Maine CAR DMV Practice Test 3

When driving an unfamiliar vehicle, take a few minutes before driving to familiarize yourself with the location and operation of the turn signals, hazard warning signals, headlights and beam selector, windshield wipers and washers, brakes, gear selector, and horn. Any defects should be corrected before the vehicle is driven.

When changing lanes, you should check your vehicle's blind spots by looking over your shoulder in the direction that you want to move. Always check your mirrors and turn on your directional signal before beginning a lane change.

A flashing yellow arrow indicates that left turns are allowed in the direction of the arrow. However, the oncoming traffic has a green light and you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Yield to pedestrians and cars that may be caught in an intersection when you have a green light. Be careful around pedestrians under every circumstance.

After coming to a complete stop, you may turn left at a red light only if you are traveling on a one-way street and turning onto another one-way street. Only make the turn if there are no posted signs prohibiting such a turn.

When making a left turn where there is approaching traffic, you must wait for the approaching traffic to go through before you turn. You may enter the intersection to prepare for your left turn if the light is green and no other vehicle ahead of you plans to make a left turn.

Treat a flashing red light the same as a stop sign. Come to a complete stop at the stop line or, if there is no stop line, prior to the crosswalk and before entering the intersection. Yield to all other traffic and pedestrians.

Solid white lines are used to separate lanes traveling in the same direction (as well as to mark the right edge of the road). Broken white lines separate lanes traveling in the same direction and may be crossed to pass. Yellow lines separate lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions.

Hydroplaning occurs when there is standing water on a roadway. At speeds up to 35 mph, most tires will channel water away from the tire. As your speed increases past 35 mph, tires cannot channel the water as well and your tires may start to lose contact with the road and ride over the water like a set of water skis.

Drivers should signal when pulling next to a curb or away from a curb.

Make room for ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency vehicles that are using sirens and/or flashing lights. It is unlawful to follow within 500 feet of an emergency vehicle that is responding to an emergency.

This sign is displayed on slow-moving vehicles.

It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Neither drivers nor passengers may possess an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle while it is in operation.

Drinking coffee will not reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). While it may help you to stay awake, it cannot change your BAC or make you sober.

You must approach all railroad crossings with extreme caution and cross only when you know that no train is coming from either direction. Be aware of vehicles that must stop at all railroad crossings, such as school buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials.

Signal, check your mirrors, and check your blind spot before changing lanes or passing on an interstate. Only stop on the shoulder of the interstate in the case of an emergency and change lanes as infrequently as possible. Cruise control should not be used in heavy traffic or under poor weather conditions.

Warning signs prepare drivers for upcoming road conditions and hazards and are usually yellow with black markings. This sign alerts drivers to an upcoming curve in the road.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign alerts drivers to where pedestrians may be crossing. If a pedestrian is crossing in a crosswalk marked with this sign, drivers must stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian is no longer in the crosswalk.

Warning signs alert drivers to upcoming hazards and are usually yellow with black markings. This sign warns drivers about potential traffic merging into their lane from the right.

Safe passing depends on cooperation between drivers. Don’t speed up when being passed. Don’t cut in too closely to a passed vehicle when re-entering a lane.

Warning signs are usually yellow with black markings. This sign indicates that there could be traffic merging from the right, so drivers should prepare to allow traffic to safely merge.

Holding a driver license is not a right. It is a privilege that must be earned and maintained.

Legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs can impair your ability to drive, including drugs taken for colds, hay fever, allergies, or to calm nerves or muscles. It is illegal to drive while under the influence of any drug that impairs your ability to drive safely; this law does not differentiate between illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs.

When driving near a blind pedestrian, using your horn may be dangerous. Yield to the pedestrian and proceed when it is safe to do so.

If you are already within an intersection when the traffic light turns yellow, you should clear the intersection as quickly as possible.

Never attempt to drive on a flooded road. Even if the water looks shallow, it may hide many kinds of hazards. If you encounter a flooded area, turn around and seek another route to your destination.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions. A single dashed yellow line in the center of a road indicates that vehicles traveling in both directions are permitted to pass. Drivers may only begin a pass if they will not interfere with any oncoming traffic.

A roundabout is a circular intersection that flows in a counterclockwise direction around a central island and usually does not include a traffic signal. Entering motorists must yield to traffic already in the roundabout and follow the circle to the right until the desired roadway is reached.

Every 0.02 percent increase in blood alcohol concentration nearly doubles a driver's risk of being in a fatal crash.

You must always stop before crossing railroad tracks if flashing red lights are activated, a crossing gate is lowered, a stop sign is posted, a flagger signals you to stop, or a train is visible or so close to the crossing that it would be hazardous to continue driving. If you are unsure if a train is too close for you to safely cross the tracks, stop. Never race a train.

As alcohol builds up in your system, it will slow your reactions, make you feel more confident, and cause you to make more errors.

Excessive vehicle speed can have disastrous effects. As a vehicle's speed increases, the potential impact of a collision also increases, elevating the possibility of serious injury and death. Increase your following distance as your speed increases to ensure that you will be able to stop safely if needed.

If you come to a roadway that is flooded, turn around and find another way to go. Do not attempt to drive through the water. It will be impossible to determine its depth or current and your vehicle could become submerged or swept away.

Alcohol, in any concentration, is a depressant. It slows all nerve impulses and bodily functions, resulting in a lessening of inhibitions and negatively affecting a consumer's ability to concentrate and stay alert.

If you must drive in foggy conditions, you should use your low beam headlights, as well as your fog lights, if your vehicle has them. High beams direct their light upwards, where it can bounce off the fog and into your eyes, reducing visibility even more.

You should always use your low beam headlights when driving in fog. High beam headlights may cause the light to reflect off of the fog and into your eyes.

If a traffic light at an intersection is not functioning due to a power outage, yield to other drivers in the same manner as you would when approaching a four-way stop. When it is your turn, proceed through the intersection with caution.

Large trucks take longer to stop than other vehicles traveling at the same speed. The average passenger vehicle traveling at 55 mph can stop within 400 feet. However, a large truck traveling at the same speed can take almost 800 feet to stop.

This sign means that a traffic signal is ahead. You should slow down and be prepared to stop.

You should never start a left turn until you can see that all the lanes you need to cross are clear and that you can safely make the turn.