no one may operate a motor vehicle upon a public highway while wearing earphones or headsets. The rule has no one ear, low volume, or navigation exception. Covered ears block horns, sirens and the sounds of nearby traffic. The same list requires you to show your license and registration to an officer on request and to write your name in the officer's presence for identification.

4. 4. What minimum suspension does the Rhode Island manual state for refusing to take a chemical test?

   1. Until the driver turns 21
   2. Thirty days
   3. One year
   4. Six months
   Show answer

   Six months. A person who refuses a chemical test faces a license suspension of at least six months. The thirty-day option is too short, while one year is not the minimum stated by the manual. The age-based choice belongs to particular offense tables and is not the general refusal rule. When the question asks for the minimum, choose the lower boundary rather than importing a longer period from a later refusal or a different alcohol offense.

5. 5. Why should a driver leave substantial space behind a large truck or semi-tractor-trailer?

   1. Tailgating can be fatal, and at least 50 feet helps the truck driver see you
   2. The truck's legal speed requires every car to stay 100 feet back
   3. Following close prevents airflow from moving the car
   4. A truck's rear blind spot is always exactly 20 feet
   Show answer

   Tailgating can be fatal, and at least 50 feet helps the truck driver see you. Large trucks have substantial blind areas, and a close-following car may disappear from the driver’s view. The manual warns that tailgating a semi-tractor-trailer can be fatal and recommends staying at least 50 feet back when you expect the driver to see you. The distance is not a universal legal speed rule, and close positioning does not control airflow safely. A useful visual check is whether you can see the truck’s side-view mirrors while maintaining space.

6. 6. How should a driver control a vehicle as it begins to skid?

   1. Press the accelerator hard and turn opposite the skid
   2. Let off the gas and turn in the direction of travel
   3. Lock the brakes and hold the wheel straight
   4. Shift to park before steering
   Show answer

   Let off the gas and turn in the direction of travel. The emergency guidance starts by releasing the accelerator, keeping clear of the brake pedal, allowing the vehicle to slow gradually, and steering where the driver wants it to go. The selected response captures the two most important first moves. Hard acceleration, locked braking, or selecting park can worsen the loss of control. The manual notes that techniques can vary with drive type, so drivers should also know their vehicle. The memory cue is smooth inputs: off the gas, no panic braking, gradual slowing, then deliberate steering.

7. 7. How close to a fire hydrant may a vehicle be parked in Rhode Island?

   1. No closer than 20 feet
   2. No closer than 15 feet
   3. No closer than 8 feet
   4. No closer than 30 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 8 feet. Rhode Island's hydrant distance is shorter than most states: parking is prohibited within 8 feet of a fire hydrant. The 15 foot figure used elsewhere is the tempting wrong answer. The same list bars parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a flashing red or yellow light, stop sign or traffic light, and in front of any driveway. Firefighters need that space to connect hoses without moving your car.

8. 8. What do solid yellow lines separating opposing traffic generally prohibit?

   1. Passing other vehicles across the solid lines
   2. Changing lanes in the same direction whenever safe
   3. Driving below the posted speed limit
   4. Turning into a legal driveway
   Show answer

   Passing other vehicles across the solid lines. Solid yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions and prohibit motorists from passing other vehicles across those lines. The manual notes limited exceptions, such as a legal turn or avoiding an object in the road, but ordinary passing is not allowed. Same-direction lane changes are governed by white lines, and a speed limit does not determine the meaning of a centerline. A legal driveway turn can be an exception, yet it does not make passing permissible. See solid yellow and think opposing traffic plus no passing.

9. 9. If a pedestrian faces a yellow or red traffic light, when may the pedestrian cross?

   1. Whenever the roadway appears empty
   2. Only when a Walk signal is showing
   3. As soon as a flashing hand appears
   4. Only after a driver waves the pedestrian across
   Show answer

   Only when a Walk signal is showing. The manual tells pedestrians facing a yellow or red light to cross only when the Walk signal is showing. An empty-looking roadway does not replace the signal because a vehicle may approach outside the pedestrian’s immediate view. A flashing hand is not the same instruction, and a driver’s wave cannot control the full intersection. Wait at the curb, watch the pedestrian signal, and begin only during the permitted Walk phase.

10. 10. In Rhode Island, what fine applies when a child is in a child restraint or seat belt but is not riding in a rear seating position?

    1. $100.00
    2. $85.00
    3. $40.00
    4. $250.00
    Show answer

    $100.00. Rhode Island's schedule of traffic violations sets a $100 fine when a child is restrained by a child restraint or seat belt but is not in any rear seating position, the same amount listed for having no child restraint at all. The older $85 figure printed in the driver's manual no longer matches the schedule. A $40 fine is the separate amount for a passenger or operator who is not wearing a seat belt. Under the child restraint law, a child under eight who is shorter than 57 inches and lighter than 80 pounds rides in a rear seat in an approved restraint, and a front seat is allowed only when the vehicle has no back seat or every rear position is already used by other children.

11. 11. A Rhode Island Level 1 permit holder is driving with a qualified supervising driver. Who else may sit in the front seat?

    1. One friend under 21
    2. No one other than the supervising driver
    3. Any passenger wearing a seat belt
    4. A second licensed adult
    Show answer

    No one other than the supervising driver. At Level 1 the supervising driver must be seated beside the permit holder in the front seat, and no person other than the supervising driver may be in the front seat. That rules out a friend, a second licensed adult, or any other belted passenger in front. Seat belts are a separate requirement: every person in the vehicle must be fastened by a seat belt or child restraint. Passengers may ride in the back as long as they are belted.

12. 12. What traffic controls does a Rhode Island roundabout use instead of stop signs or traffic signals?

    1. Stop signs at every entrance and exit
    2. Only flashing red lights and railroad gates
    3. Yield signs, directional signs, and pavement markings
    4. No signs or markings because circulating traffic has priority
    Show answer

    Yield signs, directional signs, and pavement markings. Rhode Island's manual explains that a roundabout does not use stop signs or traffic signals as its control method. Instead, yield signs, directional signs, and pavement markings guide traffic through the intersection. The claim that no guidance is needed is especially unsafe because entering drivers must yield and choose the proper path. Approach slowly, follow the posted direction, and obey the yield instruction before merging into circulating traffic.

13. 13. When must Rhode Island drivers turn on their headlights?

    1. Whenever the vehicle is stopped at a traffic signal
    2. Only between midnight and dawn on roads without streetlights
    3. Only when another driver flashes headlights first
    4. From sunset to sunrise, when visibility is under 500 feet, and when wipers are in use
    Show answer

    From sunset to sunrise, when visibility is under 500 feet, and when wipers are in use. Rhode Island requires headlights from sunset to sunrise, whenever the driver cannot see 500 feet ahead, and when windshield wipers are being used because of rain, sleet, snow, or similar conditions. The rule is not limited to dark rural roads or to a response to another driver. Turning headlights on while stopped at a signal is not the trigger described here. Remember the three cues: nighttime, limited visibility, or wipers operating because weather is affecting the drive.

14. 14. Before entering a Rhode Island roundabout, what sign should a motorist look for?

    1. A red octagon requiring an immediate U-turn
    2. A blue rectangle showing a fuel pump
    3. A yellow diamond warning sign with an arrow and circle pattern
    4. A white circle marking a parking zone
    Show answer

    A yellow diamond warning sign with an arrow and circle pattern. The manual directs motorists approaching a roundabout to observe a yellow diamond warning sign showing an arrow with a circle pattern and two or more arrows pointing away from the circle. The sign warns about the roundabout and its exits. The blue, red, and white options describe unrelated colors or invented meanings. Use the yellow diamond as the advance cue, then slow, yield, and enter only when a safe gap is available.

15. 15. Which document must be shown for a Rhode Island road test vehicle's insurance requirement?

    1. A vehicle sales advertisement
    2. A utility bill in the vehicle owner's name
    3. A school transcript for the permit holder
    4. A current Rhode Island insurance identification card
    Show answer

    A current Rhode Island insurance identification card. The road test checklist requires proof of valid Rhode Island insurance, and it identifies an insurance card as acceptable evidence. A utility bill may establish an address in another setting, but it does not prove that the test vehicle is insured. A school transcript and a sales advertisement provide no insurance certification. Before the appointment, confirm that the vehicle owner is listed on the card and bring the original or an accepted photocopy so the examiner can verify the vehicle requirement.

16. 16. How can a driver guard against hydroplaning on a wet roadway?

    1. Use cruise control to maintain a steady pace
    2. Reduce speed and avoid areas where water pools
    3. Make a sharp steering correction toward the shoulder
    4. Brake hard while keeping the accelerator pressed
    Show answer

    Reduce speed and avoid areas where water pools. Hydroplaning begins when the front tires lose contact with a wet road and steering capability disappears. The manual recommends keeping tire pressure at the manufacturer's standard, reducing speed, driving carefully in rain, and avoiding pooled water. Cruise control is unsafe in this setting because a loss of tire contact can make the vehicle accelerate. A sharp steering correction or hard braking can also upset the vehicle. The useful cue is prevention before the tires float: slow down early, maintain the tires, and choose a path away from standing water.

17. 17. At a Rhode Island intersection, how should you treat a flashing yellow light?

    1. Slow down, cover the brake, and proceed with caution
    2. Stop fully and wait for a green signal
    3. Accelerate because cross traffic must stop
    4. Treat it exactly like a flashing red signal
    Show answer

    Slow down, cover the brake, and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow signal calls for caution rather than an automatic full stop. Slow down, place the foot over the brake in case a hazard develops, and continue only after checking the intersection. A flashing red signal has a different rule and is treated as a stop sign, so applying that response to yellow is too restrictive. Never treat the permissive signal as a command to accelerate; the intersection still requires active observation.

18. 18. When an emergency vehicle approaches in Rhode Island, what should a driver do before re-entering traffic?

    1. Follow immediately behind it to move through traffic faster
    2. Pull right, stop, wait for it to pass, then signal and check before proceeding
    3. Stop in the left lane and leave the vehicle unattended
    4. Continue straight because emergency vehicles always change lanes
    Show answer

    Pull right, stop, wait for it to pass, then signal and check before proceeding. The manual says to give emergency vehicles the right-of-way by pulling to the right, stopping, and waiting for them to pass. Before returning to the traffic flow, activate the turn signal and glance over your shoulder to check for another emergency vehicle. Following the emergency vehicle is unsafe and not authorized, while stopping in the left lane does not create the prescribed clearance. Make the re-entry deliberate rather than immediate.

19. 19. According to Rhode Island's alcohol laws, what birthday marks the legal drinking age?

    1. The 18th birthday
    2. The 19th birthday
    3. The 21st birthday
    4. The 25th birthday
    Show answer

    The 21st birthday. Rhode Island's manual uses the twenty-first birthday as the dividing point in its underage alcohol provisions. That age matters when reading the separate DWI and DUI categories, but it does not mean a driver should use age alone to judge whether driving is safe. The 18th and 19th birthdays do not end the under-21 rules, while 25 has no role in the cited provision. When studying the table, pair the age boundary with the BAC range instead of treating the number as a permission to drive after drinking.

20. 20. At a Rhode Island four-way stop, two vehicles arrive at the same time. Which vehicle should go first?

    
    1. The vehicle that sounds its horn first
    2. The vehicle on the other driver’s left
    3. The vehicle with the larger engine
    4. The vehicle on the other driver’s right
    Show answer

    The vehicle on the other driver’s right. When two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same time, the driver must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. The rule is based on position, not engine size, vehicle type, or who uses the horn. A vehicle that arrived earlier has priority over vehicles arriving later, but that is a different timing situation. Make a full stop first, identify which vehicle is to your right, and allow that vehicle to proceed. Keep watching for pedestrians and for drivers who may misunderstand the order.