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Safe following distance: DMV test questions

The 3-second rule. Here are 43 questions like the ones on the written test, with answers and explanations.

Video lessonThe 3-Second RuleDo you tailgate?

43 questions with answers

  1. 1. In normal conditions, what is the minimum following distance?

    1. Always 30 feet
    2. One car length
    3. 3 seconds
    4. 1 second
    Show answer

    Answer: 3 seconds

    Three seconds: one, two, three. Some handbooks say 2 to 4; three is the most common rule.

  2. 2. How do you measure the 3 seconds?

    1. Check the speedometer
    2. Count the cars passing you
    3. Count the lane stripes between your bumper and the bumper of the car ahead
    4. When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count until you reach it
    Show answer

    Answer: When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count until you reach it

    A pole, a shadow, a sign. They pass it, you count.

  3. 3. It's raining at night. What do you do with your following distance?

    1. Turn on hazards and keep it
    2. Keep it the same
    3. Increase it: 4 seconds or more
    4. Shorten it to see the taillights better
    Show answer

    Answer: Increase it: 4 seconds or more

    Wet road at night: you need more time to stop and you see less. Give it more seconds, kiddo.

  4. 4. Someone is tailgating you. What's the safest move?

    1. Speed up to get away
    2. Ignore it
    3. Add space ahead or let them pass
    4. Brake-check them so they back off
    Show answer

    Answer: Add space ahead or let them pass

    Brake-checking is asking for a crash. Let them go be in a hurry somewhere else.

  5. 5. You're behind a big truck. If you can't see the driver's face in its side mirror…

    1. The driver can't see you
    2. You should pass on the right
    3. You should honk
    4. You're at the perfect distance
    Show answer

    Answer: The driver can't see you

    Trucks have huge blind spots. If you can't see the driver in the mirror, the driver can't see you.

  6. 6. Behind a motorcycle you should leave…

    1. More space than behind a car
    2. Less space, since they're smaller
    3. One second is enough
    4. None, you can share the lane
    Show answer

    Answer: More space than behind a car

    A motorcycle can stop faster than you. More room.

  7. 7. When stopped behind another car at a light, you should be able to see…

    1. Its engine
    2. Only the top edge of its trunk and roof
    3. Only its license plate
    4. Its rear tires touching the pavement
    Show answer

    Answer: Its rear tires touching the pavement

    See the tires and you have room to get around if something happens.

  8. 8. At higher speeds, with the 3-second rule the distance in feet…

    1. Stays exactly the same as at low speed
    2. Grows automatically
    3. Shrinks
    4. Doesn't matter anymore
    Show answer

    Answer: Grows automatically

    That's the magic: seconds scale with speed. Faster means more feet.

  9. 9. Which situation needs MORE following distance?

    1. Towing or hauling a heavy load
    2. Slow traffic
    3. Driving a new car
    4. A sunny, dry day with good visibility
    Show answer

    Answer: Towing or hauling a heavy load

    More weight, more feet to stop.

  10. 10. Your total stopping distance includes…

    1. Braking distance plus the car's length
    2. Only the braking distance
    3. Perception, reaction and braking
    4. Only your reaction time
    Show answer

    Answer: Perception, reaction and braking

    First you see it, then you react, then the car brakes. It all adds up.

  11. 11. If you double your speed, your braking distance becomes about…

    1. 2 times longer
    2. 4 times longer
    3. Half as long
    4. The same
    Show answer

    Answer: 4 times longer

    Twice as fast isn't twice the distance: it's about four times. Physics doesn't forgive.

  12. 12. Another car is passing you. What should you do?

    1. Move toward the center line
    2. Brake hard so they get by
    3. Stay in your lane and don't speed up
    4. Speed up so they can't pass
    Show answer

    Answer: Stay in your lane and don't speed up

    Let them pass calmly. Speeding up can trap them in the oncoming lane.

  13. 13. On a multi-lane road, the safest choice is to…

    1. Always drive next to another car
    2. Avoid driving right beside other cars
    3. Drive on top of the lane line
    4. Stay in another car's blind spot
    Show answer

    Answer: Avoid driving right beside other cars

    Keep space at your sides too. If someone changes lanes, you need room to move.

  14. 14. You're driving past parked cars. Why leave space?

    1. So you don't scratch your own paint
    2. Because it's a loading zone
    3. So other drivers can see you better
    4. A door may open or someone may step out
    Show answer

    Answer: A door may open or someone may step out

    A door opens in a second, and a kid runs out even faster. Give them room.

  15. 15. A car cuts in right in front of you. What do you do?

    1. Pass them as soon as you can
    2. Brake hard to teach that driver a lesson
    3. Honk and stay on its bumper
    4. Ease off the gas to rebuild your space
    Show answer

    Answer: Ease off the gas to rebuild your space

    Lift your foot and let the gap grow back. No teaching lessons on the road.

  16. 16. You just passed a large truck. When do you move back in front of it?

    1. Right after your back bumper clears its front bumper
    2. As soon as you clear its cab
    3. When you see its front in your rearview mirror
    4. One second after passing it
    Show answer

    Answer: When you see its front in your rearview mirror

    Once you see the whole front of the truck in your rearview mirror, you have room. Not before.

  17. 17. You're following a vehicle that stops often, like a bus or garbage truck. What do you do?

    1. Turn on hazards and follow it
    2. Keep your usual distance
    3. Stay close so you can pass fast
    4. Leave more space than usual
    Show answer

    Answer: Leave more space than usual

    They stop all the time. More space and a little patience.

  18. 18. Your reaction time gets longer when you are…

    1. Driving in daylight
    2. Driving on a full tank
    3. Tired or distracted
    4. Wearing your seat belt
    Show answer

    Answer: Tired or distracted

    Tired or on your phone, your brain shows up late. The car doesn't wait.

  19. 19. Where should you keep open space around your car?

    1. Only on the side with more traffic
    2. Ahead, to the sides and behind
    3. Only ahead, the rest isn't your job
    4. Only behind, so nobody rear-ends you
    Show answer

    Answer: Ahead, to the sides and behind

    Your car needs a cushion all around, kiddo. That gives you time and room to react.

  20. 20. When driving, what is an «escape route»?

    1. Open space to move into if there's danger
    2. The nearest exit off the freeway or highway
    3. The shoulder reserved for police cars
    4. The left lane, kept for emergencies only
    Show answer

    Answer: Open space to move into if there's danger

    Always keep somewhere to go. If the road ahead closes up, you already know your way out.

  21. 21. Why leave space when you stop behind another car?

    1. So the traffic light can detect your car
    2. So the driver behind you has room to park
    3. So pedestrians can cross between the cars
    4. So you can go around it if it stalls
    Show answer

    Answer: So you can go around it if it stalls

    If the car ahead stalls, a little space lets you go around it. Bumper to bumper, you're stuck.

  22. 22. «Reaction distance» is how far you travel…

    1. While the tires skid during a hard stop
    2. Between you and the car ahead when stopped
    3. From seeing the danger to hitting the brake
    4. From pressing the brake until the car comes to a full stop
    Show answer

    Answer: From seeing the danger to hitting the brake

    While your foot moves to the brake, the car keeps rolling. That's why every second counts.

  23. 23. What makes your braking distance LONGER?

    1. Dry, clean pavement in good shape
    2. New tires and recently checked brakes
    3. Worn tires or wet pavement
    4. An empty car, no passengers or cargo
    Show answer

    Answer: Worn tires or wet pavement

    Bald tires on wet pavement are like dance shoes on ice. You need a lot more room.

  24. 24. Your car is full of people and luggage. What happens when you brake?

    1. Nothing changes if your tires are good
    2. You stop faster because it's heavier
    3. You need more distance to stop
    4. It only changes when going downhill
    Show answer

    Answer: You need more distance to stop

    More weight, more push. Leave extra room when the car is loaded.

  25. 25. You're towing a trailer on the highway. What following distance do you keep?

    1. 2 seconds, since you're going slower
    2. The same 3 seconds as always
    3. 4 seconds or more
    4. One car length for every 20 mph
    Show answer

    Answer: 4 seconds or more

    With a trailer you're heavier and slower to stop. Add seconds, they're free.

  26. 26. You're behind a school bus or a hazardous materials truck and railroad tracks are ahead. What do you expect?

    1. It will slow down but not come to a stop
    2. It will cross without stopping if no lights flash
    3. It will stop before crossing, even with no train
    4. It will pull over to let you go first
    Show answer

    Answer: It will stop before crossing, even with no train

    Those vehicles must stop at every crossing. Leave room so you don't kiss their bumper.

  27. 27. You're nearing the top of a hill and can't see over it. What do you do?

    1. Pass the car ahead before the top
    2. Slow down and keep to the right
    3. Move to the middle of the road to see better
    4. Speed up so you can see over it sooner
    Show answer

    Answer: Slow down and keep to the right

    Over the top there may be a stopped car or one coming at you. Slow and to the right.

  28. 28. You're stopped on a hill behind another car. Why leave extra space?

    1. It makes the traffic light change faster
    2. It may roll back when it starts
    3. Brakes don't work well on hills
    4. The driver behind needs to see your plates
    Show answer

    Answer: It may roll back when it starts

    When starting uphill, many cars roll back a little. Give them a cushion.

  29. 29. You're in the blind spot of a car in the next lane. What do you do?

    1. Move closer to their side so they notice
    2. Move ahead or drop back a little
    3. Stay there, it's their job to look
    4. Honk every so often so they see you
    Show answer

    Answer: Move ahead or drop back a little

    If they can't see you, they may move right into you. Get out of there: ahead or behind.

  30. 30. A car is entering the freeway from the ramp next to your lane. What do you do if it's safe?

    1. Speed up so it can't get in front of you
    2. Wave at it to wait on the ramp
    3. Hold your speed and don't make room
    4. Change lanes or adjust your speed
    Show answer

    Answer: Change lanes or adjust your speed

    Give them room to get in. Today it's them, tomorrow you're the one on the ramp.

  31. 31. Why look far ahead and not just at the car in front of you?

    1. So you don't have to check your mirrors
    2. To spot hazards early and brake smoothly
    3. To read the road signs before everyone else does
    4. So you can follow the car ahead closer
    Show answer

    Answer: To spot hazards early and brake smoothly

    Many handbooks say look 10 to 15 seconds ahead. You see trouble coming sooner.

  32. 32. You see stopped traffic ahead. How do you brake?

    1. You wait to see if traffic starts moving
    2. Early and gently, to warn the driver behind
    3. At the last moment, all at once, so you don't lose time
    4. You change lanes without braking at all
    Show answer

    Answer: Early and gently, to warn the driver behind

    Braking early gives the driver behind time. Braking late invites them into your trunk.

  33. 33. In slow traffic, other cars keep cutting into the space you leave. What do you do?

    1. Change lanes every time it happens
    2. Tailgate the car ahead so nobody gets in
    3. Honk at them so they move back over
    4. Calmly open the space up again
    Show answer

    Answer: Calmly open the space up again

    Let them in. Ease off the gas, the space comes back, and you get there in one piece.

  34. 34. You want to pass a bicyclist, but a car is coming toward you. What do you do?

    1. Wait behind until you can give them room
    2. Squeeze between them, you barely fit
    3. Honk so the bicyclist moves over
    4. Pass quickly and close to the bicyclist before the car arrives
    Show answer

    Answer: Wait behind until you can give them room

    If you can't fit with room for the bike, you don't fit. A few seconds of patience.

  35. 35. On the freeway you're in the middle of a tight pack of cars. What's best?

    1. Stay in the middle, it's safer in there
    2. Keep changing lanes to get out of it
    3. Stick close to the car ahead so you keep up
    4. Adjust your speed to find open space
    Show answer

    Answer: Adjust your speed to find open space

    In a pack you have nowhere to move. Find a gap with space all around you.

  36. 36. On a road with one lane each way, someone is tailgating you and can't pass. What do you do?

    1. Pull over to the right when it's safe
    2. Turn on your hazards to scold them
    3. Speed up past the speed limit to get away from them
    4. Brake hard so they back off
    Show answer

    Answer: Pull over to the right when it's safe

    Let them go. Better in front of you than on your bumper.

  37. 37. The car ahead just passed the pole. If you reach the same pole before you count three seconds, what does that mean?

    1. The car ahead is too slow: pass it
    2. Nothing: counting is only for the freeway
    3. You're too close: take your foot off the gas
    4. You're at a good distance
    Show answer

    Answer: You're too close: take your foot off the gas

    Pick something fixed, like a pole. When the car ahead passes it, count: one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. If you get there before you finish, you're too close: ease off the gas until you have your three seconds.

  38. 38. You're about to stop behind the car at the stop sign. Where do you stop?

    1. Next to it, in the other lane
    2. Half a meter away so nobody cuts in
    3. Where you can still see its rear tires
    4. As close as you can
    Show answer

    Answer: Where you can still see its rear tires

    When you stop behind another car, leave enough space to see its rear tires touching the ground. That gives you room to go around it if it breaks down, and you won't hit it if it rolls back.

  39. 39. A car is following too closely behind you. What do you do?

    1. Brake hard so it backs off
    2. Wave at it out the window
    3. Speed up to get away from it
    4. Keep going the same and, when it's safe, pull over to let it pass
    Show answer

    Answer: Keep going the same and, when it's safe, pull over to let it pass

    If someone is tailgating you, don't brake hard or speed up: keep your course and speed, and leave more space ahead. When it's safe, signal, check, and pull over to let them pass.

  40. 40. A car moved into your lane and ended up very close in front of you. What do you do?

    1. Honk and stay on its bumper
    2. Brake hard
    3. Change lanes quickly without checking
    4. Take your foot off the gas to make space
    Show answer

    Answer: Take your foot off the gas to make space

    If someone merges too close in front of you, take your foot off the accelerator. That opens up the space again, without braking hard.

  41. 41. You're behind a motorcycle and there are railroad tracks ahead. How much space do you leave?

    1. More than usual: on the rails the motorcycle may suddenly brake or change direction
    2. The same as for a car: the tracks don't change anything
    3. Not much: motorcycles are small and stop fast
    4. Pull up beside it in your lane so you're not behind it
    Show answer

    Answer: More than usual: on the rails the motorcycle may suddenly brake or change direction

    Behind a motorcycle, leave at least 3 seconds, as with any vehicle. And when it's about to cross railroad tracks, bridge gratings or gravel, leave even more space: there it may suddenly brake or change direction, or even fall. Never pass a motorcycle in its own lane.

  42. 42. You're behind a big rig, so close you can't see its side mirrors. What's going on and what do you do?

    1. Nothing: if you can see it, it can see you
    2. Pass it quickly on the right
    3. The driver can't see you: drop back until you can see the mirrors
    4. That's fine: the trailer blocks the wind for you
    Show answer

    Answer: The driver can't see you: drop back until you can see the mirrors

    If you can't see a truck's side mirrors, the driver can't see you: you're in its blind spot, its No Zone. And right behind it you can't see the road ahead. Drop back until you can see its mirrors.

  43. 43. It starts raining hard. The car ahead is about 3 seconds away. What do you do?

    1. Slow down and leave more space
    2. Keep going the same: 3 seconds is always enough
    3. Turn on your hazards and keep the same speed
    4. Move closer to follow its lights
    Show answer

    Answer: Slow down and leave more space

    In rain the road gets slippery and it takes longer to stop. Drive slower than on a dry road and leave more space to the car ahead: 3 seconds is the minimum in good weather. Turn on your lights so others can see you.

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