General Driving Knowledge — British Columbia
British Columbia ICBC motorcycle knowledge test practice: 90 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). Official test format: 40 Q, pass 32. General Driving Knowledge: 27 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | British Columbia Class 8 motorcycle learner knowledge test |
| Topic questions | 27 (30% of 90 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
icbc.com ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (27)
1. If you become very angry at another vehicle while you are riding, you should
- honk at the vehicle.
- pass the vehicle.
- pull off the road until you calm down. ✓
- None of the above
Answer: C. pull off the road until you calm down.
If you get very angry at another vehicle while riding, pull off the road and take a few moments to calm yourself down. The handbook lists controlling your emotions as a riding strategy, and one of the specific things it tells you to do is pull off the road and take a couple of moments to calm yourself. It explains why this matters: strong emotions like anger cut into the concentration riding requires, you become less alert, your thinking gets unclear, and your safety and the safety of others is at risk. The handbook even says sometimes it is best to stay off your bike.
2. How often do motorcycle accidents result in head and neck injuries?
- One in five crashes ✓
- One in twenty crashes
- One in fifty crashes
- One in one hundred crashes
Answer: A. One in five crashes
One in five motorcycle crashes results in head or neck injuries for the rider. The handbook's gear chapter, quoting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, says that one in every five motorcycle crashes causes head or neck injuries to the rider. That is why the same passage calls the helmet the most important single factor in preventing or reducing those injuries, and why BC requires every rider and passenger to wear an approved helmet. The other crash facts in the handbook talk about injuries and fatalities overall, not specifically head and neck injuries, so the one-in-five figure is the one that matches this question.
3. What is the purpose of proper riding gear?
- To make yourself more visible
- To protect you from injury
- To protect yourself from the weather
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
Proper riding gear serves all of these purposes: it makes you more visible, helps protect you from injury, and protects you from the weather. The handbook lists three purposes for riding gear: it shields you from weather, helps lower your chance of injury, and makes you easier to see. Because all three are described as designed functions of gear, choosing only one leaves out the other two. The passage also stresses that riders are exposed to rain, wind and temperature extremes, and that gear is meant to protect against those conditions. That is why the answer that includes visibility, injury protection and weather protection fits the handbook best.
4. See-think-do is
- imitating other drivers who have had their licenses for 10 years or more.
- stopping at all intersections
- a brand of riding gear.
- scanning for hazards, considering possible solutions, and reacting appropriately. ✓
Answer: D. scanning for hazards, considering possible solutions, and reacting appropriately.
See-think-do means scanning for hazards, considering possible solutions, and reacting appropriately. The handbook describes see-think-do as a riding and driving strategy. You scan for hazards, decide which ones are most dangerous, think quickly about possible solutions, choose the safest one, and then react in a way that keeps you and others safe. The choice about scanning, considering solutions, and reacting appropriately matches that definition.
5. When you are planning a change in direction, you should
- signal.
- do a shoulder check.
- check your mirrors
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
All of the above: when you plan a change in direction, you should signal, do a shoulder check, and check your mirrors. The handbook says to look in your mirrors whenever you plan to change road position or direction, and to shoulder check so the blind spot on that side is clear. It also says to use a mirror and shoulder check when you turn or change lanes, and it lists signaling among safe riding habits. A direction change is not just one glance; you need to know what is behind you, clear the area beside you, and make your intention clear.
6. Lane splitting is
- safe when traffic is at a standstill.
- safe when traffic is slow moving.
- safe if the road has a shoulder.
- always illegal and dangerous. ✓
Answer: D. always illegal and dangerous.
Lane splitting is always illegal and dangerous. The handbook lists lane splitting as a dangerous lane position to avoid. It defines it as riding between lanes of traffic and says that in B.C. it is illegal and dangerous. The reason given is that you cannot predict when stopped or slow-moving traffic will start moving, or when someone will change lanes or open a door. When you ride between lanes, you leave yourself no protective space margin. Because the rule is stated as illegal, not as something allowed in some traffic conditions, the bank answer fits the handbook.
7. What should you do to avoid potential hazards?
- Anticipate possible hazards
- Scan from one side of the road to the other
- Look well ahead and check your mirrors
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
To avoid potential hazards, do all of the above: anticipate possible hazards, scan from one side of the road to the other, and look well ahead while checking your mirrors. The handbook describes an observation cycle for smart riding. Keep your eyes moving: look at least 12 seconds ahead, scan from one side of the road to the other for potential hazards, and glance in your mirrors to track what is happening behind you, then start the cycle again. It also says looking ahead gives you time to prepare for a potential hazard instead of being surprised, and side scanning helps you watch the road edges. The answer that includes anticipating hazards, side-to-side scanning, and looking ahead with mirror checks therefore covers the full habit.
8. While riding, you should scan your environment
- only if there is other traffic around.
- every 5 to 8 seconds. ✓
- only if you are exceeding speeds of 40 km/h.
- every few minutes.
Answer: B. every 5 to 8 seconds.
You should scan your environment by completing the whole observation cycle every five to eight seconds. The handbook describes an observation cycle: keep your eyes moving, look at least 12 seconds ahead, scan from one side of the road to the other for hazards, and glance in your mirrors to track what is happening behind you. Then you start the cycle over again. The handbook says the whole cycle should be completed every five to eight seconds, so scanning is a steady, repeating habit rather than something you turn on and off depending on traffic or speed.
9. Which of the following contributes to your fitness as a rider?
- You are patient, courteous and calm under pressures of the road
- You can remain alert
- You can see properly
- All of the above are important ✓
Answer: D. All of the above are important
All of the above are important: staying patient, courteous and calm, remaining alert, and being able to see properly each add to your fitness as a rider. The handbook describes fitness to ride as being healthy, rested and focused, and says you need to trust what your eyes and ears tell you. It also says alertness and full concentration are needed, and that strong emotions such as anger or distress can break concentration. Its strategies include being patient and courteous and finding ways to stay calm. Seeing properly fits the same idea because riding depends on the information your eyes pick up. So each listed quality is part of being fit to ride, not a separate issue.
10. On a road that is crowned and curved, your footpeg might drag on the road as you corner. The solution to this is
- to lean in the opposite direction.
- to slow down while riding through the curve. ✓
- to straighten right up in your seat.
- All of the above
Answer: B. to slow down while riding through the curve.
Slow down while riding through the curve. The handbook describes a crowned and curved road as giving you less margin for error, with your footpeg or side stand able to drag. It then gives the fix for crowns and for curves that are not banked enough: slow down before the curve. That lower speed matches the bank answer of slowing down through the curve.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook