Montana MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 10

  • Questions33
  • Correct to pass27
  • Passing score82%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years, or 15 years with an approved Montana traffic education course

33 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 27 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. It is cold and the road looks wet, but you notice the tires of vehicles ahead are throwing up no spray. What does this suggest?

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    Answer B: The surface has frozen and is probably icy

    Water throws spray, but ice does not. A shiny road with no spray in freezing temperatures is a strong sign of black ice, so slow down and avoid sudden inputs.

  2. 2. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?

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    Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely

    You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.

  3. 3. 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.

  4. 4. A bicyclist in the bike lane ahead of you signals and starts to move left toward the turn lane. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Slow down and let the rider move across

    A bicyclist who needs to leave the bike lane to turn left is changing lanes like any driver, and following traffic should make room.

  5. 5. The rear tire loses air suddenly while you are riding. Which symptom should you expect and how should you respond?

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    Answer D: The rear sways or feels heavy, so ease off and slow with the front brake

    A rear flat makes the back of the motorcycle wallow or sway, so hold your line, close the throttle gently and slow mainly with the brake on the wheel that still has air.

  6. 6. Traffic safety experts describe three kinds of driver distraction. Which set is correct?

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    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.

  7. 7. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop

    Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.

  8. 8. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?

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    Answer A: Stay out of that area, because it is not meant to be driven on

    Chevron and diagonal markings fill paved areas that traffic is not intended to use, so drivers should keep out of them.

  9. 9. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?

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    Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter

    Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.

  10. 10. A traffic signal ahead is showing a flashing red light. What does it require?

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    Answer C: Stop completely, then go when the way is clear, as at a stop sign

    A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign: stop completely, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when it is safe.

  11. 11. Before pulling out to pass on a two lane road, which lane position gives the best view of the road ahead?

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    Answer B: The left portion of your lane

    Moving to the left of your own lane lets you see past the vehicle ahead and judge the oncoming lane before committing any part of the machine to it.

  12. 12. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?

    A white square showing an arrow turning right inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer D: By going on and using a later intersection where turning is allowed

    When a movement is barred at one corner the driver has to reroute, normally by continuing and coming back to the destination from a permitted approach.

  13. 13. At many crossings the walk indication appears only after a button is pressed. What happens if a pedestrian does not press it?

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    Answer B: The signal may cycle without showing a walk indication

    An actuated pedestrian phase is called in by the pushbutton, so without it the controller may serve the vehicle movements alone.

  14. 14. Between which dates does Montana allow studded tires on an ordinary passenger vehicle?

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    Answer C: October 1 and May 31

    Montana permits studded tires only between October 1 and May 31, while school buses may use them from August 15 through the following June 15.

  15. 15. An overhead lane signal shows a flashing yellow X above your lane. What does it mean?

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    Answer D: The lane may be used only for a left turn

    A flashing yellow X marks a lane that may be used only to make a left turn; a steady yellow X is the one that warns you to leave the lane.

  16. 16. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?

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    Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load

    Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.

  17. 17. You are driving through a long curve on a road with two lanes in your direction. What is correct?

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    Answer A: Stay within your own lane all the way through, adjusting speed before you enter

    Wandering out of your lane in a curve puts you into the path of a vehicle you cannot see, and the slowing belongs before the curve rather than in it.

  18. 18. How should a group plan its rest stops on a long day?

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    Answer A: Around the rider who tires first, with breaks before anyone is worn out

    Fatigue destroys judgment long before a rider admits to it, so the break schedule follows the least rested rider rather than the strongest one.

  19. 19. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled

    Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.

  20. 20. A crash happens directly in front of you and vehicles are blocking both lanes. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Stop at a safe distance, put on the hazards and warn the traffic behind

    The greatest danger after a crash is a second collision, so stop short of it and make sure the traffic behind you can see the problem.

  21. 21. What is the first thing to do once your disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder?

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    Answer A: Switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see the vehicle

    Hazard lights are the fastest way to make a stopped vehicle visible, and everything else can follow once traffic has been warned.

  22. 22. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?

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    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.

  23. 23. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?

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    Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background

    In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.

  24. 24. How should the brake light be checked before a ride?

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    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.

  25. 25. You are ready to pull out of a parallel parking space into the traffic lane. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Signal, check the mirror and blind spot, and wait for a gap

    A driver leaving a parking space must yield to traffic already in the lane, so signal, look for the gap and only then move out.

  26. 26. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?

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    Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks

    Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.

  27. 27. How can a Montana applicant have the motorcycle road test waived?

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    Answer A: By presenting a Montana Motorcycle Safety Foundation certificate for a course passed in the past year

    Montana waives the motorcycle road test for an applicant who has successfully completed a Montana Motorcycle Safety Foundation course in the past year and presents the Montana MSF certificate on application.

  28. 28. While you wait for the ambulance at a crash, what is the most useful help you can give?

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    Answer C: Keep the person still and warm, and press down firmly on any heavy bleeding

    Keeping an injured person still and warm and controlling bleeding are among the few things a bystander can safely do.

  29. 29. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?

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    Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle

    Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.

  30. 30. You are traveling at the same speed as a vehicle in the next lane, just behind its rear door. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Change your speed so that you leave that driver's blind spot

    That position is the classic blind spot. Slow slightly or move ahead so the other driver can see you before deciding to change lanes.

  31. 31. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?

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    Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway

    The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.

  32. 32. What is the recommended minimum following distance behind the vehicle ahead?

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    Answer C: Two seconds

    A two second gap is the minimum in good conditions and should be stretched to three seconds or more on slippery roads, in poor visibility or in heavy traffic.

  33. 33. The curb ahead is signed as a bus stop. May you wait there with your vehicle?

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    Answer C: No, the space must stay clear for buses

    A bus stop must stay open so that a bus can reach the curb and let passengers on and off safely, so no other vehicle may occupy it.