When you are behind a motorcycle, you should:
- Be ready to use your horn.
- Drive more slowly.
- Allow a larger following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Allow a larger following distance.
When you are behind a motorcycle, allow a larger following distance so you have room to react.
Why this is the answer
The California Driver Handbook tells drivers to keep a safe three-second following distance when riding behind a motorcycle. That gap is what gives you time to stop or steer if the rider brakes suddenly or falls. The handbook also notes that road conditions can make motorcyclists change speed or direction without much warning, so the extra room is a cushion you build in on purpose rather than something you get by luck.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Be ready to use your horn. — The handbook never tells you to prepare to sound your horn behind a motorcycle; the guidance is about spacing, seeing the rider, and giving them room.
- B. Drive more slowly. — Slowing down is not the handbook's instruction here; it says to keep a safe three-second following distance, which is about the gap, not about driving below the flow of traffic.
Remember it
Picture the three-second count as a bubble around the motorcycle — if you can count three before you reach the spot the rider just left, your bubble is big enough.