Speed Limits & Following Distance — Montana
Montana motorcycle permit practice test: 346 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: 16 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 | Montana Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 16 (5% of 346 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 (16)
1. If carrying a load in a sidecar, the motorcycle's stopping distance:
- May be increased. ✓
- May be decreased.
- Is not a concern.
- Will be similar to the stopping distance of a two-wheeled motorcycle.
Answer: A. May be increased.
Carrying a load in a sidecar may increase the motorcycle's stopping distance. The manual says that when a three-wheel motorcycle or sidecar rig is loaded, performance can drop and stopping distances can become longer, so you should allow extra distance. That directly supports the idea that the distance needed to stop may increase. The passage about securing and placing sidecar loads does not give a stopping-distance rule by itself, but it reinforces that a sidecar load changes how the vehicle handles.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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. To reduce the amount of time you need to react to a hazard, you should:
- Always ride under the speed limit.
- Cover the clutch and brakes. ✓
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Pull the clutch when turning.
Answer: B. Cover the clutch and brakes.
Cover the clutch and both brakes so you're ready to act the moment something develops. The manual tells riders that in potential high-risk areas — intersections, shopping areas, school and construction zones — you should cover the clutch and both brakes. Having your hands and foot already in position on the controls shortens the time it takes you to respond when a hazard appears. The same page of the manual asks directly how to reduce reaction time and gives covering the clutch lever and brakes as the answer, so this is the manual's own rule rather than a guess.
6. When riding with a passenger, the operator should:
- Maintain a longer following distance. ✓
- Increase their speed.
- Deflate the tires to accommodate the extra weight.
- 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.
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. 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. When passing another vehicle:
- The pass may be completed in a no passing zone.
- The rider may travel up to 10 mph over the speed limit to complete the pass.
- The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone. ✓
- The pass must be completed on the shoulder, if one is present.
Answer: C. The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone.
The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone, because the manual says passes are allowed only where permitted. The manual's passing steps end with a plain rule: passes must be completed within posted speed limits and only where permitted, and it tells you to know your signs and roadway markings. A passing zone is exactly the place where the markings permit passing, so the whole maneuver, from pulling out to returning to your lane, has to fit inside that permitted stretch. If the zone ends before you are back in your lane, you were passing where it is not allowed.
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 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook