Speed Limits & Following Distance — Colorado

Colorado motorcycle permit practice test: 345 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: 14 questions. Updated

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 / MetricValue
TopicSpeed Limits & Following Distance
License testColorado Motorcycle permit test
Topic questions14 (4% of 345 total)
Review statusThis 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 Motorcycle manual link not yet collected

Advertisement

Questions (14)

1. Maintain an adequate following distance behind other vehicles:
  1. To allow you time and space to identify and react to hazards. ✓
  2. So you can tailgate.
  3. To allow for traffic counters to accurately count you as a vehicle.
  4. To encourage other drivers to cut you off.

Answer: A. To allow you time and space to identify and react to hazards.

Maintain an adequate following distance behind other vehicles to give yourself time and space to identify hazards and react to them. The manual ties safe riding to keeping a space cushion. It says riders should keep enough space to have time and distance to react to hazards, and it says you should think about your time and space needs to keep a margin of safety and give yourself time to react in an emergency. An adequate following distance behind other vehicles applies that same idea to traffic: it preserves room to see trouble develop and respond. The manual does not give counting devices or provoking other drivers as reasons for spacing.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 37
2. You should increase your following distance if:
  1. The pavement is dry.
  2. The pavement is wet. ✓
  3. You can see through the vehicle ahead of you.
  4. The sun is out.

Answer: B. The pavement is wet.

You should increase your following distance when the pavement is wet. The manual lists wet pavement as a surface with poor traction, especially just after rain starts. It also says that if the pavement is slippery, you should open up a three-second or more following distance instead of the normal two-second gap. A wet road is therefore the condition that calls for more space, because the manual ties slippery pavement directly to a larger space cushion.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
3. When riding with a passenger, the operator should:
  1. Maintain a longer following distance. ✓
  2. Increase their speed.
  3. Deflate the tires to accommodate the extra weight.
  4. Not warn passengers of impending hazards.

Answer: A. Maintain a longer following distance.

When riding with a passenger, maintain a longer following distance. The manual says a passenger changes how the motorcycle responds: it may take longer to speed up, slow down, or turn. With a passenger, you should ride a little slower, begin slowing sooner, and keep a larger space cushion when slowing or stopping. It also says to wait for bigger gaps in traffic. A longer following distance fits that same idea because the extra weight can lengthen stopping and slow your response. The manual does not tell you to go faster, change tire pressure, or hide hazards from your passenger.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 11
4. Usually, a minimum following distance of _____ should be maintained.
  1. One second
  2. Two seconds ✓
  3. Three seconds
  4. Four seconds

Answer: B. Two seconds

Normally, keep a minimum following distance of two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. The manual says that in normal traffic a motorcycle needs a minimum of two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. It treats following too closely as a frequent factor in motorcycle crashes, and it explains that this two-second gap gives you a minimum space to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. It also helps you see potholes and other road hazards. The manual allows a larger gap when conditions call for it, such as slippery pavement or heavy traffic, but the normal minimum it states is two seconds.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
5. Under ideal conditions, you should maintain a minimum following distance of:
  1. One second.
  2. Two seconds. ✓
  3. Three seconds.
  4. Four seconds.

Answer: B. Two seconds.

Under ideal conditions, maintain a minimum following distance of two seconds. The manual says following too closely is a common factor in motorcycle crashes, and in traffic a motorcycle needs as much stopping distance as a car. Its normal minimum gap is two seconds. The marker method confirms this: pick a fixed point, count as the vehicle ahead passes it, and if you reach the marker before you finish counting to two, you are too close. A two-second gap gives you a minimum space to stop or swerve if the driver ahead stops suddenly, and it helps you see road hazards.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
6. Usually, a good way to handle a tailgater is to:
  1. Move onto the shoulder to get out of their way.
  2. Speed up and put distance between you and the tailgater.
  3. Ignore them.
  4. Change lanes and let them pass. ✓

Answer: D. Change lanes and let them pass.

Change lanes and let the tailgater pass. The manual's tailgater guidance is to let the person behind you get by, and changing lanes is the clean way to do that. If letting them pass is not possible, it says to slow down and leave more room ahead so both you and the tailgater have space to stop; that also encourages them to pass. The point is to remove the close following and give yourself room to react if something develops ahead.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 17
7. When may you not need to increase your following distance?
  1. When the road is slippery
  2. When there is a lot of traffic
  3. When you can see through the vehicle in front of you ✓
  4. When it is raining

Answer: C. When you can see through the vehicle in front of you

You may not need to increase your following distance when you can see through the vehicle in front of you. The manual says a motorcycle normally needs at least a two-second following distance. It then lists when to open up to three seconds or more: when the pavement is slippery, when you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, or when heavy traffic means someone may squeeze in front of you. Being able to see through the vehicle removes the visibility reason for a bigger gap, so that condition alone does not require you to increase it.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
8. When riding at night you should:
  1. Increase your speed.
  2. Decrease your following distance.
  3. Use the vehicle in front of you to help see. ✓
  4. Wear tinted glasses.

Answer: C. Use the vehicle in front of you to help see.

Use the vehicle ahead of you to help you see the road. The manual says riding at night makes it harder to see and be seen. It tells you to reduce your speed, open up a following distance of three seconds or more, and use the car ahead because its headlights can give you a better view of the road than even your high beam can. It also says taillights bouncing can alert you to bumps or rough pavement. That is why using the vehicle in front to help you see fits the manual's night-riding advice.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 7
9. In which of the following situations should you increase your following distance?
  1. Traffic is light.
  2. Traffic is heavy. ✓
  3. You are able to see the roadway through vehicles in front of you.
  4. There is pleasant and clear weather.

Answer: B. Traffic is heavy.

Increase your following distance when traffic is heavy. The manual sets a normal minimum of two seconds behind a vehicle. It then says to open up a three-second or larger gap when traffic is heavy and another driver might pull into the space in front of you. A bigger cushion gives you more room to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. The same passage also calls for extra space on slippery pavement or when you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, but it does not list light traffic or clear weather as reasons to lengthen the gap.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
10. Usually, a good way to handle tailgaters is to:
  1. Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
  2. Come to a complete stop.
  3. Speed up to put distance between you and the tailgater.
  4. Ignore them.

Answer: A. Change lanes and let them pass.

Change lanes and let the tailgater pass. The manual's advice for a tailgater is to let that person pass. It also gives a fallback: if you cannot do that, ease off and leave more room in front so both you and the tailgater have space to stop, which may also encourage a pass. It adds that turning off the road or using a parking area are other ways to handle it. This supports changing lanes to let them pass rather than stopping, speeding up, or simply ignoring them.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 17
Practice this topic
Advertisement

Source

Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source

Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook