VIC motorcycle test lane position and buffering practice questions

Question 1

You are riding along a street lined with parked cars. What is buffering in this situation?

• Riding as close to the parked cars as possible
• Moving to the part of the lane furthest from the parked cars to give yourself space and timeCorrect answer
• Riding faster to spend less time beside them
• Riding in the middle of the road

A door can open into your path with no warning, and a car can pull out of a gap. Buffering away from the parked cars, where the lane allows, buys you the distance to react.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: road position and buffering

Question 2

What is the minimum following distance a rider should keep behind the vehicle in front in good conditions?

• One second
• Two seconds
• Three secondsCorrect answer
• Half a car length

Riders need more time than drivers because braking a motorcycle well takes more skill and there is no crumple zone. Use at least three seconds in good conditions and increase it in rain or at night.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: following distance

Question 3

You are following a large truck on a highway. Why should you drop further back than usual?

• So the truck driver can hear your engine
• So you can see past the truck and stay in the driver's mirrors, and so you have room if it stops suddenlyCorrect answer
• Because trucks stop far more quickly than motorcycles
• Because it is illegal to follow a truck closely

Close behind a truck you can see nothing of the road ahead and the driver cannot see you at all. Backing off restores your view, puts you in the mirrors and keeps you clear of debris thrown up by its tyres.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: road position

Question 4

A car is waiting to pull out of a side street on your left as you approach. What is the best thing to do?

• Speed up to pass the side street quickly
• Move towards the right of your lane, ease off the throttle and cover the brakesCorrect answer
• Move to the left of your lane so the driver sees you sooner
• Sound the horn continuously and keep your speed

This is the classic crash. Give yourself space away from the car, reduce speed so you can stop, and watch the front wheels rather than the driver's face for the first sign it is moving.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: intersections and hazard perception

Question 5

On a wet road, which part of the lane usually offers the best grip?

• The centre strip where oil collects
• The wheel tracks where passing traffic has cleaned the surfaceCorrect answer
• The painted edge line
• The gutter

Car tyres sweep oil and grit out of the wheel tracks and leave it in the strip between them. In the wet the wheel tracks usually give more grip, although they can also hold standing water.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: riding in the wet

Question 6

A driver is following you far too closely. What is the safest response?

• Brake sharply to warn them
• Increase the gap to the vehicle in front so you can slow gradually, and let them pass when it is safeCorrect answer
• Speed up well past the limit to get away
• Ride in the centre of the lane and refuse to move

You cannot control the driver behind, but you can control the space in front. A bigger gap ahead means you never have to brake hard, which is what would put them into the back of you.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: following distance