Which of the following statements is true?
- It is okay for drivers of other vehicles to follow motorcycles closely.
- A motorcycle with two people on it is more balanced than a motorcycle with just one rider.
- The driver of a passenger vehicle must change lanes completely when passing a motorcycle. ✓
- Drivers of other vehicles can expect a motorcycle's brake lights to turn on when the motorcyclist slows down.
Answer: C. The driver of a passenger vehicle must change lanes completely when passing a motorcycle.
When you pass a motorcycle, your car must move entirely into the other lane, so the driver of a passenger vehicle changes lanes completely to go around it.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that people on motorcycles have the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the road. That means a motorcycle is entitled to the whole lane it is riding in, so a car cannot squeeze past it sharing the same lane. Passing safely means moving your vehicle fully into the next lane before you go by. The handbook also notes that a motorcycle is small and hard to see, and that judging its speed and distance is harder than with a car, which is another reason to give it a full lane of room rather than crowd past it.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. It is okay for drivers of other vehicles to follow motorcycles closely. — The handbook tells drivers not to tailgate and to follow at a safe distance, and it points out that a motorcycle is small, easy to miss, and hard to judge for speed and distance, so following one closely is the opposite of what it advises.
- B. A motorcycle with two people on it is more balanced than a motorcycle with just one rider. — The passages say nothing about how balanced a motorcycle is with one rider versus two, so this statement is not supported by anything in the handbook.
- D. Drivers of other vehicles can expect a motorcycle's brake lights to turn on when the motorcyclist slows down. — The passages never describe when or whether a motorcycle's brake lights come on, so a driver cannot count on that as a signal that the rider is slowing down.
Remember it
Picture the motorcycle as taking up a whole lane, just like a car, and pass it the way you would pass a car.