Why should you watch carefully for motorcycles?
- Motorcycles are smaller than cars and harder to see. ✓
- Motorcycles are usually faster than cars.
- Police patrols often use motorcycles.
- Motorcycles always have the right of way.
Answer: A. Motorcycles are smaller than cars and harder to see.
You should watch carefully for motorcycles because they are smaller than cars and harder to see.
Why this is the answer
The handbook tells you to scan at intersections and look carefully for motorcycles, noting that they can be hard to see, especially at night, at dusk or in heavy traffic, and that judging their approach speed is difficult. It also warns you to watch for smaller traffic like bicycles and motorcycles that may be coming faster than you expect. Because a motorcycle's small size makes it easy to miss, you have to look deliberately for it rather than relying on a quick glance.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Motorcycles are usually faster than cars. — The passages never say motorcycles are usually faster than cars; they only say it can be hard to judge how fast a motorcycle is approaching.
- C. Police patrols often use motorcycles. — Nothing in the passages mentions police patrols or motorcycles used for enforcement.
- D. Motorcycles always have the right of way. — No passage gives motorcycles a permanent right of way; the passages only describe watching for them and giving them room.
Remember it
Look twice at intersections: a motorcycle's narrow profile hides easily against traffic, so scan for it instead of waiting to notice it.