Your vehicle's stopping distance increases when stopping:
- On a wet or icy road. ✓
- On paved highways.
- When driving at night.
- All of the above.
Answer: A. On a wet or icy road.
Your stopping distance increases when you stop on a wet or icy road.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's chapter on rain, fog and snow says that even a little rain, snow or ice makes roads slippery, and wet leaves can be slippery too. Slippery pavement means your tires grip less, so you need more room and more time to bring the car to a stop. That is why the manual advises reduced speed and a bigger following distance in these conditions. Nothing in the passages says a plain paved highway or driving at night by itself lengthens stopping distance.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. On paved highways. — A dry paved highway is the normal surface the manual treats as a baseline, and the passages never say it makes stopping distance longer.
- C. When driving at night. — The passages discuss rain, fog and snow making it harder to see, but they do not say that darkness by itself increases stopping distance.
- D. All of the above. — Since neither a paved highway nor night driving is described as lengthening stopping distance, not every listed condition applies.
Remember it
Think of grip, not speed: ice and water steal your tires' grip, so plan to slow down sooner and leave a bigger gap.