MA · STUDY GUIDE

Rules of the Road

Right-of-way, speed limits, lanes and turns, highway driving, and safe-driving practice — the largest share of the real exam. All 91 questions below cite the MA Driver's Manual section they come from.

Road Signs, Signals & Markings Penalties, Alcohol & Drug Laws Junior Operator Law & Licensing

1 · ROTARIES

You're entering a rotary and another vehicle is already circulating. You must:

· Enter — entering vehicles have the right of way
✓ Yield to the vehicle already in the rotary
· Stop and wait until the rotary is empty
· Flash your headlights, then enter

Massachusetts law: traffic already in the rotary has the right of way. Yield, then merge into a safe gap.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Rotary Traffic Rules, p. 101

2 · SCHOOL BUSES

A school bus ahead has flashing red lights on an undivided road. You must:

· Slow to 15 mph and pass with care
✓ Stop — and stay stopped while the lights flash
· Pass only if no children are visible
· Stop only if traveling in the same direction as the bus

Traffic in BOTH directions must stop on an undivided road and remain stopped until the flashing reds go off.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · School Buses, p. 105

3 · MOVE OVER LAW

An emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder with lights flashing. The Move Over Law says:

· Stop behind it until it leaves
✓ Move to the next lane if it's safe — otherwise slow down
· Sound your horn and continue at speed
· Pass quickly to clear the area sooner

Change lanes away from the stopped vehicle when safe; if you can't, slow well below the limit.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Move Over Law, p. 104

4 · ROAD TEST SKILLS

On the MA road test, the hand signal for a RIGHT turn is:

· Left arm straight out the window
✓ Left arm bent upward at the elbow
· Left arm angled down

Arm up = right turn. Straight out = left turn. Arm down = stop or slow. MA examiners still ask you to show these.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Signaling (hand signals), p. 93

5 · POOR CONDITIONS

Driving in fog, you should turn on your:

· High beams
✓ Low beams
· Hazard flashers while moving

High beams bounce off fog and blind you. Use low beams, slow down, and add following distance.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Driving in Rain or Fog, p. 47

6 · PARKING

Parking downhill with a curb, you should turn your front wheels:

✓ Toward the curb
· Away from the curb
· Straight, with the parking brake set

Downhill: wheels toward the curb so the car rolls into it, not into traffic. Uphill with a curb: wheels away.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking on Hills, p. 110

7 · EQUIPMENT LAW

In Massachusetts, your headlights must be on whenever:

· Only between sunset and sunrise
✓ Your windshield wipers are on, or visibility is poor
· You are on a divided highway
· Only when driving above 40 mph

MA law: wipers on = headlights on, plus from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise and whenever visibility is under 500 feet.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Headlights and Taillights, p. 45

8 · SPEED LIMITS

Unless posted otherwise, the speed limit in a thickly settled or business district in MA is:

· 20 mph
✓ 30 mph
· 40 mph
· 25 mph

MA default limits: 20 in school zones, 30 in thickly settled/business districts, 40 outside them, and 50 on a highway outside a thickly settled or business district.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Speed Limits, p. 79

9 · SEAT BELTS

As the driver, you can be fined $25 for an unbelted:

· Nobody but yourself
✓ Passenger age 12 to 15 — each one
· Front-seat passenger of any age
· Passenger over 16

The driver is fined $25 for themselves and $25 for each unbelted passenger age 12–15 (younger children fall under the child restraint law). Passengers 16 and older are fined $25 personally.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Safety/Seat Belt Law, p. 35

10 · SPEED LIMITS

The posted limit is 50 mph and heavy rain is falling. Legally, you must:

· Drive at or below 50 — the posted limit always controls
✓ Reduce your speed to what is safe for the conditions
· Turn on your hazard flashers and maintain 50
· Maintain 50 but increase your following distance

The fundamental speed law: never drive faster than is safe, even below the posted limit. The manual's own example — 40 mph in a heavy rainstorm on a 50 mph highway can get you a ticket for driving too fast.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Speed Limits, p. 79

11 · SPEED LIMITS

A "thickly settled district" is an area where buildings are:

✓ Fewer than 200 feet apart for 1/4 mile or more
· Fewer than 500 feet apart for 1 mile or more
· Within city limits, regardless of spacing
· Any area with a posted 25 mph limit

Buildings fewer than 200 feet apart for a distance of 1/4 mile or more. Unless posted otherwise, the limit there is 30 mph — and many communities post 25.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Speed Limits, p. 80

12 · LANES AND TURNS

On a highway, you must signal a turn or exit at least:

· 100 feet before
· 250 feet before
✓ 500 feet before
· 1,000 feet before

Signal at least 100 feet before a turn on ordinary roads — but at least 500 feet on a highway. Best practice: signal before you touch the brakes.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Turns, p. 97

13 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

You just missed your highway exit. You should:

✓ Get off at the next exit and double back
· Stop on the shoulder and reverse carefully to the exit
· Make a U-turn through the median crossover
· Signal and reverse carefully in the breakdown lane

Never stop or back up on a highway. Continue to the next exit and follow signs to rejoin the road in the other direction.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Highway Driving, p. 95

14 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

A pedestrian with a white cane is crossing the street ahead. Under the White Cane Law you must:

✓ Come to a complete stop until the person has safely crossed
· Slow down and steer wide around them
· Tap your horn so they know you are there
· Yield only if they are in a marked crosswalk

Come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the blind pedestrian has safely crossed. Never honk at or wave a person on, and never pass another vehicle that has stopped.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Right-of-Way Rules, p. 100

15 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Two cars reach an uncontrolled intersection (no signs or signals) at the same time. Who goes first?

✓ The vehicle on the right
· The vehicle on the left
· The vehicle traveling faster
· The vehicle on the wider road

You must yield to any vehicle that has already entered the intersection or is coming from your right. And remember: right-of-way is something you give, not take.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Intersections Not Controlled, p. 100

16 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

Before making ANY left turn, you must first yield to:

✓ Oncoming vehicles, vehicles already in the intersection, and people crossing your path
· Only oncoming vehicles
· No one, if you arrived at the intersection first
· Only pedestrians — oncoming vehicles must yield to you

Every left turn yields to oncoming traffic, vehicles already in the intersection, and pedestrians or bicyclists crossing your intended path.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Turning Left, p. 100

17 · PASSING

While passing a slower vehicle, exceeding the speed limit is:

✓ Never allowed
· Allowed briefly to complete the pass
· Allowed only on highways
· Allowed up to 10 mph over the limit

You may not exceed the speed limit when passing — ever. If you can't complete the pass legally and safely (400 feet of clear road ahead when crossing a broken yellow line), don't pass.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Rules for Passing, p. 102

18 · PASSING

Another vehicle is passing you. You must:

✓ Slow down and stay to the right
· Maintain your exact speed
· Speed up so they finish sooner
· Move onto the shoulder until they pass

When being passed, slow down and stay right so the other driver can pass safely. Do not speed up.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Being Passed, p. 103

19 · PARKING

You may not park within what distance of a fire hydrant?

· 5 feet
✓ 10 feet
· 25 feet
· 50 feet

No parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or fire lane. Also barred: within 20 feet of an intersection, in crosswalks, and in front of driveways or handicap-access ramps.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking Regulations, p. 111

20 · PARKING

Parking uphill where there is NO curb, turn your front wheels:

✓ Inward, toward the edge of the road
· Outward, toward the travel lane
· Straight ahead with the parking brake set
· Any direction, if you leave the car in gear

No curb (uphill or downhill): wheels inward toward the road edge, so a brake failure rolls you off the road, not into traffic. Uphill AGAINST a curb is the only case where wheels point outward.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking on Hills, p. 110

21 · ROTARIES

In a multi-lane rotary with no lane signs, you plan to go three-quarters of the way around. Enter from:

✓ The left lane, travel the inner lane, then exit onto the right lane
· The right lane and stay in it the whole way
· Either lane — rotaries have no lane rules
· The right lane, exiting from the inner lane

Quarter-turn or straight through: right lane the whole way. Three-quarter turn or U-turn: enter from the left lane, travel the middle or inner lane, and exit onto the right lane. And never stop in the rotary.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Choosing a Lane, p. 101

22 · SEAT BELTS

A 14-year-old passenger in your car is not wearing a seat belt. Who gets fined?

✓ You, the driver — $25 for each unbelted passenger age 12 to 15
· The passenger
· No one — belts are optional in the back seat
· You and the passenger split a $50 fine

The driver is fined $25 for each unbelted passenger age 12–15 (and $25 for themselves). Passengers 16+ are fined $25 personally. Enforcement is secondary: you can only be fined when stopped for another violation.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Safety/Seat Belt Law, p. 35

23 · CHILD SAFETY

A child must ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint until they are:

✓ At least 8 years old OR at least 57 inches tall
· At least 10 years old AND 60 inches tall
· At least 6 years old
· At least 5 years old AND 40 pounds

Child restraints are required until the child is at least 8 years old or at least 57 inches tall — then a properly worn seat belt takes over. Breaking the law: $25 fine.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Child Passenger Restraints, p. 36

24 · CHILD SAFETY

A back-facing infant seat should NEVER be placed:

✓ In the front passenger seat if there is an air bag for that seat
· In the middle of the back seat
· Behind the driver
· In the third row of a minivan

Never put a back-facing child seat in front of an air bag. The safest place for any child is the back seat — back middle is best.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Child Passenger Restraints, p. 36

25 · DISTRACTED DRIVING

Wearing headphones over both ears while driving is:

✓ Illegal — drivers 18+ may use only one earplug for a cell phone
· Legal at low volume
· Legal on highways only
· Legal for navigation prompts only

Headsets and headphones that restrict your attention are illegal while driving. If you're 18 or older, one earplug for a cell phone is the only allowance.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Headphones, p. 39

26 · OCCUPANT SAFETY

Riding in the open bed of a pickup truck is prohibited for:

✓ Children under 12
· Anyone under 18
· No one — it is legal for all ages
· Anyone, if the truck stays under 25 mph

Children under 12 may not ride in pickup truck beds (with very limited exceptions, and never over 5 mph).

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Truck Beds, p. 39

27 · FOLLOWING DISTANCE

In good conditions, the minimum safe following distance behind another car is:

· One second
✓ Three seconds
· One car length
· Two car lengths

Use the three-second rule: pick a fixed object, and if you reach it before counting three one-thousands, you're too close. It's a minimum — add more in bad weather or heavy traffic.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Safe Distances, p. 43

28 · FOLLOWING DISTANCE

Following a MOTORCYCLE, your following distance should grow to at least:

· Two seconds
✓ Four seconds
· Ten seconds
· The same as for any car

At least four seconds behind a motorcycle (they can stop faster and are easily hidden), and at least ten seconds behind heavy equipment like dump trucks and tractors.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Safe Distances, p. 43

29 · VEHICLE CONDITION

The minimum legal tire tread depth is:

✓ 2/32 of an inch
· 6/32 of an inch
· There is no minimum
· 4/32 of an inch

Tires need at least 2/32" of tread in the proper grooves with no exposed cords. The penny test: slide a penny into the groove — if you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tires are worn out.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Brakes and Tires, p. 42

30 · BRAKING

If your vehicle has antilock brakes (ABS), in a hard stop you should:

✓ Press and hold — never pump the brakes
· Pump the pedal rapidly
· Use the parking brake instead
· Shift to neutral first, then brake hard

With ABS, never pump the brakes — the system does that for you. Also: don't rest your foot on the pedal while driving (riding your brakes).

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Braking and Stopping, p. 45

31 · NIGHT DRIVING

You must switch high beams to low when you are within:

✓ 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or 200 feet behind another vehicle
· 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or 500 feet behind another vehicle
· 1,000 feet of any other vehicle
· Only when the other driver flashes you first

Dim within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet of a vehicle you're following. High beams show ~350 feet ahead; low beams ~100 feet.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · High Beam Headlights, p. 46

32 · DROWSY DRIVING

The ONLY true protection against drowsy driving is:

✓ Getting enough sleep — and not driving when you feel tired
· Strong coffee
· Keeping the radio loud and windows open
· An energy drink and loud music

Coffee and a quick nap help only briefly. The manual is blunt: the only real fix is enough sleep. Drowsy crashes cluster between midnight and 6 a.m. — avoid driving then if you can.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Drowsy Driving, p. 47

33 · WET WEATHER

Your car starts to hydroplane. You should:

✓ Slowly ease off the gas — no braking, no sudden turns
· Brake firmly to regain contact
· Accelerate through the water
· Steer firmly toward the shoulder

Hydroplaning means your tires are riding on water — you're driving too fast for conditions. Slowly step off the gas; hitting the brakes or turning suddenly can cause a skid. Watch for wet leaves too — they can be as slippery as ice.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Driving in Rain or Fog, p. 47

34 · WINTER DRIVING

Which road surfaces freeze FIRST in cold weather?

✓ Bridges and highway overpasses
· Roads through open fields
· Freshly paved asphalt
· Roads that were salted the night before

Bridges and overpasses freeze before the rest of the road because the ground doesn't insulate them. If you skid, turn into the direction of the skid — and never lock your brakes on ice.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Winter Driving, p. 48

35 · WINTER DRIVING

Driving with snow still piled on your roof and hood can get you charged with:

✓ Negligent operation
· Littering
· Nothing — it's legal
· A $25 parking ticket

Remove ALL ice and snow before driving — windows, wipers, headlights, brake lights, roof, hood, and trunk. Snow blowing off your car into other vehicles can mean a negligent operation charge.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Winter Driving, p. 48

36 · SHARING THE ROAD

Passing a bicyclist or other vulnerable road user, you must leave a passing distance of at least:

· Two feet
✓ Four feet
· Ten feet
· Six feet

At least 4 feet between your vehicle and the road user. You may use part of the next lane or cross the center line if it's safe — but you must obey the speed limit while passing.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Vulnerable Road Users Law, p. 49

37 · SHARING THE ROAD

A motorcycle is using only part of a wide lane. You may:

✓ Never share the lane — a motorcycle is entitled to its full width
· Share the lane if you can fit safely
· Share the lane only below 30 mph
· Share the lane only if the rider waves you past

Motorcycles have the right to the full width of a lane, and moving into the same lane space is illegal and dangerous — even if the rider is off to one side. (Weaving between lanes is illegal for the motorcyclist, too.)

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Motorcycles, p. 51

38 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

Tinting your WINDSHIELD in Massachusetts is:

✓ Illegal — only side and rear windows may be darkened, up to 35%
· Legal up to 50%
· Legal with an RMV permit
· Legal up to 35% like the other windows

You may darken side and rear windows up to 35 percent, but tinting the windshield is illegal. (Flashing or strobe lights also need an RMV permit.)

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Passenger Vehicle Safety, p. 34

39 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

An ambulance approaches with siren on. You must:

✓ Pull as close as possible to the RIGHT side of the road and stop completely
· Slow to a rolling crawl and continue
· Pull to the left shoulder
· Speed up and clear the area ahead of it

Pull right and STOP — slowly rolling is not acceptable — until the vehicle passes. Never stop in the middle of an intersection; clear it first, then pull over.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Moving Emergency Vehicle, p. 120

40 · EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Following behind a fire engine responding to an alarm, you must stay back at least:

✓ 300 feet
· 100 feet
· 50 feet
· 500 feet

It's illegal to follow closer than 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm. Also illegal: driving or parking within 800 feet of a fire, or driving over an unprotected fire hose.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Moving Emergency Vehicle, p. 120

41 · POLICE STOPS

Pulled over at night, the best first moves are:

✓ Pull fully right, engine and radio off, interior light on, hands visible, stay in the car
· Get out and walk back to the cruiser
· Look for your license while the officer approaches
· Have your license ready out the window as the officer approaches

Stay in the vehicle, roll down your window, keep hands in plain sight, and wait until the officer asks before reaching for documents. Failing to produce your license or registration when asked: $35 fine.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Stopped by a Police Officer, p. 122

42 · EMERGENCIES

In any skid — front or rear wheel drive — you should:

✓ Ease off the gas, shift to neutral, and steer in the direction of the skid
· Brake hard and steer opposite the skid
· Accelerate out of it
· Shift to a lower gear and brake firmly

Foot off the gas, shift into neutral, never hit the brakes, and turn the wheel in the direction of the skid — rear sliding left means steer left. Straighten as grip returns.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Skidding, p. 123

43 · EMERGENCIES

Your tire blows out at speed. First response:

✓ Grip the wheel tightly and slowly ease off the gas
· Brake as hard as possible
· Swerve immediately to the shoulder
· Shift to neutral and coast to the median

Grip the wheel, come off the gas slowly, brake gently, and don't leave the road until you have the vehicle under control — then pull off as soon as it's safe.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Flat Tire or Blowout, p. 124

44 · EMERGENCIES

Your brakes fail (no ABS). You should:

✓ Pump the pedal rapidly to build pressure, downshift, and apply the parking brake gently
· Turn off the engine immediately
· Pull the parking brake as hard as possible
· Swerve onto the shoulder immediately

Without ABS: pump rapidly to build brake fluid pressure. With ABS: never pump. Either way, work down through the gears and ease on the parking brake — holding its release in case the car starts to skid. Still can't stop? Horn and lights to warn everyone.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Brake Failure, p. 124

45 · EMERGENCIES

Your gas pedal sticks. The first thing to do is:

✓ Shift into neutral and press the brake
· Turn the ignition off
· Reach down and pull the pedal up
· Pump the gas pedal rapidly

Neutral first — that disconnects engine power — then brake, try to free the pedal with your foot, keep your eyes on the road, and pull over when safe.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Stuck Gas Pedal, p. 124

46 · EMERGENCIES

Your headlights suddenly go out at night. You should:

✓ Turn on parking lights, emergency flashers, or turn signals, and pull off the road quickly
· Stop dead in your lane
· Follow another car's taillights home

Get some light showing — parking lights, hazards, or turn signals — try the headlight switch a few times, and get off the road as quickly as possible with flashers on.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Headlight Failure, p. 125

47 · EMERGENCIES

Your car stalls on train tracks and a train IS coming. Everyone should get out and run:

✓ At a 45° angle away from the tracks, TOWARD the direction the train is coming from
· Straight down the tracks away from the train
· Behind the car and push
· Stay in the car and call the ENS number

Out immediately, then run at 45 degrees away from the tracks toward the oncoming train — so flying wreckage travels away from you — and call 911. No train coming? Try to restart or push the car off in neutral, and call the ENS number on the crossing sign.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Stalling on Railroad Tracks, p. 125

48 · BREAKDOWNS

Broken down on a divided highway, place your warning triangles or flares at:

✓ 10 feet and 100 feet behind your vehicle
· 50 feet in front only
· 500 feet behind
· 10, 100, and 200 feet behind

Divided highway: 10 feet and 100 feet behind. On a two-way road, add a third at 100 feet in FRONT. Hazards on, vest on before you exit, hood up, and stay away from the travel lane.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Breakdowns, p. 126

49 · EMERGENCIES

Your car goes into deep water. You should escape through:

✓ A window — opening a door lets water rush in and can flip the vehicle
· The door, opened as fast as possible
· The trunk

Belt off, power windows open quickly before they fail, and out through a window — never the door. If it sinks first, climb to the rear seat where an air pocket may form, then swim out on a deep breath.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Vehicle Drives into Water, p. 127

50 · EMERGENCIES

Fire breaks out while you're in a tunnel. After stopping and shutting off the engine, you should:

✓ LEAVE the keys in the vehicle and walk out to the nearest entrance
· Take your keys and belongings
· Stay in the car with windows shut
· Lock the vehicle and take the keys with you

Leave keys in the vehicle (so responders can move it), leave your stuff, call 911, and exit at the nearest tunnel entrance. As the manual puts it: save your life, not your car.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Driving Through Tunnels, p. 128

51 · CRASHES

Leaving the scene of a crash that injured someone (not fatally) carries up to:

✓ A $1,000 fine and up to two years in prison
· A $100 civil fine
· License points, nothing criminal
· A $200 civil fine, nothing criminal

Leaving the scene is criminal: up to $200/two years for property damage, up to $1,000 and two years for injury, and up to $5,000 with ten years in state prison if someone died. Never leave — stop, identify yourself, and help.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Hit and Run Crashes, p. 130

52 · CRASHES

A crash caused $1,500 of damage. You must file a written crash report within:

✓ 5 days — with both the RMV and the local police
· 30 days — with your insurance company only
· No report needed under $5,000
· 10 days — with the RMV only

Any crash causing injury, death, or $1,000+ in property damage: written report within five days to the RMV, the local police, AND your insurer. Telling your insurance company alone is not enough — and not filing can suspend your license.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Reporting a Crash, p. 131

53 · CRASHES

You dent an empty parked car. You must:

✓ Try to locate the owner, or notify the local police
· Leave if the damage looks minor
· Wait 10 minutes, then go
· Leave a note only if damage exceeds $1,000

Damaging a parked vehicle or property means finding the owner or reporting it to police. Same for hitting a cat, dog, or other animal — notify police and, if possible, the owner.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · If You Are Involved in a Crash, p. 129

54 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Massachusetts law prohibits idling your engine for more than:

✓ Five minutes
· Thirty seconds
· One hour
· Fifteen minutes

State law caps idling at five minutes. It gets you zero miles per gallon anyway — switch off when stopped.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 5 · Green Driving Tips, p. 132

55 · BICYCLISTS

Opening your car door into the path of an oncoming bicyclist can cost you:

✓ Up to $100
· Nothing — the bicyclist must avoid you
· Up to $1,000
· Up to $500

Drivers AND passengers can be fined up to $100 for dooring a bicyclist. Use the "Dutch Reach": open the door with your far hand, which turns your body so you see approaching riders.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Danger of Open Doors, p. 115

56 · BICYCLISTS

At a red light with a green "bicycle box" painted across the lane, you must stop:

✓ Behind the box — even when it's empty
· Inside the box if no bikes are present
· Past the box, at the crosswalk
· Inside the box, if you're turning right

Bicycle boxes give riders a safe place to wait and turn at red lights. Drivers always stop behind the box and wait for green — occupied or not.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Bicycle Boxes, p. 116

57 · BICYCLISTS

After passing a bicyclist on your right, you may return to the right:

✓ Only once you have safely and completely passed the bicycle
· As soon as your front bumper clears them
· Immediately, if you signal
· After waiting a full 3 seconds

No cut-offs after passing — and no abrupt right turns just after passing a bicyclist near an intersection or driveway. If the lane is too narrow to keep 4 feet of distance, wait or use the next lane.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Motorists and Bicycles, p. 115

58 · BICYCLISTS

A bicycle passing you on your RIGHT side is:

✓ Legal — and hitting one there is not a defense for the driver
· Illegal — bikes may only pass on the left
· Legal only in marked bike lanes
· Legal only when traffic is fully stopped

Bicycles may legally ride and pass to the right of motor traffic. The law explicitly says it's no defense that the bicycle was to your right when a crash happened — so check right mirrors and blind spots before every right turn.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Motorists and Bicycles, p. 115

59 · BICYCLISTS

A bicycle helmet is legally required for riders and passengers:

✓ Under 16 years old
· Of all ages
· Under 12 years old
· Under 18 years old

Anyone under 16 on a bicycle (operator or passenger) must wear a US CPSC-approved helmet, properly secured — unless enclosed in a protective trailer.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Laws for Bicyclists, p. 113

60 · BICYCLISTS

Bicyclists riding two side-by-side on a multi-lane road are:

✓ Legal — but they must stay in one lane
· Always illegal
· Legal only on bike paths
· Legal — and they may spread across two lanes

Up to two bicycles may ride abreast. On roads with multiple lanes in their direction, the pair must stay within one lane and not unnecessarily block passing.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Laws for Bicyclists, p. 113

61 · BICYCLISTS

A bicyclist ahead turns without signaling. Were they required to signal?

✓ Not necessarily — the signal isn't required if both hands are needed for safe operation
· Yes — bicyclists must always signal continuously
· No — bicyclists never need to signal

Bicyclists signal by hand (either arm) — but the law doesn't require it when both hands are needed to control the bike. Never assume a bike that hasn't signaled won't turn.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Motorists and Bicycles, p. 115

62 · BICYCLISTS

Turning right across a separated bicycle lane, you must:

✓ Yield to bicyclists and pedestrians who are crossing — checking beside and behind you
· Proceed — bikes must yield to cars at intersections
· Honk before crossing the lane
· Stop inside the bike lane and wait for a gap

Drivers turning across a bike lane always check for oncoming bicyclists — which may mean looking to the side and behind — and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing at the intersection.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Separated Bicycle Lanes, p. 117

63 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

Walking where there's no sidewalk, you should walk on the shoulder:

✓ Facing oncoming traffic
· With your back to traffic
· In the travel lane
· With traffic, close to the travel lane

No sidewalk = walk on the shoulder FACING traffic so you can see what's coming. Never walk along expressways or turnpikes, and wear bright or reflective clothing at night.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Rules for Pedestrians, p. 112

64 · PEDESTRIAN RULES

A vehicle ahead of you has stopped at a crosswalk. You should:

✓ Never pass it — a pedestrian you can't see may be crossing
· Pass slowly on the left
· Honk to move it along
· Pass only after honking twice

Never pass a vehicle stopped or slowing for a pedestrian. Also: yield to pedestrians in crosswalks in your path, when your light is red (or red and yellow), and when turning into driveways or parking lots.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Laws for Drivers, p. 83

65 · WORK ZONES

A police officer directs you through a red light in a work zone. You should:

✓ Follow the officer's directions — they overrule signs, signals, and markings
· Wait for the green light anyway
· Stop and ask which rule applies
· Obey the signal — devices outrank people

Directions from a police officer or civil flagger always overrule signs, signals, and pavement markings. And the FIRST thing to do at any work zone: slow down.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Work Zones, p. 87

66 · LANES AND TURNS

Changing lanes in the middle of an intersection is:

✓ Illegal and dangerous
· Legal if you signal
· Legal on one-way streets
· Legal when turning left

Never change lanes inside an intersection. On multi-lane roads, travel in the right lane except to pass, make a left turn, or when the right lane is blocked.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Using Lanes, p. 94

67 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

Using the highway breakdown lane to travel or pass is:

✓ Generally prohibited — allowed only on certain highways at posted times
· Fine during rush hour anywhere
· Always legal below 40 mph
· Reserved for motorcycles at all times

As a general rule, don't travel or pass in the breakdown lane. A few Massachusetts highways allow breakdown-lane travel during specific posted hours only — and exiting past one takes an extra right-side blind spot check.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Using Lanes, p. 94

68 · LANES AND TURNS

You may NOT make a U-turn:

✓ Where drivers can't see you from 500 feet away — like hill crests and curves
· On any street with a center line
· Anywhere outside a marked U-turn lane
· Within 100 feet of any intersection

No U-turns at hill crests, near curves, anywhere visibility is under 500 feet, or where a NO U-TURN sign is posted. Make them only from the lane closest to the center line, with room to complete the turn.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · U-Turns, p. 98

69 · LANES AND TURNS

A shared center lane marked LEFT TURN ONLY (used by both directions) may be used for:

✓ Starting a left turn only — never for travel
· Passing slower traffic
· Travel for up to a quarter mile
· Travel for up to 500 feet before turning

The two-way center turning lane is for left turns only. Traveling along it is illegal.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Left Turns from Center Lanes, p. 98

70 · LANES AND TURNS

Before starting a three-point turn, you should wait for a traffic gap of about:

✓ 20 to 30 seconds
· 5 seconds
· 2 minutes
· 5 to 10 seconds

Three-point turns need a 20–30 second gap, a narrow street, good visibility, light traffic, no driveways to use instead, and a legal location. It's also a road test staple: signal, check blind spots, and look over your right shoulder while backing.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Three-Point Turns, p. 99

71 · LANES AND TURNS

When backing up, you should look:

✓ Over your right shoulder, out the rear window
· At your mirrors only
· At the backup camera only
· Only at the backup camera, hands at 9 and 3

Check traffic in both directions, then back slowly while looking over your right shoulder. Mirrors and cameras assist, but your head turn is what the examiner wants to see.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Backing Up, p. 99

72 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

The light is green but traffic is backed up across the intersection. You may enter:

✓ Only if there's enough room to make it completely through
· Whenever the light is green
· If you can clear at least halfway
· If you entered on green, you may stop inside it

Blocking an intersection or crosswalk is illegal — even on green. Enter only when you can drive through and fully clear it.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Intersections, p. 96

73 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

A stopped driver waves you into a left turn across their lane. Legally:

✓ Oncoming traffic still has the right-of-way — waving changes nothing
· The wave transfers the right-of-way to you
· You must complete the turn once waved
· You may go — the waving driver accepts the fault

"Courtesy crashes" happen when drivers wave people through traffic they can't fully see. Base your turn on traffic and visibility — oncoming traffic keeps the right-of-way regardless of who's waving.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Courtesy Crashes, p. 102

74 · PASSING

Passing another vehicle using the breakdown lane or shoulder is:

✓ Never allowed
· Allowed if they're turning left
· Allowed under 30 mph
· Allowed on rural roads only

Never pass using a breakdown lane, shoulder, or sidewalk. Legal passing happens on the left in a travel lane — on the right only in specific situations.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Rules for Passing, p. 102

75 · PASSING

When passing on a two-way road, you must return to the right lane before any oncoming vehicle comes within:

✓ 200 feet of you
· 50 feet of you
· 1,000 feet of you
· 500 feet of you

Return before oncoming traffic is within 200 feet — and wait until you can see the passed vehicle's headlights in your mirror before moving back. To start the pass, you need at least 400 feet of clear road ahead.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Passing on the Left, p. 103

76 · PASSING

Passing on the RIGHT is allowed when:

✓ The vehicle ahead is making a left turn, or you're on a one-way street or multi-lane road
· You're in a hurry and the shoulder is wide
· Never, under any circumstances
· Whenever the vehicle ahead is under the speed limit

Right-side passing is legal only when the road is clear and wide enough AND the passed vehicle is turning left, or traffic runs one direction (one-way street or multi-lane highway).

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Passing on the Right, p. 103

77 · SHARING THE ROAD

A funeral procession is crossing your green light. You may:

✓ Not cross the intersection until the procession has passed (unless you avoid its path)
· Proceed — green means go
· Merge into the procession
· Proceed — processions must stop at every red light

Once the lead vehicle legally enters an intersection, the whole procession may follow — even through a red light or stop sign. You may not cross its path or join it; processions yield only to emergency vehicles.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Funeral Processions, p. 108

78 · SHARING THE ROAD

A trolley stops to let passengers off. You must not drive closer to its passenger step than:

✓ 8 feet
· 3 feet
· 25 feet
· 15 feet

Stay at least eight feet from a trolley's passenger step while people board or exit, look for oncoming trolleys before crossing tracks, and never turn in front of an approaching one — trolleys can't swerve.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Buses and Trolleys, p. 107

79 · SHARING THE ROAD

An orange warning sign on the back of a vehicle identifies:

✓ A slow-moving vehicle, like farm equipment
· A student driver
· Hazardous cargo

Orange warning signs mark slow movers — farm vehicles, construction rigs. Reduce speed, treat them like bicyclists, and leave plenty of room if you pass.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Slow-Moving Vehicles, p. 107

80 · SHARING THE ROAD

Approaching a horse and rider, the rider signals you to stop. You must:

✓ Stop — and stay stopped until it's safe to proceed
· Pass slowly on the left
· Honk so the horse moves over
· Slow down and sound your horn as a warning

You must stop if a rider or driver of an animal signals you to. Slow down, never honk or make loud noises, and if a passing animal looks scared, pull over and stop. The law covers horses, cows, and all draft animals.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Animals and Horse-Drawn Vehicles, pp. 108-109

81 · PARKING

State law requires that before leaving your parked car you must:

✓ Stop the motor, set the parking brake, lock the ignition, remove the key, and lock the door
· Just take the key
· Leave it running if you'll be under 5 minutes
· Set the parking brake — the rest is optional

All five steps are the law when leaving the vehicle by itself. You must also leave at least a 12-foot-wide clear lane for traffic and never create a hazard.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking, p. 109

82 · PARKING

In a business or residential district, you must park within what distance of the curb?

✓ 12 inches
· 24 inches
· 36 inches
· 18 inches

No more than 12 inches from the curb (angled parking zones are the exception). When pulling out, wait for traffic, signal, and move out slowly.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking, p. 109

83 · PARKING

Stopping your car in a travel lane next to a row of parked cars ("double parking") is:

✓ Always illegal
· Legal for quick deliveries
· Legal with hazard lights on

Double parking is on the no-parking list, along with bike lanes, bus stops ($100), taxi stands, loading zones, sidewalks, medians, and facing against traffic. Unpaid tickets block your license and registration renewal.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking Regulations, p. 111

84 · MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

Throwing ANYTHING from your vehicle window while driving is:

✓ Illegal — including cigarettes
· Legal if it's biodegradable
· A parking violation

It is illegal to throw anything from your window — garbage, glass, and especially lighted cigarettes, which can start fires. Also illegal: drag racing, driving on a bet, and bypassing your muffler.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Miscellaneous Rules, p. 111

85 · PARKING

Parking in a disabled-parking (HP-DV) space without proper plates or placard costs at least:

✓ $300 for a first offense
· $25
· $100
· $50

First offense: $300. Wrongful USE of someone else's disabled plate or placard: minimum $500. The striped crosshatch beside the space is off-limits even with a placard.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Parking Regulations, p. 110

86 · WORK ZONES

A crossing guard steps out holding a stop paddle. You must:

✓ Stop and obey the guard's signals
· Slow down and continue if no children are visible
· Change lanes around them
· Treat their paddle as a yield sign

Crossing guards have been killed on duty in Massachusetts — obey their signals absolutely. Watch for their reflective vests and hand-held stop paddles near schools.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Crossing Guards, p. 92

87 · VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

If your brake lights or directional signals stop working, until they're fixed you must:

✓ Use hand signals when turning or slowing
· Drive only during daylight
· Tap the horn before every turn
· Drive with hazard flashers on at all times

Broken signals or brake lights must be fixed right away — and until then, the law requires hand signals for every turn and slowdown. One more reason the road test checks that you know them.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Passenger Vehicle Safety, p. 34

88 · ROTARIES

True or false: Traffic circulating in a rotary must yield to vehicles entering it.

· True
✓ False

False — it's the other way around. Vehicles already in the rotary have the right-of-way; entering traffic yields at the entrance, then merges into a safe gap.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Rotary Traffic Rules, p. 101

89 · DROWSY DRIVING

True or false: Opening the windows and turning up the radio is a reliable way to drive safely when drowsy.

· True
✓ False

False. Nothing substitutes for sleep. If you feel tired, get off the road — drowsy-driving crashes peak between midnight and 6 a.m. and often involve a lone driver drifting off the road at speed.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 2 · Drowsy Driving, p. 47

90 · RIGHT-OF-WAY

True or false: When a blind pedestrian with a white cane is crossing, you must come to a complete stop until they have safely crossed.

✓ True
· False

True — that's the White Cane Law. Stay stopped until the person has safely crossed, never honk or wave them on, and never pass another vehicle that has stopped for them.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Right-of-Way Rules, p. 100

91 · HIGHWAY DRIVING

True or false: You may use the breakdown lane for normal travel whenever traffic is heavy.

· True
✓ False

False. Breakdown-lane travel is very restricted — legal only on certain highways during posted hours. As a general rule, never travel or pass in it.

📖 MA Manual · Ch. 4 · Using Lanes, p. 94

📝 Quiz yourself on these ⏱️ Take the timed exam

Sample content — verify against the current MA Driver's Manual before relying on it.