Speed Limits & Following Distance — New Jersey
New Jersey motorcycle permit practice test: 566 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: 32 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 Jersey Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 32 (6% of 566 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 (32)
1. 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.
2. When riding at night, how should your following distance compare to your following distance during the day?
- You should allow a longer following distance when following another vehicle at night. ✓
- You should allow a shorter following distance when following another vehicle at night.
- You should always maintain the same following distance regardless of the time of day.
- Following distance really doesn’t matter.
Answer: A. You should allow a longer following distance when following another vehicle at night.
At night you should allow a longer following distance than you do during the day. The manual says that at night it is harder for you to see and be seen, and that distances are harder to judge because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrasts. To make up for that, it tells riders to open up a three-second following distance or more, which is longer than the two-second minimum described for normal daytime following. It also says to allow more room when passing and being passed. So the night rule is built around giving yourself extra space, not the same space or less.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Increase your following distance if:
- The pavement is dry.
- Riding conditions are normal.
- The roadway is wet. ✓
- You can see through the vehicle in front of you.
Answer: C. The roadway is wet.
Increase your following distance when the roadway is wet. The manual groups wet surfaces with mud, leaves, snow and ice as slippery conditions, and it says your motorcycle needs more distance to stop on them. It also tells you to slow down before you reach a slippery surface and before entering wet curves so you are less likely to skid. A wet road is exactly that kind of surface, so the safe response is to open up the gap in front of you rather than hold the normal spacing.
6. 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.
7. To adjust for added weight when riding with a passenger, you should:
- Operate at a slower speed than usual. ✓
- Maintain a shorter following distance that you would if riding without a passenger.
- Operate at a faster speed than usual.
- Brake a little later than you would if riding without a passenger.
Answer: A. Operate at a slower speed than usual.
Operate at a slower speed than usual — the manual says to ride a little slower with a passenger, especially in curves, corners, and over bumps. A passenger makes the motorcycle heavier, so it can take longer to speed up, slow down, or turn. Because of that, the manual tells you to ride a little slower when carrying a passenger, especially when taking curves, corners, or bumps. It also warns that if any part of the bike scrapes the ground at lean angle, you can lose steering control. Slower speed leaves you more room to handle the heavier bike's delayed response.
8. 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.
9. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Cover the clutch and the brakes. ✓
- Pull in the clutch when turning.
- Ride under the speed limit.
Answer: B. Cover the clutch and the brakes.
Cover the clutch and the brakes to reduce your reaction time. The manual's review item asks this exact question and gives covering the clutch lever and the brakes as the answer. The text explains why in high-risk places such as intersections, shopping areas, school zones, and construction zones: with the clutch and both brakes already covered, the time you need to react is shorter. It also applies this at intersections when a driver may cross your path. So the right habit is to have your controls ready, not to change gears or ride below the limit.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook