Speed Limits & Following Distance — New Hampshire
New Hampshire motorcycle permit practice test: 338 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 | New Hampshire Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 19 (6% of 338 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 (19)
1. When following another vehicle as a beginning rider, you should:
- Maintain a minimum four-second following distance. ✓
- Get as close to the other vehicle as possible.
- Never be concerned about your following distance.
- 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.
2. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Ride slower than the speed limit.
- Cover the clutch and the brakes. ✓
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Pull in the clutch when turning.
Answer: B. Cover the clutch and the brakes.
Cover the clutch and the brakes to shorten how long you take to react. The manual gives this exact question and marks covering the clutch lever and the brakes as the answer. Its later advice says that in high-risk places, such as intersections and shopping areas, you should cover the clutch and both brakes to cut the time you need to respond. It repeats the same idea for intersections, where covering the clutch lever and both brakes reduces reaction time. So the bank answer matches the handbook's own guidance.
3. When may you not need to increase your following distance?
- When the road is slippery
- When there is a lot of traffic
- When you can see through the vehicle in front of you ✓
- 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Under normal circumstances, maintain a following distance of at least:
- One second.
- Two seconds. ✓
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds.
Answer: B. Two seconds.
8. Taking a turn too fast:
- Is acceptable as long as you stay under the speed limit.
- Is safer on a motorcycle than in a car.
- Is acceptable as long as no vehicles are near you.
- Can cause you to end up in another lane or leave the road. ✓
Answer: D. Can cause you to end up in another lane or leave the road.
Taking a turn too fast can cause you to end up in another lane or leave the road. The manual says riders often enter turns and curves too fast. When the motorcycle cannot hold the turn, the rider may cross into another lane of traffic or go off the road. The same passage adds that a rider may react by braking too hard, which can cause a skid and loss of control. The answer matches that direct warning about what happens when speed is too high for the turn.
9. 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.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook