Alertness
Before changing direction or position on your motorcycle, what should you do in addition to checking your mirrors?+
- ✓ Take a 'lifesaver' glance over your shoulder to check the blind spot
- • Sound the horn to warn traffic behind
- • Flash your brake light by tapping the pedal
- • Rev the engine so drivers hear you
Mirrors leave blind spots that easily hide another vehicle. A quick 'lifesaver' look over the shoulder, in the direction you intend to move, confirms it is safe before you commit.
Why should you ride with your headlight on dipped beam during the day?+
- • It is a legal requirement to use full beam in daylight
- ✓ It helps other road users see you and judge your distance
- • It keeps the battery from overcharging
- • It stops the engine from overheating
A motorcycle is a small target that is easily missed. A dipped headlight during the day makes you far more noticeable, especially to drivers waiting at junctions.
You are approaching a junction where a car is waiting to pull out from your left. What is the safest assumption to make?+
- ✓ The driver may not have seen you, so be ready to slow or stop
- • The driver has seen you because your headlight is on
- • The driver will always give way to a motorcycle
- • The driver will wave you through if it is clear
Drivers frequently look but fail to see an approaching motorcycle. Cover the brakes, be prepared to react, and consider adjusting your road position to improve your view and be seen.
Your phone is paired to a Bluetooth intercom in your helmet and a call comes in while you are riding in heavy traffic. What is the safest action?+
- • Answer it, as hands-free use is always safe
- ✓ Let it go to voicemail and deal with it when you have stopped
- • Pull in the clutch and coast while you talk
- • Answer briefly and end the call at the next junction
Even a hands-free conversation takes attention away from a demanding riding situation. Leave the call until you have stopped somewhere safe.
You are riding on a dual carriageway and find yourself alongside the rear of a large lorry for some distance. Why is this a poor position?+
- • The lorry's mirrors will be dazzled by your headlight
- • Your engine will be starved of air behind the lorry
- ✓ You are in the lorry driver's blind spot and could be hit if it changes lane
- • The lorry is legally required to slow down until you move
If you cannot see the lorry driver's mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Either drop back or complete your overtake promptly so you are not sitting in the blind spot.
You begin to feel cold and tired on a long ride. How does this affect your riding?+
- • It sharpens your concentration for the rest of the journey
- • It only matters once it becomes dark
- • It has no effect while you keep moving
- ✓ It slows your reactions and makes controls harder to operate smoothly
Cold and fatigue stiffen your hands and dull your judgement, so braking and steering inputs become clumsy and delayed. Stop, warm up and rest before continuing.
Attitude
In good, dry conditions, what is the minimum time gap you should keep behind the vehicle in front on your motorcycle?+
- • One second
- • Three seconds
- ✓ Two seconds
- • Four seconds
Keep at least a two-second gap in the dry. Double it in the wet and increase it much further on ice, when a motorcycle's braking grip is greatly reduced.
A car is following you very closely on a country road. What is the safest response?+
- • Speed up to open a gap behind you
- • Brake sharply to warn the driver off
- • Move to the centre of the lane and hold your speed
- ✓ Ease off gently and increase your own following distance
You cannot control the driver behind, but you can give yourself more room in front so any braking you do is gentle and gradual. Where it is safe, let them past.
Another driver flashes their headlights at you. What does this signal mean?+
- ✓ They are letting you know they are there
- • It is safe for you to pull out or proceed
- • They are thanking you for giving way
- • They want you to speed up
Flashing headlights means only 'I am here', the same as the horn. Never assume it is an invitation to go; check for yourself that it is genuinely safe.
You are riding a slow-moving moped and a queue of cars has built up behind you on a narrow road. What should you do?+
- • Maintain your position and speed
- ✓ Pull in where it is safe and let the traffic pass
- • Ride faster than is comfortable to clear the road
- • Wave the cars past when you think it is clear
Do not hold up a long queue. Where you can do so safely, pull in and let following traffic overtake. Never signal others past, as you cannot judge whether it is safe for them.
A driver cuts across you at a roundabout, making you brake hard. What is the safest way to react?+
- • Catch up and gesture to make your point
- • Ride close behind them to the next junction
- ✓ Stay calm, keep your distance and let it go
- • Sound your horn continuously until they pull over
Retaliation raises the risk to you far more than to a car driver. Keep calm, drop back and concentrate on your own riding.
You hear a siren and see a fire engine with blue lights coming up behind you. What should you do?+
- • Stop immediately wherever you are
- • Speed up to stay ahead of it
- • Move onto the pavement to get out of the way
- ✓ Look ahead for a safe place to pull in and let it pass, without breaking the law
Stay calm, check where the vehicle wants to go and pull over where you will not obstruct it or endanger others. Do not mount the kerb, brake harshly or cross a red light.
Safety-First
What is the minimum legal requirement for a helmet worn on the road in Great Britain?+
- • It must be a full-face type
- ✓ It must meet an approved safety standard and be securely fastened
- • It must be less than two years old
- • It must be brightly coloured
A helmet must meet an approved standard such as UN ECE 22.06 or an equivalent British Standard, and must be fastened correctly. Open-face helmets are legal if approved. Followers of the Sikh religion wearing a turban are exempt.
Your helmet was dropped onto a hard floor from riding height. It looks undamaged. What should you do?+
- • Keep using it, as there is no visible crack
- • Use it only for short local trips
- ✓ Replace it, because the protective shell may be weakened
- • Have the outer shell repainted to seal any cracks
A single significant impact can crush the energy-absorbing liner even when the shell looks fine, leaving little protection next time. Replace a helmet after any heavy knock.
Why is proper motorcycle clothing important even on a short summer ride?+
- • It makes the machine easier to balance
- • It reduces wind noise inside the helmet
- • It is required to pass the MOT
- ✓ It protects against abrasion injuries in a fall and helps you be seen
Purpose-made jackets, trousers, gloves and boots resist abrasion and impact if you come off, and bright or reflective materials improve your visibility to other road users.
What is the minimum legal tread depth for the tyres on a motorcycle over 50 cc?+
- ✓ 1.0 mm in a continuous band across at least three-quarters of the breadth of the tread
- • 1.6 mm across the full width of the tread
- • 2.0 mm across three-quarters of the tread
- • Any visible tread is acceptable
For motorcycles over 50 cc the tread must be at least 1 mm deep in a continuous band across three-quarters of the tread width and all the way round. Mopeds under 50 cc need visible tread across the full breadth.
How should a final drive chain be maintained?+
- • Kept as tight as possible with no slack at all
- ✓ Adjusted to the maker's slack figure and kept clean and lubricated
- • Left slack so it wears more evenly
- • Lubricated only when it starts to squeak
A chain that is too tight strains the gearbox and wheel bearings; too loose and it can jump the sprockets or come off. Set it to the handbook figure and lubricate it regularly, especially after wet riding.
When should you check your motorcycle's tyre pressures?+
- • Straight after a fast motorway run
- • Only when a tyre looks low
- ✓ When the tyres are cold, using the figures in the handbook
- • After the tyres have warmed up on a long ride
Check pressures cold. Warm tyres read high. Set them to the handbook values, and use the higher 'laden' figure when carrying a pillion or luggage.
Safety-Margins
What is the typical overall stopping distance at 50 mph in good, dry conditions?+
- • About 36 metres
- ✓ About 53 metres
- • About 44 metres
- • About 73 metres
At 50 mph the overall stopping distance is about 53 metres: roughly 15 metres thinking and 38 metres braking. On a motorcycle, poor grip or a wet road makes this considerably longer.
When it starts to rain after a long dry spell, why is the road especially slippery at first?+
- • The road becomes colder than the air
- • Tyres expand and lose contact with the surface
- ✓ Rain lifts oil and rubber to the surface before it washes away
- • Standing water always forms within seconds
Oil, diesel and rubber build up on a dry road and float to the top when light rain first falls, making grip very poor until heavier rain clears it. Ease off and allow more room.
Where should most of your braking be done when approaching a bend?+
- • Gently, while leaned over in the bend
- • Hard, at the apex of the bend
- • After the bend, once you have straightened up
- ✓ In a straight line before you start to turn
Braking hard while leaned over can cause the tyres to lose grip and the machine to slide. Slow to a safe entry speed before the bend, then use gentle throttle through it.
In the wet, how should you change your following distance compared with dry conditions?+
- ✓ At least double it
- • Keep it the same if your tyres are new
- • Halve it, because you can see brake lights sooner
- • Reduce it slightly to stay out of spray
Wet roads roughly double braking distances, so extend the two-second gap to at least four seconds. In icy conditions leave an even bigger margin.
You see a rainbow-coloured sheen on the road surface ahead. What does it warn of and what should you do?+
- • Fresh paint; ride over it normally
- ✓ Spilt diesel or oil; slow down and avoid harsh braking, steering or acceleration
- • A heat haze; no action needed
- • New tarmac; expect extra grip
A multi-coloured film on a wet road usually means spilt fuel or oil, which is extremely slippery for a motorcycle. Reduce speed early and keep the bike as upright as possible while crossing it.
Your rear wheel begins to slide because you have used too much rear brake. What should you do?+
- • Press the rear brake harder to regain grip
- • Pull in the clutch and freewheel
- ✓ Release the rear brake to let the wheel turn again, then reapply gently
- • Apply the front brake fully to compensate
A locked rear wheel slides. Ease off the rear brake so it rotates and grips again, keep the bike upright and pointing where you want to go, then brake more progressively.
Hazard-Awareness
In riding terms, what is a hazard?+
- • Only another vehicle that has broken down
- ✓ Anything that may make you change speed or direction
- • A fixed feature such as a roundabout
- • Any road with a limit above 40 mph
A hazard is anything that could cause you to alter speed or course: a physical feature, a moving road user, or a change in the road or weather. Spotting them early gives you time to respond smoothly.
A car is waiting to emerge from a side road on your left. Which clue best warns you it may pull out?+
- • The driver is wearing sunglasses
- • It has its headlights on
- ✓ Its front wheels are turning and it is creeping forward
- • It is a large or expensive car
Watch the front wheels of a waiting vehicle. Any movement, or wheels turned towards your path, warns the driver may pull out, perhaps without having seen your motorcycle.
You are riding past parked cars and a ball rolls into the road ahead. What should you do?+
- • Sound your horn and keep your speed
- • Swerve towards the centre line without slowing
- • Flash your headlight and continue
- ✓ Ease off and be ready to stop for a child running out
A ball in the road is a strong sign a child may chase it. Slow at once and be ready to stop until you are sure the way is clear.
How does drinking alcohol affect your riding?+
- ✓ It slows reactions and can give a false sense of confidence
- • It has no effect below the legal limit
- • It improves your balance at low speed
- • It only matters if you have not eaten
Alcohol slows reaction time, impairs balance and judgement, and often makes riders over-confident. Even amounts below the limit reduce safety, so the safest choice is none at all.
You drank heavily last night. It is now mid-morning. What should you consider before riding?+
- • A cooked breakfast will have cleared the alcohol
- ✓ You may still be over the limit or unfit to ride
- • You are always safe to ride after eight hours' sleep
- • Strong coffee removes alcohol from the body
Alcohol leaves the body slowly. After a heavy session you can still be over the limit, or impaired, well into the next day. Food, sleep and coffee do not speed up its removal.
A medicine you have been prescribed carries a warning that it may cause drowsiness. What should you do before riding?+
- • Take half the dose so you can ride
- • Ride only on quiet roads at low speed
- ✓ Check with your doctor or pharmacist whether it is safe to ride
- • Take the medicine only after the day's riding
Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines impair riding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist, follow the advice, and do not ride if the medicine makes you drowsy or slows your reactions.
Vulnerable-Road-Users
Under the Highway Code's hierarchy of road users, who has the greatest responsibility to reduce danger?+
- • Whoever is travelling fastest
- ✓ Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the most harm
- • Pedestrians, because they are on foot
- • Learner riders and their instructors
Drivers and riders of motor vehicles carry the most responsibility to look out for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. It does not remove the duty of every road user to behave responsibly.
At speeds up to 30 mph, how much room should you leave when overtaking a cyclist?+
- • At least 0.5 metres
- • The width of your handlebars
- ✓ At least 1.5 metres
- • As little as possible to stay in your lane
Give a cyclist at least 1.5 metres at up to 30 mph, and more at higher speeds. If you cannot, wait behind until you can pass safely and widely.
You are turning left into a side road and a pedestrian has already started to cross it. What should you do?+
- • Sound your horn and complete the turn
- • Ride slowly round behind them
- • Wait only if they are less than halfway across
- ✓ Give way and let the pedestrian finish crossing
Pedestrians crossing, or waiting to cross, a road you are turning into or out of have priority. Give way to them.
How should you pass horse riders on the road?+
- ✓ Slowly, giving at least 2 metres, at no more than 10 mph
- • At normal speed, as close as is safe
- • Quickly, to be alongside for the least time
- • After sounding your horn to warn the horse
Pass horses at no more than 10 mph, leaving at least 2 metres. Do not rev your engine or sound your horn, and be ready to stop. Horses are easily frightened.
You are turning right into a side road. A cyclist is coming towards you, going straight ahead. What should you do?+
- • Turn across in front of the cyclist to clear the junction
- ✓ Give way to the cyclist before turning
- • Expect the cyclist to stop for you
- • Turn only if the cyclist is a child
You must not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles going straight ahead when turning into or out of a junction. Wait and give way to them.
A person is crossing the road ahead using a white cane with two red reflective bands. What does this tell you?+
- • They are a cycle-lane marshal
- • They are a school crossing patrol
- ✓ They are both deaf and blind
- • They are collecting for charity
A white cane with two red bands identifies a person who is deaf as well as blind. They may not see or hear your motorcycle, so give them plenty of time and space.
