Seeing far enough to stop — Maine Permit Test

Seeing far enough to stop on the Maine permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

Never drive so fast at night that you cannot stop within the distance your lights let you see.

Anything just past your headlights is already too close to stop for.

Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead with your lights.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.82

Headlights let you see clearly only about 250 feet ahead.

A deer at 300 feet is still in the dark when you need to start braking.

Headlights will let you see clearly only about 250 feet ahead.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.82

Because headlights reach only about 250 feet, driving faster than about 50 mph on a dark road is really driving blind.

Above that speed you cover the lit road faster than you could stop on it.

Therefore, if you drive faster than about 50 mph on a dark road, you are really "driving blind."

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.82

Approach a blind intersection, where trees, bushes or buildings block your view, slowly enough to stop if a car pulls out suddenly.

A car hidden by a hedge can roll into the road with only a car length to spare.

You need to approach a "blind" intersection slowly enough to be able to stop if a car pulls out suddenly.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.83

Slow down as you come to a steep hill or sharp curve, because you must be able to stop if a stalled car is on the other side.

A broken-down car just over a crest gives a fast driver no room at all.

You never know what's on the other side of a steep hill or a sharp curve. If a stalled car is there you must be going slowly enough to stop.

Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.83

On the test

At night, how fast does the manual say you may drive?

Slow enough to stop within your lights. Anything just past your headlights is already too close to stop for. Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.82: “Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead with your lights.”

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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  • Paying opens the rest of the cards, unlimited full-length practice tests, and retests built from exactly the questions you got wrong.
  • Every level up to Prepared — 3 tests passed in a row.
  • Do the work, fail the real exam, and we refund you.

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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.