Rhode Island Speed Limits practice test

Practice limits and how to adjust your speed: 17 questions based on the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, 11 of them on Rhode Island's own rules.

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Key Rhode Island facts: Speed Limits

  • The prima facie limit is 25 mph in any business or residence district. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-2(a)(1)
  • In other locations the prima facie limit is 50 mph in the daytime and 45 mph at night; daytime runs from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-2(a)(2)-(3), (b)
  • The 20 mph school-area limit applies within 300 feet of school grounds' entrances and exits during the daytime on days school is open, only where warning signs are posted. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-2(a)(4)-(5)
  • No one may drive faster than is reasonable and prudent for the conditions, and speed must be controlled to avoid collisions. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-1
  • Drivers must reduce speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad crossing, going around a curve, nearing a hill crest, or on narrow or winding roads, and when hazards exist. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(a)

Sample Speed Limits questions

When must a driver reduce speed regardless of the posted limit?

  • When driving on a wide, empty, dry road
  • When passing a billboard or a roadside sign
  • On a straight, dry highway with no traffic
  • When approaching a curve or hill crest
Show the answer

When approaching a curve or hill crest

Weather and special hazards also call for reduced speed.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(a)

May you drive so slowly that you block normal traffic?

  • No, unless needed for safe operation or law
  • Yes, on highways where passing is allowed
  • Yes, because slower is always safer
  • Yes, if you stay in the left lane
Show the answer

No, unless needed for safe operation or law

Police may direct slow drivers to speed up.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-9, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-9(a)

You cannot safely change lanes away from a stopped emergency vehicle. What must you do?

  • Slow down to a safe speed until past it
  • Maintain your speed and pass quickly
  • Stop completely until the lights turn off
  • Drive onto the shoulder to get around it
Show the answer

Slow down to a safe speed until past it

Reduced speed is required until completely past.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(b)

A tow truck with flashing lights is stopped at the roadside on a road with two lanes in your direction. What should you do?

  • Stop behind it
  • Honk and pass closely
  • Stay in the near lane at full speed
  • Move to the other lane when safe
Show the answer

Move to the other lane when safe

If you cannot safely change lanes, slow down.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(b)

What does Rhode Island's basic speed law require?

  • Always driving 5 mph over the posted limit
  • Always driving exactly at the posted limit
  • A speed that is reasonable and prudent
  • Driving as fast as the other traffic is
Show the answer

A speed that is reasonable and prudent

The posted limit is a maximum for ideal conditions.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-1, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-1

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Rhode Island Driver's Manual (Rhode Island Driver's Manual, April 2024 edition (cover date; 87 PDF pages; PDF pages equal the printed page numbers), the manual linked from the Division of Motor Vehicles' Operator Manuals page and read 2026-11-10 at dmv.ri.gov/media/966/download. dmv.ri.gov pages and that file are behind a Cloudflare check that blocks curl (HTTP 403), so the pages and the PDF were read in the built-in browser and the PDF text was extracted there and saved to sources/RI/handbook.txt (the 2024 PDF itself could not be saved with curl). An older manual dated rev. 08/2015 (Driver_Manual_FINAL.pdf) is still on dmv.ri.gov and was saved as sources/RI/handbook_2015.pdf only to compare editions. The manual says on PDF p. 6 that it is a guideline and not a legal document, so every legal rule used in questions was checked against R.I. Gen. Laws Title 31 on webserver.rilegislature.gov (sections read 2026-11-10, including laws amended in 2025). Out-of-date or inconsistent manual statements and how they were handled: (1) DUI and chemical test refusal (PDF pp. 61-63) count repeat offenses within 5 years, but R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-2 and 31-27-2.1 count them within 10 years; questions use the statute. (2) Phones (PDF pp. 36-37) describe only the ban for drivers under 18 and texting; since July 2, 2025 (2025 P.L. ch. 401 and 402) 31-22-30 bars using a handset for any purpose while driving except hands-free, and 31-22-31 bars hand-held calls ($100 fine); questions use the statutes. (3) Full license age: PDF p. 14 says at least 17 years 6 months, 31-10-6(b)(3) says at least 17 and under 18; no question asks the age. (4) Fines: PDF pp. 27 and 59 give $85 for a child restraint violation and PDF p. 58 gives $500 for no proof of insurance, while the schedule in 31-41.1-4 shows $100 for a child restraint violation and 31-47-9 sets $100 to $500 for a first insurance offense; school bus penalty PDF p. 54 says $250 to $500 while 31-20-12 says up to $300 for a first offense ($250 to $500 applies to camera cases under 31-51-2.2); no question asks these fines except the insurance penalty, which follows 31-47-9. (5) Shared (two-way) left turn lane (PDF p. 38): the manual says no entry unless turning within 100 feet, but 31-15-19(2) allows driving in the lane up to 200 feet; the question uses 200. (6) Bicycle passing: PDF p. 55 advises 3 to 5 feet of clearance, while 31-15-18 defines a safe distance as enough to prevent contact if the cyclist falls, with no fixed number; the question uses the statute and bicycle_pass_ft is left open. (7) Permit validity: PDF p. 12 says the permit lasts until age 18 and can be renewed twice, the DMV New License Permits page says a permit may be renewed one time, and 31-10-6(b)(1) says valid one year; no question asks it. (8) The manual cites the car door law as 31-21-1 (PDF p. 56) but it is 31-21-14; the question cites 31-21-14. (9) Adult learners: the manual does not state the 30-day wait before an adult permit holder's road test; the DMV New License Permits page does, and the question cites that page. (10) Right-turn-on-red, the stop-sign three-second pause (PDF p. 32) and lane-position advice are manual guidance; only the first is also in statute (31-13-6(3)(i)(A)). (11) The older 2015 manual's license renewal ages (2-year license from age 68) and texting fines ($85 to $125) are superseded and not used. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.