Speed Limits & Following Distance — Ontario
Ontario commercial knowledge test practice: 242 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 11 questions.
Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Speed Limits & Following Distance |
| License test | Ontario Commercial knowledge tests (Class A–F, Z air brake) |
| Topic questions | 11 (5% of 242 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
Not yet verified
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Questions (11)
1. If the speed of your vehicle is doubled, how will the braking distance be affected?
- It will be quadrupled ✓
- It will be halved
- It will remain the same
- It will be doubled
Answer: A. It will be quadrupled
If your speed is doubled, the braking distance is quadrupled. The handbook says stopping distance rises faster than speed. It gives the specific example that when speed is doubled, stopping distance increases by four times, and its diagram says double the speed, quadruple your stopping distance. That leads directly to quadrupled braking distance when speed doubles. The passages speak about stopping distance rather than braking distance alone, but the handbook's rule for this speed change is clear.
2. What is a normal reaction time for a driver?
- 0.5 seconds
- 1.5 seconds
- 0.75 seconds ✓
- 1 second
Answer: C. 0.75 seconds
3. If you double both your vehicle's weight and speed, by how much will the stopping distance increase?
- Two times
- Eight times ✓
- Six times
- Four times
Answer: B. Eight times
Doubling both weight and speed increases stopping distance by eight times. The handbook treats the two effects separately and then combines them. Doubling speed makes stopping distance four times longer, while doubling weight makes it twice as long. Applying both changes together multiplies those effects, so the stopping distance becomes eight times greater. That is why the answer is eight times, not simply twice or four times.
4. Assuming good traction and constant vehicle weight, if you double your speed, your vehicle's braking distance will be
- quadrupled. ✓
- doubled.
- eight times as long.
- tripled.
Answer: A. quadrupled.
If you double your speed with good traction and constant weight, your braking distance is quadrupled. The handbook passage says that as vehicle speed rises, stopping distance grows faster than the speed change. It gives the specific example that when speed is doubled, stopping distance increases by four times. Since the question keeps traction good and vehicle weight constant, speed is the factor being changed, so the braking distance becomes four times as long.
5. When performing a lane change, you should stay within _______ of the posted speed limit.
- 15 km/h
- 20 km/h
- 10 km/h ✓
- 5 km/h
Answer: C. 10 km/h
When you change lanes, you should stay within 10 km/h of the posted speed limit, as long as conditions allow and you do not go over the limit. The handbook's lane change section says to operate within 10 km/h of the posted speed limit if conditions permit, without exceeding the posted limit. Keeping your speed close to the limit while you signal, check mirrors and move over keeps the traffic pattern around you predictable. Going much slower or faster than the surrounding traffic makes the move harder for others to read, and the handbook warns that hesitating lets traffic patterns change during the lane change.
6. Which of the following can increase your vehicle's stopping distance (i.e., the length of your danger zone)?
- Bad weather
- Heavy loads
- Faster speeds
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
All of the above can increase stopping distance: bad weather, heavy loads and faster speeds. The handbook says bad weather requires you to change your driving procedures and adjust speed to road, weather and traffic conditions, and that in bad weather you need extra space to brake safely. It also explains that increasing weight or speed raises the demand on the brakes: stopping distance grows with vehicle weight, and when speed doubles the stopping distance goes up four times. So weather, load and speed all affect how far a truck needs to stop.
7. Generally the safest drivers are those who
- have the best reaction time.
- adjust their driving to the conditions. ✓
- always stay within the law.
- have the best vision.
Answer: B. adjust their driving to the conditions.
The safest drivers are those who adjust their driving to the conditions. The handbook says bad weather means you must change your driving procedures, and it tells truck drivers to match speed to the road, weather and traffic. It also says you must stay aware of conditions so you can make needed changes in speed and position. That is why the safest drivers are the ones who adapt their driving to what is happening around them rather than relying on one fixed habit.
8. The minimum following distance for a taxi or ride-hailing (e.g., Uber) vehicle is
- 2 seconds. ✓
- 5 seconds.
- 4 seconds.
- 3 seconds.
Answer: A. 2 seconds.
9. When travelling at over 60 km/h (40 mph), a bus driver must maintain a following distance of at least _________ behind the vehicle ahead, except when passing.
- 150 metres (500 feet)
- 60 metres (200 feet) ✓
- 120 metres (400 feet)
- 30 metres (100 feet)
Answer: B. 60 metres (200 feet)
At speeds over 60 km/h (40 mph), the driver must stay at least 60 metres (200 feet) behind the vehicle ahead, unless passing. The handbook sets one minimum gap for commercial motor vehicles on a highway: at least 60 metres (200 feet) from the vehicle in front whenever the speed is above 60 km/h (40 mph), with passing another vehicle as the exception. It states this distance directly, so no guessing or converting is needed — the rule names both the speed trigger and the gap that goes with it.
10. Assuming good traction and constant vehicle speed, if you double your vehicle's weight, your vehicle's braking distance will be
- tripled.
- quadrupled.
- eight times as long.
- doubled. ✓
Answer: D. doubled.
Doubling your vehicle's weight will double your braking distance, assuming good traction and constant speed. The Air Brake Handbook passage says stopping distance increases in proportion to any increase in vehicle weight, and its diagram labels doubling vehicle weight as doubling stopping distance. With traction good and speed held constant, the only change is the weight, so the brake system must do more work but the distance grows in that same proportional way. That supports the doubled result rather than a larger multiplier.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook