Bad Weather & Night Driving — Connecticut
Connecticut motorcycle permit practice test: 225 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Bad Weather & Night Driving: 17 questions.
Rain, snow, ice, fog and night driving: visibility, traction and headlight use.
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 | Bad Weather & Night Driving |
| License test | Connecticut Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 17 (8% of 225 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
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Questions (17)
1. Which of the following surfaces does not provide poor traction?
- Wet pavement
- Dry pavement ✓
- Lane markings
- Snow
Answer: B. Dry pavement
Dry pavement is the surface that does not provide poor traction. The manual says a motorcycle handles better on surfaces that allow good traction. It then names surfaces with poor traction: wet pavement, especially just after rain starts and before oil washes to the side, plus gravel roads and places where sand and gravel collect. Dry pavement is not among those poor-traction surfaces. That makes it the choice that does not provide poor traction, since the passage treats wet and loose-material surfaces as the problem and dry pavement as the contrast.
2. Rain suits:
- Should not be used.
- Should not balloon when riding. ✓
- Are not needed since motorcycles shouldn't be operated in the rain.
- Should tear easily.
Answer: B. Should not balloon when riding.
Rain suits should not balloon when riding — good-quality rain suits made for motorcycling resist ballooning up and tearing apart at high speeds. The manual's riding gear section says cold or wet weather calls for clothing that keeps you warm and dry, and it describes good-quality rain suits built for motorcycle riding as ones that resist tearing apart or ballooning up at high speeds. A suit that balloons is not doing that job, so the standard the manual sets is a suit that stays in place while you ride.
3. Compared to riding during the day, a motorcycle operator who is riding at night should do all of the following, except:
- Ride more slowly.
- Allow more space between their motorcycle and other vehicles.
- Use their high beam whenever possible.
- Tailgate other vehicles. ✓
Answer: D. Tailgate other vehicles.
4. Studies show that when motorcycles have their headlights turned on during the day:
- They are not as easy to see as other vehicles.
- They are more visible to other drivers than when their headlights are turned off. ✓
- Other drivers are often confused.
- They are less safe than when their headlights are turned off.
Answer: B. They are more visible to other drivers than when their headlights are turned off.
5. Which of the following is not an example of a slippery surface?
- A gravel road
- A patch of leaves
- An ice patch
- Dry concrete ✓
Answer: D. Dry concrete
6. When riding at night, you should do all of the following, except:
- Reduce your speed.
- Increase your following distance.
- Decrease your following distance. ✓
- Use your high beam light, if possible.
Answer: C. Decrease your following distance.
The one thing you should not do at night is decrease your following distance — you want more room, not less. The manual says following too closely is a common factor in motorcycle crashes, and that a rider normally needs at least a two-second gap behind a vehicle. At night it also tells you to slow down enough to stop within the distance your headlight shows you, and to use your high beam whenever you are not following or meeting a car. All of that points to keeping a bigger cushion after dark, so cutting your following distance goes against the manual's advice rather than being part of it.
7. A skidding rear tire:
- Is not serious.
- Eliminates your ability to change direction. ✓
- Will usually correct itself.
- Is only a concern if the front tire is also skidding.
Answer: B. Eliminates your ability to change direction.
A skidding rear tire eliminates your ability to change direction. The manual explains that too much rear brake pressure locks the rear wheel, and as soon as that wheel locks, you lose the ability to steer the bike. You only get control back by releasing the brake. It also warns that if the rear wheel is out of line with the front when you let go, the bike can snap upright and throw you off, so a rear-wheel skid is a serious situation that has to be handled, not ignored.
8. What should a motorcyclist do to prevent possible injury when riding on a slippery surface?
- Increase their speed.
- Reduce their speed. ✓
- Make sudden moves.
- Ride on the shoulder.
Answer: B. Reduce their speed.
To prevent possible injury on a slippery surface, the motorcyclist should reduce their speed. The handbook says to slow down before reaching a slippery surface to lessen the chance of skidding. It also notes that a motorcycle needs more distance to stop and that slowing down is especially important before entering wet curves. The same passage warns that sudden changes in speed or direction can cause a skid, so the rider should stay smooth. Reducing speed fits the manual's direct guidance for slippery surfaces.
9. If your motorcycle begins to weave while you are riding over rain grooves or bridge gratings, you should:
- Relax, maintain a steady speed, and ride straight across the surface. ✓
- Tighten your hold on the handle grips and increase your speed to get past the hazard.
- Travel in a zigzag motion.
- Ride on the shoulder instead of on the grooves.
Answer: A. Relax, maintain a steady speed, and ride straight across the surface.
Relax, keep a steady speed, and ride straight across the rain grooves or bridge grating. The manual says rain grooves and bridge gratings can make a motorcycle weave, and the wandering feeling is usually not hazardous. It tells riders to relax, maintain a steady speed, and ride straight across. It also warns that crossing at an angle forces riders to zigzag, and that zigzagging is more hazardous than the wandering feeling. So the right response is to stay calm and cross without speeding up or steering back and forth.
10. If you are riding when it starts to rain, it is a good idea to:
- Ride down the center of the lane.
- Increase your speed.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
- Pull onto the shoulder of the road.
Answer: C. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
When rain starts while you are riding, move to the tire tracks left by cars and ride there. The manual explains that the center of a lane can be hazardous when it is wet, and it gives a direct instruction for the moment rain begins: ride in the tire tracks left by vehicles. It adds that the left tire track is often the best position, depending on traffic and road conditions. The same section tells you to slow down on slippery surfaces, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently, so the tire-track position is meant to be combined with a lower speed and smooth inputs.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook