Washington Motorcycle Lane Position and Space Practice Test

What the Washington Motorcycle Operator Manual says about lane position and space

• Lane Position

  Each lane has outside, middle and inside positions (three-wheelers have less room to move). p. 5-3

• Being Visible

  Make yourself visible: choose a lane and position that help you see and be seen, move out of other vehicles' blind spots, and wear bright or light-colored gear with retroreflective strips, add auxiliary lights, use your turn signals and flash your brake light when engine braking. p. 5-4

• Total Stopping Distance

  Stopping a motorcycle takes more time and space than a four-wheeled vehicle. Total stopping distance is perception (noticing the hazard), reaction (your brain signaling to act) and execution (carrying it out); at 60 mph (90 feet per second) that adds up to about 360 feet on average. p. 5-5

• Following Distance

  Washington's manual recommends a following distance of at least three seconds for two- and three-wheeled motorcycles; that's the absolute minimum for ideal conditions, to be increased for weather, fatigue, poor surfaces and traffic. p. 5-6

• Being Followed

  Check your mirrors often, stopped or moving. If someone tailgates you, don't speed up, which usually makes them speed up too and traps you between vehicles; instead gradually slow down to open more space ahead, giving you time to react and an escape path. p. 5-6 to 5-7

• Intersections

  Most motorcycle-vs-vehicle collisions happen at intersections, most often a car turning left across the motorcycle's path; intersections are busy and full of blind spots, so choose a speed and lane position that help you see and be seen. p. 5-7

Where it is in the Washington Motorcycle Operator Manual

• p. 5-1–5-4Chapter 5 · Lane choice, lane position and being visible
• p. 5-5–5-7Chapter 5 · Stopping distance, following distance and intersections

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