Maine BMV Permit Practice Test 34

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

Minimum age: 15 years for a learner's permit, 16 years for a license with driver education

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Why would this sign be installed on an approach?

    A yellow diamond showing a traffic signal with three stacked lights
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    Answer B: Because the signal cannot be seen from far enough back for a driver to react in time

    Advance notice of a signal is used where a crest, a curve, trees or a building keep the signal heads out of view until a driver is already too close to stop comfortably.

  2. 2. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?

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    Answer A: The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop

    The amber lights are the warning phase that comes before the red lights and the stop arm, so drivers should slow down and get ready to stop.

  3. 3. A lane control sign over one lane shows both a straight arrow and a left arrow. What does it tell drivers in that lane?

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    Answer A: Either movement may be made from that lane

    An optional movement lane control sign lists every movement permitted from the lane, so a driver may choose any arrow shown.

  4. 4. A driver on the street this sign governs is preparing to turn left at the next corner. Which lane should the vehicle be in beforehand?

    A black rectangle with a white arrow and white lettering
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    Answer A: The lane closest to the left curb

    All the traffic here runs the same way, so nothing is coming toward the driver and the turn is taken from the extreme left lane rather than from beside the middle of the roadway.

  5. 5. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?

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    Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks

    Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.

  6. 6. What should you do about snow and ice on your vehicle before driving?

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    Answer C: Clear all glass, mirrors and lights, and the roof and hood as well

    Snow left on the roof or hood slides onto your windshield when you brake and blows into the path of drivers behind you, and covered lights make your vehicle hard to see.

  7. 7. What is the safest way to handle an unrestrained pet or a child who needs attention while you are driving?

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    Answer D: Secure pets before the trip and pull over safely before attending to a child

    A loose animal or an urgent situation in the back seat can capture a driver's attention completely, so restrain pets beforehand and stop in a safe place when someone needs help.

  8. 8. How should a driver respond to this sign?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed

    Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.

  9. 9. A yellow diamond showing a truck is posted beside a quarry entrance. What is it warning about?

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    Answer A: Trucks turning onto the highway from that entrance

    A truck crossing or trucks entering sign is used where heavy vehicles pull onto the road from a site, and they accelerate slowly once they are on it.

  10. 10. How does marijuana affect a driver?

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    Answer C: It slows reaction time and impairs judgment of time and distance

    Marijuana impairs coordination, attention and the ability to judge speed and distance. Driving while impaired by it is illegal everywhere, even where its use is legal.

  11. 11. Does this sign settle who has the right-of-way at the intersection ahead?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer D: No, it only gives notice of the intersection; the control there decides priority

    A warning prepares the driver for what is coming but grants no priority, so whatever stop control, yield control, signal or right-of-way rule applies at the intersection is what decides.

  12. 12. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right

    Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.

  13. 13. You are towing a trailer and turning right at an intersection. What must you allow for?

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    Answer D: The trailer cuts the corner, so swing wider than usual

    A trailer follows a shorter path than the towing vehicle, so its wheels track inside your line and can mount the curb unless you take the turn wide.

  14. 14. Which drivers are covered by Maine's ban on handheld phones and handheld electronic devices?

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    Answer D: All drivers, regardless of age or license type

    Maine prohibits the use of a mobile telephone or handheld electronic device by any driver, and the ban is repeated as a specific restriction for permit holders and drivers under 18.

  15. 15. What must you do before changing lanes, in addition to signaling and checking your mirrors?

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    Answer D: Glance over your shoulder to check the blind spot the mirrors do not cover

    Mirrors leave an area beside and behind the vehicle that they cannot show, so a quick head check is needed before the vehicle moves sideways.

  16. 16. A funeral procession with headlights on is crossing an intersection when your light turns green. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Wait and let the whole procession go through

    Most states let a funeral procession stay together once the lead vehicle has lawfully entered an intersection, and in every state you must yield to vehicles already in the intersection, so wait until the line has passed.

  17. 17. What is a good rule for any task you want to do inside the vehicle?

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    Answer D: If it needs more than a moment, do it stopped

    A glance of a second or two is manageable, but any task that runs longer belongs to a stopped vehicle, because the road does not pause while you do it.

  18. 18. You drive onto a section where the top layer has been milled off and the surface is grooved. How will it feel?

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    Answer C: The steering may wander, so hold the wheel firmly and slow down

    Grooves cut into the pavement tug at the tires and make the steering feel restless. A firm grip and a lower speed keep the vehicle tracking straight.

  19. 19. Which of these does NOT affect how fast alcohol reaches the bloodstream?

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    Answer A: How confident the drinker feels

    Food, the strength of the drinks and the speed of drinking all change how fast alcohol is absorbed, but a drinker's confidence changes nothing at all.

  20. 20. A regulatory sign posted at the start of a road reads LENGTH LIMIT 30 FEET. What does it control?

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    Answer B: The overall length of vehicle allowed on that road

    Some states post a length limit where tight curves or narrow structures lie ahead; it bars vehicles or combinations longer than the figure shown from using that road.

  21. 21. You and the driver facing you both have stop signs at a two-way stop. You are going straight and that driver is turning left. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer B: You do, and the turning driver must wait

    Between two opposing drivers who both stopped, the one going straight goes first and the left-turning driver yields.

  22. 22. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?

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    Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed

    A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.

  23. 23. The light ahead is green, but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up so far that you could not clear it. What is the correct action?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the stop line until there is room on the far side

    Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks cross traffic and pedestrians, so you should hold your position until space opens on the other side.

  24. 24. What is the correct order of a pass on a two-lane road?

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    Answer A: Check ahead and behind, signal left, move out, accelerate past, signal right and return

    A pass begins with the decision that the road is clear and ends with a signaled return, and each step warns other drivers before the vehicle moves.

  25. 25. The gates at a railroad crossing are down, and you can see that the road beyond them is clear. What is the correct action?

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    Answer A: Wait until the gates rise completely and the lights go out

    Lowered gates mean rail traffic is expected, and driving around them removes the only protection the crossing provides.

  26. 26. A curb sign reads No Standing. What does it allow you to do?

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    Answer B: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers

    No Standing bars waiting for any purpose except the brief moment needed to let passengers in or out, which is stricter than No Parking.

  27. 27. An ambulance with lights and siren is coming toward you on an undivided two-lane road. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Pull to the right edge and stop until it passes

    On an undivided road, drivers in both directions clear the way, pulling to the right edge and stopping.

  28. 28. A delivery truck is parked in your lane and you must use the oncoming lane to get around it. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: The oncoming traffic, because their lane is clear

    The driver whose own lane is obstructed waits, because using the other lane is a favor from oncoming traffic, not a right.

  29. 29. Where is a U-turn generally the most reasonable choice?

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    Answer B: At an intersection where it is permitted and you can see well both ways

    A U-turn needs a legal place and a long clear view in both directions, which is why a permitted intersection with open sight lines is the usual choice.

  30. 30. You signaled a lane change and the signal did not switch itself off afterwards. Why does that matter?

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    Answer B: Other drivers may act on a turn you do not intend to make

    A signal left on tells other drivers you are about to turn, and someone may pull out in front of you. Cancel it as soon as the maneuver is finished.