Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 18
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. 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.
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2. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish
Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.
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3. You have a green light and are turning right. Pedestrians are stepping off the curb into the crosswalk you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let them cross before completing your turn
A green light does not release a turning driver from yielding to pedestrians already in the crosswalk of the street being entered.
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4. On a highway with mileage-based exit numbering, you have just passed exit 42 and are looking for exit 55. About how far is it?
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Answer B: Thirteen miles
With mileage-based numbering each exit takes the number of the nearest milepost, so subtracting one exit number from another gives the distance in miles.
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5. You must slow suddenly on a highway and a vehicle is following close behind you. What helps prevent a rear-end collision?
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Answer D: Tapping the brake pedal early so your brake lights flash a warning
Early brake light flashes give the driver behind more time to react, and slowing gradually instead of suddenly reduces the chance of being struck.
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6. During a pre-ride check, what should the throttle do when it is released?
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Answer A: Snap back to the closed position on its own
A throttle that does not close by itself can leave the engine running fast when the rider expects it to slow, so a sticking cable must be repaired before riding.
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7. Why is the road often most slippery during the first few minutes of rain after a long dry spell?
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Answer C: Oil and dust on the surface mix with the water into a slick film
Oil drippings and road dust build up on dry pavement, and the first light rain lifts them into a slippery film before heavier rain washes it away.
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8. You realize at the last moment that you have passed the street where you meant to turn. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going and turn around where it is safe and legal
A missed turn is a minor inconvenience; braking suddenly, backing up or turning across traffic to recover it causes crashes.
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9. You are about to carry a passenger for the first time. Where should you begin?
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Answer C: In a quiet area away from traffic, at low speed
A passenger changes balance, braking and steering feel, and those differences are best learned somewhere there is nothing else to deal with.
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10. A sign at the curb reads Tow-Away Zone. What does it mean for you?
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Answer C: That a vehicle left there can be removed at the owner's expense
In a tow-away zone the vehicle can be removed immediately and the owner pays the towing and storage charges to get it back.
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11. What does this sign require of the driver?
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Answer D: Reducing speed and being ready to stop at the intersection ahead
The advance notice asks the driver to slow and be ready to stop, while whether a stop is actually needed depends on the indication displayed on arrival.
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12. How should a face shield be cleaned?
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Answer C: With mild soap and water and a soft cloth, then dried gently
Plastic shields scratch easily and are damaged by solvents, and a scratched shield scatters light badly at night, so use mild soap, water and a soft cloth.
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13. Why would this sign be installed on an approach?
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Answer B: Because the signal cannot be seen from far enough back for a driver to react in time
Advance notice of a signal is used where a crest, a curve, trees or a building keep the signal heads out of view until a driver is already too close to stop comfortably.
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14. Two left-turn lanes are available and you must turn right again a short distance after the turn. Which of the two should you use?
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Answer D: The right one, so you finish nearer the right side of the new street
Each turn lane feeds the matching lane of the new street, so choosing the right-hand of the two left-turn lanes leaves you closer to the side you will need.
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15. A small plate under a stop sign reads CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP. What is it telling you?
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Answer D: Traffic on the cross street is not required to stop at all
The plate warns that the other road is uncontrolled, so you must wait for a gap instead of expecting anyone to take turns with you.
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16. How often should a rider change position within the lane?
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Answer C: As often as the traffic, the road surface and the hazards around you change
Lane position is a tool for keeping space and visibility, and both of those change constantly as traffic and road conditions change.
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17. Where are signs of this kind placed at an intersection?
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Answer C: At the near right and far left corners, facing drivers on the intersecting street
They are installed at the corners of the intersecting street so that a driver about to turn in sees the restriction before committing to the turn.
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18. What does the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection routine cover?
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Answer B: Tires and wheels, controls, lights, fluids, chassis and stands
T-CLOCS is a memory aid for a walk around check of tires and wheels, controls, lights and electrics, oil and other fluids, chassis, and side and center stands.
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19. You are driving on a rural road with no sidewalk. Where should you expect to meet pedestrians?
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Answer A: Walking toward you on your side of the road
Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians are taught to walk facing traffic, so they appear on your side of the road coming toward you.
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20. You are waiting inside the intersection to turn left when your light turns red. What should you do?
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Answer A: Complete the turn as soon as the way is clear
Once you have legally entered the intersection you should clear it as soon as the oncoming traffic has stopped, rather than sit in the path of cross traffic.
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21. Under Illinois' Zero Tolerance law, what happens to a driver under 21 found with any trace of alcohol while driving?
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Answer C: Driving privileges are suspended for a minimum of three months
Illinois suspends the driving privileges of a driver under 21 for at least three months when any trace of alcohol is found, and a DUI conviction under 21 brings a revocation of at least two years.
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22. A driver who has been drinking has two cups of strong coffee. What has changed?
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Answer D: The driver is more awake but just as impaired
Coffee can make a drinker feel alert, but nothing except time removes alcohol from the blood, so a wide awake drinker is still an impaired driver.
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23. In a work zone a flagger signals you to stop, but the sign beside the road says the lane is open. What should you do?
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Answer C: Obey the flagger
A flagger controls the work zone in real time and the instruction outranks the signs and markings, which cannot reflect what is happening at that moment.
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24. Why is being predictable an important part of driving safely?
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Answer A: Because other road users are able to plan around what you are doing
Other drivers make their decisions from what they expect you to do, so surprises are what produce collisions.
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25. On a typical motorcycle, which of these controls does the rider operate with the right hand?
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Answer C: The front brake lever
The front brake lever sits on the right handlebar and is squeezed with the right hand, while the clutch lever is on the left handlebar.