Washington DOL Motorcycle Practice Test 5
Test 5 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. A vehicle in front of you has already begun turning left into a driveway when the gap you were waiting for opens up. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let that driver finish the turn
A vehicle that has lawfully started a maneuver keeps the right of way until it is finished.
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2. 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.
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3. In Washington, when may a driver traveling in the opposite direction skip stopping for a school bus with red lights flashing?
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Answer D: Only when there are three or more lanes and the lanes are separated by a median or barrier
Washington excuses opposite direction traffic only when there are three or more lanes and the lanes are separated by a median or barrier.
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4. What is the statutory fine range for a first Washington DUI conviction when the alcohol concentration is 0.15 or higher?
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Answer D: $500 to $5,000
Washington sets the fine for a first DUI conviction at 0.15 or higher alcohol concentration at not less than $500 nor more than $5,000.
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5. Is a windshield an adequate substitute for eye protection?
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Answer A: No, because air and debris still reach the rider's eyes around and over the screen
Airflow passes over and around a windshield, so a face shield or goggles are still needed to keep the rider's vision clear.
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6. You are riding a city street with embedded streetcar rails and it has just started to rain. What is the added risk?
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Answer D: Wet steel rails offer very little grip, and so does the pavement beside them
Steel rails give almost no traction when wet, so cross them upright at as close to a right angle as the lane allows, without braking or turning on the metal.
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7. Which category of vehicle does Washington's move-over law also cover, beyond emergency and roadside assistance vehicles?
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Answer B: A highway maintenance or utility vehicle using flashing lights
Washington's move-over law also covers stationary or slow-moving highway construction, maintenance, solid waste, and utility service vehicles using flashing lights.
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8. What does Washington do to the fine for passing a stopped school bus?
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Answer A: It is doubled
Washington doubles the fines for anyone who passes a stopped school bus.
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9. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?
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Answer C: A steady yellow
The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.
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10. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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11. The crossbuck, formed by two rectangular arms crossed in an X, is placed
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Answer D: on each highway approach to a railroad grade crossing
The crossbuck marks the location of a highway-rail grade crossing and is required on each highway approach to that crossing.
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12. What minimum liability coverage does Washington require a driver to carry proof of?
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Answer B: 25,000 dollars per person, 50,000 dollars per collision and 10,000 dollars property damage
Washington requires liability coverage of at least 25,000 dollars for injury or death of one person, 50,000 dollars for two or more people, and 10,000 dollars for property of others.
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13. A person with a guide dog is standing at the corner facing the street you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop well back and wait quietly for them to decide
Blind pedestrians rely on engine sound to judge traffic, so stop back from the crossing and avoid the horn, which only confuses them.
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14. You face a red light at an intersection that has no stop line and no marked crosswalk. Where must you stop?
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Answer C: Before entering the intersection
With no line and no crosswalk, the stopping point is the near edge of the intersecting roadway, close enough to see cross traffic but clear of it.
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15. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?
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Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background
In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.
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16. What is the highest speed limit a Washington local authority may establish on a nonarterial highway?
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Answer A: 20 miles per hour
Washington law caps a locally established nonarterial highway speed limit at 20 miles per hour.
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17. Under what road configuration can opposite-direction traffic in Washington pass a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing, even without three or more lanes?
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Answer B: On a divided highway with physically separate roadways
Washington also excuses opposite-direction traffic from stopping on a divided highway with physically separate roadways for each direction, apart from the separate three-or-more-lane exception.
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18. When may a passenger get off the motorcycle?
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Answer D: Only after the rider has stopped, braced the machine and said so
A passenger climbing off before the rider is ready removes weight from the back of a machine the rider is still holding upright, which can drop it.
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19. Traffic is backed up beyond a railroad crossing. When may you start across the tracks?
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Answer B: Only when there is room for your whole vehicle on the far side
Never enter a crossing you cannot clear; a vehicle stopped on the tracks in a queue has nowhere to go if the signals start.
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20. Absent any other posted limit, what speed does Washington law set as the maximum on county roads?
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Answer B: 50 miles per hour
Washington's basic speed statute sets 50 miles per hour as the default maximum on county roads when no other limit is posted.
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21. What should a rider confirm about the transmission before starting the engine?
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Answer B: That it is in neutral, or that the clutch lever is squeezed all the way in
Starting in gear with the clutch engaged can make the motorcycle lurch forward, so the machine must be in neutral or the clutch held in.
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22. A line of short dashes set closer together than an ordinary lane line runs beside your lane where a ramp leaves the highway. What does a dotted line of that kind convey?
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Answer A: A warning that the lane is about to change function
Dotted lines give guidance or warning about a downstream change, such as a lane that becomes an exit only lane or a lane line carried across an intersection.
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23. 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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24. How does higher speed affect the outcome of a crash?
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Answer A: It leaves less time to react and greatly increases the force of impact
Speed shortens the time available to avoid a hazard and raises the energy released in an impact, so both the likelihood and the severity of a crash increase.
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25. A black on white regulatory sign at an intersection reads NO TURNS. What may a driver do there?
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Answer B: Only continue straight through the intersection
The NO TURNS sign bans turns in every direction at that intersection, so the only lawful movement from that approach is straight through.
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26. On dry pavement in good weather, what is the smallest following gap you should keep?
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Answer A: About three seconds behind the vehicle ahead
Three seconds is the accepted minimum on dry roads in good visibility, and the gap should be longer in poor conditions.
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27. What happens to a Washington driver's license when the Department of Licensing is notified that the driver failed to respond to a notice of traffic infraction?
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Answer C: Driving privileges are suspended until the case is resolved
Washington automatically suspends a driver's privileges when notified of a failure to respond to or appear on a moving violation, and the suspension lasts until the case is resolved.
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28. How does Washington law define a moped in terms of engine size and top speed?
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Answer C: 50cc or less, 2 horsepower or less, capped at 30 miles per hour
Washington defines a moped as having an engine no larger than 50cc, producing no more than 2 horsepower, and capable of no more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.
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29. What should motorcycle footwear provide?
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Answer B: Sturdy support above the ankle with hard, slip resistant soles
Boots that cover the ankle support and protect it, while hard slip resistant soles keep the rider steady at stops, and laces should be tucked in so they cannot catch.
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30. You have stopped at a stop sign, but a parked truck blocks your view along the cross street. What should you do?
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Answer A: Creep forward slowly and stop again where you can see
When something blocks the view, a second stop closer to the intersection is the only safe way to see, and it must come before your vehicle enters the traffic lane.
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31. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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32. When are the hazard warning lights properly used?
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Answer A: When your vehicle is stopped or barely moving and is a hazard
Hazard lights warn that your vehicle is an obstruction; they do not authorize illegal parking and they hide your turn signals while driving.
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33. Does Washington's personal electronic device ban still apply to a driver who is temporarily stopped at a red light in traffic?
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Answer A: Yes, because momentary stops in traffic still count as driving under the law
Washington's electronic device law defines driving to include being temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device, or other momentary delays.
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34. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?
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Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane
Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.
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35. You are about to drive a rental car that you have never driven before. What should you do?
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Answer A: Adjust the seat and the mirrors and find the controls before moving off
Hunting for the wipers or the lights in traffic is a distraction, so learn the layout while the vehicle is stopped.
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36. How should a passenger swing their leg when getting off the motorcycle?
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Answer D: High and clear of the exhaust and the rear of the machine
A leg dragged low across the back of the motorcycle can catch the seat or the luggage and will find the hot exhaust, so it is lifted well clear.
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37. What fine does Washington's Department of Licensing cite for a first violation of talking or texting while holding a wireless device?
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Answer C: $124
Washington's Department of Licensing lists $124 as the fine for talking or sending text messages while holding a wireless device.
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38. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you
A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.
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39. Enhanced reference location markers differ from ordinary mileposts in that they
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Answer B: carry the route number and a mileage figure to the tenth of a mile
An enhanced reference location marker adds the route designation and carries the mileage to a tenth, so the point named is far more precise than a plain milepost.
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40. You are stopped at a stop sign on a two-way stop intersection and the cross street has no stop signs at all. What does that mean for you?
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Answer A: You yield to all cross traffic no matter how long that takes
At a two-way stop only your direction is controlled, so there is no taking turns; you wait for a gap big enough to enter safely.
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41. Rain is falling and the outside temperature reads close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why is that dangerous?
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Answer A: The rain can freeze on contact and glaze the road with ice
Near freezing, rain landing on cold pavement can turn to a glaze of ice almost at once, so a road that looks merely wet may have no grip at all.
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42. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe
Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.
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43. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?
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Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go
Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.
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44. You are stopped facing uphill on a steep grade and need to pull away. What is the recommended technique?
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Answer D: Hold with the rear brake, ease the clutch into the friction zone, then release
The rear brake keeps the motorcycle from rolling backward while the clutch takes up the drive, and it is released as the throttle is opened.
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45. For a first Washington DUI conviction, how long can the resulting driver's license suspension last?
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Answer A: 90 days to one year
A first Washington DUI conviction carries a license suspension ranging from 90 days to one year depending on the alcohol concentration involved.
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46. Why do many crashes happen on routes the driver knows very well?
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Answer D: Familiar roads let attention slip into routine
When a route is automatic the mind wanders and hazards get missed, which is why a well known road deserves the same attention as a strange one.
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47. Can a Washington court waive or reduce the total penalty, including statutory assessments, for a personal electronic device violation?
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Answer C: No, the total penalty amount may not be waived, reduced or suspended
Washington law bars courts from waiving, reducing or suspending the total penalty for a personal electronic device violation, including statutory assessments.
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48. When should you move into the lane you need for a turn?
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Answer D: Well before the intersection, as soon as you know your route
Getting into the correct lane early lets other drivers read your intentions and keeps you from making a sudden lane change at the corner.
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49. When is a driver at the highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel?
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Answer B: Late at night, early morning and mid afternoon
The body clock produces its deepest dips in alertness in the small hours and again in the middle of the afternoon, and crash records follow those dips.
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50. A speed limit sign carries a second panel reading TRUCKS 55. What does that panel do?
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Answer B: It sets a lower legal limit for trucks
A truck speed limit panel is regulatory, so trucks are bound by the lower figure while other traffic keeps to the main limit.