Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 54
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. A lane along the right edge is set off by a solid white line and marked with a bicycle symbol. How should a driver treat it?
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Answer B: Stay out of it except for the short distance needed to turn or cross where that is allowed
A marked bicycle lane is set aside for bicycle traffic, and motor vehicles may enter it only briefly where turning or crossing is permitted.
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2. Why should a driver crossing several lanes change only one lane at a time?
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Answer B: Each lane has its own traffic and its own blind spot to be checked
Sweeping across two or three lanes means entering lanes you never checked, so each change gets its own signal, mirror check and head check.
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3. A driver reaching a stop sign is required to do what?
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Answer D: Come to a complete stop and then proceed only when it is safe
A stop sign requires a full stop before the stop line, crosswalk or intersection, after which the driver may go on once the way is clear.
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4. A passenger is getting on at the roadside. Which side should they use if the exhaust and the sidestand allow it?
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Answer B: The side away from moving traffic, clear of the hot exhaust
Getting on and off away from passing vehicles keeps the passenger out of traffic, and the side chosen must also keep their leg clear of the hot exhaust.
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5. Partway through a curve you realize you have carried in more speed than you wanted. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Look through the curve and lean the motorcycle further with steady throttle
Most motorcycles can lean further than the rider believes, and looking where you want to go while pressing the inside grip harder will usually bring the machine around.
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6. Under Illinois law, what must you do when approaching a stationary emergency or maintenance vehicle displaying flashing lights?
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Answer B: Yield, change to a lane away from the workers when possible, and reduce speed and proceed with caution
Illinois requires drivers to yield, move to a lane away from emergency workers when possible and reduce speed until safely past; where a lane change is not possible, drivers must slow down and proceed with caution.
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7. A pedestrian is crossing a wide four-lane street and has reached the lanes on the far side. When may you go on?
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Answer C: Only after the person has finished crossing the roadway
Waiting until the pedestrian has finished crossing is correct in every state and removes any doubt about how much clearance your state demands.
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8. How does eating a large meal before drinking affect impairment?
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Answer D: It slows absorption but the alcohol still reaches the blood and impairs you
Food delays how quickly alcohol enters the bloodstream, which can make the peak arrive later, but all of the alcohol is eventually absorbed.
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9. You have stopped after a crash. Why should the engines of the vehicles involved be switched off?
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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.
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10. You are driving slower than the general flow on a multilane highway. Which lane should you use?
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Answer D: The right lane, keeping the left lanes free for faster traffic and passing
Slower traffic must keep right so that faster vehicles and overtaking traffic can use the left lanes without weaving between lanes.
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11. A high truck ahead of you hides the traffic signal as you approach the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer A: Drop back so you can see the signal and the truck's brake lights
Extra following distance restores your view of the signal, so you are reacting to the light yourself rather than copying the truck driver.
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12. A traffic signal is dark and you reach the intersection at the same moment as a vehicle on your right. Who goes first?
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Answer A: The vehicle on your right, as at any all-way stop
A dark signal is treated as an all-way stop, and the usual tie-breaker then applies: the vehicle on the right goes first.
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13. You approach a traffic signal that has already been green since it first came into view. What should you expect?
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Answer B: That it may change at any moment, so be ready to stop
A signal already green when you first see it is well into its cycle, so a rider covers the brakes and plans a stop rather than assuming a clear run.
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14. Which ability does alcohol usually affect first?
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Answer A: Judgment and self control
Alcohol reduces judgment and inhibition before a drinker notices any clumsiness, which is why an impaired driver often feels perfectly capable while already driving worse.
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15. Does this sign settle who has the right-of-way at the intersection ahead?
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Answer D: No, it only gives notice of the intersection; the control there decides priority
A warning prepares the driver for what is coming but grants no priority, so whatever stop control, yield control, signal or right-of-way rule applies at the intersection is what decides.
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16. An angry driver is following you closely and gesturing at you. What is the safe response?
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Answer B: Drive to a police station or to a busy public place and call for help
Never stop to confront an aggressive driver and never lead one home; go somewhere public and get the police involved.
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17. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?
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Answer D: The driver will face traffic head on, because every lane comes the other way
Turning against the established direction puts the vehicle nose to nose with all the traffic on that street, which is why the mistake has to be corrected at once.
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18. Apart from giving you room to stop, what else does a longer following gap do for you?
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Answer D: It widens your view of the road and the traffic ahead
Sitting further back lets you see past and around the vehicle in front, so hazards reach your eyes seconds earlier.
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19. Loose gravel has been swept into the middle of your lane on a downhill bend. Which controls are affected most?
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Answer D: Steering and braking, since the loose stones roll under the tires
Gravel rolls between rubber and pavement, so the tires can neither turn the vehicle nor slow it as they would on a clean surface.
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20. How long should a glance at a mirror or an instrument take?
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Answer A: A brief glance of about a second, returning your eyes to the road at once
Checks should be quick flicks of the eyes. At highway speed, a few seconds with your eyes off the road covers a distance long enough for a hazard to appear.
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21. On the Interstate system, what do the odd-numbered one and two digit routes have in common?
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Answer D: They run mainly north and south
Odd numbers are given to north and south Interstates and even numbers to east and west ones, with the numbers rising toward the north and the east.
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22. You are about to pass another vehicle at night with your high beams on. What should you do?
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Answer C: Switch to low beams as you come up behind it and while you are alongside
High beams shining into the mirrors of the vehicle ahead blind the very driver whose reaction you depend on during the pass.
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23. When is a wet road usually most slippery?
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Answer C: Just after the rain starts, before the surface oil is washed away
Oil and dirt lying on the pavement mix with the first water and cut traction badly until continued rain washes the residue to the side of the road.
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24. You want to turn right from a lane marked for through traffic and right turns, and the driver behind you wants to go straight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Signal, stay in the lane and make the turn when it is safe
A shared lane is the correct place to turn right from, so signal early and turn from the lane; the driver behind must wait or use another lane.
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25. How can loose spokes be found on a spoked wheel?
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Answer B: By tapping each spoke and listening for a dull sound instead of a clear ring
A correctly tensioned spoke rings when tapped, while a loose one gives a flat, dull note that stands out from the rest of the wheel.