South Carolina SCDMV Motorcycle Practice Test 43
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. The road ahead is broken up with potholes and rough patches. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down, since a hole hit at speed can wreck a tire or wheel
A lower speed cuts the impact on tires, wheels and suspension and gives you time to choose a line through the rough surface.
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2. You approach a traffic signal that has already been green since it first came into view. What should you expect?
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Answer B: That it may change at any moment, so be ready to stop
A signal already green when you first see it is well into its cycle, so a rider covers the brakes and plans a stop rather than assuming a clear run.
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3. When may a passenger get off the motorcycle?
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Answer D: Only after the rider has stopped, braced the machine and said so
A passenger climbing off before the rider is ready removes weight from the back of a machine the rider is still holding upright, which can drop it.
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4. How do strong emotions affect driving?
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Answer B: They narrow your attention and make risky decisions more likely
Anger, worry and excitement all take attention away from the driving task and push drivers toward decisions they would not normally make.
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5. Another driver cuts you off and you feel your temper rising. What should you do?
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Answer A: Take a breath, drop back and let it go, because the whole trip matters more
Retaliation turns a moment of bad driving into a crash, and dropping back costs you only a few seconds.
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6. At a stop sign with a painted stop line and a crosswalk, where must you stop?
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Answer D: At the stop line, before it and before the crosswalk
You stop at the stop line first, and only if there is no stop line do you stop before the crosswalk, and only if there is neither do you stop before entering the intersection.
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7. A small yellow plaque showing a speed number below a curve warning sign gives
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Answer C: the speed recommended for the condition being warned about
The advisory speed plaque belongs to the warning series and states the speed judged safe for the condition ahead under good circumstances, not a regulatory limit.
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8. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?
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Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane
A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.
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9. Why should riding boots come above the ankle?
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Answer C: The ankle is easily broken and is left bare by a low shoe
The ankle takes a lot of damage when a motorcycle goes down or a foot is trapped, and a low shoe leaves it completely unprotected.
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10. What causes the side to side motion a rider feels when crossing a steel grid deck or rain grooves?
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Answer C: The tires following the ridges and grooves, which is normal and harmless
The tread follows the pattern in the surface, which produces a wandering feel. The motorcycle is not out of control, so relax on the bars and hold your speed.
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11. What is the penalty for a first offense of illegally passing a stopped South Carolina school bus?
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Answer B: A fine of not less than 500 dollars, or up to 30 days imprisonment
Section 56-5-2780(A) sets a first-offense fine of at least 500 dollars, or up to 30 days imprisonment, with community service as an option.
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12. You are about to pass another vehicle at night with your high beams on. What should you do?
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Answer C: Switch to low beams as you come up behind it and while you are alongside
High beams shining into the mirrors of the vehicle ahead blind the very driver whose reaction you depend on during the pass.
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13. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?
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Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe
A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.
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14. How long must an ignition interlock device remain installed after a first DUI-related suspension in South Carolina, once the driver enrolls in the Ignition Interlock Device Program?
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Answer A: Six months
Section 56-5-2990(A)(2) requires the device for six months to end a first-offense suspension.
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15. In a work zone a flagger signals you to stop, but the sign beside the road says the lane is open. What should you do?
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Answer C: Obey the flagger
A flagger controls the work zone in real time and the instruction outranks the signs and markings, which cannot reflect what is happening at that moment.
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16. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?
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Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street
Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.
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17. Where does a rider find the correct chain slack figure for a particular motorcycle?
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Answer B: In the owner manual for that motorcycle
Correct slack varies from model to model, so the manufacturer specification in the owner manual is the only reliable figure.
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18. The leader of a group wants to pull the whole group out from a side road into busy traffic. What should the leader do?
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Answer B: Wait for a gap long enough for every rider in the group to enter
A leader who takes a gap that only fits one machine leaves the rest of the group either stranded or tempted to pull out in front of traffic.
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19. What is true about the oily strip down the center of a traffic lane?
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Answer D: It usually gives enough traction, but heavy buildups where vehicles idle should be avoided
Passing tires keep the central strip largely clear, but the thick deposits that collect at busy intersections and toll booths really are slick.
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20. What do yellow lines painted on a roadway separate?
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Answer D: Traffic moving in opposite directions
Yellow markings separate opposing streams of traffic, and they also mark the left edge of a divided highway or a one-way roadway.
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21. As a general rule, how far should you travel along a center two-way left-turn lane before you turn?
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Answer C: Only a short distance, just enough to slow down and wait for a gap
The center lane is for making or preparing a left turn, so you enter it only shortly before the turn and never travel along it as a through lane; several states set a specific limit such as 200 or 300 feet.
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22. How does becoming chilled affect a rider before any shivering is obvious?
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Answer D: It slows reactions and clouds judgment while the rider still feels fine
Cooling degrades reaction time and decision making before the rider notices it, so dress for the coldest part of the ride and stop to warm up rather than pressing on.
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23. You are waiting to turn and the traffic ahead has stopped. Where must you not come to rest?
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Answer D: On the crosswalk, which people need in order to cross the street
Stopping on a crosswalk forces pedestrians out into the traffic lanes to get around you, so you hold back before it instead.
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24. When will South Carolina waive the license reinstatement fee that normally follows a suspension for lack of motor vehicle liability insurance?
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Answer D: When the department determines the licensee actually had liability coverage at the time the license was suspended or revoked
Section 56-1-245 waives the reinstatement fee when the suspension or revocation was based on a lack of insurance the licensee actually had at the time.
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25. What should a rider remember about convex mirrors?
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Answer B: They show a wider view, but vehicles look farther away and slower than they are
The curved glass fits more of the scene into the mirror, and the price of that extra width is a distorted sense of distance and closing speed.
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26. The driver ahead of you is straddling the lane line and is not signaling. How should you respond?
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Answer B: Stay back until you can see which lane that driver will take
A vehicle astride the line could move either way, so the only safe place is behind it where both possibilities are still covered.
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27. How may proof of insurance be submitted on a new or renewal vehicle registration under South Carolina regulation?
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Answer D: It may be submitted on the applicant's behalf by the applicant's insurance agent or insurer, in a manner acceptable to the department
Chapter 56-10 authorizes a regulation letting an agent or insurer submit proof of insurance on behalf of the applicant for new and renewal registrations.
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28. Why does full riding gear matter on a short trip around the neighborhood?
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Answer D: Pavement takes skin off at 25 miles an hour just as it does at 55
Serious injuries happen at ordinary street speeds and close to home, so gear that is worth wearing on a long trip is worth wearing on a short one.
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29. A sign reads END SCHOOL ZONE. What does it tell a driver?
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Answer A: The regular limit for that road applies again
An end of restriction sign marks the downstream limit of a special zone, after which the ordinary speed limit for that road governs again.
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30. You are riding through a curve behind another rider in your group. Which line should you take?
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Answer A: The line your own machine and your own speed require
Riders enter a curve at different speeds and on different machines, and copying somebody else's line can put you wide or into the wrong part of the lane.