Speed Limits & Following Distance — Maryland

Maryland motorcycle permit practice test: 341 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: 20 questions. Updated

Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.

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Topic / MetricValue
TopicSpeed Limits & Following Distance
License testMaryland Motorcycle permit test
Topic questions20 (6% of 341 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

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Questions (20)

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. When riding 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, 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
5. 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
6. How does the stopping distance for motorcycles compare to the stopping distance for cars?
  1. Cars need much longer to stop.
  2. Cars need a little longer to stop.
  3. Motorcycles need longer to stop.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
7. Increase your following distance:
  1. If the roadway is slippery. ✓
  2. If there are only a few vehicles on the roadway.
  3. If the sun is shining.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
8. If someone is tailgating you, you should:
  1. Ride faster to shake them.
  2. Alert the local police.
  3. Ride on the shoulder of the road.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 17
9. Under normal riding conditions, maintain a safe following distance of at least:
  1. One second
  2. Two seconds. ✓
  3. Three seconds.
  4. Four seconds.

Answer: B. Two seconds.

Under normal riding conditions, keep at least a two-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead. The manual treats following too closely as a common factor in motorcycle crashes and points out that a motorcycle needs about the same stopping distance as a car. So it sets a normal minimum of two seconds when following a vehicle. You can check yourself with a fixed marker: when the rear of the vehicle ahead passes it, count one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two; reaching the marker before you finish counting means you are too close.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
10. When following another vehicle as a beginning rider, you should:
  1. Maintain a minimum four-second following distance. ✓
  2. Get as close to the other vehicle as possible.
  3. Never be concerned about your following distance.
  4. Always ride in the left portion of the lane so the driver can easily see you.

Answer: A. Maintain a minimum four-second following distance.

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

Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook