Intersections, Turns, and Sharing the Road
Intersection and turn questions test hazard judgment and lane discipline. Most motorcycle–car crashes happen when a car turns left across a rider's path, so the exam repeatedly asks what you should do as you approach a green light or a line of waiting vehicles.
Intersections
Scan 12 seconds ahead and check mirrors before you reach the intersection. Cover both brakes as you approach; do not accelerate into a stale green. Yield when required, and remember that right-of-way is something other drivers give, not something you can take. Watch for vehicles turning right on red and pedestrians stepping off the curb.
Turns and curves
Signal at least 100 feet before a turn in D.C. Slow down before the turn, look through it, lean, and roll on the throttle smoothly. For a curve, use outside–inside–outside: start wide, clip the inside, exit wide. Do not brake hard while leaned; if you enter too fast, stand the bike up, brake, then re-enter.
Sharing the road
Large trucks need extra room and swing wide in both directions. Never pass a truck on the right when it may be turning right. Avoid riding directly beside a car; choose a lane position that keeps you visible. At a stop, leave an escape path and watch the mirrors.
Worked example
You approach a green light and see a car in the oncoming lane with its left-turn signal on. The best response is to slow, cover the brakes, move toward the right third of your lane, and wait to see the car's wheels stop turning. Reasoning: the signal is a request, not a promise; the driver may not see you. Moving right increases separation from the turning path and gives you an escape route, provided the right side is clear.
Traps that cost marks
Target fixation on the car; braking mid-curve; passing a turning truck on the right; assuming a turn signal means the driver will turn; entering an intersection just because the light is green; following too closely through a turn.