Speed Limits & Following Distance — Virginia
Virginia CDL practice test: 417 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: 13 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 | Virginia CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 13 (3% of 417 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 (13)
1. The faster you drive:
- The shorter your stopping distance will be.
- The longer your stopping distance will be. ✓
- The easier it will be to stop your vehicle.
Answer: B. The longer your stopping distance will be.
The faster you drive, the longer your stopping distance will be. The handbook's stopping-distance figure makes the trend clear: as speed rises, braking distance rises too. It shows that doubling speed from 20 to 40 mph makes braking distance four times longer, and tripling speed to 60 mph makes it nine times longer. Higher speed also increases crash severity. Slowing down is the way to reduce braking distance, so faster driving means you need more room to stop, not less.
2. Stopping distance can be affected by:
- Driving speed. ✓
- Temperature.
- Time of day.
Answer: A. Driving speed.
Driving speed affects stopping distance: as speed rises, the braking distance becomes much longer. The handbook's stopping-distance figure ties speed directly to braking distance. Going from 20 to 40 mph makes braking distance four times longer; going from 20 to 60 mph makes it nine times longer. It also says high speeds greatly increase stopping distances and that slowing down can reduce braking distance. The passage lists conditions such as traction, curves, visibility, traffic, and hills for speed adjustment, but it does not name temperature or time of day as stopping-distance factors.
3. If you are braking on dry pavement while traveling at 55 mph, how much distance will brake lag add to your overall stopping distance?
- 32 feet ✓
- 45 feet
- 20 feet
Answer: A. 32 feet
Brake lag adds 32 feet to your overall stopping distance. The handbook explains that with air brakes there is a delay while air flows through the lines before the brakes actually work. At 55 mph on dry pavement, that brake lag distance is about 32 feet. The handbook also lists brake lag as one of the four parts of total stopping distance, along with perception, reaction, and braking distance. So the added distance from brake lag is 32 feet.
4. How does doubling your speed from 20 mph to 40 mph affect your vehicle's braking distance?
- It stays about the same.
- It doubles.
- It quadruples. ✓
Answer: C. It quadruples.
Doubling your speed from 20 mph to 40 mph makes your braking distance four times longer, so it quadruples. The handbook's stopping-distance figure states that when you double speed from 20 to 40 mph, the impact is four times greater and the braking distance is also four times longer. It gives the same pattern for higher speeds, and it says slowing down can reduce braking distance. So the change from 20 to 40 mph is not a small increase or a doubling; the distance needed to stop grows to four times its earlier length.
5. What is the number one cause of death and injury in a work zone?
- Drivers speeding ✓
- Slow drivers
- Animals crossing the road
Answer: A. Drivers speeding
The number one cause is drivers speeding. The work zone section of the handbook names speeding as the leading source of injuries and deaths in roadway work zones. It tells you to watch the posted limit when you approach and drive through the zone, to keep checking your speedometer so your speed does not creep up on long construction stretches, and to slow further for bad weather, poor road conditions, or a worker close to the roadway. That is why speeding is the answer.
6. On a curve, the posted speed limit:
- Is safe to be driven in any vehicle.
- Can still permit a vehicle to tip over. ✓
- Is understood to be the minimum legal speed limit.
Answer: B. Can still permit a vehicle to tip over.
The posted speed limit on a curve can still permit a vehicle to tip over. The handbook says drivers must adjust their speed for curves. If you enter too fast, either the tires lose grip and you skid off the road, or they keep grip and the vehicle rolls over. It notes that tests showed a truck with a high center of gravity may roll over even when traveling at the curve's posted limit. So the posted number is not a guarantee that every vehicle can take the curve safely; slow to a safe speed before entering and do not exceed the posted limit.
7. Maintain a following distance of at least ____ for every 10 feet of your vehicle if you are traveling at a speed under 40 mph.
- One second ✓
- Two seconds
- Three seconds
Answer: A. One second
8. The weight of a truck:
- Usually has no impact on stopping distance.
- Is a major factor affecting stopping distance. ✓
- Is not as important as the type of cargo in determining stopping distance.
Answer: B. Is a major factor affecting stopping distance.
The weight of a truck is a major factor affecting stopping distance. The handbook's section on speed and stopping distance includes a discussion of how vehicle weight affects stopping distance. It says the heavier the vehicle, the more work the brakes have to do to stop it, and the more heat they absorb. That means a loaded or heavy truck takes more braking effort than a light one, so weight is a big factor in how long it takes to stop, not a minor detail you can ignore when judging your following distance and speed.
9. While operating on a downgrade, you should brake until you reach a speed that is:
- 5 mph below your safe speed. ✓
- 10 mph below your safe speed.
- 15 mph below your safe speed.
Answer: A. 5 mph below your safe speed.
Brake until you are about 5 mph below your safe speed, then release the brakes. The handbook describes the braking technique for a long or steep downgrade. With the vehicle in the proper low gear, the engine does most of the slowing and the brakes are only a supplement. You apply the brakes enough to cause a clear slowdown, then release them once your speed is roughly five mph under your safe speed. When speed rises back to the safe speed, you repeat the process. That makes five mph below safe speed the release point.
10. The leading factor resulting in death and injury in work zones is:
- Speeding. ✓
- Stopping.
- Under-inflated tires.
Answer: A. Speeding.
Speeding is the leading factor in deaths and injuries in work zones. The work zone section of the handbook states plainly that speeding traffic is the number one cause of injury and death in roadway work zones. Because of that, it tells drivers to obey posted limits when approaching and moving through a work zone, to keep an eye on the speedometer so their speed does not creep up during long construction stretches, and to slow further in bad weather or when a worker is near the road.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook