Speed Limits & Following Distance — Alabama
Alabama CDL practice test: 447 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: 17 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 | Alabama CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 17 (4% of 447 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 (17)
1. Trailers with low underneath clearance may be difficult to drive:
- On interstate highways.
- Over railroad crossings. ✓
- On dirt roads.
- At the posted speed limit.
Answer: B. Over railroad crossings.
Trailers with low underneath clearance can be hard to drive over railroad crossings, where the trailer may get hung up on the tracks. The handbook points to railroad crossings as a special problem for trailers that sit low to the ground. It warns that you should not gamble on getting hung up halfway across the tracks. The clearance between the trailer's underside and the road surface is what matters at the raised rails and crossing surface, and that same warning appears both in the driving safely section and in the combination vehicles section, so the risk is tied to crossings rather than to open highway driving.
2. When driving a tank:
- Curves should be taken faster than the posted speed limit.
- Curves should be taken more slowly than the posted speed limit. ✓
- If there are two lanes of traffic, the tank should use both lanes.
Answer: B. Curves should be taken more slowly than the posted speed limit.
Take curves more slowly than the posted speed limit when driving a tank. The handbook says liquid tankers are top-heavy and easy to roll over. It notes that tests have shown tankers can turn over at the speed limits posted for curves, so you should take highway curves and on-ramp or off-ramp curves well below the posted speeds. That directly supports slowing down rather than trying to match or beat the sign.
3. You should maintain at least ____ of following distance per every 10 feet of your vehicle when you are traveling more slowly than 40 mph.
- One second ✓
- Two seconds
- Three seconds
Answer: A. One second
You should keep at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of your vehicle when traveling below 40 mph. The handbook gives a simple space-ahead rule: below 40 mph, allow at least one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length. It illustrates this with a 40-foot vehicle needing 4 seconds and a 60-foot vehicle needing 6 seconds. When speed goes above 40 mph, the handbook says to add one more second. The bank answer matches that rule for speeds under 40 mph.
4. While operating on a downgrade, you should brake until you reach a speed that is:
- 5 mph below your safe speed. ✓
- 10 mph below your safe speed.
- 15 mph below your safe speed.
Answer: A. 5 mph below your safe speed.
Brake until you are about 5 mph below your safe speed, then release the brakes. The handbook describes the braking technique for a long or steep downgrade. With the vehicle in the proper low gear, the engine does most of the slowing and the brakes are only a supplement. You apply the brakes enough to cause a clear slowdown, then release them once your speed is roughly five mph under your safe speed. When speed rises back to the safe speed, you repeat the process. That makes five mph below safe speed the release point.
5. When traveling down a downgrade, the speed of a vehicle will likely:
- Decrease.
- Not change.
- Increase. ✓
- Match the speed of traffic.
Answer: C. Increase.
6. When driving a 50-foot truck at 50 mph, your minimum following distance should be:
- Four seconds.
- Five seconds.
- Six seconds. ✓
Answer: C. Six seconds.
At 50 mph in a 50-foot truck, allow at least six seconds of following distance. The handbook's following-distance rule starts with one second for every ten feet of vehicle length, so a 50-foot truck gets a five-second base. It then says to add one second when your speed is above 40 mph. At 50 mph, that extra second brings the minimum to six seconds. The same passage shows the pattern with a 40-foot truck: four seconds normally, or five seconds over 40 mph.
7. A sign indicating a maximum safe speed:
- Is suggesting a driving speed, but vehicles may travel faster than the posted speed.
- Is suggesting a speed limit to be followed only by vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.
- Should be followed and no vehicle should travel faster than the posted speed. ✓
- Is only applicable to automobiles.
Answer: C. Should be followed and no vehicle should travel faster than the posted speed.
A sign indicating a maximum safe speed should be followed, and no vehicle should travel faster than the posted speed. The handbook says that when there is a sign indicating "Maximum Safe Speed," you should never exceed the speed shown. It treats that sign as a speed you must stay at or below, not as a casual suggestion. So the safe and proper action is to follow the posted maximum safe speed and not go faster than it.
8. What is the number one cause of death and injury in work zones?
- Speeding drivers ✓
- Careless behavior by construction workers
- Drivers driving too slowly
- Equipment placed in the roadway
Answer: A. Speeding drivers
Speeding drivers are the number one cause of death and injury in work zones. The handbook states plainly that speeding traffic is the leading cause of injury and death in roadway work zones. That is why it tells you to watch the posted limits when you approach and drive through a work zone, to keep an eye on your speedometer so it does not creep up through long construction sections, and to slow further in bad weather or when a worker is close to the road.
9. Stopping distance can be affected by:
- Speed. ✓
- Sunshine.
- Time of day.
- Traffic.
Answer: A. Speed.
Speed affects stopping distance: the faster you drive, the longer the braking distance becomes. The handbook's stopping-distance section says that when speed goes up, braking distance grows, and it gives the example that doubling speed makes braking distance four times longer. It also says slowing down reduces braking distance. The stopping-distance formula adds perception, reaction, and braking distance, so the speed-related braking part is a direct factor. The handbook does not present sunshine or time of day as factors in stopping distance.
10. If another driver is tailgating you, you should:
- Move into the left lane.
- Speed up.
- Increase the distance between you and the vehicle ahead. ✓
Answer: C. Increase the distance between you and the vehicle ahead.
When someone is tailgating you, increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. The handbook lists increasing your following distance as one of the things to do when you are being tailgated. Opening up room in front of you means you won't have to make sudden speed or direction changes, and it also gives the tailgater an easier chance to get around you. The same section warns against speeding up, since being tailgated at a low speed is safer than at a high speed, and it says to avoid tricks like flashing brake lights or turning on taillights.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook