South Carolina MOTORCYCLE DMV Practice Test 12

Traction may be poor on surfaces such as wet, snowy, icy, or muddy pavement; gravel roads; lane markings; and steel plates and utility hole covers.

Ask your passenger to wait to mount the motorcycle until after you have started the engine. They should sit as far forward as possible without crowding you and firmly hold onto your waist, hips, or belt.

To reduce the risk of a crash, you should always ensure that you are visible to others. Communicate your intentions through proper use of your signals, brake light, and lane position. Maintain a space cushion around your motorcycle and consistently scan the road ahead of, behind, and next to your vehicle.

While the center strip of the road can be oily, it usually provides enough traction for safe riding, unless it is raining. The oily strip is usually no more than two feet wide, so motorcyclists can generally ride on either side of the strip and still be in the center portion of the lane.

An expanded cushion of space is needed if your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. If the pavement is slippery, if you cannot see through the vehicle ahead of you, or if traffic is heavy and another driver may try to squeeze in front of you, open up your following distance.

When riding over scored pavement in a work zone, keep your head and eyes up. Ride slowly, keep a steady throttle, and don't try to fight the handlebars.

Most motorcycle crashes take place in broad daylight. You should always wear brightly-colored clothing to increase your visibility while riding, even during the day.

Impairment of your ability to ride safely begins with the first drink you take. You can be convicted of riding impaired even if you are below the legal blood alcohol limit.

If not carried in saddlebags, loads should be secured as low as possible. Attaching a load to a sissy bar can raise the motorcycle's center of gravity and upset its balance.

While some people believe that a helmet will limit their vision, this is not the case. Any U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet will allow the wearer to see as far as is needed for safe riding.

Experienced riders use a SEE strategy while riding to make safe judgements. "SEE" stands for Search, Evaluate, and Execute.

On a slippery surface, any sudden change in speed or direction could result in a skid. Be as smooth as possible when you speed up, shift gears, turn, or brake on such a surface.

A primary cause of single-vehicle collisions is motorcyclists running too wide in a curve or turn. Taking a turn too wide can cause a motorcycle to leave the roadway or collide with an object.

You will get the most head and neck protection from a helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and state standards. The single most effective thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving a crash is wear a properly secured, good-quality helmet.

When turning, look through the turn to where you want to go. Turn only your head, not your shoulders, and keep your eyes level with the horizon. Turning your shoulders may cause you to steer off course.

Clothing made of leather or sturdy synthetic materials provide the greatest degree of protection for those riding motorcycles.

When riding, you should choose pants and a jacket made of leather or another sturdy material. They should fit you snugly enough that they do not flap in the wind, but also loosely enough that they let you move freely.

In California, motorized scooter can be used by anyone possessing any class of driver license.

Most motorcycle crashes occur in broad daylight. To make yourself more visible to other drivers, you should always wear brightly-colored clothing when riding, even during the day.

White lines are used to separate traffic moving in the same direction. Solid lines indicate that drivers are not permitted to pass, whereas dashed lines indicate that drivers are permitted to pass, if it is safe to do so.

You should do a pre-ride inspection of your motorcycle before every ride. This will usually take only a few minutes.

When preparing to pass another vehicle on the left, you should ride in the left portion of your lane.

In South Carolina, all motorcycle operators and passengers under the age of 21 are required to wear helmets and eye protection while riding. Helmets and eye protection are strongly recommended to all riders.

When turning, you should always lean in the direction of the turn. Slow down before entering the turn.

Engines seize when they are low on oil. Without oil, the engine’s moving parts cannot move smoothly against each other and the engine overheats.

Check your clutch and throttle before riding your motorcycle. The throttle should snap back when you let go and the clutch should feel tight and smooth.

A solid yellow traffic light warns that the signal is about to change to red. You must slow and come to a stop before the intersection if it is safe to do so. If you are already within the intersection when the light turns yellow, continue through the intersection.

Riding in the center portion of your lane can discourage other drivers from trying to squeeze into your lane to drive next to you. Additionally, riding in the center portion of your lane when traveling behind a car generally ensures that you will appear in the middle of the vehicle's rearview mirror, where the driver is most likely to notice you.

You will get the maximum protection from your helmet if it meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and state standards, fits snugly all the way around, and has no obvious defects.

A road is often very slippery when rain first begins to fall. When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars to get the best traction.