Alaska DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 54
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. Which formation lets a group of riders stay close together while every rider keeps an adequate space cushion?
Show answer
Answer A: A staggered formation
A staggered formation keeps the group compact enough for traffic while still leaving each rider room to the front, the rear and both sides.
-
2. The drive chain breaks or comes off while you are riding. What should you do first?
Show answer
Answer A: Close the throttle and brake to a stop clear of the roadway
A broken chain or belt takes the drive away at once, so the rider closes the throttle, slows under control with both brakes and stops well off the roadway.
-
3. The driver of a slow farm vehicle moves partly onto the shoulder and waves you past. Who is responsible for the pass?
Show answer
Answer A: You are, so pass only if you can see that the road is clear
A courtesy wave is not a traffic control, and the driver who changes lanes is the one answerable for the maneuver.
-
4. At night you are judging your distance from the rider ahead by their tail light. What is the risk?
Show answer
Answer A: A single small light gives a poor sense of how far away it really is
Distance is very hard to judge from one small light in the dark, so riders should leave extra space rather than trust the impression the light gives.
-
5. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?
Show answer
Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment
An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.
-
6. How can an Alaska M1, M2 or M3 applicant have the testing requirement waived?
Show answer
Answer A: By completing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course and presenting the completion certificate, which is valid for one year for the road test
Alaska waives the testing requirement for applicants who present a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course certificate, which remains valid to waive the road test for one year, although the MSF scooter test does not qualify.
-
7. What is the job of the hard outer shell of a motorcycle helmet?
Show answer
Answer D: To spread impact force and to resist objects punching through
The shell distributes a concentrated blow over a wide area and stops sharp objects from reaching the head, while the liner underneath absorbs the energy.
-
8. A driver who is passing you cannot complete the pass because a vehicle is coming. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and make room for them to drop back in
The only place for the passing vehicle to go is the gap behind you, and easing off opens that gap immediately.
-
9. When should tire pressure be measured?
Show answer
Answer B: Before riding, while the tires are still cold
Riding heats the air inside a tire and raises the reading, so pressure is set cold to match the figure the manufacturer specifies.
-
10. 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.
-
11. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?
Show answer
Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass
The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.
-
12. What kind of gloves are recommended for riding?
Show answer
Answer A: Full fingered gloves of leather or similar durable material
Full fingered leather or equivalent gloves improve grip on the controls and protect the hands, which riders instinctively put out in a fall.
-
13. You are following a tractor-trailer so closely that its rear doors fill your windshield. What is the main problem?
Show answer
Answer D: You cannot see the road ahead and the truck driver cannot see you
A truck has a deep blind spot directly behind it, and tailgating also hides everything in front of the truck from you. Drop back so you can see and be seen.
-
14. 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.
-
15. You are slowing to turn right at an intersection and a bicyclist is riding beside your right side in a bike lane. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Let the bicyclist go through the intersection before you begin the turn
Turning across the path of a bicyclist who is going straight causes the classic right-hook crash. The rider continuing straight has the right-of-way over your turn.
-
16. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
-
17. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?
Show answer
Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession
Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.
-
18. A yellow lamp flashes above a warning sign at a sharp curve. What does it ask of a driver?
Show answer
Answer D: Slow down and pass the point with extra care
A warning beacon draws attention to the sign it is mounted with, and the message of the sign is what the driver must act on.
-
19. You are riding a city street with embedded streetcar rails and it has just started to rain. What is the added risk?
Show answer
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.
-
20. A large insect splatters on your face shield and blocks part of your view. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Keep control, look through a clear part, and clean it at the next stop
Taking a hand off the bars or riding with your eyes closed is far more dangerous than a partly obscured view, so keep riding and clean the shield when you are stopped.
-
21. 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.
-
22. Traffic has built up behind you while you wait for a gap to turn left. How should that affect your decision?
Show answer
Answer C: It should not change it; wait for a gap that is genuinely safe
Pressure from behind does not make a small gap bigger, and rushing a left turn across traffic is a common cause of serious crashes.
-
23. A bicyclist ahead of you puts the left arm straight out to the side. What is being signaled?
Show answer
Answer B: A left turn or a move to the left
The left arm held straight out is the bicycle signal for a left turn, so hold back and give the rider room to cross toward the center.
-
24. Why should riding clothing have no loose flapping parts?
Show answer
Answer B: Loose cloth can catch on the machine, and flapping tires the rider
Loose fabric can snag on the controls, the chain or a wheel, and the constant flapping and noise wear the rider out over a long ride.
-
25. A fire truck with lights and siren has just passed you and is heading down the same road. How closely may you follow it?
Show answer
Answer B: Well back, because following a responding emergency vehicle closely is illegal
Following a responding emergency vehicle closely is prohibited; the exact minimum distance is set by each state, so stay far enough back to keep the scene and other responders clear.