Maine BMV Permit Practice Test 27
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. On a long uphill grade a second lane opens on the right and a sign directs slower traffic into it. You are towing a trailer and holding up a line of vehicles. What should you do?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and let the faster traffic use the left lane
A climbing lane exists so that slow vehicles can be passed safely, and the slower vehicle is the one that belongs in it.
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2. Heavy trucks have worn deep ruts into a highway lane and rain has filled them. What is the danger?
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Answer D: Water collects in them, so the tires can lose contact with the road
Ruts hold standing water long after the rest of the lane has drained, which makes them the most likely place to start hydroplaning.
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3. How far should the driver chest be from the steering wheel?
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Answer B: At least about ten inches
The airbag deploys with great force in the first instants of a crash, so about ten inches between your chest and the wheel is the recommended minimum.
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4. Where is a road work ahead sign placed?
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Answer B: In advance of the work space or detour, so drivers are warned before reaching it
Advance warning signs are placed upstream of the work space or detour so that drivers have time to slow down and change lanes before reaching the activity.
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5. You are approaching a multilane roundabout. When should you choose your lane?
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Answer C: Before you enter, using the lane-choice sign on the approach
You select your lane on the approach the way you would at any multilane intersection, then stay in that lane all the way around, because changing lanes inside a roundabout creates side-impact conflicts.
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6. On a regulatory sign, what does a red circle with a diagonal slash drawn over a symbol mean?
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Answer D: The movement or action shown by the symbol is prohibited
A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard way of showing that the movement pictured inside it, such as a U-turn or a right turn, is not allowed.
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7. A police officer in the intersection raises a hand toward you although your signal is green. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop and wait for the officer to wave you on
An officer directing traffic overrides signals and signs, and drivers must follow the officer even when the light says otherwise.
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8. What should you avoid when a hostile driver pulls alongside you?
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Answer A: Making eye contact, or answering the gestures in any way at all
Any response, including a look, encourages an aggressive driver, so give none and let the vehicle go.
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9. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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10. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see
The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.
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11. When are the hazard warning lights properly used?
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Answer A: When your vehicle is stopped or barely moving and is a hazard
Hazard lights warn that your vehicle is an obstruction; they do not authorize illegal parking and they hide your turn signals while driving.
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12. How much clear road do driver manuals say you need before starting a pass at highway speed on a two-lane road?
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Answer C: Enough to complete the pass and return, roughly ten to twelve seconds of travel
At highway speed the whole maneuver of pulling out, overtaking and returning takes roughly ten to twelve seconds, and every foot of that has to be visible before you start.
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13. A steady green arrow pointing left is displayed for your turning lane. What does it tell you?
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Answer D: The turn is protected because conflicting traffic is being held
A steady green arrow gives a protected movement in the direction shown, although you still yield to pedestrians and to any vehicle already inside the intersection.
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14. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?
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Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked
Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.
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15. You have finished a distracting task and your eyes are back on the road. What is true?
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Answer A: Your full attention takes a while to come back
Studies of drivers show attention lags behind the eyes for many seconds after a phone or a screen task, so the danger continues after the task is over.
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16. Your right-turn lane shows a green arrow while the through lanes face a red ball. What does that mean?
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Answer C: Only the right turn is allowed, and it is protected while the arrow lasts
A green arrow gives a protected movement in that direction only; the red ball still stops the through traffic in the other lanes.
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17. A set of reversible express lanes is closed off with gates and signs while it runs the other way. What must you never do?
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Answer C: Enter past a closed gate or a sign showing the lanes are closed
When reversible lanes are closed they may already be carrying traffic in the opposite direction, so entering past a gate can put you head-on into that traffic.
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18. A high-occupancy vehicle lane is separated from the general lanes by a pair of solid white lines with a gap every so often. Where may you enter or leave it?
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Answer D: Only at the openings where the solid lines are broken
The solid lines forbid crossing, so entry and exit are limited to the designated openings where the marking is broken.
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19. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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20. A child has outgrown the rear-facing seat. What comes next?
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Answer D: A forward-facing seat with a harness, used up to its own stated limits
The stages run rear facing, then forward facing with a harness, then a booster, then the adult belt alone.
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21. You realize you have driven several miles without remembering any of it. What kind of distraction is this?
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Answer C: Cognitive distraction, because your mind was not on driving
Daydreaming or being lost in thought is a cognitive distraction. Your eyes may be on the road, but your brain is not processing what they see.
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22. Why do many crashes happen on routes the driver knows very well?
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Answer D: Familiar roads let attention slip into routine
When a route is automatic the mind wanders and hazards get missed, which is why a well known road deserves the same attention as a strange one.
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23. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?
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Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way
Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.
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24. An orange background with a black legend on a sign indicates
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Answer B: a temporary traffic control or work zone situation
Orange is reserved for temporary traffic control signing, so an orange sign means conditions have been altered for work or another temporary operation.
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25. You want to pass on a two-lane road where several people are walking on the narrow shoulder ahead. What should you consider?
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Answer D: There is no escape room if the pass goes wrong, so wait for a better place
A pass depends on having somewhere to go if it goes wrong, and a shoulder occupied by pedestrians removes that option for both vehicles.
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26. On a narrow two-lane road a line of vehicles has built up behind you. What is the safe and courteous action?
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Answer D: Pull into a turnout or a safe wide spot and let them go by
A slow vehicle holding up a queue invites risky passing; using a turnout clears the road without anyone having to take a chance.
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27. Children are playing close to the edge of a residential street. What is the right speed choice?
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Answer D: Well below the limit, slow enough to stop for a sudden dash
Children can step out without warning, so the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
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28. A reduced speed limit posted with this sign and a plaque giving hours is in force
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Answer C: during the hours shown on the plaque, or while the beacon is flashing
A school speed limit applies during the periods stated on the plaque or while the attached beacon flashes, and the regular limit governs outside those periods.
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29. You and an oncoming driver are both turning left at the same intersection. What is the usual rule?
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Answer D: Both turn in front of each other unless markings show otherwise
The normal practice is to pass driver side to driver side, turning in front of one another, unless pavement markings or signs direct a different path.
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30. About how far behind a tractor-trailer does the driver's rear blind spot reach?
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Answer C: Around 30 feet
The area behind a large truck is hidden for roughly 30 feet, so a driver tucked in there cannot be seen at all.