If a road is slippery, maintain a following distance that is:
- No different than normal.
- Farther from the car ahead than normal. ✓
- Closer to the car ahead than normal.
Answer: B. Farther from the car ahead than normal.
When the road is slippery, keep a following distance that is farther from the car ahead than normal.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says rain, snow, or mud can make roads slippery, and in that situation you should drive slower than on a dry road and leave more space between your car and the vehicle in front. The general following-distance guidance in the handbook is about giving yourself time to react if the driver ahead brakes suddenly or makes a mistake. Extra space in slippery conditions fits that same idea: the gap you normally keep is not enough when traction is poor.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. No different than normal. — Keeping the same distance as normal ignores the handbook's instruction to allow more space when the road is slippery.
- C. Closer to the car ahead than normal. — Moving closer than normal cuts your reaction time and goes against the handbook's advice to allow more space in slippery conditions.
Remember it
Think of a slippery road as needing a bigger cushion: the less grip you have, the more room you leave.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 8: Safe Driving, p. 61