Maine BMV Permit Practice Test 15
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. When is a driver at the highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel?
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Answer B: Late at night, early morning and mid afternoon
The body clock produces its deepest dips in alertness in the small hours and again in the middle of the afternoon, and crash records follow those dips.
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2. At what tread depth should a tire be replaced?
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Answer A: When the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch
At that depth a tire loses grip quickly, especially on wet roads, and the built in wear bars or the penny test both show when the point has been reached.
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3. A power line has fallen across your vehicle after a crash. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay inside and wait for utility workers unless fire forces you out
The vehicle body may be energized, and touching it and the ground at the same time can be fatal. If you must leave because of fire, jump clear with both feet together and shuffle away.
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4. Your vehicle stalls on railroad tracks and you see a train approaching. What should you do?
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Answer D: Get everyone out and run toward the train at an angle away from the tracks
Leave the vehicle at once. Running toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks keeps you clear of the wreckage, which is thrown forward in the direction the train is moving.
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5. A city transit bus ahead of you has stopped at the curb with its passenger door open. What does the law require of you?
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Answer D: Nothing special, but pass slowly and watch for people
The mandatory stop applies to a school bus showing red flashing lights, not to a transit bus, though a careful driver still slows for crossing passengers.
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6. A sign at the approach to a bridge reads WEIGHT LIMIT 10 TONS. What does the figure set?
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Answer B: The heaviest vehicle the bridge may legally carry
A weight limit sign is a regulation based on what the structure can bear, and it applies to the loaded weight of the whole vehicle.
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7. A warning sign showing two children on a see-saw is posted beside a residential street. What does it mean?
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Answer D: A play area lies beside the road and children may run out
The playground sign warns that children are present next to the roadway and may enter it without looking, so drivers should cover the brake and slow down.
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8. A SHOULDER DROP OFF sign warns that
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Answer B: there is a step down from the pavement to the shoulder
The sign is used where the edge of the pavement stands several inches above the shoulder, which can grab a wheel and pull the vehicle sideways.
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9. At a four-way stop you and an opposing driver arrive together. You are going straight and the other driver is turning left across your path. Who goes first?
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Answer B: You do, because the left turn crosses your path
When two opposing drivers arrive together, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.
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10. What is wrong with slowing to a crawl at a stop sign and then rolling on through?
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Answer C: It is not a stop, and you may miss a pedestrian or cross traffic
A rolling stop is a violation and it also cuts short the moment you need in order to look carefully in each direction before entering.
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11. On a rural road, the driver of a slow farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn even though there is no road or driveway in sight. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay behind the tractor, because it may be turning into a field entrance
Farm equipment often turns into fields through gaps you cannot see, and it may swing wide to do so. Passing a vehicle that is signaling a left turn is a common cause of crashes.
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12. Compared with dry pavement, how much room does a vehicle need to stop on packed snow?
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Answer D: Several times as much
Grip on packed snow is a fraction of that on dry pavement, so stopping distance grows several times over. Antilock brakes help you steer, not stop shorter.
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13. A yellow sign ahead of an underpass reads LOW CLEARANCE 12 FT 6 IN. What does the figure tell you?
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Answer B: The greatest height that can pass beneath the structure
The figure is the actual clearance available, so a vehicle taller than that must leave the road and take a marked alternative route.
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14. What are front fog lights for?
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Answer D: Adding a low, wide beam close to the car when visibility is poor
Fog lights throw a low, wide beam under the fog, which is why they are mounted low and are used only in poor visibility.
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15. A driver passes this sign and the signal beyond it is already showing green. What is the safest response?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and be ready to stop, because an indication that has been showing for a while is about to change
A signal that has been displaying the same indication for some time is close to changing, so arriving at a controlled speed with the brake covered is safer than accelerating to beat it.
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16. You are backing out of a driveway that crosses a public sidewalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop before the sidewalk and check both ways
Walkers, runners and riders use the sidewalk at speeds that can bring them into your path in a second, so the stop and the look belong before the sidewalk, not after it.
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17. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?
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Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side
A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.
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18. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you
A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.
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19. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?
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Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews
A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.
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20. Which clue tells you that a parked vehicle is about to pull into traffic?
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Answer D: Exhaust smoke, brake lights, front wheels turned out or a driver in the seat
A running engine, lit brake lights, turned wheels or a person behind the wheel all mean the vehicle may move. Slow down and give it room.
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21. Your car has side curtain airbags. What should you avoid doing?
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Answer B: Resting your head against the window or the door pillar
A side airbag deploys from the pillar or roof rail, so a head leaning against that area is directly in its path.
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22. A pedestrian signal displays a steady walking person symbol. What does it mean for a pedestrian at that corner?
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Answer B: The pedestrian may start crossing in the direction of the signal
The steady walking person permits a pedestrian to begin the crossing, while still yielding to vehicles already lawfully in the intersection.
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23. A pedestrian is waiting to cross ahead of you and you have slowed down. What helps most?
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Answer D: Making eye contact, so that you both know you have seen each other
Eye contact confirms that you have seen each other; waving someone across can send them into the path of another vehicle.
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24. During which period may a Maine vehicle not run tires with metal studs?
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Answer C: From the first day of May to the first day of October
Maine bans metal studded tires from the first day of May to the first day of October, with exceptions for fire department vehicles and school buses and a permit system run by the Commissioner of Transportation.
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25. Fresh snow covers the road and earlier vehicles have left clear tracks. What line is usually best?
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Answer B: The existing tracks, where more of the tire can reach the surface
Running in the cleared tracks puts more rubber on the road surface than ploughing through loose snow, provided the tracks have not turned to polished ice.
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26. The stability control warning light flashes while you are driving through a curve. What does it mean?
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Answer A: The system is actively working to keep the vehicle under control, so slow down
A flashing stability control light means the system is braking individual wheels because you are near the limit of grip. Ease off and drive more gently.
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27. Where is a strong crosswind most likely to hit you suddenly?
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Answer D: Coming out of a tunnel or a cut onto an open bridge
Gusts arrive the moment you leave shelter, which is why bridge approaches and the ends of cuts and tunnels catch drivers out.
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28. Reaching for a drink in the cup holder is which kind of distraction?
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Answer A: Manual and visual at the same time
Your hand leaves the wheel and your eyes flick down to find the cup, so a task that feels trivial takes away two of the three things driving needs.
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29. What penalty does Maine apply for exceeding the posted speed limit in a school zone?
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Answer B: A fine twice the usual amount
Maine imposes a fine twice the usual amount for exceeding the posted speed limit in a school zone.
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30. Beyond this sign, cones and temporary signs lead traffic along a path that does not agree with the lines painted on the pavement. Which one must the driver follow?
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Answer C: The temporary arrangement, because it replaces the permanent layout while the work lasts
Temporary traffic control set up for the work takes precedence over the permanent signs and markings, which no longer describe how the road is being used.