District of Columbia DC DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 22
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. What is the benefit of looking far down the road rather than just ahead of the hood?
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Answer A: You steer with smaller corrections and you see trouble in plenty of time
A distant view steadies your steering and gives you time to plan, because you meet hazards after you have already seen them.
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2. Why should the leader of a group signal turns and lane changes early?
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Answer D: So the message has time to reach the riders at the back of the group
An early signal gives the whole formation, including the riders far back in the line, time to see the change and prepare for it.
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3. The posted limit is 55 mph, but heavy traffic and rain make that speed unsafe. What does the law expect of you?
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Answer D: You must slow to a speed that is safe for the conditions
The basic speed rule requires a speed that is reasonable for the traffic, weather and road, and that speed is often well below the posted maximum.
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4. You are circulating in a roundabout and a vehicle is waiting to enter ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going, because circulating traffic does not stop for entering vehicles
Stopping in the circle to be polite surprises the drivers behind you and defeats the design; entering traffic is the side that waits.
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5. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
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Answer B: Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
Stop behind the stop line, gate or flashing-light signal and well clear of the nearest rail, because a train overhangs its track by several feet on each side.
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6. At a rural intersection a beacon flashes yellow toward the main road and red toward the side road. How is each approach treated?
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Answer A: The main road slows and proceeds, the side road stops
An intersection control beacon assigns flashing yellow to the road with priority and flashing red to the approach that must stop and yield.
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7. A squirrel darts into your path a short distance ahead. What is normally the safest response?
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Answer C: Hold your line, brake as much as is safe, and accept hitting a small animal
Swerving without space, or crashing while braking, hurts the rider far more than a small animal does, so stay in your lane and slow as much as traction allows.
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8. What does this sign tell a driver about the road ahead?
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Answer A: The roadway changes direction ahead, so speed should be reduced before reaching it
It gives advance notice of a change in alignment so the driver can slow down before entering, since braking inside a bend uses up grip that is needed for steering.
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9. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?
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Answer A: Stay out of that area, because it is not meant to be driven on
Chevron and diagonal markings fill paved areas that traffic is not intended to use, so drivers should keep out of them.
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10. You are leaving a freeway on an exit ramp posted with an advisory speed of 25 mph. Where should you slow to that speed?
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Answer A: In the deceleration lane, before you reach the curve of the ramp
Slowing belongs in the deceleration lane so you arrive at the curve already at the advisory speed and do not hold up traffic still in the through lanes.
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11. A driver waiting to turn left appears to be looking straight at you. What should you assume?
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Answer C: That the driver may still not have seen you, and may turn across your path
Drivers look toward motorcycles without registering them, so eye contact is not evidence that the rider has been seen and no plan should depend on it.
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12. You are entering a marked school zone during the posted hours. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow to the school zone limit and watch for children
The school zone limit applies throughout the posted hours, whether or not you can see any children at that moment.
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13. Under DC DMV definitions, what are the limits of a motor-driven cycle that does not need an endorsement?
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Answer A: An engine of no more than 50cc and a top speed of no more than 30 mph
A motor-driven cycle has an engine of at most 50cc and cannot exceed 30 mph; if it meets all the criteria no endorsement is needed.
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14. You are calling 911 to report a crash. Which information matters most?
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Answer C: The exact location, how many people are hurt and any hazard such as fire
Dispatchers need to know where to send help, how much help to send, and what dangers the crews will meet on arrival.
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15. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?
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Answer B: A right turn
The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.
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16. A driver who is passing you cannot complete the pass because a vehicle is coming. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and make room for them to drop back in
The only place for the passing vehicle to go is the gap behind you, and easing off opens that gap immediately.
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17. A city transit bus ahead of you has stopped at the curb with its passenger door open. What does the law require of you?
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Answer D: Nothing special, but pass slowly and watch for people
The mandatory stop applies to a school bus showing red flashing lights, not to a transit bus, though a careful driver still slows for crossing passengers.
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18. Where is this sign installed in relation to the hazard it announces?
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Answer A: Far enough before the hazard that a driver can slow down and stop short of it
This is an advance warning sign, placed on the approach so a driver has time to react before reaching a crossing that a curve or a crest may be hiding.
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19. Why is the front brake avoided during a very slow, tightly leaned turn?
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Answer D: It can upset the balance of a leaned machine and drop it at low speed
At low speed and full lock there is little momentum holding the motorcycle up, and the sudden weight shift from the front brake easily topples it.
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20. How should a passenger behave through a turn?
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Answer B: Look over the operator's shoulder in the direction of the turn and avoid sudden movement
Looking over the operator's shoulder into the turn keeps the passenger aligned with the motorcycle, and avoiding sudden movement prevents unexpected changes in balance.
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21. How does marijuana affect a driver?
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Answer C: It slows reaction time and impairs judgment of time and distance
Marijuana impairs coordination, attention and the ability to judge speed and distance. Driving while impaired by it is illegal everywhere, even where its use is legal.
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22. Along a highway the reference markers count upward as you travel. Where does the numbering normally begin?
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Answer C: At the southern or western edge of the state
Mileage numbering starts where the route enters the state from the south or the west, so rising numbers tell a driver which way they are heading.
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23. Why should gloves and jacket sleeves overlap?
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Answer A: So no gap of bare skin is left at the wrist in a slide or the cold
The wrist is easy to leave exposed, and a gap there lets in cold air and takes the full force of a slide, so gauntlets or elastic cuffs should close the gap.
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24. A driver passes this sign on an entrance ramp while merging onto a freeway. Who has priority?
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Answer B: The traffic already traveling on the freeway
The sign places the duty on the entering driver, who must adjust speed and fit into a gap without forcing through traffic to brake or swerve.
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25. What should a passenger hold on to while the motorcycle is moving?
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Answer B: The operator's waist, hips or belt, or a handhold provided for the passenger
Holding the operator's waist, hips or belt, or a handhold designed for the passenger, keeps the passenger secure under acceleration and braking without pulling the operator off balance.