Sharing the Road — Alabama
Alabama motorcycle permit practice test: 325 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 15 questions.
Pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks.
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 | Sharing the Road |
| License test | Alabama Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 15 (5% of 325 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (15)
1. If you have a passenger aboard your motorcycle, you should do all of the following, except:
- Ride at speeds that are slower than usual.
- Allow more distance to stop than usual.
- Tell the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike. ✓
Answer: C. Tell the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike.
The exception is telling the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike — the manual directs passengers to hold firmly onto your waist, hips, belt, or the passenger handholds. The manual covers what you tell a passenger before a trip: mount only after the engine is started and in neutral, sit as far forward as possible without getting in your way, wear the same level of protective gear you wear, keep both feet on the footrests even when stopped, and hold firmly onto your waist, hips, belt or the passenger handholds for balance. Holding onto the back of the bike is not one of the holds the manual names, so it does not belong with the other passenger instructions.
2. When passing a row of parked vehicles, a motorcycle rider has an advantage over an automobile driver because:
- The motorcycle can accelerate more quickly than a car.
- The motorcyclist can ride in the left part of the lane to avoid people and cars to their right. ✓
- Motorcycles have a shorter stopping distance than cars do.
Answer: B. The motorcyclist can ride in the left part of the lane to avoid people and cars to their right.
A motorcycle rider can stay toward the left part of the lane when passing parked vehicles, which helps avoid people and cars on the right. The manual's guidance for passing parked cars is about lane position. It says to stay toward the left of your lane, which gives room from the parked vehicles and the problems their doors can cause on the right. That lane choice is the advantage the question asks about, not speed or braking. The passage does not say a motorcycle accelerates faster or stops shorter than a car.
3. Before every ride, you should:
- Make sure your bike's brake lights work properly. ✓
- Make sure the paint on the bike is not peeling.
- Make sure your bike is completely clean.
Answer: A. Make sure your bike's brake lights work properly.
Before every ride, check that your motorcycle's brake light comes on when you apply each brake. The pre-ride check list in the manual covers lights and electrics, and it tells you to try both brakes and confirm each one turns on the brake light. It also has you test the headlight, taillight, both turn signals and the horn. These are the parts other drivers rely on to see you and read your intentions, so they belong in the check you do each time you head out.
4. You approach an emergency vehicle that is stopped on the side of the road while using its flashing lights. You should:
- Stop on the roadway behind the emergency vehicle.
- Stop and wait until the emergency vehicle begins moving again.
- Merge into a lane away from the emergency vehicle. ✓
Answer: C. Merge into a lane away from the emergency vehicle.
5. When carrying a passenger, a motorcycle responds to directional changes:
- More slowly than usual. ✓
- More quickly than usual.
- Normally.
Answer: A. More slowly than usual.
When carrying a passenger, the motorcycle responds to directional changes more slowly than usual. The manual says the extra weight of a passenger or cargo affects how the motorcycle handles and calls for extra practice, preparation, and caution. It does not say the bike becomes quicker or unchanged. Because the added weight changes handling, the bank answer treats the motorcycle as responding more slowly than usual to directional changes. The passages support the general idea that a passenger changes handling, though they do not state the directional-change wording directly.
6. A passenger on a motorcycle should:
- Put their feet on the ground when the motorcycle is stopped.
- Not ride without a back rest.
- Sit as far forward as possible without crowding the operator. ✓
Answer: C. Sit as far forward as possible without crowding the operator.
A passenger should sit as far forward as possible without crowding or hindering the operator's control of the motorcycle. The manual's list of passenger equipment says the passenger should sit as far forward as possible without hindering your control of the bike. It also says the seat should be large enough for both people without crowding. So the passenger moves up close to the operator, but not so far that the operator's control is affected. The same section tells the passenger to hold onto the operator's waist, hips, belt, or the handholds, so that closeness also gives them something to hold.
7. When carrying a passenger, a motorcycle takes:
- Less time than usual to stop and speed up.
- The same amount of time to stop and speed up as it usually does.
- More time than usual to stop and speed up. ✓
Answer: C. More time than usual to stop and speed up.
When you carry a passenger, the motorcycle takes more time than usual to stop and speed up. The manual says a motorcycle responds differently with a passenger, and the heavier the passenger, the longer it may take to speed up, slow down, or turn. That means you should allow more room and begin slowing sooner when you approach a stop. The added weight changes how the bike accelerates and decelerates, so the time needed for both stopping and speeding up goes up, not down and not unchanged.
8. When being passed, it is usually best for motorcyclists to be in which part of the lane?
- The right
- The center ✓
- The left
Answer: B. The center
When you are being passed from behind, the best place to be is the center portion of your lane. The manual's section on being passed says plainly that when a vehicle comes up behind you to pass, you should stay in the center portion of your lane. Staying there puts space between you and the passing car. The manual warns that riding close to the passing vehicle can put you in a hazardous situation, and it points out that a small mistake by either driver could cause a sideswipe. It also notes that some drivers forget their mirrors stick out farther than their fenders, and that objects can be thrown from windows.
9. When riding near a truck:
- If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. ✓
- You should not be able to see the truck’s mirrors.
- You should concentrate on operating your motorcycle and not worry about the truck’s mirrors.
Answer: A. If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. The manual tells you to place yourself where the driver ahead can see you in the mirror, and it warns that side mirrors are checked less often than the inside mirror. A truck driver’s mirrors are how the driver checks blind spots, so if they are not visible to you, you have no sign the driver can see you. The manual also warns against riding beside trucks when avoidable because you may sit in a blind spot. The answer that links your view of the mirrors to the driver’s view of you fits that advice.
10. When riding with a passenger on your motorcycle, you should instruct the passenger to:
- Get on the motorcycle before the engine starts.
- Sit as far back as possible on the bike.
- Not talk or move unnecessarily. ✓
Answer: C. Not talk or move unnecessarily.
Tell your passenger not to talk or move unnecessarily, so they stay still and quiet while you ride. The manual lists what to tell a passenger before a trip. It says to avoid unnecessary conversation and avoid leaning or turning around, and to make no sudden moves that could affect the motorcycle's stability. Sitting still and keeping talk to a minimum is exactly what that instruction asks for, so instructing your passenger this way matches the manual's guidance.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook