Connecticut MOTORCYCLE DMV Practice Test 14

A well-chosen lane position should increase your ability to see and be seen and keep you out of other drivers' blind spots. It should help you avoid surface hazards, protect your lane from other drivers, communicate your intentions to others, help you avoid wind blasts from other vehicles, and offer you an escape route from any hazards that may arise.

In Connecticut, a motor-driven cycle (also known as a moped) is legally defined as any motorcycle, motor scooter, or bicycle with an attached motor that produces no more than five brake horsepower and seat that is at least 26 inches from the ground.

To ensure that a helmet will provide you with as much protection as possible, check to see if it meets U.S. DOT and state standards; fits snugly all the way around your head; and has no obvious defects, such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps.

When riding, keep your knees against the gas tank to help maintain your balance in turns. Sit so that you can use your arms to steer rather than to prop yourself up. Sit far enough forward that your arms are slightly bent when you hold the handgrips, and keep your feet firmly on the footrests.

Each traffic lane provides three paths of travel for motorcyclists: the left, center, and right portions of the lane.

When making a turn, you should look through the turn to where you want to go. Turn just your head, not your shoulders, and keep your eyes level with the horizon.

When turning, look through the turn to where you want to go by turning only your head. Keep your knees against the gas tank to help maintain your balance while turning. Your arms should be slightly bent any time you are holding the handgrips.

When riding directly behind a car, it is usually safest to ride in the center portion of your lane. If you are riding in the center of the lane, you are most likely to be visible in the rearview mirror of the vehicle ahead. Most drivers check their rearview mirror more frequently than they check their side mirrors.

Strategies for safe riding on slippery surfaces include reducing your speed, avoiding sudden moves, staying away from the edge of the road, and riding in the tire tracks left by other cars.

Moving into the portion of your lane farthest from a passing vehicle is potentially dangerous because it could encourage the driver to return to your lane before it is safe to do so. It is safest to stay in the center of a lane when being passed.

There are several advantages to keeping groups of riders small. In comparison to a large group, a small group is easier for other vehicles to pass safely, is less likely to get separated by traffic or stop lights, and creates less need for slower riders to hurry to catch up to the rest of the group.

Wearing goggles provides protection for your eyes, but not for the rest of your face. A face shield provides protection for your whole face and is recommended above goggles. A windshield is not an adequate substitute for a face shield or goggles.

While a staggered formation is generally recommended, riders in a group should move into a single-file formation when taking curves, taking turns, entering a highway, or leaving a highway.

Any time a driver may be tempted to try to squeeze into your lane next to you, ride in the center portion of the lane to discourage them from doing so.

You should never take eye contact as a guarantee that a driver will properly yield to you. It is not uncommon for drivers to look directly at a motorcyclist but fail to register that they are there.

While it is generally best for groups to ride in a staggered formation, riders should shift into a single-file formation when going through a curve, making a turn, entering a highway, or exiting a highway.