Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 58

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years; applicants aged 16 or 17 must also complete an IDOT-approved motorcycle training course

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A preferential lane sign reads HOV 2+ and lists the hours it applies. During those hours, which vehicles may use the lane?

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    Answer A: Vehicles carrying at least two people, counting the driver

    The number on an HOV sign is the minimum number of occupants, driver included, that a vehicle must carry to use the lane while the restriction is in effect.

  2. 2. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?

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    Answer C: Before the stop line

    A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.

  3. 3. What does a marked crosswalk tell a driver approaching a corner?

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    Answer D: Where pedestrians are expected to cross and must be given way

    Crosswalk markings show pedestrians where to cross and warn drivers to yield to anyone using the crossing.

  4. 4. Compared with dry pavement, how much room does a vehicle need to stop on packed snow?

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    Answer D: Several times as much

    Grip on packed snow is a fraction of that on dry pavement, so stopping distance grows several times over. Antilock brakes help you steer, not stop shorter.

  5. 5. Why is wearing headphones over both ears a problem while driving?

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    Answer D: You may not hear horns, sirens or other warning sounds

    Hearing is part of your awareness of traffic. Covering both ears blocks emergency sirens, horns and the sound of an approaching vehicle you cannot yet see.

  6. 6. Your route crosses a long steel grid bridge deck. What should you do about braking and speed while you are on the grating?

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    Answer B: Keep a steady speed and do any braking before the grating, not on it

    A steel deck makes the motorcycle weave and offers less grip, so set your speed before you reach it, ride straight across, and brake on solid pavement.

  7. 7. An orange background with a black legend on a sign indicates

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    Answer B: a temporary traffic control or work zone situation

    Orange is reserved for temporary traffic control signing, so an orange sign means conditions have been altered for work or another temporary operation.

  8. 8. You are turning right off a street into a parking lot driveway that crosses a bike lane and a sidewalk. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: Pedestrians on the sidewalk and riders in the bike lane

    Turning into a driveway means crossing the paths of people who were already traveling straight, so you give way to both the bike lane and the sidewalk.

  9. 9. You have tied a load down with cords that are longer than you need. What should you do with the loose ends?

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    Answer D: Secure the loose ends so nothing can reach the chain, the wheel or the road

    A dangling cord can be caught by the rear wheel or the chain and jam it, which can lock the wheel without any warning to the rider.

  10. 10. You notice at night that one of your headlights has burned out. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Get it replaced promptly, because other drivers may take you for a motorcycle

    A single light makes your vehicle look narrower and further away, so other drivers misjudge you, and one light is also illegal.

  11. 11. A city transit bus at a stop ahead of you switches on its left signal. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Slow and let the bus pull back into traffic

    A bus needs a long gap to rejoin traffic, and yielding to a signaling transit bus keeps the whole line of traffic moving safely.

  12. 12. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that

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    Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation

    Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.

  13. 13. How much should you normally reduce your speed on a road covered with packed snow compared with dry conditions?

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    Answer C: By about half

    Packed snow roughly doubles the distance needed to stop, so a common guideline is to cut speed by about half. On ice, slow to a crawl.

  14. 14. A flagger in a work zone turns a paddle so that the red octagonal face reading STOP is toward you. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Stop completely and wait for the flagger to signal you forward

    The STOP face of a flagger paddle requires a complete stop, and you may move again only when the flagger directs you to.

  15. 15. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?

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    Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut

    Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.

  16. 16. A shared-use path crosses the road ahead at a marked crossing and people are already crossing on it. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Yield and let them finish crossing the road

    People already crossing at a marked crossing have the right of way, and a path crossing is a crossing of the roadway like any other.

  17. 17. The gates at a railroad crossing are down, and you can see that the road beyond them is clear. What is the correct action?

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    Answer A: Wait until the gates rise completely and the lights go out

    Lowered gates mean rail traffic is expected, and driving around them removes the only protection the crossing provides.

  18. 18. You are driving in fog so thick that you can barely see the vehicle ahead. Which pavement marking is the best guide for staying in your lane?

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    Answer A: The white edge line on the right side of the road

    The right edge line keeps you positioned away from oncoming traffic and is easy to follow at low speed. Following tail lights closely tempts you to drive faster than you can see.

  19. 19. What does the implied consent law mean for drivers?

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    Answer D: By driving, you have agreed to a chemical test if lawfully arrested for impaired driving

    Holding a license and driving on public roads is treated as consent to breath, blood or urine testing when an officer has grounds to arrest you. Refusing normally brings its own license penalties.

  20. 20. Which item does most to keep a rider comfortable in cold weather beyond a jacket and gloves?

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    Answer B: A close fitting neck cover that stops air entering at the collar

    Cold air funnelled in at the neck chills the whole body, so a snug neck tube or balaclava makes a large difference, while a loose scarf is a hazard because it can catch.

  21. 21. You are overtaking a large tractor trailer on the highway. What should you expect as you ride alongside and then past it?

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    Answer D: Changing pushes and pulls as you pass the front, the side and the rear

    The air around a large truck moves in different directions along its length, so expect the buffeting to change as you go by. Keep a firm but relaxed grip and a steady throttle.

  22. 22. You are driving through a residential area where parked cars hide the side streets. What is the safest approach?

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    Answer C: Slow down and cover the brake as you pass each opening

    Where parked vehicles hide side streets and driveways, lower speed and a covered brake buy the time you lose in sight distance.

  23. 23. What is the correct position for the feet while riding?

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    Answer C: Firmly on the footrests with the toes level

    Toes kept level stay clear of the pavement when the motorcycle leans and leave the foot ready to reach the brake pedal or shift lever.

  24. 24. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What should you do before driving onto the tracks?

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    Answer D: Wait behind the tracks until there is room to clear them completely

    Never enter a crossing until you are certain you can drive completely across without stopping, because a vehicle trapped on the tracks cannot get out of a train's way.

  25. 25. A steady green downward arrow is displayed above the lane you are in. What does it tell you?

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    Answer A: You may drive in that lane

    A green downward arrow means the lane beneath it is open for travel in your direction.