Montana MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 13

  • 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. Which clue best warns a rider that the door of a parked car is about to open?

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    Answer B: Someone visible in the seat, or exhaust showing at the tailpipe

    Occupied cars are the ones that open doors, so scan through rear windows and mirrors and look for exhaust or wheels turning as you approach.

  2. 2. The rider ahead of you has just passed a slow vehicle on a two lane road. What does that tell you about your own pass?

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    Answer C: Nothing, because you must judge the oncoming traffic yourself

    Every pass uses up part of the gap, so the space that was ample for the rider ahead may be far too short by the time it is your turn.

  3. 3. Two solid white lines separate your lane from the lane beside it. What do they mean?

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    Answer B: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited

    A solid double white line marks a boundary that road users may not cross, such as the entrance to a preferential lane.

  4. 4. Why does a passenger often feel the cold sooner than the rider on a long ride?

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    Answer B: A passenger sits still and does not have the fuel tank to shelter behind

    The rider has a screen or a tank to break the wind and is busy operating the machine, while a passenger sits exposed and inactive and chills faster.

  5. 5. A Montana driver whose license was suspended for a DUI is caught driving. What minimum jail term applies?

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    Answer C: Not less than 2 days, with a fine of up to $2,000 possible

    Montana punishes driving during a DUI-related suspension with 2 days to 6 months of imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,000, and the court may add up to 40 hours of community service.

  6. 6. You are traveling at 55 mph on a rural road and come up behind a horse-drawn buggy. What is the main danger?

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    Answer D: You close on it very quickly because it moves at walking pace

    A buggy travels only a few miles an hour, so the gap closes far faster than drivers expect and there is very little time to brake once you see it.

  7. 7. Your green left-turn arrow goes out and a steady green ball stays lit. What may you do?

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    Answer A: Continue turning left, but only after yielding to oncoming traffic

    When the arrow ends and a green ball remains, the turn changes from protected to permissive, so it is still allowed but oncoming traffic goes first.

  8. 8. Where should the least experienced riders be placed in a group?

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    Answer C: Just behind the leader

    Placing newer riders just behind the leader keeps the pace manageable for them and lets the more experienced riders behind keep an eye on them.

  9. 9. A sign on a long downgrade points to a runaway vehicle ramp. What is that ramp for?

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    Answer C: Trucks that have lost braking ability on the grade

    A runaway ramp is an escape lane of loose material that stops a heavy vehicle whose brakes have overheated or failed, so it must always be left clear.

  10. 10. Well before an intersection, an overhead sign shows a diagram of the lanes with an arrow above each one. What is its purpose?

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    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. 11. A parking space is marked with the international symbol of access. Who may use it?

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    Answer A: Only a vehicle displaying the required placard or plate

    Accessible spaces may be used only by a vehicle that displays a valid disability placard or plate, no matter how short the stop would be.

  12. 12. Traffic is heavy and a truck is stopped in the lane on your right. How do you keep an out?

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    Answer B: Keep space open ahead of you and avoid being boxed in on both sides at once

    Being hemmed in on both sides with no gap ahead removes every option, so keep at least one direction open.

  13. 13. Why should the leader of a group check the mirrors regularly?

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    Answer B: To see whether the group is still together and adjust the pace if not

    The leader is the only rider who can see the whole formation, and slowing slightly is the usual way to gather a group that has strung out.

  14. 14. Which motorcycle riders must wear approved protective headgear in Montana?

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    Answer B: Operators and passengers under 18 years of age

    Montana law requires protective headgear meeting Department of Justice standards for operators and passengers under 18 years of age on motorcycles, mopeds, motorized scooters and quadricycles.

  15. 15. Why is the center portion of the lane a useful default on an open road?

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    Answer B: It keeps a space cushion on both sides and discourages lane sharing

    From the middle of the lane the rider has room to move either way, and no driver sees an obvious gap alongside to squeeze into.

  16. 16. You enter a work zone where the top layer of pavement has been milled off, leaving a grooved surface. How should you ride?

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    Answer B: Hold a relaxed grip and steady speed, and expect the tires to wander

    Milled or grooved pavement makes the tires follow the ridges and the motorcycle feel unsettled, so relax on the bars, keep a constant speed and ride straight through.

  17. 17. A small plate under a stop sign reads CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP. What is it telling you?

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    Answer D: Traffic on the cross street is not required to stop at all

    The plate warns that the other road is uncontrolled, so you must wait for a gap instead of expecting anyone to take turns with you.

  18. 18. You are entering a marked work zone. What should you expect?

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    Answer B: A reduced posted speed, narrowed or shifted lanes, and traffic that may stop suddenly

    Work zones change the geometry of the road and can bring traffic to a halt without warning, so the posted work zone speed and increased following distance both apply.

  19. 19. How should a riding jacket fit?

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    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.

  20. 20. A school crossing guard has returned to the curb but two children are still walking across the road. When may you go?

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    Answer C: Only after the children have reached the far sidewalk

    The guard leaving the road does not end your duty; you stay stopped until every child is clear of the roadway.

  21. 21. Your motorcycle starts to wander while you ride over rain grooves or a bridge grating. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Relax, hold a steady speed and ride straight across

    The wandering feeling on grooved surfaces and gratings is unsettling but generally not hazardous, while zigzagging to fight it is far more dangerous.

  22. 22. A vehicle is sitting in your blind spot and you need to change into that lane. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Adjust your speed to open a clear gap, then check again and move over

    Changing your speed either drops the other vehicle behind you or lets it move ahead, which turns the blind spot back into open space.

  23. 23. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?

    A black rectangle with a white arrow and white lettering
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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.

  24. 24. At a railroad crossing with no gates and no flashing lights, the crossbuck is normally combined with which sign?

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    Answer C: A yield sign, or a stop sign where an engineering study calls for one

    At a passive crossing the crossbuck forms an assembly with a yield sign, or with a stop sign when an engineering study or engineering judgment supports it, so the driver knows who must give way to the train.

  25. 25. Two left-turn lanes are available and you must turn right again a short distance after the turn. Which of the two should you use?

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    Answer D: The right one, so you finish nearer the right side of the new street

    Each turn lane feeds the matching lane of the new street, so choosing the right-hand of the two left-turn lanes leaves you closer to the side you will need.

  26. 26. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?

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    Answer C: The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic

    On a three-lane roadway the center lane avoids both the ramp traffic on the right and the overtaking traffic on the left, so it usually has the steadiest flow.

  27. 27. A broken white line separates your lane from the lane beside it. What does it indicate?

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    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.

  28. 28. A bag strapped to the back of your motorcycle works loose and starts to shift as you ride. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow smoothly, pull off the road, and secure the load before riding on

    A load that moves changes the balance of the motorcycle and can foul a wheel or the chain, so stop as soon as you safely can and fasten it properly.

  29. 29. What is the friction zone of the clutch?

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    Answer A: The range of lever travel where power starts to reach the rear wheel

    Easing the clutch lever into the friction zone lets the engine drive the rear wheel gradually, which is what makes a smooth start from a stop possible.

  30. 30. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?

    A red eight sided sign with a white border and white lettering
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    Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt

    What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.

  31. 31. You are entering a marked school zone during the posted hours. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Slow to the school zone limit and watch for children

    The school zone limit applies throughout the posted hours, whether or not you can see any children at that moment.

  32. 32. Another driver takes a right of way that was legally yours. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Give way to the other driver and avoid the crash, whatever the law says

    Right of way is something you give, not something you take, and being in the right is no protection in a collision.

  33. 33. You are approaching a traffic light that has been green for a long time. How should you treat it?

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    Answer C: Expect it to change and be ready to stop

    A light that has been green for a while is called a stale green light. Cover the brake and decide in advance where you could still stop safely.