Rhode Island DMV Permit Practice Test 5
Test 5 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 approaching a yield sign on a ramp that joins a busy street. What does the sign require?
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Answer A: Slow down, be ready to stop, and let the other traffic go first
A yield sign means you must slow, be prepared to stop and give way to traffic on the road you are entering; a full stop is required only when traffic makes it necessary.
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2. How should the outside mirrors be aimed to reduce your blind spots?
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Answer A: Outward, so each one covers the lane beside you rather than repeating the inside mirror
Mirrors aimed too far inward show you the same road three times and leave a large gap beside the vehicle, so aiming them outward shrinks the blind spot.
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3. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?
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Answer C: A steady yellow
The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.
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4. A pedestrian starts to cross against a Do Not Walk signal, right in front of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow or stop and let the person reach safety
Even when a pedestrian is crossing unlawfully, a driver must take reasonable care to avoid hitting that person.
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5. According to the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, what is the speed limit in residential areas?
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Answer B: 25 miles per hour
Rhode Island sets 25 miles per hour in residential areas, while most highways run between 50 and 65 miles per hour.
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6. Below a speed limit sign is a smaller panel with white numbers on a black background and the word NIGHT. What does it show?
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Answer D: The limit that applies after dark
A night speed limit panel sets a separate legal maximum for the hours of darkness, and its reversed colors mark it as the night figure.
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7. The overhead signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?
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Answer B: Prepare to move out of that lane
A steady yellow X warns that the lane is about to close, so drivers should get ready to vacate it in favor of an open lane.
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8. Besides a chemical test, what else supports an impaired driving charge?
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Answer B: The officer's observations of the driving and the driver
Weaving, slow responses, speech and balance observed by the officer are evidence in their own right, which is why a driver can be charged on behavior alone.
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9. How does Rhode Island classify a second or later reckless driving conviction under 31-27-4?
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Answer D: As a felony, exposing the driver to up to five years in prison
A second or subsequent reckless driving conviction is a felony under 31-27-4, exposing the driver to up to five years in prison.
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10. What should you do before you back out of your own driveway at home?
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Answer A: Walk around the vehicle and check behind it for children or objects
A small child, a bicycle or a toy can sit entirely inside the blind area behind a vehicle, and a walk-around is the only way to be sure it is clear.
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11. What standard does Rhode Island's basic speed law in General Law 31-14-1 use to judge whether a driver's speed is lawful?
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Answer D: Whether the speed was reasonable and prudent for the actual and potential hazards then existing
31-14-1 measures lawful speed against what is reasonable and prudent given the actual and potential hazards existing at the time, not a single fixed number.
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12. What fine does an adult driver face for a first violation of Rhode Island's handheld phone law, General Law 31-22-31?
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Answer C: 100 dollars
31-22-31 sets a $100 fine for engaging in a call on a hand-held personal wireless communication device while driving.
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13. In plain words, what is oversteer?
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Answer C: The rear of the vehicle slides out and the car turns too sharply
Oversteer means the rear tires have lost grip first, so the tail swings out and the vehicle turns more than you asked it to.
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14. The light ahead is green but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait behind the intersection until there is room to clear it completely
You may not enter an intersection unless you can get completely through it, because stopping inside blocks cross traffic when the signal changes.
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15. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?
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Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass
Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.
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16. May you park in front of a public or private driveway?
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Answer A: No, blocking a driveway is prohibited even for a short time
Parking in front of a driveway blocks the property owner from entering or leaving, and the prohibition does not depend on how long you stay.
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17. Low sun is shining onto the signal ahead and you cannot tell which light is lit. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down and be ready to stop until you can be sure
An unreadable signal has to be treated as one that may be red, so approach slowly enough to stop while you work out what it shows.
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18. A driver on a hands free call looks straight at a red light and drives through it. What best explains this?
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Answer B: The eyes saw it but the brain did not process it
Attention, not eyesight, decides what a driver actually sees, and a loaded mind can leave a driver looking straight at a hazard without registering it.
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19. Can a Rhode Island driver who relies on bioptic telescopic lenses receive a motorcycle license?
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Answer B: No, bioptic telescopic lens users are eligible for a learner's permit and license only, never a motorcycle permit or license
Rhode Island's bioptic telescopic lens regulation makes wearers eligible for a learner's permit and license, but expressly excludes eligibility for a motorcycle permit or license.
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20. You have a green light and are turning right. Pedestrians are stepping off the curb into the crosswalk you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let them cross before completing your turn
A green light does not release a turning driver from yielding to pedestrians already in the crosswalk of the street being entered.
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21. When must headlights be switched on in Rhode Island?
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Answer A: From sunset to sunrise, whenever you cannot see 500 feet ahead, and any time the wipers are on
The manual requires headlights from sunset to sunrise, whenever visibility drops below 500 feet, and at any time the windshield wipers are in use.
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22. An orange sign reading END ROAD WORK is posted beside the highway. What does it mark?
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Answer C: The point where the work zone restrictions stop
The sign is installed at the downstream end of the temporary traffic control zone to tell drivers that normal conditions apply again.
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23. What does a posted speed limit sign represent?
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Answer B: The maximum speed permitted under ideal conditions
A speed limit is an upper limit that assumes good weather, good visibility and light traffic, so the safe speed is often lower than the posted figure.
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24. From which lane should a permitted U-turn be started?
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Answer A: The lane nearest the center line, the same one used for a left turn
A U-turn is begun from the far left lane for your direction, the same position used for a left turn, so you do not cut across traffic beside you.
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25. Why should you make sure your turn signal has stopped flashing after a lane change?
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Answer A: A signal left flashing tells other drivers that you intend to move again
Other drivers act on your signals, so one that is left on gives them false information about what you are about to do.
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26. Where should you be looking as you steer through a turn?
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Answer C: Toward the point on the new road where you want to end up
Drivers steer toward what they look at, so looking through the turn to where you want to go keeps the path smooth and accurate.
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27. A motorcycle ahead of you is weaving slightly as it crosses a stretch of grooved pavement. What should you do?
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Answer D: Give the rider extra room until the surface improves
Grooves, metal plates and loose material affect a motorcycle far more than a car, so back off and let the rider deal with the surface.
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28. On a narrow two-lane road a line of vehicles has built up behind you. What is the safe and courteous action?
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Answer D: Pull into a turnout or a safe wide spot and let them go by
A slow vehicle holding up a queue invites risky passing; using a turnout clears the road without anyone having to take a chance.
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29. What is sensible when you drive in an unfamiliar town for the first time?
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Answer C: Drive a little slower and give yourself more time to read the signs
In unfamiliar surroundings you need longer to take in signs, junctions and markings, and lower speed buys that time.
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30. A rectangular marker with alternating black and retroreflective yellow stripes set at a slant is used to
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Answer C: mark an obstruction, with the stripes sloping down toward the side on which traffic should pass
This striped panel is an object marker, and the direction in which the stripes slope shows the driver which side of the obstruction to pass on.
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31. A bicycle symbol topped by two chevrons is painted in the middle of a travel lane. What does that marking indicate?
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Answer D: Bicyclists share the lane with motor vehicles and may ride away from the curb
A shared lane marking shows drivers where bicyclists are likely to ride in a lane used by both bicycles and motor vehicles.
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32. What belongs in a basic emergency kit carried in a car?
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Answer D: A flashlight, a first aid kit, jumper cables and some warning devices
A useful kit lets you see, be seen, treat an injury and restart the vehicle; carrying loose gasoline is a fire risk.
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33. Which drivers get an occupational exception from Rhode Island's handheld phone law while performing their official duties, under 31-22-31?
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Answer C: Peace officers, firefighters, ambulance and taxi operators, and public utility workers
31-22-31 exempts peace officers, firefighters, ambulance and taxi operators, and public utility workers from the handheld phone ban while performing official duties.
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34. Your light turns green, but a vehicle from the cross street is still finishing a turn inside the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until that vehicle has cleared the intersection
A green indication lets you proceed only after yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to vehicles already lawfully within the intersection.
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35. A funeral procession with headlights on is crossing an intersection when your light turns green. What should you do?
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Answer A: Wait and let the whole procession go through
Most states let a funeral procession stay together once the lead vehicle has lawfully entered an intersection, and in every state you must yield to vehicles already in the intersection, so wait until the line has passed.
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36. Another driver takes a right of way that was legally yours. What should you do?
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Answer A: Give way to the other driver and avoid the crash, whatever the law says
Right of way is something you give, not something you take, and being in the right is no protection in a collision.
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37. How many times may a Rhode Island learner's permit for a person 18 or older be renewed before the knowledge exam must be taken again?
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Answer C: Twice
The one-year learner's permit may be renewed for two additional one-year periods, after which the holder must pass the knowledge exam again if no full license has been obtained.
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38. At what blood alcohol concentration is any Rhode Island driver charged with driving under the influence?
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Answer C: 0.08 percent or more
The manual states that a person of any age with a BAC of .08 percent or more is intoxicated and will be charged with driving under the influence.
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39. What penalty can a Rhode Island vehicle owner face for a first offense of knowingly operating without the required insurance, under 31-47-9?
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Answer A: A suspension of up to three months and a fine of 100 to 500 dollars
31-47-9 sets a first-offense penalty of up to a three month suspension and a fine of $100 to $500 for knowingly operating without required insurance.
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40. At many crossings the walk indication appears only after a button is pressed. What happens if a pedestrian does not press it?
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Answer B: The signal may cycle without showing a walk indication
An actuated pedestrian phase is called in by the pushbutton, so without it the controller may serve the vehicle movements alone.