Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 15
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. What does the thick foam liner inside a certified helmet actually do in a crash?
Show answer
Answer C: It crushes so the head slows down over a longer time and distance
The crushable liner is the part that absorbs energy, letting the head decelerate gradually instead of stopping instantly against a hard surface.
-
2. May you stop in the striped triangle that separates an exit ramp from the freeway lanes?
Show answer
Answer A: No, it is not a lane and stopping there is dangerous
The striped gore area is not a travel lane or a shoulder, and a vehicle stopped there sits directly in the path of drivers correcting a late exit.
-
3. Someone stops drinking heavily at two in the morning and drives to work at eight. What is true?
Show answer
Answer A: They may still be impaired and over the limit
The body removes alcohol at a slow, fixed rate, so a heavy night can leave a driver impaired well into the next morning no matter how they feel.
-
4. A car is coming straight at you in your lane and there is no time for it to move back. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Brake, sound the horn and steer to the right, toward the shoulder or ditch
Steering right takes you away from the other vehicle even if its driver corrects course, and the shoulder or ditch is survivable.
-
5. What is the purpose of the engine cut-off switch?
Show answer
Answer B: To stop the engine without letting go of the handgrips
The cut-off switch, usually a red switch near the right handgrip, shuts the engine down while the rider keeps both hands in control of the motorcycle.
-
6. At a freeway exit ramp, this sign normally backs up which other regulatory sign posted nearer to the ramp terminal?
Show answer
Answer D: The sign that forbids entering that roadway at all
The two work as a pair at ramp terminals: one keeps drivers from turning in, and this one sits farther along to catch a driver who has already entered.
-
7. The leader of a group wants to pull the whole group out from a side road into busy traffic. What should the leader do?
Show answer
Answer B: Wait for a gap long enough for every rider in the group to enter
A leader who takes a gap that only fits one machine leaves the rest of the group either stranded or tempted to pull out in front of traffic.
-
8. Are ordinary eyeglasses or sunglasses adequate eye protection for riding?
Show answer
Answer B: No, since they can shatter and let wind reach the eyes from the side
Everyday lenses are not made to resist impact and leave the eyes open to wind and debris, so a face shield or goggles are needed instead.
-
9. Windblown sand has collected across the pavement at a rural intersection where you must stop. How should you handle the stop?
Show answer
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.
-
10. 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.
-
11. In Illinois, when may a motorcycle proceed through a red light that will not change?
Show answer
Answer D: After waiting a reasonable period that is not less than 120 seconds
Illinois allows a motorcycle to proceed through a red light that fails to turn green within a reasonable period, which the manual defines as not less than 120 seconds.
-
12. Your vehicle stalls on railroad tracks and you see a train approaching. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Get everyone out and run toward the train at an angle away from the tracks
Leave the vehicle at once. Running toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks keeps you clear of the wreckage, which is thrown forward in the direction the train is moving.
-
13. A yellow diamond shows the two edges of the road pinching toward each other. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer B: The pavement gets narrower but the lanes continue
The road narrows sign warns that the traveled way becomes tighter, leaving less room beside passing vehicles even though no lane is dropped.
-
14. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
-
15. 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.
-
16. A pedestrian steps off the curb in the middle of a block where there is no crosswalk at all. What is the legal position?
Show answer
Answer A: They must yield to you, but you must still avoid a crash
A pedestrian crossing away from a crosswalk yields to vehicles, yet every driver still has a duty to use care and avoid hitting a person.
-
17. Why do bridges and overpasses deserve extra caution when temperatures are near freezing?
Show answer
Answer A: They lose heat from above and below, so they ice over before the surrounding road
A bridge deck is exposed to cold air on both surfaces and has no ground beneath it to hold heat, so ice can form there while the connecting road is still only wet.
-
18. You must leave your vehicle beside a narrow rural road at night. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Get it right off the pavement and switch on the hazard lights
A vehicle left on an unlit rural road is very hard to see, so move it completely clear of the traveled surface and mark it with the hazard lights.
-
19. A driver on the street this sign governs is preparing to turn left at the next corner. Which lane should the vehicle be in beforehand?
Show answer
Answer A: The lane closest to the left curb
All the traffic here runs the same way, so nothing is coming toward the driver and the turn is taken from the extreme left lane rather than from beside the middle of the roadway.
-
20. On a two-lane road with a broken yellow center line, may you cross it to turn into a driveway on the left?
Show answer
Answer C: Yes, when it is safe and the oncoming lane is clear
A broken center line may be crossed for a pass or for a left turn into a road or a driveway, once the oncoming lane is clear.
-
21. What does a swerve actually consist of?
Show answer
Answer B: Two quick presses on the grips, one to go around and one to come back
A swerve is two separate countersteering inputs made back to back, so the machine leaves the original path and then returns to it.
-
22. Where is the clutch lever located on a standard motorcycle?
Show answer
Answer D: On the left handlebar
Squeezing the lever on the left handlebar disengages the clutch and interrupts power between the engine and the rear wheel.
-
23. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
Show answer
Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
-
24. You are pulling away from a stop with a passenger for the first time. What should you expect?
Show answer
Answer D: You will need a little more throttle and a slower clutch release
The extra weight makes the motorcycle harder to get rolling, and a rushed clutch release with a passenger aboard is a common way to stall or lurch.
-
25. A reduced speed limit posted with this sign and a plaque giving hours is in force
Show answer
Answer C: during the hours shown on the plaque, or while the beacon is flashing
A school speed limit applies during the periods stated on the plaque or while the attached beacon flashes, and the regular limit governs outside those periods.