Maine BMV Driver’s License & Permit Practice Tests

Be careful that you do not signal too early. If you plan to turn beyond an intersection, signal after crossing. If you signal before the intersection, another driver might get the wrong idea and pull into your path.

Construction warning signs are posted to alert drivers of road construction or maintenance activity ahead. They also serve to guide a motorist safely through or around the work site. These signs are black symbols or lettering on an orange background and are often diamond shaped.

You should not leave on a trip if you are already tired.

It is estimated that 30% to 50% of us are not getting the amount of sleep our bodies require. The result is a sleep debt we owe ourselves. And the only way to erase this debt is to get more sleep. So do not be fooled by feeling alert just before you plan to drive, because as soon as you get behind the wheel and relax, your sleep debt may take over and put you in serious danger of falling asleep.

A police officer may conduct a vehicle safety inspection at any time. In fact, Maine occasionally uses legal roadblocks for just that purpose.

You should never insist on the right-of-way.

Any time you merge with other traffic, you must yield the right of way to the other cars. It is your job to allow enough space to keep from interfering with other vehicles.

If you are parked on a hill: Turn wheels so that if the car moves downhill the wheels will be stopped by the curb. Or, if there is no curb, the wheels will turn the car off the road (not into traffic). Study illustrations in the Maine Motorist Handbook.

Many streets have signs that show what each of the lanes is to be used for. Cars in left lane must turn left. Cars in right lane must go straight or turn right.

Two-way Traffic.

Keep to the right because you are leaving a one-way street and are entering a two-way street. The sign is also used to remind drivers they are on a two-way road.

Remember, you should drive in the right-hand lane and expect oncoming traffic in the left-hand lane.

Alcohol interferes with the brain’s ability to react and to concentrate. A person who has been drinking is more likely to:

Drinkers also have less control of emotions. They tend to become less and less rational, more easily saddened, upset or angry and thus more likely to take risks while driving.

The best thing is to avoid drinking.

Alcohol is a drug. It is the most used and abused drug in America today. Alcohol can and has ruined the lives of untold millions. If you have been drinking do not drive. If you are driving do not drink!

Because it is hard to see while you are backing, try to do as little backing as possible. Avoid backing into traffic. When you enter a driveway or parking space, back into it unless signs forbid it. That way you will be going forward when you pull out.

Be alert for buses, school buses, tank trucks, etc. that must stop at all railroad crossings.

Buses transporting passengers, including school buses, and tank trucks carrying flammable liquids must always stop at railroad crossings. So expect the stops and slow down early to allow plenty of room.

Many times worse than alcohol or drugs used alone is the use of alcohol and drugs at the same time. The combined influence of these two substances can produce dangerous effects on the mind and body, often resulting in death.

A permit holder must be supervised at all times.

The person holding a permit must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 20 years of age and has held a valid license for two years. The licensed driver must occupy the seat adjacent to the driver with the learner’s permit and must be licensed to drive the class of vehicle(s) being operated.

Do not turn just because an approaching motorcyclist has a turn signal on. The driver may plan to turn just beyond you. Or their signal may have been left on from an earlier turn. Their signals do not always cancel by themselves. Wait until the driver actually starts to turn.

Stop your car at once. If you can, move your car off the road so that you do not block traffic.

Unless otherwise posted, the legal speed limit is 45 mph outside any business or residential or built-up area of Maine.

Areas near the left (or right) rear corner of your car are called blind spots because you cannot see them through the mirrors. You have to turn your head and look. Look on the side you want to move to.

Check quickly. Do not take your eyes off the road ahead for more than an instant. The vehicle ahead of you could stop suddenly while you are checking behind.

No matter what kind of car you have, or how well you adjust your mirrors, there is still a blind spot. Never rely solely on your mirrors. It is the car you do not see that is the most dangerous.

If you were struck from the side, the impact could push you across the seat. Seat belts keep you in position so you can control the car.

If you are found guilty based on the police officer’s testimony, your refusal to take a test will be considered as an aggravating factor by the judge and another OUI suspension will be tacked on, so you will have a much longer penalty than if you had taken the test.

Your speed should be no faster than 65 mph. Never drive faster than the posted speed limit. Remember, speed limits say you cannot go faster than the speed shown.

You may NOT exceed the speed limit when passing.

Road turns right. Road ahead makes a sharp turn in the direction of the arrow (right). Slow down, keep right, and do not pass.

Right turn – left arm extended, with elbow bent upward, at about a 90-degree angle.

The back seat is the safest place for a child of any age to ride. Infants should always ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. Never put an infant less than one year old in the front seat of a car with a passenger side airbag.

You must always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked.

Slippery when wet.

Some road surfaces are more slippery than others when wet. These roads are usually posted with this warning sign.

Remember, on cold, wet days, bridges and overpasses can hide spots of ice. These areas freeze first and dry out last.

Use low beams when following other vehicles, when meeting oncoming vehicles, and when driving in town with other vehicles nearby.

Use high beams when there are no oncoming vehicles nor vehicle close ahead.

Do not drive at any time with only your parking lights on.

Use your turn signals in the same way as any other intersection. Exit from the circle or roundabout is made by making a right turn. Extreme caution should be used when entering and leaving traffic circles or roundabouts and strict attention to highway signs and pavement markings is necessary.

Remember, inside the circle, drivers must yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the operator’s left.

Skids are mainly caused by drivers traveling too fast for the conditions. By judging just how slippery the road is and adjust the speed accordingly, most skids can be avoided.

Remember, do not enter the intersection if you will block traffic. Green means go. When the way is clear of traffic and pedestrians, you may go straight ahead or turn left or right where permitted.