Maine Permit Test (Motorist Handbook) — All Questions

A red octagon-shaped sign means:

• a.Stop completely✓
• b.Yield
• c.No U-turn
• d.Detour

Only STOP signs use the octagon shape. Stop fully at the line or crosswalk, then proceed when it is safe. (Maine Motorist Handbook, traffic signs)

In rural Maine you may see a yellow diamond sign showing a leaping deer or moose. It warns you to:

• a.Speed up through the area
• b.Watch for animals that may enter the road✓
• c.Hunt only in that area
• d.Expect a farm crossing

A yellow diamond with an animal symbol warns of frequent wildlife crossings; slow down and be ready to stop, especially at dawn, dusk, and night. (Maine Motorist Handbook, warning signs)

A flashing yellow traffic light means:

• a.Stop and stay stopped
• b.The same as a stop sign
• c.Slow down and proceed with caution✓
• d.Speed up

A flashing yellow signal warns you to slow down and proceed carefully, watching for cross traffic or hazards. (Maine Motorist Handbook, traffic signals)

A double solid yellow center line means:

• a.Passing is allowed both ways
• b.You may drive in the center
• c.The road is one-way
• d.Passing is not allowed in either direction✓

Two solid yellow lines mean neither direction may pass; stay in your lane and do not cross to pass. (Maine Motorist Handbook, pavement markings)

At an intersection where you face a stop sign, you must yield to:

• a.Cross traffic and pedestrians before entering✓
• b.No one if you stop first
• c.Only large trucks
• d.Only vehicles turning left

After stopping at a stop sign, you must yield to cross traffic and pedestrians and enter only when there is a safe gap. (Maine Motorist Handbook, right of way)

When two vehicles reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time, the driver on the left should:

• a.Go first
• b.Yield to the driver on the right✓
• c.Honk and proceed
• d.Back up

With no signs or signals, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right when both arrive together. (Maine Motorist Handbook, right of way)

Under Maine's Move Over law, when you approach a stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights, you must:

• a.Maintain speed
• b.Stop where you are
• c.Move over a lane if possible, or slow down if you cannot✓
• d.Pass on the shoulder

Maine's Move Over law requires you to change lanes away from a stopped emergency, tow, or maintenance vehicle showing warning lights, or to slow down when moving over is not possible. (Maine Motorist Handbook / Title 29-A)

When you want to turn left at an intersection, you must yield to:

• a.Nothing on a green light
• b.Only bicycles
• c.Traffic behind you
• d.Oncoming traffic and pedestrians until it is safe✓

A left-turning driver must yield to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians close enough to be a hazard, then turn when it is safe. (Maine Motorist Handbook, turning)

On an undivided road, when a school bus stops with red lights flashing, drivers in both directions must:

• a.Stop until the red lights stop flashing✓
• b.Slow to 10 mph and pass
• c.Pass on the left
• d.Continue if no children are seen

Traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights on an undivided road and remain stopped until the lights stop and the bus moves. (Maine Motorist Handbook, school buses)

Maine bans the use of a hand-held cell phone or device while driving. This means you:

• a.May text at red lights
• b.Must not hold a phone to talk or text while operating the vehicle✓
• c.May hold the phone on the highway only
• d.May use it if you drive slowly

Maine prohibits the use of a hand-held phone or electronic device while driving; use hands-free options or stop safely first. Distracted driving is also a violation. (Maine Motorist Handbook, distracted driving)

When passing a bicyclist on a Maine road, you should:

• a.Pass within a foot
• b.Force the cyclist off the road
• c.Leave at least three feet of space and pass only when safe✓
• d.Never share the road with bicycles

Maine requires at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist, and you may cross the center line to do so when it is safe. (Maine Motorist Handbook, sharing the road)

A driver approaching a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk must:

• a.Continue at speed
• b.Honk to warn them off
• c.Proceed if the light is green
• d.Yield and stop if necessary for the pedestrian✓

Drivers must yield to pedestrians within a crosswalk, stopping if necessary. Watch closely in villages, near schools, and at night. (Maine Motorist Handbook, pedestrians)

Large trucks and buses take longer to stop and have big blind spots, so you should:

• a.Avoid their blind spots and never cut in sharply in front of them✓
• b.Follow closely behind them
• c.Pass on the right in their blind spot
• d.Brake-check them

Give large vehicles room: stay out of their blind spots, and after passing, do not cut back in until you can see the whole front of the truck in your mirror, because they need far more distance to stop. (Maine Motorist Handbook, sharing the road with trucks)

Maine winters bring snow and ice. On a snowy or icy road you should:

• a.Keep your usual speed
• b.Slow down, brake gently, and increase following distance✓
• c.Use cruise control
• d.Follow closely to stay in the tracks

On snow or ice, reduce speed, brake and steer smoothly, and leave much more following distance. Do not use cruise control on slippery roads. (Maine Motorist Handbook, winter driving)

If you start to skid on ice, you should:

• a.Brake hard and hold the wheel
• b.Turn the wheel opposite the skid and accelerate
• c.Ease off the gas and steer in the direction you want to go✓
• d.Pump the brakes hard

To recover from a skid, take your foot off the gas and steer gently in the direction you want the front of the car to go; avoid hard braking, which can worsen the skid. (Maine Motorist Handbook, skids)

The posted speed limit is the maximum for ideal conditions, so in rain, fog, or snow you should:

• a.Drive the posted limit exactly
• b.Drive faster to shorten the trip
• c.Stop in the travel lane
• d.Reduce your speed to what is safe for the conditions✓

Posted limits assume good conditions. When weather or the road is poor, you must slow to a safe and reasonable speed even below the limit. (Maine Motorist Handbook, speed and conditions)

A good rule for following distance in good weather is the:

• a.Three-second rule✓
• b.One-second rule
• c.Two-car rule at any speed
• d.Half-mile rule

Use the three-second rule in good conditions: if you reach a fixed point less than three seconds after the vehicle ahead, drop back. Add time in rain, snow, or fog. (Maine Motorist Handbook, following distance)

For a driver 21 or older, Maine's illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is:

• a.0.02 or higher
• b.0.08 or higher✓
• c.0.05 or higher
• d.0.12 or higher

A driver 21 or older commits OUI at a BAC of 0.08 or higher in Maine. (Maine OUI law, Title 29-A)

Under Maine's zero-tolerance law, a driver under 21 can lose their license for driving with:

• a.A BAC of 0.08 or higher only
• b.A BAC of 0.05 or higher only
• c.Any measurable amount of alcohol✓
• d.Alcohol only after midnight

Maine has a strict zero-tolerance rule: a driver under 21 with any measurable amount of alcohol faces license suspension, well below the adult 0.08 OUI limit. (Maine underage OUI law)

What is the minimum age to get a Maine instruction (learner's) permit?

• a.14
• b.16
• c.17
• d.15✓

A teen may obtain a Maine learner's permit at age 15 (while enrolled in driver education) and must practice supervised before an intermediate license. (Maine graduated licensing)

For the first 270 days (about 9 months) of a Maine intermediate license, the driver may not carry passengers EXCEPT:

• a.Immediate family members, unless a licensed driver 20 or older is present✓
• b.Any friends under 18
• c.Up to three teens
• d.Anyone if it is daytime

During the first 270 days, a Maine intermediate license holder may carry only immediate family members unless accompanied by a licensed driver at least 20 years old. (Maine GDL passenger restriction)

A Maine intermediate license holder generally may not drive between:

• a.9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• b.midnight and 5 a.m.✓
• c.11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• d.10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Maine's intermediate license prohibits driving from midnight to 5 a.m., with limited exceptions such as employment, education, or emergencies. (Maine GDL night restriction)