South Carolina SCDMV Motorcycle Practice Test 23
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. An object thrown up by another vehicle strikes your face shield. What should you do?
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Answer C: Keep both hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the road, then stop when it is safe to check
Letting go of the handlebars or looking away is far more dangerous than the impact itself, so keep control first and inspect the damage after you have stopped safely.
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2. Rain has been falling steadily for half an hour. How does traction compare with the first minutes of the shower?
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Answer C: It usually improves somewhat, because the early oil film has washed away
Rain floats oil and dust to the top at first, so the road is most slippery in the early minutes, and a longer downpour rinses much of that film away. The pavement is still wet and grips less than when it is dry.
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3. Where should a rider in the middle of a group direct their attention?
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Answer A: Well ahead through the group and around it, not just at the rider in front
Watching only the machine ahead hides the traffic and hazards further up the road, and it leaves the rider reacting late to everything the group meets.
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4. A friend wants a ride, but their feet do not reach the passenger footrests. What should you do?
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Answer A: Do not carry them, since they cannot hold a stable position
A passenger who cannot plant both feet on the footrests cannot brace or stay in place, and dangling legs can reach the chain, the exhaust or the wheel.
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5. Why is a U-turn on a one-way street a problem?
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Answer A: You would end up facing the wrong way against all the traffic
Every lane of a one-way street runs the same way, so turning around leaves you driving head-on against all of the traffic.
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6. A rectangular marker with alternating black and retroreflective yellow stripes set at a slant is used to
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Answer C: mark an obstruction, with the stripes sloping down toward the side on which traffic should pass
This striped panel is an object marker, and the direction in which the stripes slope shows the driver which side of the obstruction to pass on.
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7. You are slowing to turn right at an intersection and a bicyclist is riding beside your right side in a bike lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Let the bicyclist go through the intersection before you begin the turn
Turning across the path of a bicyclist who is going straight causes the classic right-hook crash. The rider continuing straight has the right-of-way over your turn.
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8. 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.
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9. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that
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Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation
Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.
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10. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?
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Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side
A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.
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11. A loaded truck is coming up an entrance ramp as you approach in the right lane of the freeway. What is the most helpful action?
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Answer A: Adjust your speed to open a gap for it
A heavy vehicle accelerates slowly, so opening a gap or moving over costs you seconds and saves the truck driver from being forced to stop on the ramp.
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12. Which sequence describes a well-made turn?
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Answer A: Signal, move into the correct lane, slow down, check, then turn
Tell others first, take your position, lose the speed before the corner, take a final look, and only then steer through the turn.
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13. Why should a rider pull in the clutch at the first sign that the engine is seizing?
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Answer B: So a locking engine cannot lock the rear wheel through the drive train
A seizing engine can lock up, and with the clutch engaged that would lock the rear wheel, so disconnecting the drive keeps the wheel rolling while you coast off the road.
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14. You are hosting a party and a guest who has been drinking wants to drive home. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop serving and arrange a ride or a bed
Only time removes alcohol, so a host who wants to prevent a crash has to remove the driving, not try to speed up sobering that cannot be sped up.
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15. What does a yield sign require of a driver?
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Answer A: Slow down, and stop when necessary, so conflicting traffic can go first
A yield sign obliges the driver to reduce to a speed suited to conditions and to stop when needed so that conflicting traffic or pedestrians are not interfered with.
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16. The added lane warning sign tells a driver that
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Answer A: an extra lane begins ahead, so entering traffic does not have to merge into an existing lane
Where a lane is added, traffic entering the roadway gets a lane of its own, so merging is not required, although drivers should still watch the vehicles beside them.
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17. What is the correct way to apply the front brake when you need maximum braking?
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Answer C: Squeeze it progressively harder as weight settles onto the front tire
Progressive pressure lets load build on the front tire before the braking force does, so the tire has the grip needed to handle it.
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18. Some toll facilities use signs and markings with a purple background or a purple stripe. What do they identify?
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Answer D: Lanes reserved for vehicles with an electronic toll account
Purple is assigned to lanes and ramps restricted to vehicles with a registered electronic toll collection account, so drivers without one must stay out.
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19. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?
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Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass
Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.
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20. A train has just cleared a crossing that carries two sets of tracks. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and look both ways for a second train
A passing train hides a second train on the other track, so wait until the signals stop and you can see that both tracks are clear.
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21. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?
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Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself
Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.
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22. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?
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Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut
Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.
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23. Why is parking against the flow of traffic dangerous even when nobody complains?
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Answer D: Because you had to cross traffic to get there and must cross again to leave
Parking on the wrong side means driving against traffic at both ends of the stop, and your reflectors and lights face the wrong way while you are there.
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24. How does weight transfer during braking change what each brake can do?
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Answer A: Weight moves forward, so the front tire grips harder and the rear grips less
Deceleration pitches the machine forward onto the front wheel, which is why the front brake supplies most of the stopping power and the rear locks easily.
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25. How much clear road do driver manuals say you need before starting a pass at highway speed on a two-lane road?
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Answer C: Enough to complete the pass and return, roughly ten to twelve seconds of travel
At highway speed the whole maneuver of pulling out, overtaking and returning takes roughly ten to twelve seconds, and every foot of that has to be visible before you start.
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26. You are stopped in a line of traffic waiting at a red light. What is the safest way to wait?
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Answer A: Stay in first gear, keep watching the mirrors and leave a way out
A vehicle approaching from behind may not stop in time, and staying in gear with a gap ahead lets the rider move out of the way.
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27. You are about to slow down sharply for a turn. Which check comes first?
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Answer A: A look in the mirror to see how close the traffic behind you is
Any hard slowing needs a mirror check first, because the driver behind is the one who has to react to it.
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28. How much more energy must your brakes absorb if you double your speed?
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Answer D: About four times as much, since energy rises with the square of speed
Kinetic energy grows with the square of speed, so twice the speed means about four times the energy and a far longer braking distance.
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29. The center line beside your lane is a broken yellow line. What does it allow?
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Answer D: You may cross into the opposing lane to pass when it is safe and clear
A broken yellow center line marks a passing zone where traffic in that direction may cross into the opposing lane to pass when the way ahead is clear.
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30. 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.