Traffic Signs & Signals — 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. Traffic Signs & Signals: 5 questions.
Regulatory, warning and guide signs, plus traffic light and pavement marking questions.
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 | Traffic Signs & Signals |
| License test | British Columbia Class 8 motorcycle learner knowledge test |
| Topic questions | 5 (6% 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 (5)
1. Thinking like a rider does not mean
- always stopping at yellow lights. ✓
- taking responsibility for the safety of passengers.
- predicting your riding environment.
- accepting your limitations.
Answer: A. always stopping at yellow lights.
Thinking like a rider does not mean always stopping at yellow lights. The handbook's yellow-light rule is conditional: you stop before entering the intersection unless you can't safely stop in time. An automatic stop at every yellow ignores that judgment call. The rider mindset the handbook describes is about reading the scene early — noticing a stale green, spotting a driver waiting to turn, and asking whether the space you plan to move into will be empty when you get there. Deciding whether to stop or continue is part of that thinking, not a fixed habit.
2. While riding, you should observe as far as
- just a few feet further than your front wheel.
- the upcoming traffic lights.
- the vehicle directly in front of you.
- one to two blocks or 12 seconds ahead of you. ✓
Answer: D. one to two blocks or 12 seconds ahead of you.
You should scan at least 12 seconds ahead, which works out to one to two blocks ahead in city riding. The handbook tells riders to know what is coming up by scanning at least 12 seconds ahead. In city riding that means looking one to two blocks down the road, and on the highway about half a kilometre ahead. The point the guide gives is that this lead time lets you get ready for a hazard instead of being caught by surprise. It also says to scan left and right as you look ahead, so you notice things along the sides of the road.
3. What should you try to predict while riding?
- Road conditions and street signs
- Actions other road users
- Signals and road markings
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
You should try to predict all of these: road conditions and street signs, the actions of other road users, and signals and road markings. The handbook's collision-avoidance section tells riders to look ahead and predict the riding scene so they can avoid situations that need sudden emergency action. It also refers to other road users as part of that scene. The signs, signals and road markings chapter shows those features are information you read while riding. Together, these point to predicting the whole scene around you, not just one item, so the all-of-the-above choice fits.
4. What is the hand signal you should use if you wish to turn left?
- Stick your right arm out at shoulder height, but bend your forearm down to make a 90 degree angle
- Stick your right arm out at shoulder height
- Stick your left arm straight out at shoulder height ✓
- Stick your left arm out at shoulder height and bend your forearm to make a 90 degree angle
Answer: C. Stick your left arm straight out at shoulder height
For a left turn, stick your left arm straight out at shoulder height. The motorcycle handbook presents the left turn signal as your left arm held out, and says motorcyclists must use the left arm for signals in the right-turn case, so the left arm is the one you signal with. A straight arm out to the side points the direction you plan to go, and the handbook adds that you should cancel the signal after the manoeuvre so you don't give other road users the wrong message. The right arm is not the one you use for this signal on a motorcycle.
5. When you change your lane position, you are
- always turning into the closest lane.
- moving to the safest place in the lane. ✓
- avoiding the centre line.
- All of the above
Answer: B. moving to the safest place in the lane.
When you change your lane position, you are moving to the safest place in the lane. The handbook separates two ideas. Lane tracking is about getting into the right lane before a turn and finishing in the right lane after it. Lane position is different: it is deciding which section of the lane is safest for you to ride in. The rider handbook also tells you not to settle on one position but to keep scanning the road and choosing the safest spot, with the left position treated as a default only until something else is better. Changing position is that choice in action.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook