Alaska DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 19

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. During the tire check you find a nail driven into the rear tire. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Have the tire repaired or replaced before the motorcycle is ridden

    A punctured motorcycle tire can lose air suddenly, and a motorcycle has no second tire on that end to hold the machine up.

  2. 2. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?

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    Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed

    A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.

  3. 3. What is the correct way to ride across a stretch of slippery pavement?

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    Answer C: Reduce speed before you reach it, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently if you must brake

    The speed must come off before the slippery area, and once the tires are on it every input, braking included, has to be smooth and gentle.

  4. 4. Which part of the space around your vehicle can you control best?

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    Answer A: The space ahead of you

    You choose your own following distance, so the gap in front is the space you truly control and the one that gives you time to react.

  5. 5. 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.

  6. 6. How should the brake light be checked before a ride?

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    Answer D: Confirm that the hand lever and the foot pedal each switch it on

    Many motorcycles use a separate switch for each brake control, so both the lever and the pedal have to be tested one at a time.

  7. 7. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?

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    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.

  8. 8. Your vehicle has stalled on railroad tracks and no train is in sight. After getting everyone away, whom should you call first?

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    Answer B: The railroad emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, giving the crossing number

    Every public crossing has a blue emergency notification sign with a phone number and a crossing identification number. That call lets the railroad stop or slow trains before they reach you.

  9. 9. The sign over the leftmost lane reads LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT. You are in that lane and want to go straight. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Move out of the lane before the intersection if it is safe

    A mandatory movement lane control sign makes the turn compulsory for that lane, so a driver who wants another movement must change lanes in advance.

  10. 10. How do the traffic laws apply to riders traveling in a group?

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    Answer D: Every rider is responsible for obeying the law on their own machine

    Riding in company changes nothing legally, and each rider answers individually for speed, signals and every other rule of the road.

  11. 11. 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?

    An orange diamond with black lettering
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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.

  12. 12. What must you do before changing lanes, in addition to signaling and checking your mirrors?

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    Answer D: Glance over your shoulder to check the blind spot the mirrors do not cover

    Mirrors leave an area beside and behind the vehicle that they cannot show, so a quick head check is needed before the vehicle moves sideways.

  13. 13. Which action becomes clearly more risky beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing two black arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down
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    Answer A: Using the left side of the roadway to overtake

    With vehicles coming the other way on the same pavement, overtaking on the left needs enough clear road to pull out, pass and return, which is often not available.

  14. 14. You are stopped in a line of traffic on a steep uphill grade. What should you do about the gap to the vehicle ahead?

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    Answer B: Leave more room than usual, because vehicles can roll back as they pull away

    A vehicle ahead can roll back a foot or more as its driver releases the brake, and a motorcycle stopped tight behind it has nowhere to go.

  15. 15. A driver extends the left arm out the window and points it downward toward the road surface. What is being signaled?

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    Answer A: Slowing down or stopping

    The left arm extended downward is the standard hand signal for slowing or stopping.

  16. 16. How should riders in a staggered formation pass another vehicle?

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    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.

  17. 17. 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.

  18. 18. Traffic safety experts describe three kinds of driver distraction. Which set is correct?

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    Answer A: Visual, manual and cognitive

    Distraction takes the eyes off the road, the hands off the controls or the mind off driving, and many activities do more than one of those at once.

  19. 19. How long should a rider stay in the oncoming lane while passing?

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    Answer D: Only as long as completing the pass safely requires

    Every extra second in the oncoming lane is exposure with no benefit, so the rider passes decisively and returns as soon as the road behind is clear.

  20. 20. 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.

  21. 21. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?

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    Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane

    A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.

  22. 22. You cannot avoid an obstacle lying in the road. At what angle should you try to cross it?

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    Answer D: As close to 90 degrees as possible

    Meeting the obstacle squarely keeps the front wheel from being deflected sideways as it climbs over the edge.

  23. 23. Why is texting considered one of the most dangerous distractions?

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    Answer B: It combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction at the same time

    Reading or writing a message takes your eyes off the road, at least one hand off the controls and your attention off driving simultaneously.

  24. 24. You are driving on an open highway in a strong crosswind. What is the safest adjustment?

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    Answer A: Reduce speed and keep a firm grip, expecting gusts on bridges and beside large vehicles

    Gusts hit hardest in open gaps, on bridges and when passing high-sided vehicles, so a lower speed and a firm grip let you correct before you are pushed out of your lane.

  25. 25. What is true about the oily strip down the center of a traffic lane?

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    Answer D: It usually gives enough traction, but heavy buildups where vehicles idle should be avoided

    Passing tires keep the central strip largely clear, but the thick deposits that collect at busy intersections and toll booths really are slick.