Speed Limits & Following Distance — Texas
Texas permit practice test: 580 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: 39 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 | Texas Car learner's permit test |
| Topic questions | 39 (7% of 580 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
Texas Driver Handbook (dps.texas.gov, DL-7) ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (39)
1. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in an urban district is:
- 15 mph.
- 30 mph. ✓
- 45 mph.
- 55 mph.
Answer: B. 30 mph.
2. When driving in a construction zone, you should be prepared:
- To stop.
- To change lanes.
- For unexpected movement from workers or equipment.
- All of the above. ✓
Answer: D. All of the above.
In a construction zone, you should be prepared for all of these: to stop, to change lanes, and for unexpected movement from workers or equipment. The Texas handbook says that when you are in a construction and maintenance work zone, you should be prepared to slow down or stop as you approach workers and equipment, to change lanes, and for unexpected movements of workers and equipment. Because the handbook gives all three as things to be ready for, the choice covering all of them is the correct one. Picking only one leaves out the other listed hazards and actions.
3. A speed limit is:
- The maximum or minimum legal speed you can travel on a road under dangerous conditions.
- The maximum or minimum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal conditions. ✓
- The suggested speed to travel on a road under ideal conditions.
- None of the above.
Answer: B. The maximum or minimum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal conditions.
A speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal conditions. The handbook says drivers must obey posted minimum and maximum speed limits, and those limits are set for normal driving conditions. When traffic, weather, or visibility is bad, you are expected to adjust your speed and following distance instead of treating the posted number as safe for those conditions. That makes a speed limit a legal upper or lower bound for normal conditions, not a suggestion.
4. If a flagger is directing traffic in a construction zone, you must:
- Follow the directions given by the flagger. ✓
- Copy what surrounding traffic is doing, despite the flagger's instructions.
- Assume the flagger is not supposed to be directing traffic.
- Follow the laws that would be in place if the area was not under construction.
Answer: A. Follow the directions given by the flagger.
You must follow the directions given by the flagger in a construction zone. The Texas Driver Handbook covers flag persons in its chapter on signals, signs, and markers. It explains that a flag person is placed in work zones to stop, slow, or guide traffic through safely, wearing an orange vest and using a stop/slow paddle or red flag. The handbook lists, as a plain rule, that a flag person's instructions must be obeyed. It also says to stop in your lane when told and not move forward until the flag person tells you to, so the flagger's directions control what you do.
5. Allow a larger space cushion than usual when stopping:
- On an incline. ✓
- At an intersection.
- At a stop sign.
- At a toll plaza.
Answer: A. On an incline.
6. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on a highway is:
- 70 mph. ✓
- 55 mph.
- 40 mph.
- 25 mph.
Answer: A. 70 mph.
7. The best way to deal with tailgaters is to:
- Speed up to increase the distance between you and the tailgater.
- Slam on your brakes to get the other driver to back off.
- Change lanes or gradually slow down to encourage them to pass. ✓
- Ignore them.
Answer: C. Change lanes or gradually slow down to encourage them to pass.
8. When driving at speeds faster than 30 mph, keep a minimum following distance of:
- One second.
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds. ✓
Answer: D. Four seconds.
At speeds above 30 mph you should keep a following gap of at least four seconds. The handbook sets the minimum following time by how fast you are going. At 30 mph or less, it calls for at least two seconds in good road conditions. Once you go above 30 mph, it raises that minimum to a four-second gap, and it adds that you should allow even more time when road conditions are poor. It also names the four-second interval as the best habit for a new or less experienced driver, which is exactly the stage you are at now.
9. Drive below the posted speed limit when:
- Anything makes conditions less than perfect. ✓
- You see a police car.
- Entering a highway where there are other cars.
- You are on a four-lane road.
Answer: A. Anything makes conditions less than perfect.
You should drive below the posted speed limit when anything makes conditions less than perfect, such as bad weather, heavy traffic, or low visibility. The handbook says posted limits are meant for normal driving conditions. When traffic is heavy, weather is bad, visibility is low, or other driving conditions are poor, you must adjust your speed and following distance to help avoid crashes. That supports slowing below the posted limit when conditions are not perfect, rather than treating the limit as a speed you must always reach.
10. When driving on slippery roads, you should:
- Use alternate routes.
- Drive as you would on dry roads.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
- Avoid crossing bridges or intersections.
Answer: C. Increase your following distance.
When driving on slippery roads, you should increase your following distance. The handbook tells you to know when to slow down and add following distance, and it names wet roads as one of those times: roads turn slippery when wet and the car becomes harder to control. The winter tips say the same thing for icy pavement — leave more room and keep your distance, because rear-end collisions on ice happen when drivers don't leave space to stop. So on a slippery road, more following distance is the right response.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook