South Carolina SCDMV Motorcycle Practice Test 16
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. 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.
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2. Why is a drive chain adjusted with too little slack a problem?
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Answer A: It strains the chain, the sprockets and the output shaft bearings
Suspension movement changes the distance between the sprockets, so a chain pulled tight at rest is stretched hard over bumps and wears everything it touches.
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3. You are turning right where a paved trail crosses the road just past the corner. What should you look for?
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Answer B: Cyclists and walkers arriving from either direction on the trail
A shared use path carries two-way traffic on foot and on bicycles, so scan both directions along the trail before crossing it.
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4. What does a sign showing a bicycle inside a red circle with a diagonal slash prohibit?
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Answer D: Riding a bicycle on that roadway
This is a selective exclusion sign, used where bicycles are banned from a road such as a freeway or a tunnel.
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5. You are riding a city street with embedded streetcar rails and it has just started to rain. What is the added risk?
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Answer D: Wet steel rails offer very little grip, and so does the pavement beside them
Steel rails give almost no traction when wet, so cross them upright at as close to a right angle as the lane allows, without braking or turning on the metal.
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6. When is a driver at the highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel?
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Answer B: Late at night, early morning and mid afternoon
The body clock produces its deepest dips in alertness in the small hours and again in the middle of the afternoon, and crash records follow those dips.
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7. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?
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Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession
Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.
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8. Where is a strong crosswind most likely to hit you suddenly?
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Answer D: Coming out of a tunnel or a cut onto an open bridge
Gusts arrive the moment you leave shelter, which is why bridge approaches and the ends of cuts and tunnels catch drivers out.
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9. You are wearing a high visibility jacket. How should that change the way you ride?
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Answer B: You still ride as though drivers have not seen you
Bright gear improves your odds of being noticed but guarantees nothing, so keep the lane position, space cushion and escape routes that protect you anyway.
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10. Which is an early warning that fatigue is affecting your riding?
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Answer D: You miss turns and signs and have to think about routine actions
Fatigue shows up first as slower thinking and missed information, so treat lapses in attention as a signal to stop and rest.
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11. You are riding up an entrance ramp to merge onto a freeway. What should you do?
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Answer D: Build up to traffic speed on the ramp, then signal and check the blind spot
Matching the speed of freeway traffic before merging avoids forcing others to brake, and a head check covers the area the mirrors do not show.
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12. A yellow pennant, an isosceles triangle with its long axis horizontal, is reserved for which message?
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Answer D: No passing zone
The pennant shape is used only for the no passing zone sign, which marks the point where overtaking is no longer allowed.
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13. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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14. A member of the armed services (or a dependent) becomes a permanent resident of South Carolina and already holds a valid license from another state. What does state law provide?
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Answer C: The person has 90 days to apply and may be issued a South Carolina license without a road test, only a vision test
Section 56-1-35 gives service members and dependents 90 days to apply, issuing the license without an exam except for the vision test.
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15. On a rural road, the driver of a slow farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn even though there is no road or driveway in sight. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay behind the tractor, because it may be turning into a field entrance
Farm equipment often turns into fields through gaps you cannot see, and it may swing wide to do so. Passing a vehicle that is signaling a left turn is a common cause of crashes.
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16. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?
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Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes
A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.
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17. What does this sign require of the driver?
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Answer D: Reducing speed and being ready to stop at the intersection ahead
The advance notice asks the driver to slow and be ready to stop, while whether a stop is actually needed depends on the indication displayed on arrival.
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18. 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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19. 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.
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20. A load has been packed onto the seat behind you. What else must it not do?
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Answer A: Restrict how you move on the seat or reach the controls
Baggage that pins the rider in place or gets in the way of the handlebars and levers takes away the control the rider needs in an emergency.
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21. A driver is following you far too closely. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Increase your own following distance and let the driver pass when it is safe
More room ahead of you means you can slow gradually instead of braking hard, which reduces the chance of being struck from behind, and letting the driver by removes the problem entirely.
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22. Why must a tank bag be strapped down properly rather than simply laid on the tank?
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Answer D: Because a bag that slides can reach the controls or your hands
Braking pushes anything loose on the tank forward toward the handlebars, where it can jam the steering or interfere with the levers.
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23. You are pulling away from a stop with a passenger for the first time. What should you expect?
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Answer D: You will need a little more throttle and a slower clutch release
The extra weight makes the motorcycle harder to get rolling, and a rushed clutch release with a passenger aboard is a common way to stall or lurch.
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24. 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.
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25. On a street with parking along the curb, the shared lane marking is painted well out from the curb face. What does that placement tell a bicyclist?
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Answer C: To ride clear of the doors of parked cars
The marking is set at least eleven feet from the curb where parking is allowed so that riders are guided outside the reach of an opening door.
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26. After turning right you see a sign showing that your lane ends a short way ahead. What should you do?
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Answer B: Signal and merge into the next lane while there is still room
Merge early and smoothly while a gap is still available, rather than running out of pavement or forcing your way in at the last moment.
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27. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?
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Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves
On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.
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28. How far ahead should you normally be looking as you drive?
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Answer C: About 12 to 15 seconds ahead, well beyond the vehicle in front
Looking that far down the road lets you see a problem developing and slow smoothly, instead of discovering it in time only for hard braking.
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29. 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.
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30. How should a driver respond to this sign?
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Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed
Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.