District of Columbia DC DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 33
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You are riding a shaded back road in autumn and reach a mat of wet leaves covering the pavement. What should you expect?
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Answer D: Traction can be nearly as poor as ice, so slow down before you reach them
Wet leaves are slick and they hide whatever is underneath, so reduce speed before the patch and cross it upright without braking or turning.
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2. You come around a bend and find loose sand spread across your lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off the gas, avoid sudden braking or steering, and keep straight
Loose material acts like ball bearings under the tires; smooth inputs preserve what little grip remains, while sudden braking or steering breaks it.
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3. What is the what if habit of a defensive driver?
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Answer C: Thinking through what you would do if a hazard ahead of you turned bad
Rehearsing an answer before the hazard develops means you act at once instead of spending time deciding.
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4. Rain is falling and the outside temperature reads close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why is that dangerous?
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Answer A: The rain can freeze on contact and glaze the road with ice
Near freezing, rain landing on cold pavement can turn to a glaze of ice almost at once, so a road that looks merely wet may have no grip at all.
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5. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?
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Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again
An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.
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6. You are riding on a multi-lane road with a car traveling beside you in the lane on your right. Which lane position is usually best?
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Answer D: The left portion, so you keep a cushion of space from the car alongside
Lane position is chosen to hold space between the motorcycle and the nearest hazard, and here that hazard is the vehicle on the right.
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7. How may a licensed adult driver use a mobile phone while driving in the District of Columbia?
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Answer C: Only with a hands-free accessory, without holding the device
DC law bars both using a device without a hands-free accessory and holding or attempting to hold the device while driving.
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8. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?
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Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe
A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.
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9. Once the motorcycle is leaned over and settled in a curve, what should the throttle be doing?
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Answer C: Held steady or rolled on gently through the curve
A steady or slightly increasing throttle keeps the suspension settled and the weight balanced, while closing it mid-curve unloads the rear tire.
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10. A pedestrian has stepped into a crosswalk at an intersection ahead of you. What is your obligation?
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Answer C: Yield and let the pedestrian finish crossing before you proceed
Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and an intersection has a legal crosswalk whether or not lines are painted on the pavement.
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11. A helmet falls from the seat onto a hard floor but shows no cracks. What should the owner do?
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Answer C: Replace it or have it checked, because the liner can be crushed inside
The foam liner can be compressed with no outside sign, and crushed foam will not absorb a second impact, so a helmet that has taken a hard knock should be replaced.
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12. How is the yield sign shaped and colored?
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Answer C: A downward-pointing triangle with a wide red border and a red legend on white
The yield sign is a downward-pointing equilateral triangle with a wide red border and the legend in red on a white background, an outline used for no other message.
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13. Which clue suggests that a car waiting at a side street is about to pull out in front of you?
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Answer B: The front wheels are turned and the car is creeping forward
Turned wheels and a slow creep forward are the strongest signs that a driver is about to move, so cover the brakes and be ready to change your lane position.
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14. You have just ridden over a large object lying in the road. What should you do next?
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Answer A: Pull over when it is safe and check the tires and rims for damage
An impact can cut a tire, dent a rim or bend a fork without giving any immediate change in how the machine feels, so it deserves a look.
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15. On a hot summer day you notice long black strips of crack sealant snaking across the pavement. What should a rider know about them?
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Answer A: They soften in heat and can be slippery, especially under a leaned tire
Crack sealant gets soft and greasy in the heat, so treat those strips as a low traction surface and avoid braking or hard cornering on them.
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16. What should riders expect from highway traffic when a group is merging?
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Answer C: Drivers will not hold a gap open for the group, so riders take real gaps
Other drivers do not treat a line of motorcycles as one vehicle, so each rider has to find a genuine gap rather than count on being let in.
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17. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?
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Answer C: The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level
The liver removes alcohol at a steady rate, so drinking faster than the body can clear it pushes the blood alcohol level much higher.
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18. Where should a rider keep the knees while riding?
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Answer B: Against the fuel tank
Knees held against the tank anchor the rider to the motorcycle and improve balance, which matters most in turns.
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19. The lights at a highway-rail grade crossing begin to flash red as you approach. What must you do?
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Answer B: Stop short of the tracks and wait until the lights stop and no train is near
Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop clear of the tracks, and you may proceed only once the lights have stopped, any gates are fully raised and no train is approaching.
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20. How does driving on overinflated tires affect the vehicle?
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Answer D: It gives a harsher ride and a smaller contact patch
An overinflated tire bulges in the middle, so less rubber touches the road, grip suffers and the ride becomes hard. The center of the tread wears first.
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21. How much space should you hold behind the rider who is directly ahead of you in your own portion of the lane?
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Answer D: At least two seconds
Riders sharing the same track keep a following distance of at least two seconds so they have the time and the room to react to a hazard.
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22. A sign at the curb reads Tow-Away Zone. What does it mean for you?
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Answer C: That a vehicle left there can be removed at the owner's expense
In a tow-away zone the vehicle can be removed immediately and the owner pays the towing and storage charges to get it back.
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23. Why is it harder for a rider to judge distance and closing speed after dark?
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Answer D: Only lights are visible, so closing speeds are hard to read
At night you see lights rather than whole vehicles and the scene around them, which strips away the cues that tell you how far away something is and how fast it is closing.
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24. What causes the side to side motion a rider feels when crossing a steel grid deck or rain grooves?
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Answer C: The tires following the ridges and grooves, which is normal and harmless
The tread follows the pattern in the surface, which produces a wandering feel. The motorcycle is not out of control, so relax on the bars and hold your speed.
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25. A yellow horizontal rectangular sign showing one large arrow pointing left or right, facing traffic on the far side of a sharp bend, tells the driver
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Answer C: which way the roadway turns at that point
The large arrow sign is mounted on the outside of a sharp change in alignment so that a driver approaching head on immediately sees which way the road goes.