Bad Weather & Night Driving — West Virginia
West Virginia motorcycle permit practice test: 343 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 | West Virginia Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 20 (6% of 343 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. Rain suits:
- Should not be used.
- Should not balloon when riding. ✓
- Are not needed since motorcycles shouldn't be operated in the rain.
- Should tear easily.
Answer: B. Should not balloon when riding.
Rain suits should not balloon when riding — good-quality rain suits made for motorcycling resist ballooning up and tearing apart at high speeds. The manual's riding gear section says cold or wet weather calls for clothing that keeps you warm and dry, and it describes good-quality rain suits built for motorcycle riding as ones that resist tearing apart or ballooning up at high speeds. A suit that balloons is not doing that job, so the standard the manual sets is a suit that stays in place while you ride.
2. When riding at night, you should:
- Be flexible about your lane position and adjust to changing conditions. ✓
- Travel at a faster speed than usual to get to your destination more quickly.
- Always use your low beam headlight to see better.
- Decrease your following distance so you can be as close as possible to the vehicle ahead.
Answer: A. Be flexible about your lane position and adjust to changing conditions.
At night you should be flexible about your lane position, changing to the part of the lane that helps you see, be seen, and keep a space cushion. The manual's night riding guidance says to change to whichever portion of the lane is best for seeing, being seen, and keeping an adequate space cushion. That matches being flexible about lane position and adjusting to conditions. The same section also tells you to slow down so your stopping distance stays within the distance your light shows you, and to use your high beam whenever you are not following or meeting a car. So the flexible lane position idea is the one drawn straight from the night riding rules.
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. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook