Step 1. The big picture
In one sentence…
Risk factors are studied as a real cause of error: alcohol, drugs, speed, distraction, fatigue, adverse weather and overconfidence. On motorcycles their effects tend to multiply. Learn to recognise each factor and how the exam presents them so you're not caught off guard.
Step 2. The syllabus
2.1Alcohol and drugs while riding
The rule doesn't just penalise obvious intoxication: it also penalises exceeding the regulatory limits or driving with drugs present in the body, even if you feel fine.
- Alcohol reduces reflexes, distorts the perception of speed and gives a false sense of control, an especially dangerous combination on two wheels.
- Novice drivers during their first two years, and certain professional transport drivers, have stricter alcohol limits than other drivers.
- On a motorcycle there's no bodywork to cushion an error, so any drop in attention from alcohol or drugs shows up sooner as a fall or a collision.
2.2Medication and psychophysical state
Medication that reduces reflexes, vision or attention requires reading the leaflet, avoiding driving if it applies, and never offsetting the risk with overconfidence.
- Psychophysical state includes emotions and stress: driving angry, in a hurry or very worried also narrows attention and worsens decision-making.
- Many exam questions test whether you recognise that a driver can be a risk without being drunk, simply through medication, illness or a bad moment.
2.3Distraction, an everyday risk
Holding the phone in your hand, setting up the sat-nav while riding, or looking away from the road for a few seconds is enough to cover many metres almost blind.
- Distraction is dangerous because it seems harmless and repeats daily; normalising small lapses ends up turning them into the cause of a scare or an accident.
- On a motorcycle you need both hands and all your attention for balance, braking and line, so any gesture that reduces your concentration weighs more than in a passenger car.
- To put this into practice, get into the habit of planning the route before setting off and not attending to alerts or the phone while riding.
2.4Inappropriate speed and distance
Incorrect speed isn't just exceeding the limit: it's also riding within the limit without adapting your pace to rain, traffic, visibility or grip.
- The safety distance must allow you to stop without colliding, and it increases if the vehicle is heavy, articulated, two-wheeled, or travelling in unfavourable conditions.
- The faster you go, the longer the braking distance and the shorter the time to react, two effects the exam often sets against the idea of always going fast.
- On a motorcycle a late brake leaves little margin, so anticipating and keeping your distance protects you more than trusting a hard brake at the last moment.
2.5Fatigue and drowsiness while riding
Drowsiness reduces vigilance, lengthens reaction time and favours running off the road, rear-end collisions and lapses of attention, especially on monotonous, long journeys.
- The warning signs are usually yawning, frequent blinking, involuntary changes in speed, difficulty remembering the last few kilometres and the need to correct your line.
- The only safe response to fatigue is to stop, rest and resume only once you've fully recovered your ability to control the vehicle; neither music nor coffee removes it.
2.6Weather and grip
In rain, fog, ice, wind or glare you must reduce speed, increase distance, smooth out your manoeuvres and use the correct lights to see and be seen.
- Grip changes with a wet surface, gravel or leaves, and a surface a car barely notices can completely destabilise a motorcycle.
- The exam tests whether you relate the weather to a real change of behaviour, not just switching on the lights: it's about adapting pace, line and distance.
2.7Risks specific to motorcycles
On a motorcycle, other drivers' failure to see you is a risk in itself: never assume another driver has seen you, especially at junctions and when joining a road.
- Paint, manhole covers, sand, leaves, gravel and crosswind have a far greater effect on two wheels than on a passenger car and can cause a fall.
- Your perception of risk improves when you anticipate junctions, pedestrians, vulnerable road users, road-joining points, school zones, roadworks and changes in grip before reaching them.
2.8Overconfidence
Experience helps, but believing you no longer need to adapt distance and speed is itself a risk factor that the exam tends to penalise.
- Overconfidence appears when you know the route or are in a hurry, and leads to skipping checks you would otherwise make without thinking.
- Defensive driving means assuming others can make mistakes and always leaving a margin to correct, rather than trusting everything to your reflexes.
Step 3. Key points
If you only have a minute before the exam, revise this.
- 1.Identify the risks that affect attention, vision or reaction time.
- 2.Don't ride under alcohol, drugs or medication that reduces reflexes.
- 3.Adapt speed and distance to your physical state, the road and grip.
- 4.Stop at the first signs of drowsiness or fatigue.
- 5.Don't normalise small repeated distractions such as the phone.
- 6.Change your behaviour, not just the lights, in bad weather.
- 7.Assume that on a motorcycle you may not have been seen, and ride defensively.
Step 4. Exam traps
Mistakes the DGT uses again and again on this topic.
- Thinking that as long as the speed limit isn't exceeded, you're always driving correctly.
- Reducing risk to alcohol alone and forgetting medication, fatigue or distraction.
- Believing that experience removes the need to adapt distance and speed.
- Assuming coffee, an open window or music solve drowsiness while riding.
- Considering a brief distraction harmless because it seems to last only an instant.
- Forgetting that a slippery surface affects a motorcycle far more than a car.
Step 5. Quick check
Four real exam questions on what you have just read.
For the same combustion-engine motorcycle in comparable conditions, what generally happens to fuel consumption per kilometre at a high motorway cruising speed compared with a more moderate one?
Step 6. Frequently asked questions about risk factors
- High traffic density in urban areas creates frequent zones of uncertainty, so a motorcycle rider must:
- Anticipate and prepare for the possible behaviour of other road users. To navigate correctly through zones of uncertainty involving pedestrians, animals, and other road users, a motorcycle rider must always practise defensive driving. This allows them to anticipate the possible movements or behaviour of other users and drivers.See full question
- If you are riding your motorcycle in heavy rain, what precautions should you take?
- Drive at a moderate speed and, if necessary, stop the vehicle. Reduce speed and increase following distance: rain reduces grip and can impair visibility. Brake, accelerate and steer smoothly. If you can no longer continue safely, seek a safe place to stop without obstructing traffic; this does not permit voluntary stopping anywhere on the carriageway or shoulder. Use the appropriate lighting and do not use main-beam headlights within a built-up area.See full question
- Motorcycle riding demands physical and mental effort that produces fatigue. What effects does fatigue have, among others?
- Lack of precision in movements. A motorcycle driver affected by fatigue will make less precise movements while driving. They will also react more slowly to hazards on the road, increasing reaction time to stimuli and becoming more distracted and less prudent in their driving. The ability to pay attention and concentrate on traffic conditions will also be negatively affected.See full question
- On a motorcycle with a conventional manual gearbox and a gear-change pedal on the left side, what operates that pedal?
- With the left foot. The gear-change pedal is operated with the left foot. Do not confuse it with the clutch lever: in the conventional manual layout it is operated with the left hand, rather than a clutch pedal. Follow the manufacturer’s gear-changing instructions. Automatic or electronically assisted transmissions may have different controls or may not require manual clutch operation.See full question
- Snow catches you on a motorcycle with a manual gearbox. If conditions allow movement with sufficient grip on an uphill slope, how should you use the gears to help reduce wheelspin?
- The highest reasonably usable gear, avoiding unnecessary changes. Use the highest gear that reasonably permits a low, steady speed, with smooth acceleration, and avoid unnecessary changes during the climb. This does not mean forcing a gear that causes loss of control or stalls the engine. Always using first gear with a half-engaged clutch is not the generally recommended technique. Snow greatly reduces grip: do not continue when you cannot do so safely and find a safe place to stop; this technique does not guarantee safe riding on ice or without traction.See full question
Official sources
Test what you've studied on risk factors
Exam-style questions on this topic, with an explanation after every answer.
Now, practise it
Test what you have read with exam-style questions and an explanation after each answer.
Related lessons
- A1Risk factors
Risk factors are studied as a real cause of error: alcohol, drugs, speed, distraction, fatigue, adverse weather and overconfidence. On motorcycles their effects tend to multiply. Learn to recognise each factor and how the exam presents them so they don't catch you off guard.
- AMRisk factors
Risk factors are studied as a real cause of error: alcohol, drugs, speed, distraction, fatigue, adverse weather and overconfidence. On mopeds their effects tend to multiply because of the rider's lower stability and lower physical protection.
- BRisk factors
Risk factors are studied as a real cause of error: alcohol, drugs, speed, distraction, fatigue, adverse weather and overconfidence. In passenger cars on roads open to general traffic their effects tend to multiply, which is why the exam insists on anticipating and correcting before you lose control.
- A2Protective equipment
On a motorcycle, the helmet is compulsory, but serious study also covers gloves, boots, jacket, technical trousers and visibility. Good technique does not remove the risk of injury. Study each item of gear for the protective function it serves, and learn to separate what's compulsory from what's merely advisable.
- A2Mechanics and maintenance
Preventive maintenance of motorcycles is part of road safety: it avoids breakdowns, reduces braking distance, improves stability and cuts down on errors in the exam and in real riding. Study each check for its effect on riding, not as a simple workshop formality.
- A2Motorcycle regulations
Study the regulations specific to the A2 licence: the limits of the authorised vehicle, requirements for carrying a passenger and load, and safety rules specific to motorcycles on urban and interurban roads. Knowing what you can ride and under what conditions avoids many exam mistakes.