Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 56
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. How should the brake light be checked before a ride?
Show answer
Answer D: Confirm that the hand lever and the foot pedal each switch it on
Many motorcycles use a separate switch for each brake control, so both the lever and the pedal have to be tested one at a time.
-
2. A United States numbered route is normally marked with
Show answer
Answer C: black numerals on a white shield
The U.S. route marker is a white shield carrying black numerals, which sets it apart at a glance from the red, white and blue Interstate shield.
-
3. On a hot summer day you notice long black strips of crack sealant snaking across the pavement. What should a rider know about them?
Show answer
Answer A: They soften in heat and can be slippery, especially under a leaned tire
Crack sealant gets soft and greasy in the heat, so treat those strips as a low traction surface and avoid braking or hard cornering on them.
-
4. On a regulatory sign, what does a red circle with a diagonal slash drawn over a symbol mean?
Show answer
Answer D: The movement or action shown by the symbol is prohibited
A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard way of showing that the movement pictured inside it, such as a U-turn or a right turn, is not allowed.
-
5. You are crossing a divided highway with a wide median. How should you treat the two roadways?
Show answer
Answer D: As two intersections, waiting in the median only when your vehicle fits
Each roadway of a divided highway is a separate intersection, and you should wait in the median only if it is long enough to hold your vehicle clear of both roadways.
-
6. You reach a four-way stop after another driver has already stopped there. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Let the driver who stopped first proceed before you go
At a four-way stop the vehicles proceed in the order they arrived, so a driver who stopped before you goes first.
-
7. The group has become separated and the leader wants to wait for the missing riders. Where should the leader pull in?
Show answer
Answer C: In a parking area or other space that is clear of moving traffic
Waiting somewhere off the roadway keeps the parked machines and their riders out of traffic and gives the arriving riders room to pull in safely.
-
8. Traffic safety experts describe three kinds of driver distraction. Which set is correct?
Show answer
Answer A: Visual, manual and cognitive
Distraction takes the eyes off the road, the hands off the controls or the mind off driving, and many activities do more than one of those at once.
-
9. Your left-turn lane shows a flashing yellow arrow. What does that indication allow?
Show answer
Answer B: A left turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow marks a permissive left turn: the movement is allowed, but oncoming vehicles and pedestrians keep the right-of-way.
-
10. Well before an intersection, an overhead sign shows a diagram of the lanes with an arrow above each one. What is its purpose?
Show answer
Answer C: To let drivers pick the correct lane in good time
Advance intersection lane control signs display the lane assignment far enough back that drivers can move over calmly instead of at the last moment.
-
11. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?
Show answer
Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone
Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.
-
12. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?
Show answer
Answer A: Behind the stop line, until the first vehicle has actually turned
Only the lead vehicle should move into the intersection to wait; a second vehicle inside it is likely to be stranded there when the light changes.
-
13. How should a riding jacket fit?
Show answer
Answer B: Snug at the neck, wrists and waist so that it cannot balloon open
A jacket closed at the openings stays in place in a fall and does not flap in the wind, which is both tiring and distracting.
-
14. You are behind a snow plow working on a highway. What is the correct way to drive?
Show answer
Answer C: Stay well back and do not try to pass it
A plow throws snow, runs wider than its body and works on the poor surface ahead of it, so the cleared road behind it is the safest place to be.
-
15. Why is repeatedly changing lanes to work through heavy traffic a poor idea?
Show answer
Answer A: It raises the crash risk and saves almost no time
Each lane change adds a conflict with another vehicle, and in congestion the lanes move at similar average speeds, so the gain is negligible.
-
16. At a stop sign with a painted stop line and a crosswalk, where must you stop?
Show answer
Answer D: At the stop line, before it and before the crosswalk
You stop at the stop line first, and only if there is no stop line do you stop before the crosswalk, and only if there is neither do you stop before entering the intersection.
-
17. What is the best way to handle fatigue on a long ride?
Show answer
Answer C: Take rest breaks regularly and dress to keep wind and cold out
Wind, vibration and cold tire a rider faster than a driver, and the safe answer is planned breaks and protective clothing rather than pressing on.
-
18. When must a passenger keep both feet on the footrests?
Show answer
Answer C: At all times, including while the motorcycle is stopped
Feet stay on the footrests even at a stop, because a foot put down or swung out can unbalance the motorcycle or be caught by the road.
-
19. What is the best way to keep your phone from distracting you on a trip?
Show answer
Answer D: Silence it and stow it before you start
A phone you cannot hear and cannot reach cannot tempt you, which is far more reliable than deciding case by case while you drive.
-
20. Why do drivers so often misjudge how fast an approaching motorcycle is traveling?
Show answer
Answer C: A narrow vehicle seems to grow slowly, so it appears further away
A small frontal area changes size slowly as it approaches, so drivers read a motorcycle as further away and slower than it really is. Never assume a waiting driver has judged your speed correctly.
-
21. You are on a four-lane divided highway and a vehicle in your lane is stopped waiting to turn left across the median. What is the normal way past?
Show answer
Answer D: Slow down and go by in the lane to the right when it is clear
On a multilane road the free lane beside you is the lawful place to go past a vehicle waiting to turn, and the median is not part of the roadway.
-
22. An ambulance with lights and siren is coming toward you on an undivided two-lane road. What must you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Pull to the right edge and stop until it passes
On an undivided road, drivers in both directions clear the way, pulling to the right edge and stopping.
-
23. Once you are moving, which way of using a navigation device costs you the least attention?
Show answer
Answer B: Listening to the spoken directions
Voice guidance lets you keep your eyes on the road, while anything that needs the screen takes glances that add up over a trip.
-
24. A broken white line separates your lane from the lane beside it. What does it indicate?
Show answer
Answer C: Both lanes carry traffic in the same direction and lane changes are permitted
White lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, and a broken white line means changing lanes across it is permitted when it is safe.
-
25. About how far ahead do low beam headlights let you see on a dark road?
Show answer
Answer B: About 250 feet
Low beams light roughly 250 feet of road, and high beams roughly 350 to 500 feet, which sets the limit on a safe night speed.