WA rider knowledge test protective gear and helmets practice questions

Question 1

Which approval mark shows a motorcycle helmet is legal for road use in Western Australia?

• An approval mark to Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1698Correct answer
• A dealer's sticker inside the shell
• A sticker showing the helmet's colour code
• A racing sanction sticker

A road legal helmet carries an approval mark for a recognised standard, and AS/NZS 1698 is the long standing Australian and New Zealand mark. Check the current list of accepted standards before you buy.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules, rule 270 (motorcycle helmets)

Question 2

You are riding across a car park to the fuel pump with your helmet strap undone. What is the position?

• It is fine because you are not on a road
• The helmet must be properly fitted and securely fastened whenever you ride on a road or road related areaCorrect answer
• It is fine below 20 km/h
• It is fine as long as the helmet is approved

Low speed falls in car parks are common and a loose helmet leaves your head immediately. Do the strap up every time, including for short moves.

Rule cited: Australian Road Rules, rule 270 (motorcycle helmets)

Question 3

Your helmet was knocked off the seat onto a concrete floor. What is the safe thing to do?

• Keep using it if the shell looks undamaged
• Have it assessed or replace it, because the liner can be damaged without any visible signCorrect answer
• Use it only for short rides
• Add extra padding inside

The impact absorbing liner works once, by crushing. A hard knock can compress part of it under a shell that still looks perfect, which leaves you with a helmet that will not do its job.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: helmets

Question 4

It is 38 degrees in Perth and you have a long ride ahead. What is the sensible choice of clothing?

• A t shirt and shorts, because heat stress is the bigger risk
• Vented abrasion resistant jacket and pants with armour, so you keep the protection and still get airflowCorrect answer
• A rain suit to keep the sun off
• Whatever you would wear to walk around town

Mesh and vented riding gear exists for exactly this climate. Bare skin or ordinary clothing gives no protection at all, and gear plus water at every stop deals with the heat better than riding uncovered.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: protective clothing

Question 5

Why are motorcycle gloves worth wearing on every ride?

• They stop your hands getting dirty
• Riders instinctively put their hands out in a fall, and gloves also give a firmer grip on the controlsCorrect answer
• They are only useful in cold weather
• They make the levers easier to reach

Hands are the first thing to hit the road and the hardest injuries to recover from. Riding gloves take the abrasion and improve your feel on the bars and levers at the same time.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: protective clothing

Question 6

What footwear should a rider wear?

• Sturdy boots that cover the ankleCorrect answer
• Thongs in hot weather
• Canvas shoes
• Any footwear, as long as it stays on

Ankles twist and crush easily, and a foot can be trapped under a bike. Boots that cover the ankle also keep you off a hot exhaust and give a solid footing when you put a foot down.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: protective clothing

Question 7

You often ride home at dusk on unlit roads. What makes the biggest difference to being seen?

• A louder exhaust
• Reflective panels and bright colours on your upper body and helmet, plus a clean working headlight and tail lightCorrect answer
• Riding closer to other vehicles
• A dark visor so you can look towards headlights

At dusk drivers see light and movement rather than shape. Reflective material picks up headlights from a long way back, and a clear visor keeps your own vision usable in low light.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: being seen