Washington DOL Motorcycle Practice Test 1
Test 1 of 6. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Washington test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. What does Washington insurance law require regarding underinsured motorist coverage on a new auto policy?
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Answer B: Insurers must include it unless rejected in writing
Washington requires insurers to include underinsured motorist coverage in new auto policies unless the named insured or spouse rejects it in writing.
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2. On a two-lane road, a solid yellow line runs on your side of the center while a broken yellow line runs on the other side. What does this mean?
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Answer D: You may not pass, although oncoming drivers may
Passing restrictions are read from the line closest to your own lane, so a solid yellow line on your side creates a no-passing zone for you alone.
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3. Is it a good idea to shift into neutral and coast down a long hill to save fuel?
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Answer B: No, you lose engine braking and some control of the vehicle
In neutral the engine cannot help slow the vehicle, so the brakes do all the work and can overheat. Stay in gear so the drivetrain helps hold your speed.
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4. You are riding in the middle of a tight cluster of cars on a multilane road. What is the best way to improve your safety?
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Answer C: Ride slightly faster or slower to open space and get clear of the cluster
A rider hemmed in on all sides has nowhere to go, so change your speed a little to open an escape path and leave the crowd.
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5. A rider adjusts the mirrors and finds each one mostly filled with a view of an elbow. What should be done?
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Answer D: Readjust them outward so that more of the lane behind becomes visible
Mirrors are useful only for the road behind, and half a mirror filled with the rider is half of an already limited view thrown away.
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6. Why do safety agencies put head protection first among riding gear?
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Answer A: Because head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes
Head injury is the most common cause of death in motorcycle crashes, which is why a certified helmet is the single most important piece of gear.
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7. What are the requirements for a Washington motorcycle instruction permit?
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Answer D: At least 16 years of age and holding a current Washington driver license
A Washington motorcycle instruction permit requires the rider to be at least 16 years of age and to hold a current Washington driver license.
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8. A rectangular red sign with the white words WRONG WAY means that
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Answer C: the driver is already traveling against the legal flow and must not continue
The wrong way sign uses a white legend and border on red and addresses a driver who has entered a ramp or one-way roadway in the wrong direction, who should stop and turn around safely.
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9. What is the main danger of grabbing the front brake lever abruptly?
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Answer D: The front wheel can lock, and a locked wheel cannot steer or balance
The front brake must be squeezed progressively so that weight transfers onto the front tire before full braking force is asked of it.
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10. What is the minimum length of time a Washington driver must hold an ignition interlock restriction after a first DUI conviction?
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Answer D: One year
Washington requires a minimum one-year ignition interlock restriction following a first DUI conviction.
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11. A curb lane is marked BUS ONLY 7 AM TO 9 AM. What may the driver of a car do?
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Answer A: Use the lane outside those hours
A part-time bus lane is reserved only during the posted period, and outside it the lane serves general traffic like any other.
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12. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?
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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.
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13. How should you follow a school bus in traffic?
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Answer A: Far enough back to see its lights and stop in time
A school bus stops often and with little warning, so a longer following distance gives you time to see the lights come on and stop clear of it.
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14. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
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Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
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15. Under Washington's ban on personal electronic devices while driving, which brief action remains legally allowed?
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Answer C: Using a single finger to activate or deactivate a device function
Washington's electronic device law permits the minimal use of a single finger to activate, deactivate or initiate a function, even though holding and reading the device is otherwise banned.
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16. How many alcoholic drinks does it take to begin affecting driving ability?
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Answer C: Even one drink can affect it
A single drink can slow reactions and weaken judgment before you feel any change. Impairment starts long before a person feels drunk.
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17. You have a green arrow to turn left. What still applies?
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Answer D: You must yield to any pedestrian or vehicle still inside the intersection
A green arrow protects your turn from conflicting traffic, but you must still let anyone already in the intersection get clear before you move.
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18. Two left-turn lanes are available and you must turn right again a short distance after the turn. Which of the two should you use?
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Answer D: The right one, so you finish nearer the right side of the new street
Each turn lane feeds the matching lane of the new street, so choosing the right-hand of the two left-turn lanes leaves you closer to the side you will need.
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19. How should a rider use a motorcycle fitted with antilock brakes in an emergency stop?
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Answer D: Apply firm, steady pressure to both brakes and keep it there
An antilock system releases and reapplies pressure far faster than a rider can, but only while the rider keeps holding the brakes on.
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20. Why should reflective material be placed on the front, back and sides of a rider's gear?
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Answer D: A driver may approach the rider from any of those directions
Threats come from ahead, behind and from the sides at intersections, so reflective material should be visible from every direction a vehicle can approach.
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21. What do the grooves in a tire tread do on a flooded road surface?
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Answer B: They give the water a way to escape so the tread can touch the road
Tread grooves pump water out from under the tire so rubber can meet pavement. A worn tread moves less water, so hydroplaning starts sooner.
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22. What actually lowers the amount of alcohol in a person's blood?
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Answer D: The passage of time
The body eliminates alcohol at its own steady rate, so only time reduces blood alcohol. Coffee or a cold shower may make a person feel more awake while still impaired.
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23. What does Washington require for a motorcycle passenger?
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Answer C: The passenger must be at least 5 years old, have a passenger seat and foot pegs or boards, and wear a DOT-compliant helmet
Washington requires motorcycle passengers on two- or three-wheelers to be at least five years old, to have a passenger seat and foot pegs or boards, and to wear a DOT-compliant helmet.
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24. How much should you normally reduce your speed on a road covered with packed snow compared with dry conditions?
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Answer C: By about half
Packed snow roughly doubles the distance needed to stop, so a common guideline is to cut speed by about half. On ice, slow to a crawl.
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25. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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26. You want to pass on a two-lane road where several people are walking on the narrow shoulder ahead. What should you consider?
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Answer D: There is no escape room if the pass goes wrong, so wait for a better place
A pass depends on having somewhere to go if it goes wrong, and a shoulder occupied by pedestrians removes that option for both vehicles.
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27. 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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28. Your phone is in a mount on the dashboard rather than in your hand. What is true?
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Answer B: It still takes your eyes and mind off the road
A mount solves the hand problem but not the eye or the mind problem, and reading or tapping a mounted screen costs the same seconds of attention.
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29. You want to turn right at a steady red light and no sign prohibits the turn. What is required?
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Answer B: Come to a complete stop, then yield to traffic and pedestrians before turning
A right turn on a steady red is permitted only after a complete stop and only after yielding to cross traffic and to pedestrians, and a posted sign can prohibit it entirely.
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30. What reinstatement fee does Washington charge to restore a license suspended or revoked specifically for a DUI or test-refusal violation?
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Answer A: $170
Washington charges an enhanced $170 reinstatement fee for a license suspended or revoked for driving under the influence or refusing a chemical test.
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31. May a Washington driver show proof of insurance to a law enforcement officer using a smartphone app?
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Answer B: Yes, the officer may view only the insurance data; the driver assumes risk to the device
Washington allows electronic proof of insurance, limits the officer to viewing only the insurance information, and places the risk of any device damage on the driver.
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32. How do strong emotions affect driving?
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Answer B: They narrow your attention and make risky decisions more likely
Anger, worry and excitement all take attention away from the driving task and push drivers toward decisions they would not normally make.
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33. You are in a passing zone that continues over the crest of a hill ahead. May you start a pass?
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Answer B: Only if you can finish it well before the crest
Beyond the crest you cannot see oncoming traffic, so any part of the pass that happens there is being made blind.
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34. Besides a liability insurance policy, which of these can satisfy Washington's proof of financial responsibility requirement?
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Answer A: A certificate of deposit or liability bond
Washington accepts self-insurance, a certificate of deposit, or a liability bond as alternatives to a standard insurance policy for proof of financial responsibility.
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35. A yellow diamond on an exit ramp shows a truck tipping over onto two wheels. Which drivers does it concern most?
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Answer D: Those in tall vehicles carrying a high load
The truck rollover sign warns that the curve can overturn a vehicle with a high center of gravity, so such drivers must slow well below the normal ramp speed.
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36. What does Washington require of a rider under 18 before applying for a motorcycle endorsement?
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Answer D: Satisfactory completion of an approved safety course, plus parental permission
Washington law requires all riders under 18 to satisfactorily complete an approved safety course before applying for an endorsement, and students under 18 need parental permission to take the course and apply.
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37. A yellow diamond in which one line joins another at an angle warns that
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Answer B: traffic from another roadway will merge into the driver's lane ahead
The merge sign warns that another traffic stream will join the same lane ahead, so drivers on both roadways must adjust speed and spacing.
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38. What is the highest speed limit Washington's Secretary of Transportation may set on a divided or limited access highway based on an engineering study?
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Answer D: 75 miles per hour
Washington authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to set limited access highway speed limits as high as 75 miles per hour when an engineering and traffic study supports it.
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39. Washington's basic speed rule requires a driver's speed to be reasonable and prudent with regard to what kind of hazards?
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Answer B: Hazards that exist now and hazards that could develop
Washington's basic speed statute requires drivers to have regard for both actual, currently existing hazards and potential hazards that could develop.
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40. How much clear road do driver manuals say you need before starting a pass at highway speed on a two-lane road?
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Answer C: Enough to complete the pass and return, roughly ten to twelve seconds of travel
At highway speed the whole maneuver of pulling out, overtaking and returning takes roughly ten to twelve seconds, and every foot of that has to be visible before you start.
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41. You are crossing a divided highway with a wide median. How should you treat the two roadways?
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Answer D: As two intersections, waiting in the median only when your vehicle fits
Each roadway of a divided highway is a separate intersection, and you should wait in the median only if it is long enough to hold your vehicle clear of both roadways.
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42. Children are playing close to the edge of a residential street. What is the right speed choice?
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Answer D: Well below the limit, slow enough to stop for a sudden dash
Children can step out without warning, so the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
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43. Beyond this sign, cones and temporary signs lead traffic along a path that does not agree with the lines painted on the pavement. Which one must the driver follow?
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Answer C: The temporary arrangement, because it replaces the permanent layout while the work lasts
Temporary traffic control set up for the work takes precedence over the permanent signs and markings, which no longer describe how the road is being used.
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44. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?
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Answer C: Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen
Headlights are as much about being seen as about seeing, so they go on whenever visibility drops.
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45. 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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46. You are hosting a party and a guest who has been drinking wants to drive home. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop serving and arrange a ride or a bed
Only time removes alcohol, so a host who wants to prevent a crash has to remove the driving, not try to speed up sobering that cannot be sped up.
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47. What is the minimum ignition interlock restriction period for a third or subsequent Washington DUI conviction?
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Answer A: Ten years
A third or subsequent Washington DUI conviction carries a minimum ten-year ignition interlock restriction.
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48. An oncoming vehicle keeps its high beam on and dazzles you. What should you do?
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Answer C: Look toward the right edge of your lane and slow until it has passed
Shifting your gaze to the right edge of the lane keeps you on line without staring into the glare, and slowing gives you time if something is hidden in it.
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49. Absent any other posted limit, what speed does Washington law set as the maximum on state highways?
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Answer C: 60 miles per hour
Washington's basic speed statute sets 60 miles per hour as the default maximum on state highways when no other limit is posted.
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50. Which driver is exempt from Washington's electronic device restrictions while performing their duties?
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Answer B: An operator of an authorized emergency vehicle
Washington's electronic device law exempts operators of authorized emergency vehicles while performing their duties.