Maine driving lesson · Owning and Maintaining Your Vehicle
Maintenance, emergency supplies and noise limits
A 3-minute lesson from the Maine course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
A well-kept car gives you an extra safety margin. You can do most checks yourself, even if a mechanic has to fix what you find. Watch for warning signs every time you drive.
Check whenever you drive:
Headlights: replace burned-out bulbs; dirty lenses can cut night vision by more than half
Signal and brake lights: replace bulbs or fuses so you can communicate with other drivers
Windows and windshield: keep glass clear inside and out
Tires: look for worn tread; check pressure when tires are "cold"
Brakes: pedal stays well above the floor; listen for scraping or squealing; watch for pulling
A deadly, odorless gas in the exhaust of all gas engines. It causes weariness, headaches, dizziness, nausea and ringing in the ears; prolonged breathing can be fatal.
You may not play a sound system on a public way loud enough to be heard more than 25 feet away and over 85 decibels, or louder than is reasonable for the location and people nearby.
Your steering wheel turns about three inches before the wheels respond. That's more than 2 inches of play, so you may not be able to turn fast enough to avoid a collision. Get it checked before driving on.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
For how many consecutive seconds may a gasoline vehicle emit visible smoke on a public way?
No more than 15 seconds
No more than 10 seconds
No more than 5 seconds
No more than 30 seconds
Answer: No more than 5 seconds
A vehicle may not emit visible smoke for a period of more than 5 consecutive seconds.