Bad Weather & Night Driving — North Dakota
North Dakota 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: 23 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 Dakota Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 23 (7% 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 (23)
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. When riding on a slippery surface, you should not:
- Reduce your speed.
- Avoid sudden moves.
- Use both brakes.
- Brake quickly. ✓
Answer: D. Brake quickly.
When riding on a slippery surface, you should not brake quickly; use smooth, gentle brake pressure instead. The manual's slippery-surface advice is to slow down before you reach the slick spot, avoid any sudden change in speed or direction, and use both brakes with gentle pressure. It says to squeeze the brake lever gradually rather than grab it, and it warns that too much brake can cause a skid. A quick, hard stop asks for exactly the kind of abrupt brake force the manual tells you to avoid on a slippery surface.
5. When riding in fog, you should:
- Use your high beam headlight.
- Use your low beam headlight. ✓
- Use no lights.
- Alternate between the low and high beams.
Answer: B. Use your low beam headlight.
In fog, you should ride with your low beam headlight on. The manual's lighting guidance says to use low beam at night and in fog, and it notes that a motorcycle with its light on during the day is twice as likely to be noticed. So the low beam is the setting the manual names for foggy conditions, which is what the answer key calls for.
6. Long-term exposure to wind noise:
- Is recommended.
- Can cause hearing loss. ✓
- Is not harmful.
- Is less damaging than listening to music.
Answer: B. Can cause hearing loss.
Long-term exposure to wind noise can cause hearing loss. The manual warns that long-term exposure to engine and wind noise can cause permanent hearing damage, and it says this can happen even if you wear a full face helmet. That is why hearing protection is discussed as a way to reduce noise. The answer follows directly from that warning: wind noise is not harmless over time.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. If the road is wet, you should avoid:
- The left portion of a lane.
- The center portion of the lane. ✓
- The right portion of the lane.
- All areas of the lane.
Answer: B. The center portion of the lane.
When the road is wet, you should avoid the center portion of the lane. The manual says the center of a lane can be hazardous when wet. It also explains that the center third is where debris and oil drippings collect, and that the typical center strip gives adequate traction only when the road is not wet. When rain starts, the manual says to ride in the tire tracks left by vehicles, often the left tire track, depending on traffic and road conditions. That guidance points you away from the center portion in wet conditions.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook