Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 36

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

Minimum age: 15 years for the Class PM learner permit; 16 years for the Class M licence

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A large truck ahead of you in a roundabout is using part of both lanes as it goes around. What is the correct response?

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    Answer B: Stay back and give it room until it leaves the roundabout

    Long vehicles need extra width to get around the central island, so drivers behind must hold back rather than share the space beside them.

  2. 2. You are pulling out of a farm entrance onto a rural highway. What is your obligation?

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    Answer C: Yield to every vehicle already on the highway before you enter the roadway

    A driver entering a highway from a private road or driveway yields to every vehicle already on the highway.

  3. 3. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?

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    Answer D: About the length of a football field

    Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.

  4. 4. You enter a work zone at night where one lane is closed and a flagger is on duty. What is the safest approach?

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    Answer A: Slow early, merge before the closure and be ready to stop

    Merging early at a reduced speed keeps the queue orderly and leaves you room to stop for equipment, workers or traffic that has halted ahead.

  5. 5. Your car begins to lose power on a freeway and you must stop. Where should you try to bring it to a halt?

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    Answer A: As far off the right side of the road as you can get, beyond the edge line

    A disabled vehicle should be moved completely clear of the travel lanes, on the right, so that traffic can pass without changing course.

  6. 6. Why is reflective material more useful than bright color once it is dark?

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    Answer C: It throws headlight light back toward the driver, while color goes unseen

    Color needs daylight to be seen, while reflective material returns the beam of an approaching vehicle straight back to its driver.

  7. 7. It is hot and a rider wants to ride without gloves. Why is that a poor idea?

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    Answer D: Sweating hands slip on the grips, and bare skin has no protection

    Hands go out first in a fall and are hard to repair, and sweaty palms lose their grip on the controls, so wear ventilated summer gloves rather than none.

  8. 8. There is a driveway and a side street between you and the corner where you will turn right. When should you signal?

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    Answer C: After passing the openings, so nobody pulls out in front of you

    A signal switched on before an opening tells drivers waiting there that you are turning in, and they may pull out into your path.

  9. 9. Which of these does NOT affect how fast alcohol reaches the bloodstream?

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    Answer A: How confident the drinker feels

    Food, the strength of the drinks and the speed of drinking all change how fast alcohol is absorbed, but a drinker's confidence changes nothing at all.

  10. 10. Which formation lets a group of riders stay close together while every rider keeps an adequate space cushion?

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    Answer A: A staggered formation

    A staggered formation keeps the group compact enough for traffic while still leaving each rider room to the front, the rear and both sides.

  11. 11. A United States numbered route is normally marked with

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    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.

  12. 12. You reach an intersection with no signs, signals or markings clearly before a vehicle that is approaching on your right. What is the rule?

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    Answer B: You may go first because you got there first

    At an uncontrolled intersection the first driver to arrive goes first; the yield to the right rule only settles a tie.

  13. 13. A yellow sign reading DEAD END is posted at the entrance to a street. What does it mean?

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    Answer D: The street ends and there is no way through

    A dead end street stops at its far end, so a driver who enters must come back out the same way.

  14. 14. What does the solid white line running along the right side of a highway mark?

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    Answer A: The right edge of the traveled way

    A solid white edge line shows where the traveled way ends on the right, which is particularly useful at night and in poor visibility.

  15. 15. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait and look both ways for a second train

    A passing train hides a second train on the other track, so wait until the signals stop and you can see that both tracks are clear.

  16. 16. An oncoming driver flashes their headlights while you are waiting to turn left. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Judge the situation yourself, since the flash may mean something else

    A flash is not a legal signal and may mean many things, so the decision to turn stays yours and must be based on what you can see.

  17. 17. You feel fine twenty minutes after your last drink. Why is that a poor guide to driving?

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    Answer B: Your blood alcohol level can still be rising

    Alcohol keeps being absorbed for some time after the last drink, so a driver who feels able at the door can be more impaired a few miles down the road.

  18. 18. On a two-lane road with a broken yellow center line, may you cross it to turn into a driveway on the left?

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    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.

  19. 19. A line beside your lane is painted about twice the normal width. What does the extra width convey?

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    Answer B: Greater emphasis on the restriction it carries

    Width is part of the marking code: a wide line carries more emphasis than a normal one, which is why it is used at gores and channelizing lines.

  20. 20. You are on a one-way street with two marked lanes. May you pass a slower vehicle on the right?

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    Answer A: Yes, using the right lane, provided that the move is safe and signaled

    On a roadway with two or more marked lanes in your direction, moving into the free lane and going by is a normal lane change rather than an unlawful pass.

  21. 21. Where should the rider be looking during a U-turn?

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    Answer B: All the way around toward the point where the turn will finish

    A motorcycle follows the eyes, so turning the head to the exit of the turn keeps the machine coming round instead of drifting wide.

  22. 22. Studies of damaged helmets show that the most frequently struck area is which part?

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    Answer C: The chin and jaw area, which an open face helmet leaves uncovered

    The chin and face area takes a large share of helmet impacts, which is the main safety argument for a full face helmet over an open face one.

  23. 23. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?

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    Answer A: The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop

    The amber lights are the warning phase that comes before the red lights and the stop arm, so drivers should slow down and get ready to stop.

  24. 24. Which quality matters most in a face shield?

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    Answer B: It resists penetration and is free of deep scratches

    A shield has to stop objects thrown up from the road and stay clear enough for undistorted vision, and it needs some airflow so that it does not fog.

  25. 25. You have just merged onto a freeway from an entrance ramp. What should you do next?

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    Answer C: Settle into the right lane and build up speed before changing lanes

    Crossing lanes while you are still below the speed of the traffic forces other drivers to brake, so the speed comes first and the lane change second.

  26. 26. How should a motorcycle helmet fit?

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    Answer A: Snugly all the way around, without shifting or lifting off the head

    A snug helmet stays in place during a crash, while one that moves or lifts can come off at the moment it is needed most.

  27. 27. An oncoming car is waiting to turn left across your path at an intersection. What is the safest response?

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    Answer D: Slow, cover the brakes and pick a lane position that keeps an escape path

    A car turning left in front of a rider is one of the most common motorcycle collisions, so the rider prepares to stop or swerve rather than trusting the driver to wait.

  28. 28. A bike lane on your right is marked with a dashed line for the last stretch before the corner. What does that dashed section allow you to do?

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    Answer D: Merge into the bike lane after checking, and turn right from there

    The dashed section is where drivers are meant to merge into the bike lane before turning, which puts cyclists behind the vehicle instead of beside it.

  29. 29. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe

    Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.

  30. 30. Some crosswalks are marked with two transverse lines and others with a row of wide bars laid along the direction of travel. Why is the second pattern used?

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    Answer B: It is far easier for an approaching driver to see

    Longitudinal bar patterns are used where extra visibility is wanted, such as an uncontrolled crossing or one near a school, because they show up much better from a car.