You had an argument and are very angry. Should you go for a ride to cool off?
Ontario M1 overview
Ontario M1: Alcohol, drugs and fatigue
Zero blood-alcohol for novice riders, how alcohol and medication affect balance and judgment, cellphone and screen rules, fatigue, cold and strong emotions.
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 10 questions
- Topic drill
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Study reference: MTO Motorcycle Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 2 Getting ready to drive — Frame of mind, drugs and alcohol, cellphones, stay calm and alert
All 10 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
You had an argument and are very angry. Should you go for a ride to cool off?
- Yes, as long as you ride slowly and stay off the highway
- No, strong emotions reduce your ability to react
- Only if you avoid busy roads
- Yes, riding helps you calm down
When does the handbook say you should not ride?
- When you are sick, injured, tired or upset
- Only after sunset
- Only when you have a passenger or a heavy load
- Only when the roads are wet
You took an allergy pill this morning. What should you do before riding?
- Ride, but only on quiet streets
- Ride, since it is not a prescription
- Know how the drug affects you first
- Drink coffee to cancel its effects
Your bike has a display screen. What does the handbook say about watching screens unrelated to riding?
- It is allowed at low speeds
- It is allowed with a full M licence
- It is prohibited while driving
- It is allowed if mounted on the bars
Which riding skills does the handbook say alcohol can throw off?
- Only your night vision
- Only your reaction time to traffic lights and stop signs
- Only your ability to shift gears
- Balance, steering, speed control and judging distance
While riding, you start to feel dizzy and weak. What should you do?
- Keep riding but stay in the right lane
- Stop and wait until you feel normal
- Speed up to get home sooner
- Open your visor for fresh air
How does being tired affect you on a motorcycle, even if you do not fall asleep?
- It improves your focus on the road
- It has no effect on short rides
- You notice less and react more slowly
- It only affects you at night
When can alcohol start to affect your ability to handle a motorcycle safely?
- Only once you pass the legal limit
- Only after three or more drinks
- At levels far below the legal limit
- Only when you feel drunk
Why might a rider who has been drinking not realize they are impaired?
- Alcohol also clouds their judgment
- Impairment only shows up the next day
- Alcohol only affects car drivers
- Helmets hide the effects of alcohol
What does Ontario's distracted driving law mean for a rider who texts on a hand-held phone while riding?
- A fine only if a crash occurs
- No penalty if stopped at a light
- A warning on the first offence
- A large fine and demerit points
Alcohol, drugs and fatigue: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Get into the right frame of mind
- Riding needs full concentration. Do not ride sick, injured, tired, upset or impaired.
Avoid drugs and alcohol
- Alcohol raises collision risk; can affect riding far below the legal limit: balance, steering, speed control, distance perception.
- Alcohol clouds judgment, so you may not notice impairment in time.
- Almost any drug can affect riding: illegal, prescription and non-prescription (cold tablets, allergy pills) — weak, dizzy, drowsy. Know effects before riding.
- Feel dizzy or weak while riding: stop and wait until normal.
Cellphones
- Phone use while riding increases collision risk. Viewing screens unrelated to driving is prohibited.
- Hand-held talking, texting, typing, dialling, emailing: large fine and demerit points under the distracted driving law (amounts not given in this handbook).
Stay calm and alert
- Fatigue: may fall asleep; slows thinking and perception; wrong or late decisions.
- Do not ride upset or angry; avoid road rage.
Other topics
- Regulatory signsStop, yield, school zone and railway crossbuck shapes, green-ring and red-slash signs, turn and lane controls, stopping, standing and parking zones, community safety zones and HOV lanes.
- Warning, construction and guide signsYellow diamond warning signs for curves, hills, lane endings, crossings and hazards, orange temporary condition signs in work zones, green guide and exit signs, and the slow-moving vehicle sign.
- Traffic lights and pedestrian signalsGreen, yellow and red lights, turns on red, advance green and turn arrows, flashing lights and beacons, blank signals during a power failure, transit priority signals and pedestrian walk signals.
- Pavement markingsYellow and white lines, solid and broken lines for passing, continuity lines, stop lines, crosswalks, lane arrows, pedestrian crossovers and markings around fixed objects.
- M1, M2 and M licensingWho needs a class M licence, the M1 and M2 conditions, minimum times at each level, licence expiry, safety courses, L and M conditions for mopeds, scooters and three-wheelers, and rules for visitors and new residents.
- Helmets and protective gearOntario's helmet law, what makes a helmet approved and well fitted, and choosing jackets, pants, rain suits, boots and gloves that protect you and help others see you.
- Controls and pre-ride checkThe six primary controls, secondary controls such as the kill switch, choke and fuel valve, and the checks to make before every ride: tires, brakes, lights, mirrors and stands.
- Mounting, starting and shiftingGetting on and off the stands, starting a motorcycle, moped or scooter, using the clutch and gears, riding posture, starting on a hill and parking.
- Turning, cornering and brakingSlowing before a turn, leaning and looking through it, counter-steering, using both brakes, the front brake's share of stopping power, and choosing speed and tire track in curves.
- Seeing, being seen and signallingScanning ahead, mirror checks and shoulder checks, making yourself visible, collisions at intersections and with left-turning cars, horn use, turn signals and flashing your brake light.
- Space cushion and sharing the roadThe two-second following distance, space when stopped, side space and passing vehicles, tailgaters, and riding near trucks and buses: blind spots, wide turns, roll-back, spray, turbulence and bus bays.
- Lane positionTire-track blocking positions, which track to use in the curb, passing and centre lanes and in turns, slower mopeds and scooters, lane changes, lane sharing, lane splitting and passing on the shoulder.
- Freeway drivingWho may use freeways, safe speed and scanning, following distance, entering from a ramp, changing lanes near ramps and leaving at an exit.
- Road hazards, night and weatherLeft-turning cars, starting on a hill, riding at night and overdriving your headlight, slippery and uneven surfaces, gravel, gratings, railway crossings, rain, fog, cold and black ice.
- Group riding, passengers and cargoStaggered formation and single file, passing as a group, who may carry a passenger, adjusting the motorcycle and your riding for a passenger, and loading cargo safely.
- EmergenciesEmergency braking and ABS, swerving, running wide in a turn, riding over objects, animals, tire blowouts, stuck throttle, wobble, broken chain, engine seizure and pulling off the road.
- Insurance, registration and maintenanceCompulsory insurance and fines, plates and permits, the six-day reporting rules, buying and selling a used motorcycle, safety standards certificates, weekly maintenance checks and risky modifications.