Virginia DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 7
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. From which lane should a permitted U-turn be started?
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Answer A: The lane nearest the center line, the same one used for a left turn
A U-turn is begun from the far left lane for your direction, the same position used for a left turn, so you do not cut across traffic beside you.
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2. You are turning right off a street into a parking lot driveway that crosses a bike lane and a sidewalk. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Pedestrians on the sidewalk and riders in the bike lane
Turning into a driveway means crossing the paths of people who were already traveling straight, so you give way to both the bike lane and the sidewalk.
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3. You are driving in fog so thick that you can barely see the vehicle ahead. Which pavement marking is the best guide for staying in your lane?
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Answer A: The white edge line on the right side of the road
The right edge line keeps you positioned away from oncoming traffic and is easy to follow at low speed. Following tail lights closely tempts you to drive faster than you can see.
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4. 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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5. Should a rider change lanes while passing through an intersection?
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Answer A: No, the lane change should be completed before or after the intersection
Drivers entering and turning at an intersection are watching lanes rather than a machine moving between them, and lane markings are usually broken there.
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6. Studies of damaged helmets show that the most frequently struck area is which part?
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Answer C: The chin and jaw area, which an open face helmet leaves uncovered
The chin and face area takes a large share of helmet impacts, which is the main safety argument for a full face helmet over an open face one.
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7. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?
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Answer C: Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
Alternating one for one at the merge point keeps both lanes moving and is the safest way to combine slow traffic.
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8. Federal law lets a state open its high-occupancy vehicle lanes to certain vehicles carrying only one person. Which of these is covered by that allowance?
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Answer B: Motorcycles
Federal law lets states allow motorcycles into high-occupancy vehicle lanes regardless of the number of occupants, because keeping riders in the flow is safer than the alternative.
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9. A traffic signal is displaying a flashing red light. How must you treat it?
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Answer D: Stop completely, then proceed when the way is clear
A flashing red carries the same meaning as a stop sign: come to a full stop, then go only when it is safe.
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10. What must a driver be prepared to do at the point this sign refers to?
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Answer D: Turn left or right, because the road being traveled ends there
The road ends at another roadway, so the driver must slow, give way to traffic on the through road and turn in one direction or the other.
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11. A regulatory sign posted at the start of a road reads LENGTH LIMIT 30 FEET. What does it control?
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Answer B: The overall length of vehicle allowed on that road
Some states post a length limit where tight curves or narrow structures lie ahead; it bars vehicles or combinations longer than the figure shown from using that road.
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12. In Virginia, how is it classified when a driver on a highway with at least four lanes fails to change into a lane not adjacent to a stationary vehicle displaying flashing warning lights, despite being able to do so safely?
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Answer A: It is classified as reckless driving
Virginia law makes a violation of its requirement to move over for a stationary vehicle with flashing warning lights, when a safe lane change was possible, a reckless driving offense.
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13. How can the vehicle ahead of you help you read the road at night?
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Answer A: Its headlights light the road further ahead than yours can reach
The lights of the vehicle ahead reach beyond your own beam, so its brake lights and the way it moves warn you about holes, turns and hazards you cannot yet see.
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14. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?
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Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic
The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.
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15. You have stopped after a crash. Why should the engines of the vehicles involved be switched off?
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Answer A: To reduce the risk of a fire starting around any fuel that has spilled
Crashes often break fuel lines, and a running engine is a source of ignition, so switching off lowers the risk of fire.
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16. At which location is this sign normally installed?
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Answer D: Facing traffic that could turn into a one-way roadway or ramp against the flow
It is posted where a driver could otherwise enter a ramp or a one-way roadway from the wrong end, so it faces exactly the traffic that has to be kept out.
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17. How should a rider approach a curve whose radius keeps tightening the further you go into it?
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Answer A: Enter more slowly than the curve first appears to need, saving lean for the exit
In a decreasing radius curve the sharpest part comes last, so a slower entry leaves both speed and lean angle in reserve for where they are needed.
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18. Which warning sign keeps its yellow background even when it is used inside a work zone?
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Answer D: The grade crossing advance warning sign
The round grade crossing advance warning sign keeps its black legend on yellow inside temporary traffic control zones because the railroad hazard it describes is not temporary.
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19. Why should a rider avoid painting a helmet or cleaning it with strong solvents?
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Answer D: Chemicals can weaken the shell and the liner without showing it
Solvents and some paints attack the shell and the foam, so use mild soap and water and follow the maker's instructions to keep the helmet's protection intact.
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20. A motorcycle ahead of you is weaving slightly as it crosses a stretch of grooved pavement. What should you do?
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Answer D: Give the rider extra room until the surface improves
Grooves, metal plates and loose material affect a motorcycle far more than a car, so back off and let the rider deal with the surface.
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21. A pedestrian steps off the curb without looking your way. What should you assume?
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Answer B: That the person has not seen you at all, and be ready to stop for them
Defensive driving means assuming you have not been seen until there is clear evidence that you have.
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22. An arrow panel at a work zone displays a flashing arrow pointing to the left. What does it require?
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Answer C: Move out of the closed lane into the lane on the left
A flashing or sequential arrow on an arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane and into the lane the arrow points to.
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23. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
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Answer B: Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
Stop behind the stop line, gate or flashing-light signal and well clear of the nearest rail, because a train overhangs its track by several feet on each side.
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24. A large truck ahead of you swings toward the left just before turning right at an intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay back and never try to move into the gap between the truck and the curb
Long vehicles need extra room and often swing wide to complete a right turn, so the space that opens on their right closes again as the trailer sweeps through it.
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25. What most often leads to an engine seizure on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: Loss of engine oil or coolant, so the moving parts overheat and grip
Seizure is normally a lubrication or cooling failure, which is why oil level and coolant are part of every pre-ride check and why a rising temperature reading deserves attention.