District of Columbia DC DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 58
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. It is very hot and a rider is tempted to take off the riding jacket. Why can that make the heat worse?
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Answer C: A bare arm in hot moving air loses fluid fast and burns in the sun
In hot, dry air a covering layer slows the evaporation of sweat and blocks the sun, so ventilated gear can keep a rider cooler and better hydrated than bare skin.
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2. A school sign combined with an AHEAD plaque, or with a plaque giving a distance in feet, forms an assembly that
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Answer B: warns of a school crossing located further along the road
The school advance crossing assembly is placed before the crosswalk to give drivers notice, while a different assembly marks the crossing itself.
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3. What is the maximum lawful speed in a District alley?
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Answer C: 15 mph
The maximum lawful speed in a DC alley is 15 mph, below the 20 mph default that applies to streets.
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4. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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5. A sign at the intersection prohibits U-turns, but the opening looks wide and clear. What may you do?
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Answer B: Obey the sign and turn around somewhere else
A prohibition applies whatever the traffic looks like at that moment, usually because of sight distance or conflicts you cannot see from the lane.
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6. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?
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Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone
Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.
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7. A stop line is painted across the pavement at this sign. Where must the vehicle come to rest?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, with no part of the vehicle across it
The vehicle must halt behind the stop line; where no line is painted the driver stops before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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8. Your vehicle breaks down on a busy highway. What is the safest course of action?
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Answer D: Get it as far off the roadway as possible, switch on the hazard lights and keep clear of the traffic lanes
A vehicle left in or beside a travel lane is a hazard, so move it well off the road, make it conspicuous with hazard lights and keep yourself away from passing traffic.
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9. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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10. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room
Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.
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11. In the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection, what does the first item cover?
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Answer C: Tires and wheels
T stands for tires and wheels, where the rider checks pressure, tread, damage, rims, spokes and bearings before anything else.
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12. Where is a U-turn generally the most reasonable choice?
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Answer B: At an intersection where it is permitted and you can see well both ways
A U-turn needs a legal place and a long clear view in both directions, which is why a permitted intersection with open sight lines is the usual choice.
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13. About how far ahead do low beam headlights let you see on a dark road?
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Answer B: About 250 feet
Low beams light roughly 250 feet of road, and high beams roughly 350 to 500 feet, which sets the limit on a safe night speed.
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14. You reach a stop-controlled intersection at the same time as a driver on your left, but that driver is already moving through the crossing. Who goes first?
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Answer C: The driver who is already inside the intersection
A vehicle already in the intersection has the right of way, and the rule about yielding to the right applies only before anyone has entered.
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15. How does higher speed affect the outcome of a crash?
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Answer A: It leaves less time to react and greatly increases the force of impact
Speed shortens the time available to avoid a hazard and raises the energy released in an impact, so both the likelihood and the severity of a crash increase.
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16. You are on an entrance ramp merging onto a freeway. Who has to give way?
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Answer B: You must yield and fit into a gap in the traffic already on the freeway
Traffic entering a highway must yield to traffic already on it. Use the acceleration lane to match speed and merge into a gap.
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17. The car ahead drifts across the lane line and back again several times. What should you do?
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Answer C: Assume that the driver is distracted or impaired, and keep well back
Drifting is a classic sign of a distracted, drowsy or impaired driver, and distance is your protection from all three.
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18. On a long uphill grade a second lane opens on the right and a sign directs slower traffic into it. You are towing a trailer and holding up a line of vehicles. What should you do?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and let the faster traffic use the left lane
A climbing lane exists so that slow vehicles can be passed safely, and the slower vehicle is the one that belongs in it.
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19. What should the clutch be doing during a quick stop?
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Answer C: Pulled in as the motorcycle slows, so the engine does not stall
Disengaging the clutch as the machine slows keeps the engine running, so the rider can pull away again immediately if that becomes necessary.
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20. You have shut the engine off with the kill switch because the throttle stuck open. What comes next?
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Answer D: Keep the clutch in, brake to a stop off the road, and find the cause
With the engine off and the clutch pulled in the motorcycle is only coasting, so brake to a stop clear of traffic and inspect the throttle cable and grip before restarting.
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21. How often should a rider change position within the lane?
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Answer C: As often as the traffic, the road surface and the hazards around you change
Lane position is a tool for keeping space and visibility, and both of those change constantly as traffic and road conditions change.
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22. For how long must a DC license holder enrol in the Ignition Interlock System Program after a third or subsequent covered offense?
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Answer A: 2 years
The DC interlock period runs 6 months for a first offense, one year for a second, and 2 years for a third or subsequent offense.
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23. What does this sign require of the driver?
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Answer D: Reducing speed and being ready to stop at the intersection ahead
The advance notice asks the driver to slow and be ready to stop, while whether a stop is actually needed depends on the indication displayed on arrival.
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24. How long may DC revoke driving privileges when a driver refuses a chemical test after being told the consequences?
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Answer A: 12 months
A refusal in DC leads to revocation or denial of driving privileges for 12 months, or to enrolment in the Ignition Interlock System Program.
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25. On a clear day with light traffic, a driver stays far below the maximum this sign sets. What can that cause?
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Answer B: Obstruction of the normal flow of traffic, which is prohibited in itself
Driving so slowly that other traffic is impeded is an offense in its own right when nothing about safety, weather or the road calls for it.