Rhode Island DMV Permit Practice Test 8
Test 8 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. Does Rhode Island law address driving too slowly, as well as driving too fast?
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Answer D: Yes, 31-14-9 bars driving so slowly that it impedes normal, reasonable traffic movement, unless reduced speed is needed for safety
31-14-9 prohibits driving at a speed so slow that it impedes the normal movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or required by law.
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2. You have just merged onto a freeway from an entrance ramp. What should you do next?
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Answer C: Settle into the right lane and build up speed before changing lanes
Crossing lanes while you are still below the speed of the traffic forces other drivers to brake, so the speed comes first and the lane change second.
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3. When is slowing down, rather than changing lanes, the only compliance option under Rhode Island's move-over law?
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Answer B: When the roadway has only one lane for traffic in that direction, or a lane change cannot be made safely
31-14-3 limits the reduced-speed-only option to roads with a single lane in that direction of travel, or where a lane change cannot be made safely without interfering with traffic.
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4. You are passing a tractor-trailer on a wet freeway and its wheels throw heavy spray. What is the best technique?
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Answer B: Increase your wipers and pass steadily without hesitating
Spray blinds you for as long as you stay beside the truck, so prepare the wipers first and then spend as little time in the spray as possible.
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5. The lane you are in has a right-turn-only arrow painted on the pavement. What must you do?
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Answer C: Turn right, because a lane-use arrow is a legal requirement
Lane-use arrows painted on the pavement are regulatory markings, so a driver in that lane must travel in the direction shown.
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6. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?
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Answer C: A left turn
The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.
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7. Under 31-22-31, does briefly touching a handheld phone to activate or deactivate a function count as illegally 'engaging in a call'?
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Answer D: No, the statute specifically excludes using one hand to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function from the definition of engaging in a call
31-22-31 defines 'engage in a call' as talking or listening on a handheld device, but expressly excludes holding the device only to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function.
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8. Who may set a temporary maximum speed limit through a Rhode Island highway construction or maintenance operation under 31-14-12.1?
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Answer D: The department of transportation or the local governing unit with jurisdiction over the road, when the existing limit is unsafe for conditions there
31-14-12.1 lets the department of transportation or the local governing unit with jurisdiction set a reasonable, safe temporary maximum speed limit when the preexisting limit is unsafe for the conditions in a work zone.
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9. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?
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Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle
Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.
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10. You are waiting to turn left and a motorcycle is approaching from the opposite direction. Why should you take extra care judging its speed and distance?
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Answer A: Its small size makes it look farther away and slower than it really is
A motorcycle's narrow profile fools the eye, so drivers often misjudge how soon it will arrive. Left turns across an oncoming motorcycle are a leading cause of rider deaths.
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11. While you are still on an entrance ramp, where should your attention be?
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Answer D: Along the ramp ahead and back at the highway traffic in the mirrors and over your shoulder
A merge needs both halves of the picture at once: the ramp curving ahead of you and the traffic you are about to join behind and to your left.
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12. You are driving in the left lane at the posted speed limit and a line of vehicles has built up behind you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Move into a lane on your right when it is safe and let the traffic behind go by
Most states require traffic moving slower than the flow to keep right and reserve the left lane for passing, so a driver holding up a line of vehicles should move right when it is safe rather than block the lane.
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13. Two solid yellow lines are painted down the center of a two-way road. What do they mean?
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Answer B: Traffic in neither direction may cross them to pass
A double solid yellow line marks a no-passing zone that applies to traffic traveling in either direction.
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14. An upward-pointing pentagon with a yellow legend and border on a blue background is used as
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Answer D: a county route marker
The pentagon serves both the school warning series and county route markers, and the blue background with yellow legend identifies the county route version.
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15. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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16. You are on a four-lane divided highway and a vehicle in your lane is stopped waiting to turn left across the median. What is the normal way past?
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Answer D: Slow down and go by in the lane to the right when it is clear
On a multilane road the free lane beside you is the lawful place to go past a vehicle waiting to turn, and the median is not part of the roadway.
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17. How does the prima facie nighttime speed limit outside business and residence districts compare with the daytime limit for the same roads under 31-14-2?
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Answer A: It is 5 mph lower, at 45 mph rather than 50 mph
The nighttime prima facie limit under 31-14-2 drops to 45 mph, 5 mph below the 50 mph daytime figure for the same class of road.
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18. Where is a three-point turn most clearly a bad idea?
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Answer A: On a busy street near a curve, where approaching drivers cannot see you
The maneuver leaves you blocking the road for several seconds, so it needs light traffic and a long clear view; a blind curve gives neither.
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19. You are turning left from a two-way street onto a one-way street. Which lane should you enter?
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Answer C: The first lane open to traffic on the left side of the one-way street
Turn left from the lane closest to the center line and finish in the first available lane on the left of the one-way street, then change lanes if you need to.
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20. What can happen if a Rhode Island vehicle owner fails to prove active insurance within the DMV random audit window?
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Answer C: License suspension, registration suspension, and a fine of 500 to 1000 dollars, with possible imprisonment
Failing to prove active coverage within the audit window can bring license and registration suspension, a fine of $500 to $1,000, and possible imprisonment under 280-RICR-30-10-2.
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21. You are turning right where a paved trail crosses the road just past the corner. What should you look for?
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Answer B: Cyclists and walkers arriving from either direction on the trail
A shared use path carries two-way traffic on foot and on bicycles, so scan both directions along the trail before crossing it.
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22. Why can a motorcycle ahead of you slow down without any warning light showing?
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Answer B: The rider may slow by downshifting or rolling off
Riders often lose speed by closing the throttle or changing down, which does not switch on the brake light, so watch the machine itself and keep back.
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23. What charge does a Rhode Island driver under 21 face with a BAC of .02 percent but less than .08 percent?
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Answer D: Driving While Impaired
Rhode Island treats a driver under 21 with a BAC of .02 percent but less than .08 percent as impaired and charges Driving While Impaired.
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24. How does Rhode Island law enhance a first DUI conviction when the driver's BAC is .15 percent or higher, or the impairment involves drugs?
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Answer C: Jail exposure of six to twelve months, a minimum fine of 1000 dollars, and a two year license suspension
A first DUI conviction with a BAC of .15 percent or more, or involving drug impairment, is punished as severely as a second offense: six to twelve months in jail, a minimum $1,000 fine, and a two year suspension.
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25. There is a driveway and a side street between you and the corner where you will turn right. When should you signal?
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Answer C: After passing the openings, so nobody pulls out in front of you
A signal switched on before an opening tells drivers waiting there that you are turning in, and they may pull out into your path.
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26. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
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Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
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27. Fresh snow covers the road and earlier vehicles have left clear tracks. What line is usually best?
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Answer B: The existing tracks, where more of the tire can reach the surface
Running in the cleared tracks puts more rubber on the road surface than ploughing through loose snow, provided the tracks have not turned to polished ice.
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28. You are driving in fog so thick that you can barely see the vehicle ahead. Which pavement marking is the best guide for staying in your lane?
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Answer A: The white edge line on the right side of the road
The right edge line keeps you positioned away from oncoming traffic and is easy to follow at low speed. Following tail lights closely tempts you to drive faster than you can see.
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29. How does going a long time without sleep compare with drinking?
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Answer A: It can impair a driver in much the same way
Long periods awake produce slow reactions, poor judgment and lapses of attention that resemble the effects of alcohol, which is why fatigue counts as impairment.
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30. Is it a good idea to shift into neutral and coast down a long hill to save fuel?
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Answer B: No, you lose engine braking and some control of the vehicle
In neutral the engine cannot help slow the vehicle, so the brakes do all the work and can overheat. Stay in gear so the drivetrain helps hold your speed.
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31. A school crossing guard has returned to the curb but two children are still walking across the road. When may you go?
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Answer C: Only after the children have reached the far sidewalk
The guard leaving the road does not end your duty; you stay stopped until every child is clear of the roadway.
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32. A bicyclist ahead of you puts the left arm straight out to the side. What is being signaled?
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Answer B: A left turn or a move to the left
The left arm held straight out is the bicycle signal for a left turn, so hold back and give the rider room to cross toward the center.
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33. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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34. How do strong emotions affect driving?
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Answer B: They narrow your attention and make risky decisions more likely
Anger, worry and excitement all take attention away from the driving task and push drivers toward decisions they would not normally make.
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35. When should you adjust your seat, mirrors and steering wheel?
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Answer B: Before you start moving
Adjusting the driving position while moving takes your attention and often your hands away from driving. Make every adjustment while parked, every time.
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36. During what part of the year may a Rhode Island vehicle legally use tires with studs no more than 1/16 inch beyond the tread, under General Law 31-23-20?
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Answer A: November 15 through April 1
31-23-20 permits studded tires with protrusions of 1/16 inch or less from November 15 through April 1.
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37. What does Rhode Island law say about cell phone use by drivers under 18?
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Answer C: They may not use a cell phone at all, including hands-free devices and speakerphone, except in an emergency
Rhode Island General Law 31-22-11.9 bars drivers under 18 from using a cell phone while driving, including hands-free devices and speakerphone, unless there is an emergency.
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38. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?
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Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass
The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.
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39. A farm implement ahead of you on a two-lane road is wider than its own lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hang back until you can see past it and pass only with a clear road
Wide equipment hides the road ahead and may extend farther across the center line than it appears, so the pass needs more room and a much better view.
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40. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Answer D: The full width of the lane
A motorcycle is entitled to the full lane, and riders move within it to stay visible and to avoid surface hazards, so drivers should never try to share a lane with one.