Lane use signs and white lines — Maine Permit Test

Lane use signs and white lines on the Maine permit test — 3 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

Many streets have signs that show what each lane is to be used for; a sign over a lane that says ONLY under a left arrow means cars in that lane must turn left.

A driver who goes straight from a turn-only lane cuts across the car beside him.

Many streets have signs that show what each of the lanes is to be used for:

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.58

Solid white lines separate lanes going the same way that have different uses, and they discourage changing lanes.

A driver who crosses a solid white line moves into a turn lane car that is not expecting him.

Solid white lines painted on the roadway separate lanes of traffic going in the same direction that have different uses. They also discourage changing lanes.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.58

Broken white lines simply show multiple lanes going the same way, and they allow safe lane changes.

A driver who thinks broken white lines forbid moving over gets stuck behind a stalled car.

Broken white lines simply indicate multiple lanes going in the same direction and they allow safe lane changes.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.58

On the test

A sign over your lane shows a left arrow with the word ONLY. What must you do?

Turn left. A driver who goes straight from a turn-only lane cuts across the car beside him. Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.58: “Many streets have signs that show what each of the lanes is to be used for:”

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.

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against Maine Driver’s License Manual, published by the Maine Secretary of State, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-05.