District of Columbia DC DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 29
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. How does weight transfer during braking change what each brake can do?
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Answer A: Weight moves forward, so the front tire grips harder and the rear grips less
Deceleration pitches the machine forward onto the front wheel, which is why the front brake supplies most of the stopping power and the rear locks easily.
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2. Why should a rider reduce speed at night even on a familiar road?
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Answer C: So the stopping distance stays inside the distance the headlight lights up
At night you can only react to what the headlight shows, so keep your speed low enough that you can stop within the lit distance ahead.
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3. A bag strapped to the back of your motorcycle works loose and starts to shift as you ride. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow smoothly, pull off the road, and secure the load before riding on
A load that moves changes the balance of the motorcycle and can foul a wheel or the chain, so stop as soon as you safely can and fasten it properly.
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4. You are turning right onto a one-way street. Which lane of that street should you enter?
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Answer C: The lane closest to the right curb
Even though every lane on a one-way street runs your way, a right turn must end in the lane nearest the right curb; you may change lanes afterwards when it is safe.
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5. What should a rider do if the front wheel locks during braking?
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Answer A: Release the front brake immediately, then reapply it firmly
A locked front wheel cannot steer or hold the motorcycle up, so the brake must be released to let the wheel roll again and then reapplied smoothly.
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6. What is the main function of the guide sign series?
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Answer D: To identify routes and lead road users to their destinations
Guide signs identify routes, name destinations and give distances, so drivers can navigate without stopping to consult a map.
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7. A left-turn bay opens ahead of the intersection with a solid white line beside it. Where should you enter the bay?
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Answer C: At the opening before the solid line begins
The solid line marks where lane changes are no longer intended, so you move into the turn bay at its opening rather than cutting across the line later.
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8. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
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Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
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9. An oncoming vehicle keeps its high beam on and dazzles you. What should you do?
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Answer C: Look toward the right edge of your lane and slow until it has passed
Shifting your gaze to the right edge of the lane keeps you on line without staring into the glare, and slowing gives you time if something is hidden in it.
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10. A driver in the left lane of a freeway realizes only when level with this sign that the ramp beside it is the one they need. What is the correct action?
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Answer A: Carry on to the next interchange and turn back from there
There is no safe way back to a ramp once it has been reached from the wrong lane, so the driver keeps going to the next interchange, where the ramps are built for that movement.
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11. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Answer D: The full width of the lane
A motorcycle is entitled to the full lane, and riders move within it to stay visible and to avoid surface hazards, so drivers should never try to share a lane with one.
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12. You have turned right into the nearest lane but you need the left lane soon. When should you move over?
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Answer A: After the turn is finished, once you have checked mirrors and blind spot
Complete the turn in the proper lane first, then make a normal lane change with mirror and blind spot checks once you are established on the new street.
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13. A signal on an entrance ramp changes from red to green and lets one vehicle at a time onto the highway. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stop on the red and go on the green, one vehicle for each green
A ramp meter spaces vehicles out so they join the highway one at a time instead of arriving as a group, and it is a traffic signal like any other.
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14. You have a green arrow to turn left. What still applies?
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Answer D: You must yield to any pedestrian or vehicle still inside the intersection
A green arrow protects your turn from conflicting traffic, but you must still let anyone already in the intersection get clear before you move.
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15. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
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Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
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16. What is the first thing to do once your disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder?
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Answer A: Switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see the vehicle
Hazard lights are the fastest way to make a stopped vehicle visible, and everything else can follow once traffic has been warned.
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17. How should your following distance change in heavy rain?
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Answer D: It should be increased well beyond what you use on dry pavement
Wet pavement lengthens stopping distance and rain cuts visibility at the same time, so a larger gap gives you the extra seconds needed to see a problem and stop for it.
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18. A yellow diamond shows the two edges of the road pinching toward each other. What does it mean?
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Answer B: The pavement gets narrower but the lanes continue
The road narrows sign warns that the traveled way becomes tighter, leaving less room beside passing vehicles even though no lane is dropped.
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19. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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20. A steady green downward arrow is displayed above the lane you are in. What does it tell you?
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Answer A: You may drive in that lane
A green downward arrow means the lane beneath it is open for travel in your direction.
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21. You are approaching a traffic light that has been green for a long time. How should you treat it?
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Answer C: Expect it to change and be ready to stop
A light that has been green for a while is called a stale green light. Cover the brake and decide in advance where you could still stop safely.
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22. Why do watering eyes matter so much to a rider?
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Answer D: Blurred vision delays the moment you see and react to a hazard
Wind makes unprotected eyes water, and even a brief loss of clear vision at road speed costs you the distance you need to react.
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23. Your car begins to lose power on a freeway and you must stop. Where should you try to bring it to a halt?
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Answer A: As far off the right side of the road as you can get, beyond the edge line
A disabled vehicle should be moved completely clear of the travel lanes, on the right, so that traffic can pass without changing course.
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24. Two solid yellow lines are painted down the center of a two-way road. What do they mean?
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Answer B: Traffic in neither direction may cross them to pass
A double solid yellow line marks a no-passing zone that applies to traffic traveling in either direction.
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25. What is the purpose of the engine cut-off switch?
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Answer B: To stop the engine without letting go of the handgrips
The cut-off switch, usually a red switch near the right handgrip, shuts the engine down while the rider keeps both hands in control of the motorcycle.