Mississippi DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 23

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum ageSee note

Minimum age: Not published by the agency

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Which of these would appear as a symbol on a blue general service sign?

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    Answer A: A hospital

    General service signs cover facilities such as hospitals, fuel, food, lodging, camping, telephones and rest areas, all shown in white on blue.

  2. 2. You are traveling a long distance on a highway with three lanes in your direction, at about the speed of the surrounding traffic. Which lane is generally the best choice?

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    Answer C: The center lane, which keeps you clear of merging traffic and of overtaking traffic

    On a three-lane roadway the center lane avoids both the ramp traffic on the right and the overtaking traffic on the left, so it usually has the steadiest flow.

  3. 3. Why does a motorcycle feel less stable at very low speed when a passenger is aboard?

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    Answer B: The passenger's weight sits high and to the rear, so balance is easier to upset

    A second person adds mass above and behind the rear axle, so slow speed maneuvers such as pulling away, walking pace turns and stops demand more care.

  4. 4. On traffic control devices, the color green shows direction to a destination and also shows

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    Answer C: that a movement is permitted

    Green carries two assignments: guidance toward destinations, and the idea that the movement shown is allowed, as on a green arrow.

  5. 5. What does Mississippi law say about smoking medical cannabis in a motor vehicle?

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    Answer B: It is a violation of Mississippi law, as is driving under its influence

    Mississippi treats smoking medical cannabis in a motor vehicle as a violation, and driving under the influence of medical cannabis or any prescription drug can lead to arrest.

  6. 6. Why is a pothole a bigger problem for a motorcycle than for a car?

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    Answer C: A motorcycle has only two wheels, so an impact can deflect it off line

    A car crosses a hole on four wheels and stays balanced, while a hole can knock a motorcycle off its line or damage a wheel, so scan the pavement well ahead and plan a path around holes.

  7. 7. A load has been packed onto the seat behind you. What else must it not do?

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    Answer A: Restrict how you move on the seat or reach the controls

    Baggage that pins the rider in place or gets in the way of the handlebars and levers takes away the control the rider needs in an emergency.

  8. 8. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?

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    Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle

    Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.

  9. 9. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?

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    Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning

    A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.

  10. 10. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?

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    Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians

    A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.

  11. 11. You back into an unattended parked car in a lot and cause visible damage. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Try to find the owner, or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report the crash

    Hitting an unattended vehicle carries the same duties as any crash. Leaving without identifying yourself is a hit-and-run offense.

  12. 12. Why do drivers so often misjudge how fast an approaching motorcycle is traveling?

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    Answer C: A narrow vehicle seems to grow slowly, so it appears further away

    A small frontal area changes size slowly as it approaches, so drivers read a motorcycle as further away and slower than it really is. Never assume a waiting driver has judged your speed correctly.

  13. 13. A yellow diamond reading DIP warns a driver about

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    Answer A: a short, sharp depression in the road surface

    A dip is an abrupt low point that can jolt a vehicle or scrape its underside, so speed should be reduced before reaching it.

  14. 14. You are parking on a one-way street where parking is allowed on both sides. What must still be true?

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    Answer D: The vehicle must face the direction the traffic flows

    Either curb may be used on a one-way street where signs allow it, but the vehicle must always be headed in the direction traffic moves.

  15. 15. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible

    Moving right gives the other driver space to recover and keeps you out of the lane they are most likely to return to. Braking reduces the force of any impact.

  16. 16. Permanent signs must be retroreflective or lighted so that

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    Answer A: they show the same shape and color at night as by day

    Retroreflective sheeting throws headlight light back to the driver, so a sign keeps its daytime shape and color after dark.

  17. 17. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right

    Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.

  18. 18. You are turning onto a street that has two lanes going your way. Which lane should you enter?

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    Answer B: The lane closest to you, changing lanes later if you need to

    Turn into the nearest lane going your direction and make any lane change afterwards, when you have signaled and checked that it is clear.

  19. 19. When is it safe to return to your own lane after passing a vehicle?

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    Answer C: Once you can see the whole front of that vehicle in your mirror

    Seeing the entire front of the vehicle in the mirror proves there is a full vehicle length of clear road, which the rider cannot judge by feel alone.

  20. 20. A yellow diamond showing the silhouette of a deer warns that

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    Answer D: large animals may cross the road in that area

    The sign marks a stretch where animals are known to cross, so drivers should reduce speed and scan both roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk.

  21. 21. 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.

  22. 22. Why is a wet road at night harder to read than the same road in daylight?

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    Answer A: The wet surface reflects light away and swallows the lane markings

    A film of water sends your headlight beam onward instead of back to you, so lines, edges and people in dark clothing almost disappear.

  23. 23. What fine does Mississippi set for an ordinary violation of its move over law?

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    Answer A: Not more than $250.00

    A move over violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $250.00 unless the violation causes damage or injury.

  24. 24. Why is the staggered formation abandoned in a curve?

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    Answer D: Because each rider needs the full width of the lane to choose a line through the curve

    In a curve every rider must be free to use the whole lane to set up an entry and an exit line, which is impossible while holding a fixed side position.

  25. 25. A small signal face beside a bikeway shows red, yellow and green lenses that each carry a bicycle symbol. Whom does it control?

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    Answer C: Bicyclists using that crossing or bikeway

    A bicycle signal face governs bicycle movements only, and people on foot at the same corner still follow the pedestrian signal.

  26. 26. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?

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    Answer D: About the length of a football field

    Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.

  27. 27. Which of these is announced with the same family of signs as the facility shown here?

    A blue square with a white letter H
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    Answer A: A rest area for travelers

    A rest area belongs to the same motorist service series, which points travelers toward facilities such as fuel, food, lodging and medical care.

  28. 28. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?

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    Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes

    A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.

  29. 29. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?

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    Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed

    A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.

  30. 30. A large truck ahead of you in a roundabout is using part of both lanes as it goes around. What is the correct response?

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    Answer B: Stay back and give it room until it leaves the roundabout

    Long vehicles need extra width to get around the central island, so drivers behind must hold back rather than share the space beside them.