Maine BMV Permit Practice Test 46

  • 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. In a vehicle with automatic transmission, which foot should operate the brake and accelerator?

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    Answer D: The right foot for both pedals

    Using only the right foot prevents pressing both pedals at once and keeps the response the same in every vehicle you drive. The left foot rests on the floor or the footrest.

  2. 2. In most states, when are headlights required apart from times of poor visibility?

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    Answer A: From about half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise

    Most states require lights from about half an hour after sunset until about half an hour before sunrise, and some simply say sunset to sunrise; lights are also required whenever visibility is poor.

  3. 3. Why is texting considered one of the most dangerous distractions?

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    Answer B: It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction at the same time

    Reading or writing a message takes your eyes off the road, at least one hand off the controls and your attention off driving simultaneously.

  4. 4. When may a driver of a motor vehicle use a marked bicycle lane?

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    Answer C: Only to cross it when turning or entering the road where the markings allow

    A bike lane is a lane for cyclists. Motor vehicles may only cross it to enter or leave the road or to make a turn where the markings permit.

  5. 5. Why should you not leave the engine running when you walk away from your vehicle?

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    Answer C: Because the vehicle can be stolen or can move on its own

    An unattended running vehicle is an easy theft and, if the transmission slips or is knocked out of park, it can roll away with nobody at the wheel.

  6. 6. Where are children in the greatest danger around a school bus?

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    Answer B: In the roadway right around the bus, especially in front

    The danger zone is the band of roadway around the bus where the driver's view is poorest, and children crossing in front of the bus are hardest to see.

  7. 7. What is the correct technique for backing a vehicle straight?

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    Answer B: Check behind the vehicle before getting in, then turn and look through the rear window while backing slowly

    Mirrors and cameras leave gaps close to the vehicle, so walk behind it first, then turn in your seat for a direct view and keep the speed low enough to stop instantly.

  8. 8. You are about to open your door after parking on the traffic side of the street. What should you do first?

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    Answer C: Check the mirror and look back for approaching vehicles and bicyclists before opening the door

    A door opened into traffic can strike a passing bicyclist or vehicle, so you check behind you first and keep the door open no longer than necessary.

  9. 9. Besides liability cover, what amount of medical payments coverage must a Maine policy include?

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    Answer C: 2,000 dollars

    Maine's financial responsibility minimums include 2,000 dollars of medical payments coverage alongside the liability limits.

  10. 10. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that

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    Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation

    Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.

  11. 11. A bicycle symbol topped by two chevrons is painted in the middle of a travel lane. What does that marking indicate?

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    Answer D: Bicyclists share the lane with motor vehicles and may ride away from the curb

    A shared lane marking shows drivers where bicyclists are likely to ride in a lane used by both bicycles and motor vehicles.

  12. 12. Is it acceptable to drive far below the flow of traffic on an open highway?

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    Answer B: No, driving too slowly can obstruct traffic and create a hazard

    Traffic that is much slower than the surrounding flow forces other drivers into sudden braking and unnecessary passing maneuvers, and impeding traffic is itself a violation.

  13. 13. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?

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    Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes

    A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.

  14. 14. A bicyclist is riding around a single-lane roundabout in the middle of the lane as you wait to enter. What is your duty?

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    Answer C: Yield to the bicyclist just as you would to a car

    A bicyclist using the roundabout is traffic like any other vehicle and has the same claim to the circulating lane.

  15. 15. A piece of farm machinery ahead of you is wider than its own lane. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Hold back until you can see far enough to pass safely

    Wide equipment leaves no gap inside the lane and may use part of the other side, so a pass needs a long clear view of the road ahead.

  16. 16. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?

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    Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves

    On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.

  17. 17. Why should you avoid parking over tall dry grass or a pile of dead leaves?

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    Answer B: Because the hot exhaust can set the dry material on fire

    The exhaust system stays hot for a long time after a drive and can ignite dry vegetation underneath the vehicle.

  18. 18. Why does safety guidance say a child should ride in the back seat rather than in front of an active passenger airbag?

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    Answer D: Because the airbag inflates with enough force to injure a small child badly

    Airbags deploy at very high speed and are sized for adults, so a child seated close to one can be badly hurt by the bag itself, which is why the back seat is recommended for children.

  19. 19. A parking space is marked with the international symbol of access. Who may use it?

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    Answer A: Only a vehicle displaying the required placard or plate

    Accessible spaces may be used only by a vehicle that displays a valid disability placard or plate, no matter how short the stop would be.

  20. 20. Where should you be looking as you back into a parallel parking space?

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    Answer B: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing all around

    Mirrors and cameras leave blind areas, so turn and look through the rear window while checking the front of your car and both sides as it swings.

  21. 21. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?

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    Answer C: Oncoming vehicles will turn across your path, so you must wait

    A green ball is permissive, so when the oncoming side receives a protected arrow those vehicles have priority and you must yield until they clear.

  22. 22. A yellow diamond showing arrows arranged in a circle warns of

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    Answer B: a circular intersection such as a roundabout ahead

    The circular intersection warning sign announces a roundabout or traffic circle so drivers can slow down and prepare to yield to traffic already circulating.

  23. 23. Why does a dirty windshield matter much more at night than during the day?

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    Answer C: Dust and streaks scatter oncoming light and increase glare

    Film and streaks on the glass spread every oncoming headlight into a star of glare, so clean the inside as well as the outside before a night trip.

  24. 24. What suspension does Maine impose for an OUI conviction with three or more prior convictions within 10 years?

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    Answer B: 8 years

    A fourth or later OUI within 10 years brings an 8 year suspension in Maine, with a minimum fine of 2,100 dollars and 6 months of imprisonment.

  25. 25. A white regulatory sign near a state line reads BUCKLE UP IT IS THE LAW. What is it doing?

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    Answer A: Reminding occupants that belt use is required

    The safety belt sign restates a law that already applies, and it is usually placed where drivers enter a state or a long rural stretch.

  26. 26. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?

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    Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time

    Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.

  27. 27. Which sign tells you that the vehicles ahead are part of a funeral procession?

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    Answer C: Headlights burning in daylight, with small flags or markers on the vehicles

    Processions are normally identified by daytime headlights, hazard lights and flags or windshield markers, not by emergency lights or sirens.

  28. 28. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way

    The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.

  29. 29. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?

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    Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane

    Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.

  30. 30. A yellow sign reads SOFT SHOULDER. What is it telling you?

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    Answer C: The shoulder may not carry the weight of a vehicle

    A soft shoulder is unpaved and can let a wheel sink, so a driver who leaves the pavement there may lose control or become stuck.