Speed Limits & Following Distance — Maryland
Maryland CDL practice test: 460 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: 18 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 | Maryland CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 18 (4% of 460 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (18)
1. What is the number one cause of death and injury in a work zone?
- Drivers speeding ✓
- Slow drivers
- Animals crossing the road
Answer: A. Drivers speeding
The number one cause is drivers speeding. The work zone section of the handbook names speeding as the leading source of injuries and deaths in roadway work zones. It tells you to watch the posted limit when you approach and drive through the zone, to keep checking your speedometer so your speed does not creep up on long construction stretches, and to slow further for bad weather, poor road conditions, or a worker close to the roadway. That is why speeding is the answer.
2. What is the average driver’s reaction time?
- 1/16 of a second
- 1/8 of a second
- 3/4 of a second ✓
Answer: C. 3/4 of a second
The average driver's reaction time is 3/4 of a second, which is the low end of the range the handbook gives. The handbook's discussion of stopping distance breaks the total into perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance. For reaction distance, it states that the average driver takes 3/4 second to 1 second to react before physically hitting the brakes, and notes that at 55 mph this accounts for 61 feet of travel. Since 3/4 of a second is the figure the handbook lists first for an average driver, it is the answer here. Reaction time is separate from perception time, which the handbook puts at 1 3/4 seconds for an alert driver.
3. Stopping distance can be affected by:
- Speed. ✓
- Engine oil.
- Time of day.
- Traffic.
Answer: A. Speed.
Stopping distance can be affected by speed. The handbook ties stopping distance to how fast you are going. Figure 2.11 shows that when you double your speed, braking distance becomes four times longer, and high speeds greatly increase stopping distances. It also says that slowing down reduces braking distance. So among these choices, speed is the factor that directly changes the distance your vehicle needs to stop.
4. If you are being tailgated, you should:
- Drive on the shoulder.
- Pull off the roadway.
- Drive faster.
- Allow the vehicle to pass. ✓
Answer: D. Allow the vehicle to pass.
If you are being tailgated, allow the vehicle to pass by holding a steady, low speed and leaving extra room in front of you so the tailgater can get around. The handbook lists specific responses for a tailgater: avoid quick changes by signaling early and slowing gradually, open up your following distance, and do not speed up. It notes that extra room ahead both reduces your need for sudden moves and makes it easier for the tailgater to get past you. So the goal is not to escape the tailgater but to make passing them easy and predictable. The handbook also warns against tricks like flashing brake lights or turning on taillights.
5. A highway curve should be taken:
- At or slightly above the posted speed limit.
- At the posted speed limit.
- Well below the posted speed limit. ✓
Answer: C. Well below the posted speed limit.
A highway curve should be taken well below the posted speed limit. The tank vehicle section warns that liquid tankers are top-heavy and easy to roll over, and that tests have shown tankers can turn over at the posted speed for a curve. It directly says to take highway curves and ramp curves well below the posted speeds. The driving safely section adds that a high-center-of-gravity truck can roll over at the posted curve speed, so you should slow to a safe speed before entering the curve.
6. If braking at a speed of 55 mph while driving on dry pavement, the brake lag can add ____ to your vehicle's total stopping distance.
- 32 feet ✓
- 15 feet
- 50 feet
- 10 feet
Answer: A. 32 feet
Brake lag at 55 mph on dry pavement adds about 32 feet to your total stopping distance. The handbook explains that with air brakes there is a delay called brake lag, the time it takes for air to move through the lines and reach the brakes after you push the pedal. Because of that delay, the vehicle keeps rolling a little before the brakes actually work. The handbook puts that added lag distance at roughly 32 feet when you are going 55 mph on dry pavement, and it lists brake lag distance as one of the four pieces of total stopping distance.
7. When driving a 50-foot truck at 50 mph, your minimum following distance should be:
- Four seconds.
- Five seconds.
- Six seconds. ✓
Answer: C. Six seconds.
At 50 mph in a 50-foot truck, allow at least six seconds of following distance. The handbook's following-distance rule starts with one second for every ten feet of vehicle length, so a 50-foot truck gets a five-second base. It then says to add one second when your speed is above 40 mph. At 50 mph, that extra second brings the minimum to six seconds. The same passage shows the pattern with a 40-foot truck: four seconds normally, or five seconds over 40 mph.
8. A driver should always:
- Stay in one lane.
- Have an emergency plan. ✓
- Stay in the left lane.
- Travel faster than the speed limit.
Answer: B. Have an emergency plan.
A driver should always have an emergency plan. The handbook says you should always be looking for hazards because they may turn into emergencies. It tells you to plan a way out, think about what could develop, and be ready to act on that plan. That is what having an emergency plan means: you have already decided what you would do before trouble develops. The passage presents this as part of being a prepared, defensive driver, so it fits the general rule better than the other choices.
9. Trailers with low underneath clearance may be difficult to drive:
- On interstate highways.
- Over railroad crossings. ✓
- On dirt roads.
- At the posted speed limit.
Answer: B. Over railroad crossings.
Trailers with low underneath clearance can be hard to drive over railroad crossings, where the trailer may get hung up on the tracks. The handbook points to railroad crossings as a special problem for trailers that sit low to the ground. It warns that you should not gamble on getting hung up halfway across the tracks. The clearance between the trailer's underside and the road surface is what matters at the raised rails and crossing surface, and that same warning appears both in the driving safely section and in the combination vehicles section, so the risk is tied to crossings rather than to open highway driving.
10. When traveling more slowly than 40 mph, maintain at least ____ of following distance per every 10 feet of your vehicle.
- One second ✓
- Two seconds
- Three seconds
- Four seconds
Answer: A. One second
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook