No one number is safe in every situation. Choose your speed based on the weather, the road surface, how far you can see and how heavy traffic is, and remember that driving under the limit can still be too fast in poor conditions.
Maryland does not allow a provisional license holder to drive from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. unless a qualified supervising driver, someone at least 21 who has held a license for at least three years, is in the car. Learner's permit holders are different: they need a supervising driver at every hour.
Alcohol makes it hard to hold a steady lane position and speed, so swerving between lanes, crawling well below the pace of traffic, and stopping suddenly for no clear reason are classic warning signs. Give such a driver plenty of room and report the vehicle to police when you can do so safely.
Water on the pavement makes stopping take longer, so open up a gap of at least 4 to 5 seconds behind the vehicle ahead. Brake, steer and accelerate gently to avoid skidding.
Tip On wet pavement, plan on about twice your usual following distance so you have room to stop.
Maryland requires headlights from sunset until sunrise, at any time people and vehicles 1,000 feet ahead are hard to see, and whenever rain or snow keeps your wipers running continuously. Every situation listed falls within those rules.
Under implied consent, getting a license and driving on public roads count as advance agreement to chemical testing, such as a breath test, when you are arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Refusing the test usually brings its own penalties, including loss of your license.
Blinking your brake lights or turning on the hazard flashers lets the people behind you know early that traffic is stopping for a crash ahead, which gives them room to slow down. These signals warn of danger or an unexpected slowdown; they are not a way to thank another driver or something to use while reversing out of a parking spot.
Tip Hazard flashers are for warning others of a sudden danger, not for excusing double-parking or for ordinary driving.
Courts commonly order a person convicted of DUI to complete an alcohol education program on top of fines and license penalties, and finishing it can be a condition for getting full driving privileges back. A DUI conviction is recorded and brings more than a token fine, and a five-year suspension goes far beyond the usual first-offense penalty.
Each of these lowers the force of the crash: objects that give way absorb energy, a stationary object adds no speed of its own, and a glancing blow transfers less force than a head-on hit. If a collision is likely, brake hard and steer toward the least harmful option.
A full stop is required at a stop sign, at a red signal, and whenever a traffic officer tells you to stop. Ignoring any one of them is a violation and a common cause of serious crashes.
Headlights are required whenever poor light or bad weather keeps you from seeing people and vehicles 1,000 feet ahead. Using them then helps you see the road and helps other drivers see you.
Keeping at least one car length for each 10 mph, or a gap of 3 seconds or more, gives you time to spot trouble ahead and brake. The other choices leave much less room than either measure calls for, and rain, fog, or heavy traffic call for even more space.
When drivers arrive together, each one gives way to the vehicle on the right, and a left turn must wait for oncoming traffic going straight. The yellow car has nobody on its right and goes first, the blue car goes next, and the left-turning truck, which has the blue car on its right, waits for both.
All three situations call for a lower speed: narrow or curving roads leave little room for error, intersections and railroad crossings bring cross traffic and trains, and slick pavement makes stopping take longer. Driving slower buys you extra time to react.
You must not pass or go around a vehicle that has stopped for people at a crosswalk, because it may be hiding a child who is stepping into the road. Obeying the school speed limit and letting children cross first are things you must do, not things you must avoid.
Slippery pavement gives your tires less traction, so lose speed before a curve or intersection rather than while you are in it. Speeding into a curve, or waiting until you are already descending a hill to downshift, makes a skid more likely.
A siren or flashing red or blue lights mean an emergency vehicle needs the road. Move to the right edge, stop, and stay there until it has gone by; failing to do so breaks the law and puts lives at risk.
Highway traffic moves fast, so situations change in seconds. Paying full attention, scanning constantly, and being ready for hazards such as debris, stalled cars, or sudden braking all help you avoid a crash.
Drivers who are 21 or older break the law once their BAC hits 0.08%. Anyone under 21 is held to a zero-tolerance limit far below that, so 0.08% is not their cutoff, and 0.06% is not the standard adult limit.
Maryland law caps the speed limit at 35 mph in any school zone where a crossing guard is posted, though signs may set a lower limit. Slow down, watch for children, and stop whenever the guard holds up the STOP sign.
Cutting across a parking lot, gas station, or other property to avoid a sign or signal is illegal. The only exception is when a police officer directs traffic that way.
Most states require a parallel-parked car to have its wheels within 12 inches of the curb, and some allow up to 18, so staying within 12 inches keeps you legal in either case. A wider gap leaves the car sticking out into the travel lane, where it becomes a hazard to passing traffic.
Tip A gap of roughly 6 to 12 inches keeps you within the limit while protecting your tires from the curb.
Before you back up, change lanes or brake suddenly, check the traffic behind you with your mirrors and by turning your head. Look over your shoulder through the rear window when backing, and check your blind spot before moving into another lane. These are the moments when a collision with someone behind you is most likely: backing takes you toward whatever is back there, and if you change lanes or brake hard, a vehicle coming up behind you may have no room to avoid you.
Headphones covering both ears block out sirens, horns and other warning sounds, which is why driving with them on is prohibited in California and several other states. Adjusting mirrors while moving or letting a pet roam the car can be distracting, but neither is covered by that ban.
One standard drink equals either 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits; each holds about the same amount of alcohol. Choosing beer or wine over liquor does not make you any less impaired.
Flashing red lights mean children are getting on or off, so you must come to a full stop at least 20 feet behind the bus. Do not move again until the lights go off and the stop arm has been pulled back in.
Set the front wheels so that the curb would stop the car if it started to roll: angle them toward the curb if the car points downhill and away from it if the car points uphill. Apply the parking brake every time.
Tip Downhill means wheels toward the curb; uphill with a curb means wheels away from it.
If a school bus stops on a two-lane road with its red lights flashing, traffic approaching from either direction has to stop and stay put until the lights go off and the bus moves on. Simply slowing down is not sufficient, including when the bus is on the opposite side of the road.
Tip Drivers on the far side of a highway split by a physical divider, such as a raised median, are not required to stop.
Total stopping distance is the ground you cover while reacting plus the distance needed to brake, which depends on speed, brakes, tires, and the road surface. Darkness can make hazards harder to spot, but the clock itself does not change how far the vehicle needs to stop.
Tip When judging how quickly you can stop, think about speed, reaction time, brakes, tires, and pavement, not the hour.
An MVA examiner looks the vehicle over first and will not start the test if it is unsafe, lacks seat belts, or has equipment that would block the examiner's reach to the brake pedal. Each problem listed is enough on its own to cancel the test.
The turn signal warns other drivers, the mirrors show vehicles to the rear and sides, and turning your head reveals the blind spots marked in red. Skipping the mirror check or the head check can put you in the path of a vehicle you never saw.
When the wipers fail in rain or snow, ease off your speed at once, open the driver's window and look out of it if that is the only way to see, and then brake and leave the road at a safe spot. Wait there with your hazard flashers on until the weather clears or the wipers are fixed.
After a blowout, hold the steering wheel firmly, take your foot off the accelerator, and keep the car going straight while it loses speed on its own. Braking hard can make you lose control, so stop only after you have eased off the road to a safe spot.
To indicate a right turn, stick your left arm through the driver's window and bend it up at the elbow so your hand points toward the sky. A straight, extended arm signals a left turn, while an arm bent downward signals that you are slowing down or stopping.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
