Bad Weather & Night Driving — North Carolina
North Carolina motorcycle permit practice test: 342 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: 21 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 | North Carolina Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 21 (6% of 342 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
Advertisement
Questions (21)
1. When riding at night, you should do all of the following, except:
- Use your high beam.
- Use the headlights of vehicles ahead to help you see.
- Be visible.
- Ride only in the left portion of your lane. ✓
Answer: D. Ride only in the left portion of your lane.
The exception is riding only in the left portion of your lane — at night you should change lane position as conditions warrant, not lock yourself into one spot. The manual tells night riders to be flexible about lane position and to move to whichever portion of the lane helps them see, be seen, and keep a space cushion. It also says no part of the lane needs to be avoided, including the center, and that you should vary your position as traffic changes. Using your high beam when you are not following or meeting a car, steering by the taillights of vehicles ahead, and wearing reflective material are all recommended for night riding. Staying put in the left portion is the one item that goes against the manual's advice.
2. 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.
3. Riding at night is usually:
- Easier than riding during the day because you can more easily see the lights of other vehicles.
- More difficult than riding during the day because it is harder to see. ✓
- Not allowed on highways.
- Less distracting than riding during the day.
Answer: B. More difficult than riding during the day because it is harder to see.
Riding at night is more difficult than riding during the day because it is harder to see. The manual says plainly that at night it is harder for you to see and be seen, and that other drivers find it hard to pick your headlight or taillight out of the surrounding car lights. It also notes that distances are harder to judge in the dark because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrast. That is why it tells riders to slow down, keep a bigger following gap, and use the headlights of the car ahead to help read the road.
4. When riding on a slippery surface, you should:
- Increase your speed.
- Make sudden moves.
- Move to the edge of the road.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
Answer: D. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
Ride in the tire tracks left by cars, since the center of a wet lane can be hazardous and the tire tracks give you a better surface. The manual says the center of a lane can be dangerous when it is wet, so once rain starts you should ride where vehicles have already cleared a path — in their tire tracks. It adds that the left tire track is often the best spot, depending on traffic and road conditions. The same section tells you to slow down before a slippery surface and to stay smooth, so the tire-track position fits with a lower, steadier approach rather than a faster one.
5. 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.
6. When it is raining, it is usually best to:
- Ride in the center of the lane.
- Pull off to the side of the road until the rain stops.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
- Increase your speed.
Answer: C. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
When it is raining, the best choice is to ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The manual explains that the middle of a lane can be a bad place to be once rain starts, so you should put your wheels where other vehicles have already driven. Those tracks give you a better surface than the slick center. It adds that the left track is often the best spot, depending on traffic and road conditions, and reminds you to slow down and stay smooth on any wet surface. So following car tracks is the riding position the manual recommends, not stopping or speeding up.
7. Slippery surfaces can make it difficult to control a motorcycle. Which of the following would be considered a slippery surface?
- Wet pavement ✓
- A driveway
- Dry pavement
- A parking lot
Answer: A. Wet pavement
Wet pavement is the slippery surface among these choices. The manual lists wet pavement as a surface that gives poor traction, especially just after rain begins and before oil washes away. It says motorcycles handle better on surfaces with good traction, so a wet road is the kind of slippery surface where control can be harder. The other choices are not named as slippery surfaces in the passage. That direct listing supports choosing wet pavement.
8. 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.
9. If you can’t avoid a dangerously slippery surface, you should:
- Speed up and lean the motorcycle.
- Speed up and keep the motorcycle upright.
- Slow down and lean the motorcycle.
- Slow down and keep the motorcycle upright. ✓
Answer: D. Slow down and keep the motorcycle upright.
You should slow down and keep the motorcycle upright. The manual's slippery-surface section says to reduce speed before you reach a slippery surface to lessen the chance of a skid. It also calls for smooth, gradual control because a sudden change in speed or direction can cause a skid. When stopping, the manual says to straighten the handlebars in the last few feet to maintain balance and stay upright. Together, slowing down and staying upright is the safe response if you cannot avoid the slippery area.
10. When it starts raining, it is usually best to:
- Ride in the center of the lane.
- Pull off to the side of the road until the rain stops.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
- Increase your speed.
Answer: C. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
When it starts raining, it is usually best to ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The manual explains that the center of a lane can be hazardous when wet, so when rain begins you should ride in the tire tracks left by vehicles, and it notes the left tire track is often the best spot depending on traffic and road conditions. Those tracks are where car tires have pushed water aside, so the surface is less slippery than the lane center. The manual also says to slow down on wet surfaces and to ride on the least slippery part of the lane.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook