Rhode Island DMV Permit Practice Test 2
Test 2 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 32 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Rhode Island test.
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You are in the open lane where another lane is merging into yours. What is your part in the merge?
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Answer A: Keep a steady speed and leave a gap for one vehicle to come in
A merge works when each driver in the through lane lets one vehicle in, which keeps both lines moving instead of stopping them both.
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2. Which shape is used for the school advance warning sign and the school crossing sign?
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Answer B: An upward-pointing pentagon
The five-sided pentagon with its point up identifies school signing, so the outline alone tells a driver that children may be present.
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3. You are about to change lanes to the left when you notice a vehicle already overtaking you in that lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold your lane and your speed, and change only after that vehicle has gone by
A signal asks for space but does not create it, and the overtaking driver has nowhere to go if you move across.
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4. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?
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Answer D: Loss of muscle control and steady steering
Higher levels of alcohol reach the parts of the brain that control movement, which shows up as clumsy steering, late braking and poor lane control.
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5. As a center two-way left-turn lane reaches an intersection, the markings change into a single left-turn lane. What does that mean for you?
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Answer D: From that point it serves one direction only, so use it just to turn left
Where the shared lane becomes a marked turn bay it belongs to one direction of travel, and only vehicles making that left turn may occupy it.
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6. What should you do about snow and ice on your vehicle before driving?
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Answer C: Clear all glass, mirrors and lights, and the roof and hood as well
Snow left on the roof or hood slides onto your windshield when you brake and blows into the path of drivers behind you, and covered lights make your vehicle hard to see.
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7. You are leaving a freeway at an exit that has a deceleration lane. Where should you slow down?
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Answer C: After you have moved fully into the exit lane
Braking in a through lane surprises the traffic behind you, so you move into the exit lane at highway speed and then slow down inside it.
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8. After a Rhode Island driver reinstates a registration that was revoked for lacking insurance, what follows?
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Answer A: A 12 month monitoring period during which continued compliance with mandatory insurance is verified
Reinstatement triggers a 12 month monitoring period during which the Insurance Verification Program checks continued compliance with mandatory insurance.
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9. On a two-lane road with a broken yellow center line, may you cross it to turn into a driveway on the left?
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Answer C: Yes, when it is safe and the oncoming lane is clear
A broken center line may be crossed for a pass or for a left turn into a road or a driveway, once the oncoming lane is clear.
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10. Besides a fine, what license suspension exposure builds up under Rhode Island's texting law, 31-22-30, across repeated convictions?
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Answer A: Up to 30 days for a first offense, up to 3 months for a second, and up to 6 months for a third
31-22-30 authorizes a license suspension of up to 30 days for a first texting conviction, up to 3 months for a second, and up to 6 months for a third or later conviction.
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11. The signal ahead has a sign prohibiting left turns, and your route needs a left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Go straight on and find a legal place to turn and come back
A turn prohibition applies to every driver, so you continue through and reach your route by another legal turn.
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12. After turning right you see a sign showing that your lane ends a short way ahead. What should you do?
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Answer B: Signal and merge into the next lane while there is still room
Merge early and smoothly while a gap is still available, rather than running out of pavement or forcing your way in at the last moment.
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13. You are very angry after an argument and about to drive. What should you know?
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Answer A: Strong emotions can impair judgment and attention much like alcohol
Anger, grief and stress pull attention inward and encourage risk taking. Give yourself time to settle down before getting behind the wheel.
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14. Why is a U-turn on a one-way street a problem?
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Answer A: You would end up facing the wrong way against all the traffic
Every lane of a one-way street runs the same way, so turning around leaves you driving head-on against all of the traffic.
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15. What can a first violation of Rhode Island's open container law under 31-22-21.1 cost a driver?
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Answer A: A fine of up to 200 dollars or a license suspension of up to six months, or both
A first open container violation under 31-22-21.1 brings a fine of up to $200 or a license suspension of up to six months, or both.
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16. A truck passes you in heavy rain and its spray blanks out your windshield. What should you do?
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Answer B: Hold the wheel steady, ease off slightly and let the wipers clear it
The blackout lasts a second or two. Keeping your line and easing off is far safer than braking hard or steering blind toward the shoulder.
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17. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?
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Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp
The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.
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18. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
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Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
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19. You began a turn from the wrong lane and are already inside the intersection. What should you not do?
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Answer A: Reverse in order to get back into the correct lane
Backing up in an intersection puts you into the path of traffic that cannot expect it; finish the movement and fix your position afterwards.
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20. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you
A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.
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21. Why is standing water across a road dangerous even when it looks shallow?
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Answer B: It can hide a washed out roadbed, a deep hole or a missing cover
You cannot see the surface under the water, and floods commonly wash the roadbed away or lift covers off drains.
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22. When is switching traction control off sometimes useful?
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Answer A: When you need spinning wheels to rock out of deep snow or mud
Rocking a stuck vehicle free needs the wheel spin that the system normally prevents. Switch it back on as soon as you are moving again.
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23. Why is texting considered one of the most dangerous distractions?
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Answer B: It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction at the same time
Reading or writing a message takes your eyes off the road, at least one hand off the controls and your attention off driving simultaneously.
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24. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?
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Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again
An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.
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25. A driver who has been drinking has two cups of strong coffee. What has changed?
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Answer D: The driver is more awake but just as impaired
Coffee can make a drinker feel alert, but nothing except time removes alcohol from the blood, so a wide awake drinker is still an impaired driver.
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26. Are tow trucks and transporter trucks legally 'emergency vehicles' under the Rhode Island statute that requires drivers to move over or slow down for them?
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Answer B: No, they are listed separately from emergency vehicles but are still covered by the same reduced-speed and move-over duty
31-14-3 lists tow trucks and transporter trucks separately from authorized emergency vehicles, yet still covers them under the same reduced-speed and move-over duty.
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27. What kind of bioptic telescopic lens device does Rhode Island's licensing regulation require, in terms of how it attaches and how much it magnifies?
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Answer B: A spectacle-mounted, fixed-focus device with a maximum of 3x magnification
Rhode Island requires an approved bioptic telescopic lens to be spectacle-mounted, fixed focus, and limited to a maximum of 3x magnification.
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28. What discount range does Rhode Island insurance rating regulation set for vehicles equipped with anti-theft devices?
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Answer D: Minimum discounts ranging from about 5 percent for an alarm up to 25 percent for a vehicle recovery system
Rhode Island's insurance rating rules set minimum anti-theft discounts from about 5 percent for an alarm device up to 25 percent for a vehicle recovery system, with combined devices reaching higher.
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29. The queue for an exit ramp has backed up into the right lane of the highway. What should you do if you want that exit?
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Answer B: Join the back of the queue in the lane instead of cutting in later
Passing a queue and forcing in at the front stops the whole line, and using the shoulder puts you where broken-down vehicles are expected to be.
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30. How does the ignition interlock period set for a chemical test refusal under 31-27-2.1(c)(1) compare with the period set for an ordinary DUI conviction?
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Answer C: It is longer, running six months to two years rather than three months to one year
For a refusal under 31-27-2.1(c)(1), the interlock period runs six months to two years, longer than the three month to one year range for an ordinary DUI conviction.
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31. A center lane is marked with a broken yellow line on each side and is controlled by overhead lane signals. How is that lane used?
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Answer A: It carries traffic one way or the other according to the signals
A reversible lane is marked with broken yellow lines on both sides and its direction of travel is set by the lane control signals above it.
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32. How can a Rhode Island driver 18 or older lawfully take a phone call while driving under 31-22-31?
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Answer D: By using a hands-free or speakerphone method rather than holding the device to talk
31-22-31 bans engaging in a call by holding a handheld device, so an adult driver must use a hands-free or speakerphone method to take a call lawfully while driving.
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33. A steady green downward arrow is displayed above the lane you are in. What does it tell you?
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Answer A: You may drive in that lane
A green downward arrow means the lane beneath it is open for travel in your direction.
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34. How long does a Rhode Island vehicle owner have to request a hearing after being mailed notice of a registration revocation for lack of insurance verification?
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Answer C: 10 days
Under Rhode Island's Insurance Verification Program regulation, an owner has 10 days after the notice is mailed to request a hearing before the registration is revoked.
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35. You are slowing to turn right at an intersection and a bicyclist is riding beside your right side in a bike lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Let the bicyclist go through the intersection before you begin the turn
Turning across the path of a bicyclist who is going straight causes the classic right-hook crash. The rider continuing straight has the right-of-way over your turn.
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36. An arrow panel at a work zone displays a flashing arrow pointing to the left. What does it require?
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Answer C: Move out of the closed lane into the lane on the left
A flashing or sequential arrow on an arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane and into the lane the arrow points to.
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37. A child in the back seat unfastens a seat belt while you are on the freeway. What should you do?
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Answer A: Pull off safely and refasten the belt
Turning or reaching back takes your eyes and hands off a high speed task, so leave the freeway or use the shoulder only if there is no exit, then fix the belt.
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38. What passenger limit applies during the first 12 months of a Rhode Island Limited Provisional License?
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Answer A: No more than one passenger younger than 21, apart from immediate family or household members
For the first twelve months only one passenger under 21 may ride, and immediate family or household members are excepted from that limit.
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39. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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40. A yellow diamond showing two vertical arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down, warns that
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Answer A: the road ahead carries traffic in both directions
The two-way traffic sign warns that the roadway ahead is not divided and that vehicles will be coming from the opposite direction.