Virginia DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 41

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years 6 months

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. What is the PRIME position on a fuel supply valve used for?

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    Answer D: To let fuel flow into the carburetor after the machine has stood unused

    PRIME bypasses the normal vacuum control and lets fuel refill an empty carburetor, which helps a machine start after sitting for a long time.

  2. 2. Why is wearing headphones over both ears a problem while driving?

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    Answer D: You may not hear horns, sirens or other warning sounds

    Hearing is part of your awareness of traffic. Covering both ears blocks emergency sirens, horns and the sound of an approaching vehicle you cannot yet see.

  3. 3. Why is parking next to a fire hydrant or in a marked fire lane prohibited?

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    Answer D: It would delay firefighters who need immediate access to the hydrant or the building

    Fire hydrants and fire lanes must remain clear at all times so emergency crews can connect hoses and reach a building without delay.

  4. 4. When is it safe to return to your own lane after passing a vehicle?

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    Answer C: Once you can see the whole front of that vehicle in your mirror

    Seeing the entire front of the vehicle in the mirror proves there is a full vehicle length of clear road, which the rider cannot judge by feel alone.

  5. 5. Does Virginia require a person operating a moped on a public roadway to hold a driver's license?

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    Answer D: No, a driver's license is not required, but the operator must be at least 16 and carry a government issued photo ID

    Virginia does not require a driver's license to operate a moped, but the operator must be at least 16 years old and carry a government issued photo identification.

  6. 6. An overhead lane-use control signal shows a steady red X above the lane you are traveling in. What does it require?

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    Answer D: Leave that lane, because it is closed to you

    A steady red X means road users are not permitted to use the lane beneath it, so you must move into a lane that is open.

  7. 7. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?

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    Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle

    Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.

  8. 8. In a normal signal cycle, what comes after a steady red indication?

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    Answer A: A green indication that starts the next movement

    Yellow is a warning that a movement is ending, so it never precedes a green; a red is followed by a green or a green arrow.

  9. 9. What is the only reliable remedy for a driver who is sleepy?

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    Answer A: Sleep

    Caffeine, fresh air and noise may make you feel alert for a few minutes, but they do not remove the need for sleep. Stop somewhere safe and rest.

  10. 10. When may a driver of a motor vehicle use a marked bicycle lane?

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    Answer C: Only to cross it when turning or entering the road where the markings allow

    A bike lane is a lane for cyclists. Motor vehicles may only cross it to enter or leave the road or to make a turn where the markings permit.

  11. 11. How many usable riding paths does a single traffic lane offer a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: Three

    A lane is normally treated as a left, center and right path, and the rider picks the one that gives the best visibility and the largest space cushion.

  12. 12. The rider ahead of you has just passed a slow vehicle on a two lane road. What does that tell you about your own pass?

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    Answer C: Nothing, because you must judge the oncoming traffic yourself

    Every pass uses up part of the gap, so the space that was ample for the rider ahead may be far too short by the time it is your turn.

  13. 13. A high-occupancy vehicle lane is separated from the general lanes by a pair of solid white lines with a gap every so often. Where may you enter or leave it?

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    Answer D: Only at the openings where the solid lines are broken

    The solid lines forbid crossing, so entry and exit are limited to the designated openings where the marking is broken.

  14. 14. Which quality matters most in a face shield?

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    Answer B: It resists penetration and is free of deep scratches

    A shield has to stop objects thrown up from the road and stay clear enough for undistorted vision, and it needs some airflow so that it does not fog.

  15. 15. You are wearing a high visibility jacket. How should that change the way you ride?

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    Answer B: You still ride as though drivers have not seen you

    Bright gear improves your odds of being noticed but guarantees nothing, so keep the lane position, space cushion and escape routes that protect you anyway.

  16. 16. Before a Virginia vehicle owner can purchase license plates or decals, what must the owner certify to the DMV?

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    Answer A: That the vehicle is covered by the minimum required insurance

    Virginia requires a vehicle owner to certify that the vehicle is covered by the state's minimum liability insurance requirements before license plates or decals may be purchased.

  17. 17. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?

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    Answer C: A left turn

    The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.

  18. 18. Your right-turn lane shows a green arrow while the through lanes face a red ball. What does that mean?

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    Answer C: Only the right turn is allowed, and it is protected while the arrow lasts

    A green arrow gives a protected movement in that direction only; the red ball still stops the through traffic in the other lanes.

  19. 19. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path

    A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.

  20. 20. You are passing a tractor-trailer on a wet freeway and its wheels throw heavy spray. What is the best technique?

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    Answer B: Increase your wipers and pass steadily without hesitating

    Spray blinds you for as long as you stay beside the truck, so prepare the wipers first and then spend as little time in the spray as possible.

  21. 21. How do worn tires and worn brakes affect your ability to stop?

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    Answer C: They lengthen the stopping distance, especially on a wet road

    Worn tread cannot clear water and worn brakes cannot produce full force, so both stretch the distance needed to stop.

  22. 22. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?

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    Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself

    You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.

  23. 23. Why should a rider pull in the clutch at the first sign that the engine is seizing?

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    Answer B: So a locking engine cannot lock the rear wheel through the drive train

    A seizing engine can lock up, and with the clutch engaged that would lock the rear wheel, so disconnecting the drive keeps the wheel rolling while you coast off the road.

  24. 24. Compared with dry pavement, how much room does a vehicle need to stop on packed snow?

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    Answer D: Several times as much

    Grip on packed snow is a fraction of that on dry pavement, so stopping distance grows several times over. Antilock brakes help you steer, not stop shorter.

  25. 25. Warning signs such as stop ahead, yield ahead and signal ahead are installed mainly where

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    Answer B: the traffic control device cannot be seen from far enough away

    These advance warning signs are used when a crest, curve or obstruction keeps the stop sign, yield sign or signal from coming into view in time for a driver to react.