Mississippi DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 43

  • 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. You are very angry after an argument and about to drive. What should you know?

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    Answer A: Strong emotions can impair judgment and attention much like alcohol

    Anger, grief and stress pull attention inward and encourage risk taking. Give yourself time to settle down before getting behind the wheel.

  2. 2. What protective gear should a passenger wear?

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    Answer C: The same protective gear recommended for the operator

    A passenger is exposed to the same crash forces, weather and road debris as the operator, so the same head, eye, hand, body and foot protection applies.

  3. 3. What is a manageable size for a single group of motorcycles?

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    Answer A: No more than four or five riders

    Four or five machines can hold a formation, stay in sight of one another and clear an intersection together, while larger groups quickly become unmanageable.

  4. 4. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop

    Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.

  5. 5. A curb lane is marked BUS ONLY 7 AM TO 9 AM. What may the driver of a car do?

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    Answer A: Use the lane outside those hours

    A part-time bus lane is reserved only during the posted period, and outside it the lane serves general traffic like any other.

  6. 6. Where must the engine cut-off switch be set before the starter button will crank the engine?

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    Answer A: In the run position

    The cut-off switch sits in the ignition circuit, so the engine will not start or run while it is set to off.

  7. 7. When should tire pressure be measured?

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    Answer B: Before riding, while the tires are still cold

    Riding heats the air inside a tire and raises the reading, so pressure is set cold to match the figure the manufacturer specifies.

  8. 8. A separate right-turn lane leads onto the cross street and carries a yield sign. What does it require?

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    Answer D: Slowing and giving way to traffic and people, stopping if needed

    A yield requires you to slow, give way to traffic in the lane you are joining and to pedestrians, and stop only if that is what safety demands.

  9. 9. A parking space is marked with the international symbol of access. Who may use it?

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    Answer A: Only a vehicle displaying the required placard or plate

    Accessible spaces may be used only by a vehicle that displays a valid disability placard or plate, no matter how short the stop would be.

  10. 10. A driver leaves the vehicle at the curb where this sign is posted and walks away for two minutes. Is that allowed?

    A white square showing the letter P inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer B: No, leaving the vehicle unattended there is prohibited whatever the length of the absence

    Walking away leaves the vehicle parked, and the prohibition holds regardless of how long the driver is gone or whether the engine is left running.

  11. 11. On a school speed limit sign, the part carrying the word SCHOOL is shown

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    Answer A: in black on a fluorescent yellow-green background

    The SCHOOL portion of the school speed limit sign uses the same fluorescent yellow-green background as school warning signs, while the speed portion keeps the standard regulatory appearance.

  12. 12. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?

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    Answer A: Stay out of that area, because it is not meant to be driven on

    Chevron and diagonal markings fill paved areas that traffic is not intended to use, so drivers should keep out of them.

  13. 13. You are waiting in a left-turn lane at a green light when a fire engine with lights and siren comes toward you in the oncoming lanes. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Hold your position and let the fire engine pass

    Turning across the path of an approaching emergency vehicle is exactly what you must not do; stay put until it has gone by.

  14. 14. On a street with parking along the curb, the shared lane marking is painted well out from the curb face. What does that placement tell a bicyclist?

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    Answer C: To ride clear of the doors of parked cars

    The marking is set at least eleven feet from the curb where parking is allowed so that riders are guided outside the reach of an opening door.

  15. 15. What is the most effective way for a rider to be seen by other drivers?

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    Answer C: Wear brightly colored reflective gear, or a reflective vest over dark clothing

    The most common thing drivers say after a collision with a motorcycle is that they never saw it, and bright reflective gear on the helmet and torso is the largest visible surface the rider controls.

  16. 16. How is the rear brake applied on a standard motorcycle?

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    Answer D: By pressing down a pedal with the right foot

    The rear brake pedal is in front of the right footrest and should be pressed down smoothly rather than stamped on.

  17. 17. A driver passes this sign on an entrance ramp while merging onto a freeway. Who has priority?

    A downward pointing white triangle with a wide red border
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    Answer B: The traffic already traveling on the freeway

    The sign places the duty on the entering driver, who must adjust speed and fit into a gap without forcing through traffic to brake or swerve.

  18. 18. Besides the traffic behind you, what else must you check before moving into the next lane?

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    Answer D: That there is room ahead in the new lane for your normal following distance

    Moving into a gap that is too short leaves you tailgating the vehicle ahead with a vehicle close behind you.

  19. 19. You are waiting in a center two-way left-turn lane. What should you expect from oncoming traffic?

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    Answer A: Oncoming drivers may enter the same lane to prepare their own left turns

    Both directions share a two-way left-turn lane, so an oncoming vehicle may be waiting in it and you must never treat it as yours alone.

  20. 20. In the code that governs pavement markings, what does a double line stand for?

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    Answer B: A maximum restriction

    The marking code is consistent: a double line means the strongest restriction, a solid line discourages or forbids crossing, and a broken line is permissive.

  21. 21. You are approaching an uncontrolled intersection on a residential street where parked cars hide the cross street. What is the correct approach?

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    Answer B: Slow enough to stop and creep out until you can see

    Without a sign or signal you still have to be able to yield, and you cannot yield to traffic you have not seen.

  22. 22. What should be done with a group that has grown too large to manage?

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    Answer D: Split it into smaller groups, each with its own leader and sweep rider

    Smaller sub groups stay together more easily and are easier for other drivers to pass, and each one needs its own leader and sweep rider.

  23. 23. How should a group decide how often to stop for fuel?

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    Answer A: By the range of the machine with the smallest fuel tank

    Planning around the smallest tank keeps the group from splitting up when one rider has to leave the route to look for fuel.

  24. 24. When does Mississippi's school zone speed limit apply?

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    Answer B: During recess and while children arrive or leave at opening and closing hours

    The Mississippi school zone sign states that the reduced limit applies when passing a school during recess or while children are arriving at or leaving school during opening and closing hours.

  25. 25. How often should a rider change position within the lane?

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    Answer C: As often as the traffic, the road surface and the hazards around you change

    Lane position is a tool for keeping space and visibility, and both of those change constantly as traffic and road conditions change.

  26. 26. What does the thick foam liner inside a certified helmet actually do in a crash?

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    Answer C: It crushes so the head slows down over a longer time and distance

    The crushable liner is the part that absorbs energy, letting the head decelerate gradually instead of stopping instantly against a hard surface.

  27. 27. Why would this sign be installed on an approach?

    A yellow diamond showing a traffic signal with three stacked lights
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    Answer B: Because the signal cannot be seen from far enough back for a driver to react in time

    Advance notice of a signal is used where a crest, a curve, trees or a building keep the signal heads out of view until a driver is already too close to stop comfortably.

  28. 28. Why should baggage be kept as low as possible on a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: A high load raises the center of gravity and makes the machine unstable

    Weight carried high changes the balance of the motorcycle and makes it feel top heavy in turns and in crosswinds.

  29. 29. Blue pavement markings are used together with white markings at

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    Answer D: parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities

    Blue supplements the white markings of accessible parking spaces, which is the only assignment blue has on the pavement.

  30. 30. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?

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    Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic

    The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.