Washington DOL Motorcycle Practice Test 12
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. On a divided highway you see a median opening marked for authorized vehicles only. May you use it to turn around?
Show answer
Answer D: No, those openings are for emergency and maintenance vehicles
Official crossovers are reserved for emergency and highway maintenance use; turning there puts a slow vehicle across high-speed traffic.
-
2. You reach an intersection with no signs, signals or markings clearly before a vehicle that is approaching on your right. What is the rule?
Show answer
Answer B: You may go first because you got there first
At an uncontrolled intersection the first driver to arrive goes first; the yield to the right rule only settles a tie.
-
3. A crossing guard steps into the roadway ahead of this sign with one hand raised. What must the driver do?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop and stay stopped until the guard waves traffic on
An adult guard is controlling traffic at that crossing, so the instruction given by that person governs and the driver waits to be released.
-
4. Where should you be looking as you steer through a turn?
Show answer
Answer C: Toward the point on the new road where you want to end up
Drivers steer toward what they look at, so looking through the turn to where you want to go keeps the path smooth and accurate.
-
5. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?
Show answer
Answer C: Because it cuts the little space they have and can cause a crash
Brake checking removes the small margin the tailgater has left and can provoke a collision; add space in front of you instead and let them pass.
-
6. A group in formation needs to change lanes. What is the safest way to do it?
Show answer
Answer A: The leader starts the change early enough for the whole group to complete it
Beginning the change early gives the entire formation the road and the time it needs to move over together instead of scattering across two lanes.
-
7. What is a marked loading zone for?
Show answer
Answer A: Loading and unloading only, not for general parking
A loading zone is reserved for actively loading or unloading goods or passengers; leaving a vehicle there for other reasons is a parking violation.
-
8. On an overhead guide sign, the small exit number panel sits above the left-hand end rather than the right. What does that placement tell you?
Show answer
Answer A: The exit leaves from the left side of the roadway
The exit number plaque is placed on the side from which the ramp leaves, which gives advance notice of the unusual left-hand exit.
-
9. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?
Show answer
Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself
Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.
-
10. Which family of signs normally uses a rectangle that is wider than it is tall?
Show answer
Answer B: Guide signs, which name routes and destinations
Guide signs are laid out as horizontal rectangles because they have to carry route numbers, place names and distances side by side.
-
11. What does a pre-ride check of a hydraulic brake system cover?
Show answer
Answer C: The fluid level and any sign of a leak at the hoses and fittings
A falling fluid level means either worn pads or a leak, and a leaking hose or fitting can empty the system without warning.
-
12. What is the recommended minimum following distance behind the vehicle ahead?
Show answer
Answer C: Two seconds
A two second gap is the minimum in good conditions and should be stretched to three seconds or more on slippery roads, in poor visibility or in heavy traffic.
-
13. A sign with a black legend on a fluorescent pink background is used for
Show answer
Answer A: traffic incident management
Fluorescent pink is set aside for signing that manages traffic around a crash, a spill or another unplanned incident, so it stands apart from routine work zone orange.
-
14. An oncoming vehicle keeps its high beam on and dazzles you. What should you do?
Show answer
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.
-
15. You are waiting in a center two-way left-turn lane. What should you expect from oncoming traffic?
Show answer
Answer A: Oncoming drivers may enter the same lane to prepare their own left turns
Both directions share a two-way left-turn lane, so an oncoming vehicle may be waiting in it and you must never treat it as yours alone.
-
16. When should a rider avoid a tinted face shield or tinted goggles?
Show answer
Answer C: At night and in other low light conditions
A tint cuts the amount of light reaching the eyes, which makes hazards much harder to pick out once daylight fades.
-
17. You make eye contact with a driver waiting to pull out of a side street. What should you assume?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver may still not have seen you, so stay ready to slow or stop
Drivers can look directly at you and still not register your vehicle, especially a small one. Eye contact helps, but never rely on it.
-
18. You have had to leave the pavement onto a loose gravel shoulder and now need to stop. How should you brake?
Show answer
Answer D: Use both brakes gently and evenly, expecting a much longer stopping distance
Loose gravel cuts available traction sharply, so apply both brakes lightly and smoothly and allow far more room than you would need on pavement.
-
19. 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?
Show answer
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.
-
20. Your light is green but the traffic beyond the intersection is stopped and there is no room on the far side. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Wait behind the line until you can clear the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks the cross traffic when their signal turns green, so you wait behind the line.
-
21. What does a sign showing a bicycle inside a red circle with a diagonal slash prohibit?
Show answer
Answer D: Riding a bicycle on that roadway
This is a selective exclusion sign, used where bicycles are banned from a road such as a freeway or a tunnel.
-
22. What is a manageable size for a single group of motorcycles?
Show answer
Answer A: No more than four or five riders
Four or five machines can hold a formation, stay in sight of one another and clear an intersection together, while larger groups quickly become unmanageable.
-
23. How should riders in a staggered formation pass another vehicle?
Show answer
Answer D: One rider at a time
Passing one rider at a time keeps each pass short and prevents the group from occupying the other lane longer than necessary.
-
24. A large X with the letters R and R beside it is painted across your lane. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer A: A railroad crossing lies a short distance ahead
The pavement marking repeats the advance warning for a grade crossing, and it is used on paved approaches where speeds are high or where gates are installed.
-
25. How should a helmet sit on the head once it is fastened?
Show answer
Answer C: Level on the head, with the eye port giving a clear view of the road
A helmet worn level protects the forehead and gives full vision, while one pushed back leaves the forehead exposed in a crash.
-
26. When should a rider add a layer on a ride that is turning cold?
Show answer
Answer D: Before you start to feel cold, at the next convenient stop
Once a rider is chilled it takes a long time to warm up again, and cold hands and slowed reactions cost control, so add layers before the cold takes hold.
-
27. 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?
Show answer
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.
-
28. How should a rider dress for a long ride in very hot weather?
Show answer
Answer C: In ventilated riding gear that still covers the arms and legs
Mesh and vented riding gear flows air while keeping its abrasion protection and shading the skin, so heat is not a reason to ride uncovered.
-
29. You spot a deep pothole that the riders behind you will not be able to see until it is too late. What is the usual way to warn them?
Show answer
Answer B: Point at it with a hand or a foot on the side it lies on
Pointing at the hazard on the correct side tells the riders behind both that something is there and where in the lane it is.
-
30. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
Show answer
Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
-
31. A sign warns that the right lane ends ahead, and traffic is still flowing freely. What should you do if you are in that lane?
Show answer
Answer C: Signal, adjust your speed and move left in good time before the lane ends
When traffic is moving freely there is room to merge early and smoothly, which avoids the last-second lane change at the closure point.
-
32. You must slow suddenly on a highway and a vehicle is following close behind you. What helps prevent a rear-end collision?
Show answer
Answer D: Tapping the brake pedal early so your brake lights flash a warning
Early brake light flashes give the driver behind more time to react, and slowing gradually instead of suddenly reduces the chance of being struck.
-
33. You are stopped in a shared through and right-turn lane with your right signal on, and a bicyclist rides up along your right side. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Let the bicyclist clear the intersection or move ahead before you turn
A cyclist alongside your right side is in the path your turn will sweep across, so wait until that space is clear before turning.
-
34. How many vehicles must a person have registered in Washington to qualify as a self-insurer instead of carrying a policy?
Show answer
Answer C: More than 25
Washington allows a person with more than 25 vehicles registered in their name to qualify as a self-insurer.
-
35. A center lane is bordered by a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, with turn arrows painted inside it. What is that lane for?
Show answer
Answer C: Left turns made by traffic traveling in either direction
That marking pattern identifies a two-way left-turn lane, which drivers approaching from both directions may use to prepare for a left turn.
-
36. What is the driver expected to do after passing this sign?
Show answer
Answer A: Begin slowing so that a complete stop can be made at the intersection ahead
It is used where the control at the intersection stays hidden until late, so braking should begin here rather than at the stop line.
-
37. You are about to leave a roundabout when a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk on your exit. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Yield to the pedestrian and wait for the crosswalk to clear
Roundabout crosswalks sit on the entries and exits, and drivers must yield to pedestrians using them.
-
38. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible
Moving right gives the other driver space to recover and keeps you out of the lane they are most likely to return to. Braking reduces the force of any impact.
-
39. A lane is marked with a large white bicycle symbol and chevrons, but there is no separate bicycle lane. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer A: Bicyclists may use the whole lane, so follow or pass with care
A shared lane marking shows that bicyclists and drivers use the same lane and positions riders away from parked car doors, so passing means changing lanes.
-
40. What kind of signals must a stationary authorized emergency vehicle be using to trigger Washington's move-over law?
Show answer
Answer B: Audible or visual signals meeting state equipment standards
Washington's move-over law requires a stationary authorized emergency vehicle to be using audible or visual signals that meet the state's equipment requirements for such vehicles.
-
41. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?
Show answer
Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way
The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.
-
42. You have stopped after a crash. Why should the engines of the vehicles involved be switched off?
Show answer
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.
-
43. An emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder ahead with its lights flashing. What does the move over principle require?
Show answer
Answer D: Change lanes away from it, or slow down if you cannot
Move over laws ask you to give responders an empty lane, and where traffic or a two-lane road makes that impossible, you slow down instead.
-
44. How does alcohol change the time a driver needs to respond to a hazard?
Show answer
Answer A: It slows it, so stopping takes longer
Alcohol is a depressant that lengthens the time between seeing a hazard and acting on it, which adds directly to the distance needed to stop.
-
45. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?
Show answer
Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled
Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.
-
46. A downpour has just started on a street with a visible dark strip down the middle of the lane. Where should you ride?
Show answer
Answer A: In the left or right portion of the lane, away from the greasy center strip
Dripped oil and grease build up in the center of the lane, and water floats that film to the top, so the tire tracks on either side offer better grip.
-
47. A driver is following you far too closely and you have a turn coming up. How should you slow down for it?
Show answer
Answer B: Signal early and slow gradually well before the turn
Early signals and gentle braking give a tailgater the time and distance they have failed to leave for themselves.
-
48. What has to be done with the helmet chin strap on every ride?
Show answer
Answer B: Fastened snugly, because an unfastened helmet comes off in a crash
A helmet only protects while it stays on the head, and an unfastened or loose strap lets it leave the head in the first moments of a crash.
-
49. The group has become separated and the leader wants to wait for the missing riders. Where should the leader pull in?
Show answer
Answer C: In a parking area or other space that is clear of moving traffic
Waiting somewhere off the roadway keeps the parked machines and their riders out of traffic and gives the arriving riders room to pull in safely.
-
50. At what active THC concentration does Washington treat a driver aged 21 or older as driving under the influence?
Show answer
Answer C: More than 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood
Washington treats more than 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood as a DUI for drivers aged 21 and older, while any amount above zero applies to drivers under 21.