Speed Limits & Following Distance — Indiana
Indiana motorcycle permit practice test: 351 free practice questions (4 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 17 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 | Indiana Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 17 (5% of 351 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
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Questions (17)
1. When riding with a passenger, you should do all of the following, except:
- Ride more slowly than you would normally.
- Start slowing earlier than you would normally.
- Increase your following distance.
- Not communicate with the passenger while riding. ✓
Answer: D. Not communicate with the passenger while riding.
You should not stop communicating with your passenger; that is the exception. You should not stop communicating with your passenger. The manual says to instruct your passenger on the basics before starting the trip, so talking with a passenger is expected. It also says a passenger changes how the motorcycle responds and tells you to ride a little slower, begin slowing earlier, and keep a larger space cushion or wait for larger gaps. Those are the passenger adjustments the manual lists; silence is not one of them.
2. What can help reduce the risk of a head or neck injury in the event of a crash?
- Riding on the shoulder
- Riding under the speed limit
- Wearing a helmet ✓
- Not allowing a passenger on the motorcycle
Answer: C. Wearing a helmet
Wearing a helmet is what can help reduce the risk of a head or neck injury in a crash. The manual says one in five motorcycle crashes causes head or neck injuries, and those injuries account for most serious and fatal motorcyclist injuries. It also states that, with few exceptions, properly wearing a quality helmet reduces head and neck injuries, and that a helmet can cut their number and severity. That is why the helmet choice fits the question: the manual treats a securely fastened, quality helmet as the most important thing you can do to improve your chances in a crash.
3. Increase your following distance:
- If the roadway is slippery. ✓
- If there are only a few vehicles on the roadway.
- If the sun is shining.
- If drivers are following the speed limit.
Answer: A. If the roadway is slippery.
Increase your following distance if the roadway is slippery. The manual gives a two-second following distance as the minimum space to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. It says to open up a three-second or more following distance when the pavement is slippery, when you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, or when traffic is heavy and someone may squeeze in front of you. On a slippery road, your motorcycle needs more distance to stop, so the slippery-roadway choice is the one that calls for more following space.
4. If someone is tailgating you, you should:
- Ride faster to shake them.
- Alert the local police.
- Ride on the shoulder of the road.
- Allow them to pass. ✓
Answer: D. Allow them to pass.
Allow the tailgating driver to pass you. The manual treats a tailgater as someone you want in front of you, not behind you. It says to let the person pass. If that is not possible, slow down and leave more room ahead so both of you have stopping space; that gap can also make passing easier. It also mentions leaving the road or using a parking area. Those steps point to allowing the pass rather than speeding away.
5. When riding under normal conditions, maintain a minimum following distance of:
- One second.
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds. ✓
Answer: D. Four seconds.
6. Usually, a good way to handle a tailgater is to:
- Move onto the shoulder to get out of their way.
- Speed up and put distance between you and the tailgater.
- Ignore them.
- 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.
7. You should increase your following distance if:
- The pavement is dry.
- The pavement is wet. ✓
- You can see through the vehicle ahead of you.
- 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.
8. How does the stopping distance for motorcycles compare to the stopping distance for cars?
- Cars need much longer to stop.
- Cars need a little longer to stop.
- Motorcycles need longer to stop.
- Both motorcycles and cars take about the same amount of time to stop. ✓
Answer: D. Both motorcycles and cars take about the same amount of time to stop.
Motorcycles and cars take about the same amount of time and distance to stop, so a rider should not count on stopping shorter than the car behind expects. The manual says plainly that in traffic, a motorcycle needs as much distance to stop as a car. That is why the same two-second following gap applies when you ride behind another vehicle: the space is measured for the stop you would actually need, not for a shorter one. So the idea that a bike can always pull up in a shorter distance than a car is wrong, and you should plan your following distance the same way a car driver would.
9. A good way to handle tailgaters is to:
- Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
- Ignore them.
- Use your horn and make obscene gestures.
- Speed up to put distance between you and the tailgater.
Answer: A. Change lanes and let them pass.
Change lanes and let the tailgater pass. The manual's advice on tailgaters starts with moving out of the way so the other driver can get by. If you can't change lanes and let them pass, the next step it gives is to slow down and open extra room ahead, so both you and the tailgater have space to stop and the follower is encouraged to go around. Turning off the road and coming back later, or pulling into a parking area, is also listed as a way to handle it. The point is to give yourself room instead of staying boxed in.
10. Normally, you should maintain a following distance of:
- One second.
- Two seconds. ✓
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds.
Answer: B. Two seconds.
Normally, keep a two-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead. The manual says following too closely is a common factor in motorcycle crashes and that motorcycles need as much stopping distance as cars. It sets a minimum of two seconds in normal traffic. To check it, pick a fixed marker and count one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two when the rear of the vehicle ahead passes it. If you get there before the count of two, you are too close. The two-second gap gives you a minimum space to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly and helps you see road hazards.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · 4 official sample questions · Official driver handbook