Pennsylvania MOTORCYCLE DMV Practice Test 3

You should always search the road and roadsides ahead of your motorcycle so you are aware of potential hazards before encountering them. It is important to be aware of your surroundings on all sides of your vehicle.

To lower your risk of skidding, you should reduce your speed before reaching a slippery surface. Use caution when riding over such a surface.

When passing parked vehicles, use caution. You may encounter vehicles pulling away from the curb or leaving parking spaces.

You should wear reflective materials when riding at night to make yourself more visible to other road users.

Alcohol is a major contributor to motorcycle crashes, particularly fatal crashes. Studies show that 40 to 45 percent of all riders killed in motorcycle crashes had been drinking.

Riding with a sidecar increases the weight of a motorcycle and increases the braking force needed to stop the motorcycle. Slowing and stopping take longer when riding a vehicle downhill than when riding on a flat surface.

The cornering characteristics of a three-wheeled motorcycle or a motorcycle with a sidecar differ from those of a two-wheeled motorcycle.

Any approved helmet will allow a rider to see as far to the sides as is necessary for safe riding. Approved helmets will have labels and markings providing the manufacturer's name, relevant information and instructions, and information about the standards the helmet meets.

To reduce your risk of being involved in a crash, you should remain alert and ready to react to any hazard. Identify hazards and decide the order in which you need to address the hazards. Always use your headlight to make yourself more visible and maintain an adequate space cushion around your motorcycle at all times.

You should never count on eye contact to guarantee that a driver will yield to you. It is not uncommon for drivers to look directly at a motorcyclist but fail to consciously notice them.

Rounded, or convex, mirrors provide a wider view of the road than flat mirrors, but they also make objects seem farther away than they actually are.

You should always have your headlight on when riding, even during the day. This can make you twice as likely to be noticed by other drivers.

Always check your mirror on the appropriate side before changing lanes. You should also turn your head and glance over your shoulder to check your blind spot in the direction of your move.

After completing a turn or lane change, be sure to deactivate your turn signal. Leaving the signal on may make drivers think that you plan to turn again, prompting them to move into your path.

Under normal conditions, the stopping distances for motorcycles is nearly the same as it is for cars. However, slippery pavement makes quick stops especially difficult for motorcycle operators.

The minimum number of drinks left in a person's system can be estimated by subtracting the number of hours since the last drink from the total number of drinks consumed. In this case, the alcohol content of about four drinks would remain.

Adjust your mirrors so you can see the lane behind you and as much as possible of the lane next to you. When properly adjusted, a mirror may show the edge of your arm or shoulder, but it’s the road behind you and to the side of you that is most important.

Riding with your headlight on is the single most effective way to help other road users see you, even during the day.

If you must stop quickly while in a curve, you should first straighten and square the handlebars, then stop. If straightening your motorcycle is not possible, you should apply the brakes smoothly and gradually, reduce your lean angle, then increase the brake pressure as you slow down.

Because motorcyclists are more vulnerable than the drivers of cars and trucks, appropriate use of signals by motorcyclists is even more important than it is for other drivers.