Maine BMV Driver’s License & Permit Practice Tests

When you stop or start the car, do not idle for more than one minute. Driving slowly for the first few minutes is a more efficient way to warm the motor.

The most important thing to do when you are approaching a work zone is to be alert and slow down. This helps protect you as the driver and the workers who are working in a dangerous location.

Keep a safe following distance to vehicles ahead. The most common type of accidents in work zones is rear-end crashes.

Cover the victim with a blanket or a coat to maintain body temperature and help prevent shock.

Be patient. You may not drive a motor vehicle through a parking area to avoid obeying the requirements of a traffic control device.

Start from the lane closest to where you want to go. If you are turning right, start from the right lane, keeping as close to the curb as possible.

Turn into the lane that is closest to the lane from which you came. On a right turn, turn into the right lane. Do not swing wide.

Remember to yield to pedestrians crossing the intersection.

Merge sign. There is another lane of traffic on the right merging with your lane ahead.

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

Only time will rid you of the effects of alcohol. Only time will sober you up. There is no quick way to sober up or to get the alcohol out of your body. Drinking black coffee, taking a cold shower, exercising, or eating might make you feel more alert after drinking alcohol. However, none of these actions affect how quickly alcohol leaves your body.

Drivers should position the seat as far away from the dashboard as is practical to operate the vehicle. Passenger seat is pushed back as far as possible.

When crossing a sidewalk, you must yield to all pedestrians or bicyclists on the sidewalk.

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.

Always test the brakes after driving through deep water. The brakes may pull you to one side, or they may not work at all. Dry the brakes by driving slowly and putting your brakes on lightly for a short distance.

If the car begins to skid:

• Take your foot off the gas pedal to slow down gradually.
• Stay off the brake. If you brake hard, your wheels will lock and that makes the skid worse.
• Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the car to go. This lines the front of the car up with the back.
• As soon as the car begins to straighten out, turn the wheel back the other way so that the car won’t turn too far. If you don’t turn the wheel back, you can start a new skid.
• Continue to correct your steering, left and right, until you recover completely from the skid.

If your name or address changes from that given on your license, Maine law requires that you notify the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of change.

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.

If you are stopped behind a large vehicle on an upgrade, leave space in case the vehicle drifts backward when it starts to move. Also stay to the left so the driver can see you in the mirror.

All vehicles approaching traffic circles or roundabouts must yield the right-of-way to vehicles already in the circle or roundabout unless otherwise directed by a police officer or by traffic control devices. You must also yield to pedestrians and bicyclists who are legally crossing the road.

It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus with red lights flashing on school property, on any undivided highway or parking area in Maine.

If you are approaching a stopped school bus from either direction, with its red lights flashing, you must bring your vehicle to a complete stop in front or rear of the school bus and wait while children are getting on or off the bus. You must not proceed until the bus resumes motion or until signaled by the school bus driver to do so. Violations carry severe penalties.

When you cross traffic, you need room to get across. Stopping halfway across is only safe when there is a median divider large enough for your vehicle. Do not stop in a divider where part of your vehicle is sticking into traffic.

Special overhead lights are sometimes used to indicate which lanes of a highway may be used at certain times:

• Steady Red X: Do not drive in this lane.
• Steady Yellow X: Clear this lane, signal is about to change to red.
• Flashing Yellow X: This lane may only be used for a left turn.
• Green Arrow: You may use this lane.

Never stop in the middle of an intersection. If you are at an intersection, get out of it before you pull over.

Sharp Turn. The road will make a sharp turn to the left.

Posted speed limits do not tell you at what speed to drive. They only say you cannot go faster than the speed shown. If road and weather conditions make the posted speed unsafe, you must slow down. This is known as the basic speed law.

Check your mirror often for traffic behind you – every 6 to 8 seconds. This way you will find out if someone is following too closely or coming up too fast, and you will still have time to do something about it. You need to look behind you whenever you slow down quickly, back up, or drive down a long or steep hill. When you cross an intersection it is important to look ahead and check your sides.

Do not tie up traffic in the left lane. The left lane is for drivers who want to pass or turn left.

Going slower than other cars can be as bad as speeding. Cars bunch up behind you and could cause a rear-end crash. If many cars are pulling out to pass you, and you are driving at the posted speed, you should drive slower or pull over to the right side and wait until they pass.

Use low beams in fog, snow, or heavy rain. Light from high beams reflects back from such precipitation and causes glare.

Maine law requires every owner and operator of a motor vehicle to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance and to present evidence upon request of a law enforcement officer. Any vehicle you are operating must be insured even though you are not the owner.

You should verify and carry evidence of insurance in the vehicle.

Maine law also requires Maine motorists to show evidence of insurance when you register a motor vehicle.

A yield sign is a triangle. It is red and white (some old signs may still be yellow with black letters).

It means you should slow down to wait for traffic to clear on the road you are entering or crossing. Give the right-of- way to all vehicles and pedestrians.

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.

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.