Leave plenty of room when passing a motorcycle because
- you may throw dirt or water in the motorcyclist's face ✓
- it weighs less than a car
- motorcycle riders are not as skilled as car drivers
- it is always travelling faster
Answer: A. you may throw dirt or water in the motorcyclist's face
Leave plenty of room when passing a motorcycle because your vehicle may throw dirt or water in the rider's face.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's sharing-the-road section says a motorcycle needs the whole lane, and it lists specific space margins for riders. When passing, it advises plenty of space, and it gives the reason directly: your vehicle may throw dirt or water into the rider's face. That spray can hit the rider and disturb their control, so the guidance is about keeping your car far enough over that the rider is not struck.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. it weighs less than a car — The handbook never compares a motorcycle's weight to a car's as a reason for passing room; it talks about stopping distance and road conditions instead.
- C. motorcycle riders are not as skilled as car drivers — Nothing in the passage says motorcycle riders are less skilled than car drivers; the guidance is about the space and spray your own vehicle creates.
- D. it is always travelling faster — The passage does not claim motorcycles always travel faster than cars; it only says to give plenty of room when you pass one.
Remember it
Think of your tires as throwing a splash: the further out you go, the less the rider gets hit.