Alaska DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 47
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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2. A signal stands part way up a freeway entrance ramp and turns green briefly again and again. How many vehicles does such a signal normally release on each green?
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Answer A: One for each lane of the ramp
A ramp control signal releases a single vehicle per lane on each green so that vehicles reach the merge one at a time instead of in a bunch.
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3. A yellow sign ahead of an underpass reads LOW CLEARANCE 12 FT 6 IN. What does the figure tell you?
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Answer B: The greatest height that can pass beneath the structure
The figure is the actual clearance available, so a vehicle taller than that must leave the road and take a marked alternative route.
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4. You are following another vehicle down a long, steep grade. What should you do about the gap?
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Answer D: Make it longer, because both of you need more room to stop
Everything takes longer to stop on a downgrade, including the vehicle ahead, so the gap that works on the flat is no longer enough.
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5. You are behind a slow vehicle on a two-lane road and a marked passing lane begins a mile ahead. What is the sensible choice?
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Answer D: Wait for the passing lane rather than using the opposing lane
A passing lane lets you overtake without ever entering the lane used by oncoming traffic, which is far safer than a pass a minute earlier.
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6. Your right-turn lane shows a green arrow while the through lanes face a red ball. What does that mean?
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Answer C: Only the right turn is allowed, and it is protected while the arrow lasts
A green arrow gives a protected movement in that direction only; the red ball still stops the through traffic in the other lanes.
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7. Which rough check suggests that a helmet is a novelty shell rather than a certified helmet?
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Answer C: It weighs about a pound, far less than a certified helmet
A certified helmet weighs roughly three pounds because of its shell and thick liner, while a novelty shell is very light. Weight is only a clue, and the certification label is the real check.
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8. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?
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Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks
Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.
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9. What should a rider look for in rain gear?
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Answer A: A riding rain suit that fits close and will not balloon or tear at speed
Rain gear designed for riding stays sealed and stays put in the airstream, while loose garments can flap, tear or interfere with the controls.
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10. What is the safest way to deal with the situation this sign announces?
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Answer B: Match the speed of the other traffic stream and open a gap so vehicles can blend without hard braking
Blending works when speeds are matched and gaps are opened, so nobody has to brake hard or swerve where the two streams come together.
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11. What does research say about the effect of a full coverage helmet on a rider's ability to see and hear traffic?
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Answer B: It leaves the view and the useful hearing a rider needs largely intact
Certified helmets leave far more peripheral vision than a rider needs to check traffic, and riders wearing them still hear the sounds that matter.
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12. May you stop briefly across the sloped ramp that joins the sidewalk to the street at a corner?
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Answer B: No, that ramp must stay clear for people using wheelchairs
A curb ramp is the only way many people can get from the sidewalk to the crosswalk, so blocking it even briefly is prohibited.
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13. You are driving along a street lined with parked cars. What should you watch for?
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Answer B: Doors opening, vehicles pulling out and pedestrians stepping from between cars
Parked cars hide people and can move without warning. Keep as much space from them as you safely can and cover the brake.
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14. What do the numbers on a pedestrian countdown display show?
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Answer A: The seconds remaining to finish a crossing already under way
The countdown runs during the pedestrian change interval and shows how many seconds are left before the crossing time ends.
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15. Where must the engine cut-off switch be set before the starter button will crank the engine?
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Answer A: In the run position
The cut-off switch sits in the ignition circuit, so the engine will not start or run while it is set to off.
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16. An officer directing traffic faces you and holds one hand up with the open palm toward your vehicle. What does the gesture mean?
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Answer D: Stop before reaching the officer
A raised open palm shown toward a driver is the standard signal to stop.
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17. The vehicle you have borrowed is larger and heavier than your own. How should you drive it?
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Answer B: Allow more room for stopping and for turns until you are used to it
Extra weight and length mean longer stopping distances and wider turns, so give yourself more room until you are used to it.
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18. A sign on a divided highway reads Keep Right Except to Pass. What does it require of you?
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Answer A: Use the left lane only to overtake, then return to a lane on the right
The left lane on such a highway is reserved for overtaking, so a driver who has finished a pass must move back to the right.
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19. You are making a U-turn at a signal on a green left arrow. Who must you still watch for?
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Answer D: People in the crosswalk you will cross as you come around
Even a protected arrow does not clear the crosswalk, and a U-turn sweeps across a crosswalk that pedestrians may already be using.
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20. A train has just passed a crossing that carries more than one set of tracks. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until the warning devices stop and you can see clearly along every track
A passing train can hide a second one coming on another track, so wait for the signals to clear and check each track before moving.
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21. A deer crosses the road ahead of you and disappears into the trees. What should you expect?
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Answer A: More animals may follow, since deer usually move in groups
Deer commonly travel in groups, so one animal crossing is a warning that others are close by. Slow down and stay ready to stop well past the point where it crossed.
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22. On a rainy road, where can a rider usually find the best traction?
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Answer A: In the tire tracks left by the vehicles ahead
Vehicles ahead push water aside and keep their tracks clearer of oil, so those tracks generally give better grip than the rest of the lane.
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23. Windblown sand has collected across the pavement at a rural intersection where you must stop. How should you handle the stop?
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Answer A: Do your braking on clean pavement before the sand, then roll across upright
Sand acts like ball bearings under the tires, so finish your braking on the clean surface ahead of it and cross the loose patch upright with no sudden inputs.
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24. Your navigation device tells you to turn where a road sign says the turn is closed. What should you do?
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Answer B: Follow the signs and what you can see
A device works from stored data that can be out of date, while signs and the road in front of you show the situation now, so the road wins every time.
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25. A driver ahead brakes for no reason you can see, again and again. What should you do?
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Answer B: Increase your following distance and be ready for yet another stop
Unexplained braking tells you the driver is unsure or distracted, so the safe answer is more room, not less.