Bad Weather & Night Driving — New York
New York motorcycle permit practice test: 84 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). Official test format: 20 Q, pass 14 incl. >=2 of 4 sign Qs. Bad Weather & Night Driving: 4 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 | New York Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 4 (5% of 84 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
NY Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC) ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (4)
1. If you cannot avoid a slippery road, you should:
- Lean into the slippery section to maintain your balance.
- Maintain your speed to improve traction.
- Not worry about the road conditions.
- Keep your motorcycle upright and proceed as slowly as needed. ✓
Answer: D. Keep your motorcycle upright and proceed as slowly as needed.
Keep your motorcycle upright and go as slowly as you need to get across the slippery section. The manual says that when you can't avoid a road covered with ice or snow, you should hold the motorcycle straight up and move along as slowly as possible. It adds that if you have to travel at a walking pace, you might let your feet skim the surface, stay off the brakes, and squeeze the clutch and coast if you can. It also warns that trying this at anything faster than the slowest speed can be hazardous, so slowing down is part of the answer, not just staying upright.
2. It is difficult for other motorists to see motorcycles at night. To make up for that, a motorcycle rider should:
- Reduce their speed when riding at night. ✓
- Sound their horn repeatedly when riding at night.
- Not ride at night.
- Stay directly in front of another vehicle to be seen in their headlights when riding at night.
Answer: A. Reduce their speed when riding at night.
Slow down at night — ride slower than you would in daylight, especially on roads you don't know well. The manual lists reducing speed first among the ways to make up for how hard night riding is. Because other drivers struggle to pick your headlight or taillight out of the surrounding car lights, and because you see less yourself, riding slower gives you more time to spot a hazard and avoid it. The manual ties this advice specifically to unfamiliar roads, where you have less idea what is coming. Sounding the horn or staying home is not part of the guidance.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook