Safe Driving Practices

Study questions with answers

12 sample Safe Driving Practices questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. How can you tell a motorcycle is the right size for you?

   Correct answer: Your feet can reach the ground while you sit on it

   The manual says the bike should fit you: while seated on it, your feet should be able to reach the ground.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Know Your Motorcycle

2. 2. What is one advantage a plastic shatter-resistant face shield has over goggles?

   Correct answer: It guards the whole face, not just the eyes

   Unlike goggles, which guard only the eyes, a face shield helps protect the rider's entire face in a crash.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

3. 3. How should a riding jacket and pants fit?

   Correct answer: Snug enough not to flap but loose enough to move freely

   Protective clothing should sit snugly enough not to flap in the wind, yet stay loose enough to let you move freely.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

4. 4. About how often do motorcycle crashes produce an injury to the head or neck?

   Correct answer: In about one crash out of every five

   Crash research cited in the manual shows head or neck injuries turn up in roughly one of every five motorcycle wrecks, which is why proper headgear matters so much.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

5. 5. Which material is described as offering the most crash protection for riding gear?

   Correct answer: Leather

   Leather is singled out as giving the most protection, with sturdy synthetics also providing a good deal.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

6. 6. A helmet that meets the required federal safety standard carries which permanent marking on the back?

   Correct answer: A permanently attached DOT symbol

   A compliant helmet has the letters DOT permanently applied by the maker on the back of the shell, showing it meets the federal standard.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

7. 7. How often should you make a complete check of your motorcycle?

   Correct answer: Before every ride

   A motorcycle needs a full inspection before every ride, since a small failure can quickly become dangerous in traffic.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Know Your Motorcycle

8. 8. At the low speeds where most crashes take place, an approved helmet can reduce the number and severity of head injuries by roughly:

   Correct answer: About half

   At those typical crash speeds, wearing an approved helmet cuts both how many head injuries occur and how serious they are by about half.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

9. 9. At what speed are most riders traveling when a crash happens?

   Correct answer: Slower than 30 mph

   The manual notes that the typical crash occurs at speeds below 30 mph, not at high highway speeds.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

10. 10. Compared with riders who wear no helmet, riders wearing a helmet are how much more likely to survive a head injury?

    Correct answer: Three times as likely

    The manual states that helmeted riders are three times as likely to survive head injuries as those who ride bare-headed.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear

11. 11. Which single factor degrades a rider's ability to ride safely more than any other?

    Correct answer: Alcohol and other drugs

    The manual stresses that alcohol and other drugs harm clear thinking and safe riding more than anything else.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Being in Shape to Ride

12. 12. Under North Carolina law, who is required to wear a helmet on a motorcycle?

    Correct answer: The operator and all passengers

    State law requires both the person operating the motorcycle and every passenger to wear a helmet.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Wear the Right Gear