Distracted driving — Maryland Permit Test
Distracted driving on the Maryland permit test — 3 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Distracted driving is when you take your eyes, hands or especially your mind away from driving, and it causes more crashes reported to police than anything else.
The mind is the one you cannot see going, and it is the one that matters most.
"Distracted driving" is when you take your eyes, hands or especially your mind, away from driving.
It is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone, including texting, while driving. You may use a phone for calls hands-free.
A phone in your hand takes your eyes, your hand and your attention all at once.
It is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone, including texting, while driving. This means you cannot use your phone while holding it.
If you are under 18 you may not use a cell phone while driving at all, even hands-free. The only exception is a 911 emergency call.
A new driver has no attention to spare, which is why the rule is stricter.
If you are under 18 years old, you may not use a cell phone while driving, even hands-free. The only exception is that you may use it to make a 911 emergency call.
On the test
Which is the most important thing not to take away from driving?
Your mind. The mind is the one you cannot see going, and it is the one that matters most. Maryland Driver's Manual, p.34: “"Distracted driving" is when you take your eyes, hands or especially your mind, away from driving.”
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.
Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
What it costs
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against Maryland Driver's Manual, published by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-06.