Virginia DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 57

  • 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. A driver stopped at a red signal wants to turn right and this sign is posted at the corner. What is permitted?

    A white square showing an arrow turning right inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
    Show answer

    Answer A: Nothing: the turn is barred whether the signal is red or green

    The restriction works independently of the signal, so the usual permission to turn right after stopping at a red light does not exist where this sign is posted.

  2. 2. Where is the no passing zone pennant sign installed?

    Show answer

    Answer A: On the left side of the roadway

    The pennant is placed on the left side of the roadway at the beginning of the no-passing zone, in the field of view of a driver who is thinking about overtaking.

  3. 3. At 45 mph you look at a navigation screen for four seconds. Roughly how far do you travel unseeing?

    Show answer

    Answer D: About 260 feet

    At 45 mph you cover roughly 66 feet a second, so four seconds on a screen is around 260 feet of road that you never looked at.

  4. 4. Partway through a ride, a control starts to feel different from the way it normally feels. What is the right response?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stop somewhere safe and find out what has changed before riding further

    A change in feel is usually the first warning of a failing cable, a leaking brake or a loose fastener, and it is far cheaper to check at the roadside than to discover in traffic.

  5. 5. The temperature gauge climbs toward the red while you sit in slow moving traffic. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Get out of the traffic as soon as it is safe and let the engine cool

    A stationary motorcycle gets almost no airflow through the engine or radiator, so the cure is to stop creeping along in traffic and let it cool.

  6. 6. Over what period must a Virginia vehicle owner maintain the state's minimum liability insurance coverage?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Continuously, from the moment the vehicle is registered until the registration period expires

    Virginia requires the vehicle owner to maintain the minimum liability insurance continuously, from the moment the vehicle is registered until the registration period expires.

  7. 7. Where should the weight of a load sit in relation to the rear axle?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Over the rear axle or in front of it

    Weight placed behind the rear axle acts as a lever against the steering and can make the motorcycle wobble and handle and brake poorly.

  8. 8. A hands free phone conversation is which kind of distraction?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Cognitive, because your mind leaves the road

    Hands free equipment removes the manual and visual parts of a call but not the mental load, and it is the mental load that makes a driver miss hazards.

  9. 9. A white diamond symbol is painted in a highway lane. What does it identify?

    Show answer

    Answer C: A lane reserved for high-occupancy vehicles

    The diamond symbol marks a preferential lane, most often one reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum number of occupants.

  10. 10. What must you check about a load before riding away with it?

    Show answer

    Answer C: That it does not cover the tail light, the brake light or the signals

    Luggage that hides the lights leaves drivers behind with no warning that the motorcycle is slowing or turning.

  11. 11. You are very angry after an argument and about to drive. What should you know?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Strong emotions can impair judgment and attention much like alcohol

    Anger, grief and stress pull attention inward and encourage risk taking. Give yourself time to settle down before getting behind the wheel.

  12. 12. You are turning left across tracks that run along the center of the street. What should you do before crossing them?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Look along the tracks in both directions and cross only when clear

    Rail vehicles running in the street can arrive from either direction and cannot stop quickly, so look along the tracks before you turn across them.

  13. 13. Where is passing prohibited even when no line is visible?

    Show answer

    Answer D: On a curve or near the crest of a hill, at intersections and at railroad crossings

    Passing is prohibited wherever your view of oncoming traffic is blocked or where vehicles may cross your path, which includes hills, curves, intersections and rail crossings.

  14. 14. You realize at the last moment that you have passed the street where you meant to turn. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Keep going and turn around where it is safe and legal

    A missed turn is a minor inconvenience; braking suddenly, backing up or turning across traffic to recover it causes crashes.

  15. 15. How long should a head check before a lane change last?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A quick glance, so you do not lose track of what is happening ahead

    Traffic ahead can change in a second, so the blind spot check is a fast glance and the rider returns attention to the road immediately.

  16. 16. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?

    Show answer

    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.

  17. 17. What is the benefit of looking far down the road rather than just ahead of the hood?

    Show answer

    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.

  18. 18. At what point accumulation may the Virginia DMV mail a driver an advisory letter listing recent convictions and points?

    Show answer

    Answer D: 8 points within 12 months, or 12 points within 24 months

    Virginia may mail an advisory letter when a driving record shows at least 8 demerit points within 12 months or 12 points within 24 months, a lower threshold than the one that triggers a mandatory suspension and clinic.

  19. 19. Where is the clutch lever located on a standard motorcycle?

    Show answer

    Answer D: On the left handlebar

    Squeezing the lever on the left handlebar disengages the clutch and interrupts power between the engine and the rear wheel.

  20. 20. A squirrel darts into your path a short distance ahead. What is normally the safest response?

    Show answer

    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.

  21. 21. What is the danger of releasing the brake too early when moving off uphill?

    Show answer

    Answer C: The motorcycle rolls backward before the clutch has taken hold

    On a grade the brake has to stay on until the engine is actually pulling, otherwise the machine runs back into whatever is behind it.

  22. 22. A yellow curve warning sign carries a yellow plaque showing a speed. What does that number mean?

    Show answer

    Answer D: The recommended maximum safe speed for the curve under ideal conditions

    An advisory speed plaque on a yellow warning sign gives the recommended maximum speed for the hazard ahead when conditions are good.

  23. 23. Permanent signs must be retroreflective or lighted so that

    Show answer

    Answer A: they show the same shape and color at night as by day

    Retroreflective sheeting throws headlight light back to the driver, so a sign keeps its daytime shape and color after dark.

  24. 24. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration

    Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.

  25. 25. What should be done with a group that has grown too large to manage?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Split it into smaller groups, each with its own leader and sweep rider

    Smaller sub groups stay together more easily and are easier for other drivers to pass, and each one needs its own leader and sweep rider.