Mississippi DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 7
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum ageSee note
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1. Besides motorist services and tourist information, a blue sign background is also used for
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Answer B: evacuation route signing
Blue is assigned to road user services, tourist information and evacuation routes, so hurricane and other evacuation routes are signed in blue.
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2. Why is it risky to brake hard and steer sharply at the same moment?
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Answer C: The tires have a limited amount of grip that braking and turning must share
Each tire can deliver only so much grip, and asking it to slow the vehicle and change direction at once can exceed that limit and start a skid.
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3. You are slowing to turn right at an intersection and a bicyclist is riding beside your right side in a bike lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Let the bicyclist go through the intersection before you begin the turn
Turning across the path of a bicyclist who is going straight causes the classic right-hook crash. The rider continuing straight has the right-of-way over your turn.
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4. Someone stops drinking heavily at two in the morning and drives to work at eight. What is true?
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Answer A: They may still be impaired and over the limit
The body removes alcohol at a slow, fixed rate, so a heavy night can leave a driver impaired well into the next morning no matter how they feel.
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5. A clutch cable adjusted with no free play at all causes what problem?
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Answer B: The clutch may slip and never fully engage
Without a small amount of slack the release mechanism keeps a light load on the plates, so they slip instead of transmitting full power.
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6. Why must a rider pay attention to the turn signal after completing a turn or lane change?
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Answer A: Many motorcycle signals do not cancel themselves and can mislead other drivers
A signal left flashing tells other drivers the rider is about to turn again, and a driver may pull out in front of the motorcycle because of it.
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7. A rider adjusts the mirrors and finds each one mostly filled with a view of an elbow. What should be done?
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Answer D: Readjust them outward so that more of the lane behind becomes visible
Mirrors are useful only for the road behind, and half a mirror filled with the rider is half of an already limited view thrown away.
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8. Two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same moment from adjacent roads. Who should go first?
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Answer A: The driver on the right
When two drivers stop at a four-way stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
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9. What does a shaft final drive need checked before a ride?
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Answer D: The fluid level in the final drive housing, and any sign of leaks
A shaft drive runs in its own oil bath, so the pre-ride check is the fluid level and any leak around the housing seals rather than tension or slack.
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10. You have a green light at a school crossing, but the crossing guard steps out and holds up a stop sign toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop, because the crossing guard controls this crossing and outranks the signal
Directions from a crossing guard or a police officer take priority over signals and signs.
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11. Where is this sign installed in relation to the hazard it announces?
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Answer A: Far enough before the hazard that a driver can slow down and stop short of it
This is an advance warning sign, placed on the approach so a driver has time to react before reaching a crossing that a curve or a crest may be hiding.
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12. A large truck passes and hits you with a blast of wind. Which lane position leaves you the most room for error?
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Answer A: The center portion of the lane
A rider in the center portion of the lane has space on both sides to absorb the push of a wind blast without being shoved out of the lane.
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13. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?
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Answer C: Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen
Headlights are as much about being seen as about seeing, so they go on whenever visibility drops.
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14. Which item does most to keep a rider comfortable in cold weather beyond a jacket and gloves?
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Answer B: A close fitting neck cover that stops air entering at the collar
Cold air funnelled in at the neck chills the whole body, so a snug neck tube or balaclava makes a large difference, while a loose scarf is a hazard because it can catch.
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15. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
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Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
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16. You are driving on an open highway in a strong crosswind. What is the safest adjustment?
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Answer A: Reduce speed and keep a firm grip, expecting gusts on bridges and beside large vehicles
Gusts hit hardest in open gaps, on bridges and when passing high-sided vehicles, so a lower speed and a firm grip let you correct before you are pushed out of your lane.
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17. What is the correct swerving technique?
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Answer D: Press the handgrip on the side you want to go and look toward the escape route
A swerve is two quick countersteering inputs, and because the motorcycle goes where the rider looks, the eyes belong on the open space.
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18. Why should riding boots come above the ankle?
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Answer C: The ankle is easily broken and is left bare by a low shoe
The ankle takes a lot of damage when a motorcycle goes down or a foot is trapped, and a low shoe leaves it completely unprotected.
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19. A dog runs out and chases your motorcycle. What is the recommended response?
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Answer D: Downshift and approach slowly, then accelerate away as you reach the animal
Approaching slowly keeps the dog aiming at where you are now, and accelerating as you reach it leaves the animal behind without a sudden swerve.
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20. You receive a phone call that you feel you must answer while driving. What is the safest way to take it?
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Answer D: Pull off the road, stop in a safe place and then answer
No call is worth a crash. Stopping in a safe location removes the distraction completely, while every other option divides your attention.
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21. The rider who was behind you has vanished from your mirrors. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off and pass the word forward so the group can respond
A rider missing from the line may have stopped or had trouble, and the group needs to know at once so it can slow down or pull over safely.
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22. You will leave your vehicle for several hours after dark. Where is the best place to park it?
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Answer D: In a well-lit spot with people and cameras nearby
Light, passing people and cameras all discourage theft and make your own return to the vehicle safer.
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23. How should a rider adjust speed on an unlit road at night?
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Answer C: Slow enough to stop within the distance the headlight actually lights up
A rider can only react to what is visible, so night speed has to fit the distance the headlight reaches rather than the posted limit.
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24. What does a marked crosswalk tell a driver approaching a corner?
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Answer D: Where pedestrians are expected to cross and must be given way
Crosswalk markings show pedestrians where to cross and warn drivers to yield to anyone using the crossing.
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25. What is the first thing to do once your disabled vehicle is stopped on the shoulder?
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Answer A: Switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see the vehicle
Hazard lights are the fastest way to make a stopped vehicle visible, and everything else can follow once traffic has been warned.
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26. On a rural road, the driver of a slow farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn even though there is no road or driveway in sight. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stay behind the tractor, because it may be turning into a field entrance
Farm equipment often turns into fields through gaps you cannot see, and it may swing wide to do so. Passing a vehicle that is signaling a left turn is a common cause of crashes.
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27. Why is a drive chain adjusted with too little slack a problem?
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Answer A: It strains the chain, the sprockets and the output shaft bearings
Suspension movement changes the distance between the sprockets, so a chain pulled tight at rest is stretched hard over bumps and wears everything it touches.
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28. On an unlit road, about how far ahead do high beams normally let you see?
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Answer D: About 350 to 500 feet ahead of the vehicle
High beams light roughly 350 to 500 feet of road and low beams far less, which is why night speeds have to be chosen around the beam, not the limit.
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29. You are on a city street with two lanes in your direction, cars parked along the curb and driveways every few yards. Which lane is usually safer?
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Answer B: The lane farther from the curb, away from opening doors and vehicles pulling out
Most of the hazards on such a street come from the curb side, so the inside lane gives you more space and more time to react.
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30. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?
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Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession
Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.