Speed Limits & Following Distance — Utah

Utah motorcycle permit practice test: 351 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: 21 questions. Updated

Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.

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Topic / MetricValue
TopicSpeed Limits & Following Distance
License testUtah Motorcycle permit test
Topic questions21 (6% of 351 total)
Review statusThis 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 (21)

1. When riding with a passenger, you should do all of the following, except:
  1. Ride more slowly than you would normally.
  2. Start slowing earlier than you would normally.
  3. Increase your following distance.
  4. Not communicate with the passenger while riding. ✓

Answer: D. Not communicate with the passenger while riding.

You should not stop communicating with your passenger; that is the exception. You should not stop communicating with your passenger. The manual says to instruct your passenger on the basics before starting the trip, so talking with a passenger is expected. It also says a passenger changes how the motorcycle responds and tells you to ride a little slower, begin slowing earlier, and keep a larger space cushion or wait for larger gaps. Those are the passenger adjustments the manual lists; silence is not one of them.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 35
2. In which of the following situations should you increase your following distance?
  1. Traffic is light.
  2. Traffic is heavy. ✓
  3. You are able to see the roadway through vehicles in front of you.
  4. There is pleasant and clear weather.

Answer: B. Traffic is heavy.

Increase your following distance when traffic is heavy. The manual sets a normal minimum of two seconds behind a vehicle. It then says to open up a three-second or larger gap when traffic is heavy and another driver might pull into the space in front of you. A bigger cushion gives you more room to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. The same passage also calls for extra space on slippery pavement or when you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, but it does not list light traffic or clear weather as reasons to lengthen the gap.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
3. The best way to handle tailgaters is to:
  1. Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
  2. Use your horn and make obscene gestures.
  3. Speed up to put distance between you and the tailgater.
  4. Come to a complete stop.

Answer: A. Change lanes and let them pass.

Change lanes and let the tailgater pass, so the person following too closely ends up in front of you. The manual says that speeding up to lose a close follower can just leave you being tailgated at a higher speed, and that a better approach is to get that rider in front of you. Moving to another lane and letting them go by does exactly that. If you cannot let them pass, the manual suggests slowing down and leaving extra room ahead so both you and the tailgater have space to stop, which also nudges them to pass. Turning off the road or pulling into a parking area and coming back later are other options it lists.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
4. Increase your following distance:
  1. If the roadway is slippery. ✓
  2. If there are only a few vehicles on the roadway.
  3. If the sun is shining.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
5. If carrying a load in a sidecar, the motorcycle's stopping distance:
  1. May be increased. ✓
  2. May be decreased.
  3. Is not a concern.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 51
6. When passing another vehicle:
  1. The pass may be completed in a no passing zone.
  2. The rider may travel up to 10 mph over the speed limit to complete the pass.
  3. The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone. ✓
  4. The pass must be completed on the shoulder, if one is present.

Answer: C. The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone.

The pass must be started and completed within a passing zone, because the manual says passes are allowed only where permitted. The manual's passing steps end with a plain rule: passes must be completed within posted speed limits and only where permitted, and it tells you to know your signs and roadway markings. A passing zone is exactly the place where the markings permit passing, so the whole maneuver, from pulling out to returning to your lane, has to fit inside that permitted stretch. If the zone ends before you are back in your lane, you were passing where it is not allowed.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 17
7. Increase your following distance if:
  1. The pavement is dry.
  2. Riding conditions are normal.
  3. The roadway is wet. ✓
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 29
8. When riding under ideal conditions, you should maintain a minimum following distance of:
  1. One second.
  2. Two seconds. ✓
  3. Three seconds.
  4. Four seconds.

Answer: B. Two seconds.

Under ideal conditions, you should keep a minimum following distance of two seconds. The manual says a motorcycle normally needs a minimum two-second gap when following a vehicle, and it describes a two-second gap as the least space needed to stop or swerve if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. It also says to count seconds after the rear of the vehicle passes a marker; reaching the marker before you finish counting to two means you are too close. The two-second figure is the normal minimum, while slippery pavement, poor view through the vehicle, or heavy traffic call for more.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 15
9. To adjust for added weight when riding with a passenger, you should:
  1. Operate at a slower speed than usual. ✓
  2. Maintain a shorter following distance that you would if riding without a passenger.
  3. Operate at a faster speed than usual.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 11
10. Usually, a good way to handle tailgaters is to:
  1. Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
  2. Come to a complete stop.
  3. Speed up to put distance between you and the tailgater.
  4. 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.
Official handbook: MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed.), p. 17
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source

Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook