Michigan SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 63
- Questions20
- Correct to pass16
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Before making a U-turn on a narrow street, what should the rider do first?
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Answer A: Check that the street is wide enough and clear in both directions
A U-turn commits the rider to crossing both directions of traffic in a space the machine may not fit into, so both the width and the traffic are judged before starting.
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2. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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3. The road is icy and visibility is poor, but you are driving at the posted speed limit. Is this acceptable?
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Answer A: No, because you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions
Under the basic speed rule a driver must travel at a speed that is reasonable for the actual conditions, so a legal posted speed can still be an unlawful and unsafe speed.
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4. What does a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 mean for the driver of a car?
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Answer B: It is the level almost every state treats as legally intoxicated
In almost every state a driver at 0.08 or above is legally intoxicated whatever the driver seems like, but impairment starts well before that level is reached.
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5. Apart from a crash, when do helmet makers generally advise replacing a helmet?
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Answer A: After several years of use, as the liner and materials age
Liners, glues and straps degrade with sweat, sunlight and time, so manufacturers commonly recommend replacing a helmet after several years even if it looks fine.
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6. How does marijuana affect a driver?
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Answer C: It slows reaction time and impairs judgment of time and distance
Marijuana impairs coordination, attention and the ability to judge speed and distance. Driving while impaired by it is illegal everywhere, even where its use is legal.
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7. How should your following distance change in heavy rain?
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Answer D: It should be increased well beyond what you use on dry pavement
Wet pavement lengthens stopping distance and rain cuts visibility at the same time, so a larger gap gives you the extra seconds needed to see a problem and stop for it.
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8. How should a group merge onto a busy highway from an entrance ramp?
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Answer D: One rider at a time into gaps in traffic, re-forming once all are on
Each rider needs a gap and enough speed of their own, so the group merges individually and only takes up the staggered formation again afterward.
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9. A driver passes this sign on an open road. Over what stretch does the figure it sets stay in force?
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Answer A: From the sign onward, in every lane, until another sign sets a different figure
The figure governs the road from the sign onward and binds every lane, and it stays in force until a later sign sets a different one.
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10. Why should a rider avoid riding through a puddle that spans the lane?
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Answer D: It can hide a deep hole or broken pavement under the surface
Standing water conceals what is underneath it, so treat a puddle as an unknown surface and go around it whenever you safely can.
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11. What should a pre-ride check of a belt final drive look for?
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Answer C: Correct tension, plus cracks, frayed edges and missing teeth
A belt is inspected for tension and for damage such as cracks, missing teeth and worn edges, and unlike a chain it is never lubricated.
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12. A yellow lamp flashes above a warning sign at a sharp curve. What does it ask of a driver?
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Answer D: Slow down and pass the point with extra care
A warning beacon draws attention to the sign it is mounted with, and the message of the sign is what the driver must act on.
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13. Why are ordinary denim jeans a poor choice for riding?
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Answer C: They wear through in a slide, giving little abrasion protection
Light denim abrades away in a fraction of a second on pavement, while leather or purpose made textile gear stays intact long enough to protect the skin underneath.
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14. The only person offering you a ride home has been drinking. What should you do?
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Answer B: Do not get in; find another way home
A passenger in an impaired driver's vehicle shares all of the risk and can do nothing about it from the seat, so the only safe answer is another ride.
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15. 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.
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16. What civil fine does Michigan set for failing to stop for a school bus?
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Answer B: Not less than 100 and not more than 500 dollars
Failing to stop for a school bus is a civil infraction carrying a civil fine of not less than 100 dollars and not more than 500 dollars, and the court may add up to 100 hours of community service at a school.
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17. Is a helmet worth wearing on a short trip to a store a few blocks away?
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Answer C: Yes, since many crashes happen close to home at ordinary street speeds
A large share of motorcycle crashes occur on short, familiar trips at moderate speeds, and injuries at those speeds are still severe.
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18. Where do the greatest number of collisions involving motorcycles occur?
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Answer D: At intersections
Intersections concentrate crossing and turning paths, and the most common single event is a car turning left across the path of an oncoming motorcycle.
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19. May a Michigan driver overtake a bicycle inside a marked no-passing zone?
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Answer A: Yes, if it is safe to do so
Michigan expressly allows a driver to overtake and pass a bicycle in a no-passing zone when it is safe to do so.
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20. Your group is turning left across oncoming traffic. What should you do?
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Answer D: Wait until you personally have a large enough gap to turn
Each rider needs a gap of their own, and turning on the strength of the rider ahead means turning into traffic you have not actually judged.