Speed Limits & Following Distance — Alabama
Alabama motorcycle permit practice test: 325 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: 19 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 Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 19 (6% of 325 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 (19)
1. The best way to stay out of trouble while riding a motorcycle is to:
- Look well ahead of your motorcycle. ✓
- Avoid high-density traffic areas.
- Ride at speeds faster than the speed limit.
Answer: A. Look well ahead of your motorcycle.
The best way to stay out of trouble while riding is to look well ahead of your motorcycle, scanning the road far in front of you rather than just at the pavement right in front of the wheel. The manual puts looking well ahead right into its riding technique. When it describes maximum straight-line braking, it tells you to keep your body centered and look well ahead, not down, because that keeps the motorcycle straight and reduces lean angle and the chance the tires lose traction. It also advises planning well ahead so you don't need sudden turns or swerving. Looking far down the road is what lets you spot trouble early enough to brake or adjust smoothly instead of reacting at the last second.
2. When riding at night:
- Ride on the shoulder of the road.
- Decrease your following distance.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Increase your following distance.
When riding at night, increase your following distance, opening up a three-second gap or more. The manual explains that at night it is harder to see and be seen, and that distances are harder to judge because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrasts to tell how far away something is and how fast it is approaching. Its listed response is to open up a three-second following distance or more at night, and to allow more room when passing or being passed. A larger gap matches the reduced ability to judge distance after dark.
3. Which of the following is not a benefit of maintaining a space cushion between your motorcycle and other vehicles?
- You will have time to react to hazards.
- You will have space to maneuver.
- You will have more time to accelerate when entering a curve. ✓
Answer: C. You will have more time to accelerate when entering a curve.
The statement that is not a benefit is that you will have more time to accelerate when entering a curve. The manual ties a space cushion to having time to react to conditions, as when it says riders use single file on an off-ramp for better space cushion and reaction time. It does not describe a cushion as giving you extra time to speed up as you enter a curve. Its curve guidance is to slow before entering a corner or curve, then accelerate gradually as you exit. So having more time to accelerate on curve entry is not a space-cushion benefit.
4. When attempting to pass another vehicle, you should:
- Ride within the posted speed limits. ✓
- Exceed the posted speed limit to complete the pass, but not by more than 10 mph.
- Pass more than one vehicle at a time.
Answer: A. Ride within the posted speed limits.
When you pass another vehicle, you must finish the pass within the posted speed limit. The passing section of the manual walks you through the move: set up in the left portion of the lane at a safe following distance, signal, check mirrors and turn your head for the blind spot, then move into the left lane and accelerate. It closes by saying passes must be completed within posted speed limits and only where permitted. So speed is one of the limits on a pass, not something you get to trade away to finish it faster.
5. Usually a good way to handle tailgaters is to:
- Get off the roadway.
- Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
- Ride faster.
Answer: B. Change lanes and let them pass.
Change lanes and let the tailgater pass. The manual's tailgater item gives the answer as changing lanes and letting the tailgater pass. The rider section also says to let them pass; if you cannot, it says to slow down and open extra space ahead, and it mentions turning off the roadway as a fallback. That makes changing lanes and letting them pass the usual response, rather than trying to outrun the vehicle behind you.
6. When passing a vehicle, you:
- May exceed the speed limit by 10 mph.
- Must not exceed the speed limit. ✓
- Are required to ride faster than the speed limit.
Answer: B. Must not exceed the speed limit.
7. In areas where dangers could be present, a motorcyclist should:
- Maintain their speed.
- Assume they will be safe.
- Cover the clutch and both brake levers to reduce their reaction time. ✓
Answer: C. Cover the clutch and both brake levers to reduce their reaction time.
In areas where dangers could be present, cover the clutch and both brake levers so you can react faster. The manual names intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones as places where risk is higher. In those settings it says to cover the clutch and both brakes. Having your hands already on those controls shortens the time it takes to brake or use the clutch when something happens. Another page gives the same advice as a way to cut reaction time. That is why the correct choice is the one about covering the clutch and both brake levers.
8. When being followed by a tailgater, you should:
- Change lanes and let them pass or slow down to allow for more space ahead of your motorcycle. ✓
- Ignore them.
- Increase your speed.
Answer: A. Change lanes and let them pass or slow down to allow for more space ahead of your motorcycle.
Change lanes and let the tailgater pass; if you cannot, slow down and leave more space ahead of your motorcycle. The manual says a good way to handle a tailgater is to change lanes and let them pass. If that is not possible, slow down and open extra space ahead so both you and the tailgater have room to stop. That extra space also encourages the tailgater to pass, and if they do not, it gives both of you more time and room to react to an emergency ahead.
9. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Ride more slowly than the speed limit.
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Cover the clutch and the brakes. ✓
Answer: C. Cover the clutch and the brakes.
To reduce your reaction time, cover the clutch and the brakes. The manual's review question names covering the clutch lever and the brakes as the way to cut reaction time. A later section also says to cover the clutch and both brakes in potential high-risk areas, such as intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones, so you need less time to react. The manual does not present riding below the speed limit or shifting into neutral as reaction-time measures.
10. When riding at night, maintain a minimum following distance of:
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds. ✓
- Four seconds.
Answer: B. Three seconds.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook