Speed Limits & Following Distance — Louisiana
Louisiana motorcycle permit practice test: 331 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: 19 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 | Louisiana Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 19 (6% of 331 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 (19)
1. 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.
2. When riding at night, a motorcyclist should maintain a minimum following distance of:
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds. ✓
- Four seconds.
- Five seconds.
Answer: B. Three seconds.
3. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Ride under the speed limit.
- Cover the clutch and brakes. ✓
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Accelerate before turning.
Answer: B. Cover the clutch and brakes.
Cover the clutch and the brakes so you are ready to act the moment something develops. The manual names covering the clutch lever and both brakes as the way to cut the time you need to react. It points to high-risk spots in particular, such as intersections, shopping areas, school zones and construction zones. With your hands already on the controls, you are not spending a beat moving them into place before you can brake or pull in the clutch. The same habit is repeated for approaching an intersection where a driver may cross your path.
4. 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.
5. When riding under ideal conditions, you should maintain a minimum following distance of:
- One second.
- Two seconds. ✓
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds.
Answer: B. Two seconds.
Under ideal conditions, you should keep a minimum following distance of two seconds. The manual says a motorcycle normally needs a minimum two-second gap when following a vehicle, and it describes a two-second gap as the least space needed to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. It also says to count seconds after the rear of the vehicle passes a marker; reaching the marker before you finish counting to two means you are too close. The two-second figure is the normal minimum, while slippery pavement, poor view through the vehicle, or heavy traffic call for more.
6. Usually, a good way to handle tailgaters is to:
- Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
- Come to a complete stop.
- Speed up to put distance between you and the tailgater.
- 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.
7. 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.
8. When riding at night you should:
- Increase your speed.
- Decrease your following distance.
- Use the vehicle in front of you to help see. ✓
- 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.
9. Maintain an adequate following distance behind other vehicles:
- To allow you time and space to identify and react to hazards. ✓
- So you can tailgate.
- To allow for traffic counters to accurately count you as a vehicle.
- 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.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook