Speed Limits & Following Distance — North Dakota
North Dakota motorcycle permit practice test: 339 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: 18 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 | North Dakota Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 18 (5% of 339 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 (18)
1. If a driver is tailgating you, you should:
- Speed up.
- Allow them to pass. ✓
- Prevent them from passing.
- Move to one side of your lane to allow them to share the lane.
Answer: B. Allow them to pass.
If a driver is tailgating you, let them pass. The manual's guidance on tailgaters is to make it easy for them to get by you. If you can't let them pass right away, you slow down and leave more room in front of you, which gives both of you room to stop in an emergency and also nudges the tailgater to go around. Leaving the road or pulling into a parking area and coming back later is another option the manual gives. Letting the tailgater get ahead is the point of all of this.
2. 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.
3. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Ride more slowly than the speed limit.
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Cover the clutch and the brakes. ✓
Answer: C. Cover the clutch and the brakes.
To reduce your reaction time, cover the clutch and the brakes. The manual's review question names covering the clutch lever and the brakes as the way to cut reaction time. A later section also says to cover the clutch and both brakes in potential high-risk areas, such as intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones, so you need less time to react. The manual does not present riding below the speed limit or shifting into neutral as reaction-time measures.
4. 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.
5. If road conditions require a longer stopping distance than normal, you should:
- Decrease your usual following distance.
- Increase your usual following distance. ✓
- Travel on the shoulder.
- Ask someone else to operate your motorcycle.
Answer: B. Increase your usual following distance.
You should increase your usual following distance when road conditions require a longer stopping distance than normal. The manual says a two-second gap is a minimum, and you need a larger cushion of space when your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. It specifically calls for opening up a three-second or more following distance when the pavement is slippery, when you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, or when heavy traffic may cause someone to squeeze in. So when conditions stretch your stopping distance, the matching adjustment is to increase your usual following distance.
6. Usually, a minimum following distance of _____ should be maintained.
- One second
- Two seconds ✓
- Three seconds
- Four seconds
Answer: B. Two seconds
Normally, keep a minimum following distance of two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. The manual says that in normal traffic a motorcycle needs a minimum of two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. It treats following too closely as a frequent factor in motorcycle crashes, and it explains that this two-second gap gives you a minimum space to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. It also helps you see potholes and other road hazards. The manual allows a larger gap when conditions call for it, such as slippery pavement or heavy traffic, but the normal minimum it states is two seconds.
7. 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.
8. In general, how many seconds behind another vehicle should you travel?
- One second
- Two seconds
- Three seconds ✓
- Four seconds
Answer: C. Three seconds
9. 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.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook