Maine Driver's License Manual (Motorist Handbook and Study Guide): study guide

Key rules by chapter

A few of the rules from each chapter that come up in our practice questions:

1. Your Driver's License

• New residents must surrender their out-of-state license and apply for a Maine license within 30 days.
• The accompanying driver must be at least 20, have held a valid license for at least 2 years, and sit in the seat beside the permit holder.
• A learner's permit is generally valid for 2 years.

2. State Laws and Rules

• Keep the certificate of title in a safe place, never in the vehicle.
• Payment of the excise tax to a municipal tax collector is the first step in registering.
• Registration must be applied for within 30 days once residence is established.

3. Ready to Drive

• Micro-sleeps last only four to five seconds, but at 55 mph even a tiny nap can be fatal.
• Avoid driving during your body's downtime; find a safe place to sleep between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Schedule a break every two hours or 100 miles, and stop sooner if you notice danger signs of fatigue.

4. Before You Drive

• Leave 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel because of the airbag.
• At 30 mph, hitting the dashboard is like hitting the ground from the top of a three-story building.
• When used properly, lap and shoulder belts can reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury by 40-55%.

5. Getting Started

• The average car uses a cup of gas every six minutes when idling.
• Back into a driveway or space unless signs forbid it, so you drive forward when pulling out.
• Put your hands at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 to avoid air bag injury and for best control.

6. Rules of the Road

• You must drive to the right, clear of intersections, and stop; failure to do so is a Class E crime.
• Drivers turning left must yield to bicycle and roller ski operators approaching from the opposite direction.
• An operator may not drive through a parking area to avoid obeying a traffic control device.

7. General Driving

• In large traffic circles (rotaries), drivers must yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the operator's left.
• If turning off within two exits, the rightmost lane is suggested unless markings or signs say otherwise.
• Always signal what you intend to do at least 100 feet before making a change.

8. Managing Time and Space

• An expert driver tries to keep looking 20 to 30 seconds ahead.
• Many cars strike deer, especially in October and November; if you see one, sound the horn and look for others.
• In a school zone you must slow to 15 mph during recess, when children go to or leave school, or when signs flash.

9. Avoiding Crashes

• It is illegal for an operator to read printed material while driving; maps or written directions are excepted.
• Accidents involving injury or property damage of $2,000 or more must be reported to the police or sheriff.
• Don't go near downed wires; if they touch the vehicle, warn occupants to stay inside until help arrives.

10. Sharing the Road

• Do not stop, park or drive in a bicycle lane unless entering or leaving an alley or driveway.
• Using your right hand to open the door twists your body so you look over your shoulder for oncoming bicyclists.
• All persons under 16 riding bicycles on public ways are required to wear helmets.

11. Special Driving Challenges

• Operators of vehicles under 10,000 pounds shall take reasonable measures to prevent snow or ice from falling off their vehicle while driving.
• Increase following distance by at least a second at night, and at least two seconds on unfamiliar roads.
• When crossing a single-lane bridge, the first driver to the bridge has the right-of-way; take turns.

How to study the handbook

Read one chapter, then take a practice test. Every answer explanation names the handbook section it comes from, so when you get one wrong, go back to that section. Pay most attention to exact numbers and to the rules specific to Maine, which are where most people lose points.