Montana MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 9

  • 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. What does it mean to scan the road while driving?

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    Answer A: Moving your eyes constantly over the road, the sides and the mirrors

    Scanning keeps information coming in from every direction, while a fixed stare leaves you blind to everything else.

  2. 2. What is a microsleep?

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    Answer D: A few seconds of sleep, sometimes with the eyes open

    A microsleep is an involuntary lapse of a few seconds during which the driver is asleep and the vehicle travels blind, often without the driver knowing.

  3. 3. Your vehicle has antilock brakes. What should you never do in an emergency stop?

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    Answer A: Pump the pedal up and down

    The system already releases and reapplies the brakes many times a second. Pumping the pedal interrupts it and makes the stop longer.

  4. 4. Which rough check suggests that a helmet is a novelty shell rather than a certified helmet?

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    Answer C: It weighs about a pound, far less than a certified helmet

    A certified helmet weighs roughly three pounds because of its shell and thick liner, while a novelty shell is very light. Weight is only a clue, and the certification label is the real check.

  5. 5. What jail term and fine does Montana set for a first DUI conviction with no minor in the vehicle?

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    Answer D: 24 consecutive hours to 6 months, and $600 to $1,000

    A first Montana DUI carries 24 consecutive hours to 6 months of imprisonment and a fine of $600 to $1,000; the figures rise when a minor was in the vehicle.

  6. 6. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?

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    Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed

    A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.

  7. 7. Why must the handlebars be kept square during a hard straight line stop?

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    Answer B: Because a front wheel turned under heavy braking can put the machine down

    With the front tire loaded to its limit, any steering input asks it to do two jobs at once and the front end can wash out instantly.

  8. 8. You are waiting inside the intersection to turn left when your light turns red. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Complete the turn as soon as the way is clear

    Once you have legally entered the intersection you should clear it as soon as the oncoming traffic has stopped, rather than sit in the path of cross traffic.

  9. 9. At roughly what speed can hydroplaning begin when a lot of water is lying on the road?

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    Answer C: At speeds as low as about 35 mph

    With enough water and less than perfect tread, a tire can start to ride on the water at around 35 mph, well below normal highway speeds.

  10. 10. You turn left onto a road that has a center two-way left-turn lane. In which lane should you be traveling once the turn is finished?

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    Answer D: The first through lane to the right of the center turn lane

    The shared center lane is only for turning movements, so even where a state lets you pause in it to merge you must end up in the first ordinary travel lane beside it.

  11. 11. You are approaching a multilane roundabout. When should you choose your lane?

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    Answer C: Before you enter, using the lane-choice sign on the approach

    You select your lane on the approach the way you would at any multilane intersection, then stay in that lane all the way around, because changing lanes inside a roundabout creates side-impact conflicts.

  12. 12. A traffic signal separates you from the rest of your group. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Continue at a safe and legal pace and rejoin the group farther along

    Staying with a group never justifies breaking a traffic law, so a separated rider proceeds normally and the group regroups at a planned point.

  13. 13. You arrive at a four-way stop after two other vehicles have already stopped there. When is it your turn?

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    Answer A: After both of the earlier vehicles have gone

    Vehicles clear a four-way stop in the order they arrived, so the third driver to stop is the third to go.

  14. 14. The circular sign shape is reserved for which warning?

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    Answer C: Advance warning of a highway-rail grade crossing

    A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR is the grade crossing advance warning sign, and the circular outline is used for no other message.

  15. 15. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you

    A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.

  16. 16. With the engine off, a rider turns the handlebars fully to the left and to the right. What is being checked?

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    Answer A: That the steering moves freely and no cable is pinched or binding

    Cables and wiring that catch at full lock can hold the throttle open or stiffen the steering exactly when the rider needs a tight turn.

  17. 17. Why would this sign be installed on an approach?

    A yellow diamond showing a traffic signal with three stacked lights
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    Answer B: Because the signal cannot be seen from far enough back for a driver to react in time

    Advance notice of a signal is used where a crest, a curve, trees or a building keep the signal heads out of view until a driver is already too close to stop comfortably.

  18. 18. The rider behind you is closing right up on your machine and crowding you. What is the best response?

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    Answer D: Let them go past and take a position behind them instead

    Speeding up to escape a rider who is following too closely usually brings them with you, while letting them past removes the pressure entirely.

  19. 19. You are following a car at night with the high beam on. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Switch to the low beam so the driver ahead is not blinded

    A high beam fills the mirrors of the vehicle ahead and blinds its driver, which is dangerous for the very driver most able to affect the rider.

  20. 20. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way

    The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.

  21. 21. You are involved in a collision, even a minor one. What is your first legal duty?

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    Answer A: Stop at or near the scene without blocking traffic more than necessary

    Every driver involved in a crash must stop at the scene, and leaving before meeting that duty is a serious offense. Move the vehicles only as far as needed to clear the traffic lanes.

  22. 22. 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.

  23. 23. A high truck ahead of you hides the traffic signal as you approach the intersection. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Drop back so you can see the signal and the truck's brake lights

    Extra following distance restores your view of the signal, so you are reacting to the light yourself rather than copying the truck driver.

  24. 24. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?

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    Answer C: Oncoming vehicles will turn across your path, so you must wait

    A green ball is permissive, so when the oncoming side receives a protected arrow those vehicles have priority and you must yield until they clear.

  25. 25. This sign leads to a crossing that has no gates and no flashing lights. What does that mean for the driver?

    A yellow circle showing a black cross and the letters R R in the side quarters
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    Answer D: Nothing will warn of an approaching train, so the driver must check the tracks personally

    At a passive crossing there is no active device to announce a train, so the whole judgment rests on the driver, who must approach slowly enough to stop after looking along the track.

  26. 26. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see

    The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.

  27. 27. Where does loose sand and gravel most often collect on a paved road?

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    Answer D: Along the edges of the road and on curves and highway ramps

    Traffic sweeps loose material toward the outside of the travel path, so it builds up at the road edges and on curves and on entrance and exit ramps.

  28. 28. Your vehicle has broken down at night on a rural road and your phone has no signal. What is the safest thing to do?

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    Answer C: Stay with the vehicle, keep the hazard lights on and wait for help

    A lit vehicle is far easier to find than a person walking in the dark, and running the engine while you sleep risks carbon monoxide.

  29. 29. A hands free phone conversation is which kind of distraction?

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    Answer C: Cognitive, because your mind leaves the road

    Hands free equipment removes the manual and visual parts of a call but not the mental load, and it is the mental load that makes a driver miss hazards.

  30. 30. An obstacle appears ahead and you can see there is no room left to stop before it. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Swerve around it

    Once the distance is too short to stop, changing direction is the only option left, and a motorcycle can change direction faster than it can stop.

  31. 31. What color scheme does a standard stop sign use?

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    Answer B: White legend and border on a red background

    The stop sign carries a white legend and border on a red background, the color set aside for stop, yield and prohibition messages.

  32. 32. Why should you make sure your turn signal has stopped flashing after a lane change?

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    Answer A: A signal left flashing tells other drivers that you intend to move again

    Other drivers act on your signals, so one that is left on gives them false information about what you are about to do.

  33. 33. What does the Montana department do to the suspension period when a driver is convicted of driving during it?

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    Answer A: It extends the suspension or revocation by one more year

    On conviction for driving while suspended or revoked, Montana extends the period of suspension or revocation by an additional year.