Bad Weather & Night Driving — Iowa
Iowa motorcycle permit practice test: 339 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: 20 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 | Iowa Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 20 (6% of 339 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 (20)
1. When riding at night, you should travel:
- More slowly than you would during the day under similar conditions. ✓
- At the speed you would travel during the day under similar conditions.
- Faster than you would during the day under similar conditions.
- On the shoulder of the road so other vehicles can see you.
Answer: A. More slowly than you would during the day under similar conditions.
At night you should ride slower than you would during the day under similar conditions. The manual explains that at night it is harder for you to see and be seen, and picking your headlight or taillight out of surrounding car lights is not easy for other drivers. To make up for that, it tells riders to reduce speed and ride slower than they would during the day, especially on roads they don't know well, which increases the chance of avoiding a hazard. It also says to open up a three-second following distance or more because distances are harder to judge at night.
2. When it starts to rain, it is usually best to:
- Increase your speed.
- Exit the road.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
- Ride in the center of the lane.
Answer: C. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
When it starts to rain, the best move is to ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The manual lists the center of a lane as a spot that can be hazardous when wet, and it says plainly that when rain begins you should 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 before slippery surfaces and to avoid sudden moves, so your job in rain is to pick the less slippery part of the lane and keep your inputs smooth.
3. During the day, your headlight should:
- Not be used.
- Be used on its high beam setting. ✓
- Be used on its low beam setting.
- Alternate between high beam and low beam settings.
Answer: B. Be used on its high beam setting.
During the day, ride with your headlight on the high beam setting. The manual treats daylight riding as a visibility problem, noting that a motorcycle running with its light on during the day is twice as likely to be noticed. It also tells you to get all the light you can and to keep the high beam on whenever you are not following or meeting a car. Since nothing is in front of you in that situation, the setting that gives the most light and the most attention is the high beam. The manual reserves low beam for night riding and fog.
4. If your front wheel begins to skid, you should:
- Keep the front brake engaged and ride out the skid.
- Keep the front brake engaged and release the rear brake.
- Immediately release and re-engage the front brake. ✓
- Release the front brake and increase the pressure on the rear brake.
Answer: C. Immediately release and re-engage the front brake.
If the front wheel begins to skid, immediately release the front brake lever and then reapply it smoothly with less pressure. The manual treats a locked front wheel as an emergency you must end right away: let go of the front brake lever the moment the wheel locks, then squeeze it back on smoothly with lighter pressure. It explains why this cannot wait — a front-wheel skid costs you steering control and balance immediately, so staying on the brake keeps the wheel locked and the bike unsteerable. Releasing and reapplying restores the roll of the front wheel while still giving you braking. The same manual gives the same instruction for a front wheel that locks during a quick stop.
5. To increase your visibility, you should:
- Turn off your headlight during the day.
- Wear dark clothes.
- Keep your headlight on at all times. ✓
- Ride in the right portion of the lane.
Answer: C. Keep your headlight on at all times.
Keep your headlight on at all times, because a lit headlight helps other drivers notice your motorcycle. The manual says a headlight that stays on is a good way to make your motorcycle easier for other drivers to see. It also explains that bright, reflective clothing and helmets help, and that at intersections you should pick a lane position that gives others a clear view of you. Leaving the headlight on fits that same visibility goal, so the handbook supports keeping it on at all times.
6. Which of the following is not an example of a slippery surface?
- A dirt or gravel road
- A strip of oil in the center of a lane
- Mud on pavement
- Dry pavement ✓
Answer: D. Dry pavement
Dry pavement is the choice that is not an example of a slippery surface. The manual says a motorcycle handles better on surfaces that allow good traction, then lists poor-traction surfaces such as wet pavement and gravel roads where sand and gravel collect. Dry pavement is the surface that allows good traction, so it does not belong with the slippery-surface examples. The other choices describe conditions that reduce traction or are tied to the manual's warning about surface oil.
7. Of the following, which should you not do to improve your safety when riding at night?
- Increase your speed. ✓
- Reduce your speed.
- Use your high beam headlight whenever possible.
- Increase your following distance.
Answer: A. Increase your speed.
When riding at night, you should not increase your speed — slowing down is what the manual tells you to do. The manual's night-riding section starts from the fact that seeing and being seen are both harder after dark. Its advice is to ride slower than you would in daylight, especially on roads you don't know well, because that gives you a better chance of avoiding a hazard. Opening up a following distance of three seconds or more is listed alongside that. Speeding up works against all of this, so it is the one action on the list that doesn't belong.
8. 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.
9. When riding at night, you should:
- Decrease your following distance.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
- Ride faster than you usually would.
- Avoid using your high beam headlight.
Answer: B. Increase your following distance.
When riding at night, increase your following distance — open up a three-second gap or more. The manual explains that judging distance is harder after dark because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrasts to tell how far away something is and how fast it is closing. Its nighttime advice is to open up a three-second following distance or more, and to leave extra room when passing and being passed. So the correct response to darkness is more space, not less. The same section also pairs this with riding slower than you would in daylight.
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 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook