SA motorcycle test lane use and filtering practice questions

Question 1

You are on a busy road with traffic moving at around 60 km/h and you ride between the lines of moving vehicles. What is this?

• Legal filtering
• Lane splitting, which is not legal anywhere in AustraliaCorrect answer
• Legal as long as you indicate first
• Legal on roads with three or more lanes

Riding between lines of traffic moving at speed is lane splitting and no Australian jurisdiction permits it. Lane filtering is legal in South Australia for R and R-Date licence holders at up to 30 km/h. Learner's permit holders, P1 provisional riders and moped riders on a car licence must not filter, and filtering is not permitted in a school zone, across pedestrian and children's crossings, next to parked cars, between vehicles and the edge of the road, or on roundabouts.

Rule cited: My Licence (South Australia), motor bike lane filtering

Question 2

How much of the lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?

• Only the left third of the lane
• The full width of the lane, and a rider should choose the position within it that is safestCorrect answer
• Only the centre of the lane
• Only the right hand wheel track

A motorcycle is a vehicle and gets a full lane. Moving within it for view, space and visibility is a core riding skill, and it also discourages a driver from trying to share the lane with you.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: road position

Question 3

How many riders may travel alongside each other in the same marked lane?

• No more than two, and they must stay within 1.5 m of each otherCorrect answer
• Up to three if the lane is wide
• As many as will fit
• Riding alongside another rider is never allowed

The road rules allow two riders abreast, no more, and they must not be further than 1.5 m apart. Even where it is legal, a staggered formation gives each rider more room to move.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules, rule 151 (riding alongside another rider)

Question 4

May a motorcycle be ridden in a marked bicycle lane?

• Yes, motorcycles and bicycles share the same lanes
• No, except for a short distance where it is necessary to enter or leave the roadCorrect answer
• Yes, if there are no bicycles in it
• Yes, during peak hour only

A bicycle lane is for bicycles. A motor vehicle, including a motorcycle, may only use a short length of it where that is needed to enter or leave the road or to pass an obstruction.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: special purpose lanes

Question 5

You are riding on a multi lane road where a keep left unless overtaking sign applies. What must you do?

• Ride in the right lane so drivers can see you
• Ride in the left lane unless you are overtaking, turning right or the left lane is congestedCorrect answer
• Ride in whichever lane is emptiest
• The rule does not apply to motorcycles

The keep left rule applies to riders in the same way as drivers. It keeps the right lane clear for overtaking, which reduces the frustrated passes that put riders at risk.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: lane use