Maine driving lesson · Turns, Lane Changes, Passing and Parking
Turning and intersections
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.
Intersections are where paths cross, so they're where many crashes happen. Slow down, search every direction, and never count on other drivers doing what the signs or their signals say.
When turning:
Check for traffic controls, pedestrians and other vehicles, and signal your turn
Enter the closest lane in the direction you want to go
Look as far as you can through the turn
Accelerate smoothly and make sure your signal cancels
Left and right turns into the closest laneMultiple turn lanes: stay in your lane through the turn
Intersection
Any place where roads meet so one line of traffic meets or crosses another, including cross streets, side streets, freeway entrances, and driveway and shopping center entrances.
Before moving after a stop, look left, then right, then left again. When your light turns green, make sure your path is clear and there's no cross traffic.
Don't turn in front of an oncoming vehicle just because its turn signal is on. The driver may turn after passing you or may have forgotten to cancel the signal.
If buildings, trees, a fence or parked cars block your view of a cross street, edge forward slowly until you can see, but don't start to turn until traffic clears. If a line of cars blocks your view of another lane, wait; don't poke your car into that lane.
Your light turns green, but a delivery truck to your left is still rolling toward its red light. Wait. Look left, right and left again, and go only when you're sure cross traffic has stopped.
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.
From which part of your lane should you make a right turn?
Any portion, as long as you signal
The rightmost portion of your lane
The leftmost portion of your lane
The center of your lane
Answer: The rightmost portion of your lane
Always turn right from the rightmost portion of your lane.
