When driving in work zones, you should:
- Follow the driver in front of you closely.
- Pass the driver in front of you as soon as you can.
- Avoid tailgating and keep a safe following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Avoid tailgating and keep a safe following distance.
In work zones you should avoid tailgating and keep a safe following distance behind the vehicle ahead.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that tailgating blocks your view of the road and leaves you too little time to react if the car in front brakes suddenly. It recommends the three-second rule for a safe following distance, and it notes that leaving that gap gives you time to respond when another driver makes a mistake. Keeping that space is the safe habit to carry into a work zone, where traffic can slow or stop without much warning. The passages do not name work zones directly, so this is a general following-distance rule applied to that setting.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Follow the driver in front of you closely. — Following closely is tailgating, which the handbook says cuts your view and your reaction time if the driver ahead brakes suddenly.
- B. Pass the driver in front of you as soon as you can. — The handbook gives no instruction to hurry past the car ahead in a work zone, and rushing into a pass is not what it teaches about space and reaction time.
Remember it
Think of the three-second gap as your own bubble of reaction time, and keep it even when traffic around you crowds up.