Maine BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 48

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years, with an 8 hour motorcycle education program required of every applicant

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You are driving down a parking aisle and reach the main lane that runs along the front of the store. What is the usual rule?

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    Answer C: The main through lane has the right of way over the vehicles leaving the aisles

    In a parking lot the wide lane that runs across the ends of the aisles works like a through road, and drivers leaving an aisle yield to it.

  2. 2. How do stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine typically affect driving?

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    Answer D: They can make the driver overconfident and more willing to take risks

    Stimulants create a false sense of alertness and encourage aggressive, risky driving. When they wear off, sudden fatigue can follow.

  3. 3. Which single event causes the largest share of crashes between a motorcycle and another vehicle at intersections?

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    Answer B: A vehicle turning left across the path of an oncoming motorcycle

    The classic motorcycle intersection crash is an oncoming driver who turns left across the rider's path, usually after failing to see the motorcycle or misjudging its speed.

  4. 4. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?

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    Answer B: A right turn

    The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.

  5. 5. What fine does Maine set for a driver under 18 who breaks the curfew or the passenger restriction on a new license?

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    Answer D: A fine of not less than 250 dollars and not more than 500 dollars

    Maine makes a violation of the restrictions on a driver under 18 a traffic infraction with a fine between 250 and 500 dollars, on top of the suspension and the extension of the restricted period.

  6. 6. You are wearing a high visibility jacket. How should that change the way you ride?

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    Answer B: You still ride as though drivers have not seen you

    Bright gear improves your odds of being noticed but guarantees nothing, so keep the lane position, space cushion and escape routes that protect you anyway.

  7. 7. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?

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    Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself

    You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.

  8. 8. How does alcohol change the time a driver needs to respond to a hazard?

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    Answer A: It slows it, so stopping takes longer

    Alcohol is a depressant that lengthens the time between seeing a hazard and acting on it, which adds directly to the distance needed to stop.

  9. 9. You have started to pass and you see the no-passing zone beginning ahead. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Ease off, drop back and return to your own lane

    A pass must be completed before the no-passing zone starts. If it will not fit, abandon it and slot back in behind.

  10. 10. The road is icy and visibility is poor, but you are driving at the posted speed limit. Is this acceptable?

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    Answer A: No, because you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions

    Under the basic speed rule a driver must travel at a speed that is reasonable for the actual conditions, so a legal posted speed can still be an unlawful and unsafe speed.

  11. 11. As a general rule, how far should you travel along a center two-way left-turn lane before you turn?

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    Answer C: Only a short distance, just enough to slow down and wait for a gap

    The center lane is for making or preparing a left turn, so you enter it only shortly before the turn and never travel along it as a through lane; several states set a specific limit such as 200 or 300 feet.

  12. 12. What are the minimum penalties for a first Maine OUI conviction at an alcohol level of 0.08 to 0.14?

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    Answer C: A fine of at least 500 dollars and loss of the license for at least 150 days

    Maine sets a mandatory fine of at least 500 dollars, or 600 dollars with refusal, and a license loss of at least 150 days on a first conviction in that range.

  13. 13. Which clue best warns a rider that the door of a parked car is about to open?

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    Answer B: Someone visible in the seat, or exhaust showing at the tailpipe

    Occupied cars are the ones that open doors, so scan through rear windows and mirrors and look for exhaust or wheels turning as you approach.

  14. 14. What is the legal effect of a posted speed limit sign in Maine?

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    Answer A: It is prima facie evidence that the limit was properly established and published

    Maine treats an erected speed limit sign as prima facie evidence that the regulation behind it was properly adopted and made known to drivers.

  15. 15. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?

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    Answer B: Low beams

    High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.

  16. 16. A streetcar is coming along tracks in the middle of the street as you wait to turn across them. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Let the streetcar pass before you cross the tracks

    Rail vehicles cannot steer around you and need a long distance to stop, so drivers yield to a streetcar or light rail train.

  17. 17. What changes most when a rider moves from a light motorcycle to a much heavier one?

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    Answer A: It takes longer to stop and is harder to hold up at low speed

    Extra mass means longer stopping distances and more effort in slow maneuvers and when holding the machine up, so build up gradually on an unfamiliar heavy motorcycle.

  18. 18. An oncoming car is waiting to turn left across your path at an intersection. What is the safest response?

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    Answer D: Slow, cover the brakes and pick a lane position that keeps an escape path

    A car turning left in front of a rider is one of the most common motorcycle collisions, so the rider prepares to stop or swerve rather than trusting the driver to wait.

  19. 19. On a long drive you notice repeated yawning, missed exits and drifting toward the lane line. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Pull off at a safe place and sleep, or change drivers

    Those are warning signs that sleepiness is already interfering with driving, and only rest restores alertness. Fresh air, music and caffeine do not reverse it.

  20. 20. Which surfaces usually offer less grip than the pavement around them when wet?

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    Answer B: Painted markings, metal plates and bridge decks

    Paint, steel and bridge decks all shed grip when wet or cold, so brake before you reach them rather than on top of them.

  21. 21. What is the safest way to deal with a vehicle sitting in your blind spot?

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    Answer A: Slow a little or move ahead so that it is no longer beside you

    You cannot control the other driver, but you can change your own speed so that the vehicle is no longer hidden beside you.

  22. 22. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?

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    Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass

    The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.

  23. 23. How should your following distance change in heavy rain?

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    Answer D: It should be increased well beyond what you use on dry pavement

    Wet pavement lengthens stopping distance and rain cuts visibility at the same time, so a larger gap gives you the extra seconds needed to see a problem and stop for it.

  24. 24. Which road feature is most likely to be slippery, particularly when wet?

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    Answer D: Painted lane markings, manhole covers and steel plates

    Paint and metal surfaces laid on top of the road offer far less grip than the pavement around them and become noticeably slick in the rain.

  25. 25. What fines does Maine set for using a handheld telephone or electronic device while driving?

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    Answer B: 50 dollars for a first offense and 250 dollars afterwards

    Maine sets a 50 dollar fine for a first handheld device offense and 250 dollars for subsequent offenses, with the money going to the Supplemental Transportation Fund.