Speed Limits & Following Distance — Virginia
Virginia motorcycle permit practice test: 278 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: 20 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 Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 20 (7% of 278 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 (20)
1. The best way to stay out of trouble while riding a motorcycle is to:
- Look well ahead of your motorcycle. ✓
- Avoid high-density traffic areas.
- Ride at speeds faster than the speed limit.
Answer: A. Look well ahead of your motorcycle.
The best way to stay out of trouble while riding is to look well ahead of your motorcycle, scanning the road far in front of you rather than just at the pavement right in front of the wheel. The manual puts looking well ahead right into its riding technique. When it describes maximum straight-line braking, it tells you to keep your body centered and look well ahead, not down, because that keeps the motorcycle straight and reduces lean angle and the chance the tires lose traction. It also advises planning well ahead so you don't need sudden turns or swerving. Looking far down the road is what lets you spot trouble early enough to brake or adjust smoothly instead of reacting at the last second.
2. When riding over scored pavement in a work zone, you should:
- Look downward to see the changes in the road surface.
- Keep your head and eyes up. ✓
- Stay to the left side of the lane.
Answer: B. Keep your head and eyes up.
Keep your head and eyes up when you ride over scored pavement in a work zone. The manual's turning section teaches the same habit that applies here: you look where you want to go, turning just your head and eyes, with your eyes level with the horizon. Keeping your head and eyes up lets you keep watching the road ahead and hold your path while the surface under you changes. The passages do not discuss scored pavement by name, so this answer rests on that general looking rule rather than on a passage written specifically about work zones.
3. When riding over grooved pavement in a work zone, you should:
- Look down to watch for changes in the road surface.
- Keep your head and eyes up. ✓
- Move to the edge of the roadway.
Answer: B. Keep your head and eyes up.
4. In which of the following situations should you increase your following distance to four seconds?
- The pavement is slippery from rain or snow. ✓
- The roadway has more than one lane.
- There is very little traffic.
Answer: A. The pavement is slippery from rain or snow.
You should increase your following distance when the pavement is slippery from rain or snow. The handbook says a larger space cushion is needed when your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. It specifically says that if the pavement is slippery, you should open up a three-second or more following distance. That supports choosing the slippery-pavement situation, although the passage does not name four seconds exactly.
5. You should maintain an increased following distance:
- If the pavement is slippery. ✓
- If traffic is light.
- If you can see through the vehicles in front of you to determine traffic conditions.
Answer: A. If the pavement is slippery.
You should open up a larger following distance when the pavement is slippery. The manual describes the two-second gap as a minimum space for stopping or swerving if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly, and says a larger cushion is needed when your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. It then lists the situations that call for three seconds or more, and slippery pavement is one of them. So when traction is poor, you give yourself more room.
6. A good way to handle a tailgater is to:
- Speed up.
- Allow them to get in front of you. ✓
- Make gestures at them.
Answer: B. Allow them to get in front of you.
Allow the tailgater to get in front of you. The manual says speeding up to lose a close follower can just leave you with someone tailgating at a higher speed. Its better approach is to get the tailgater in front of you; the same section says to let them pass, and if you cannot, slow down and leave extra space ahead so both of you have room to stop. That is why allowing them to get in front is the recommended choice.
7. Under normal conditions, a motorcyclist should maintain a following distance of at least:
- Two seconds. ✓
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds.
Answer: A. Two seconds.
Under normal conditions, maintain a following distance of at least two seconds. The manual says following too closely is a common factor in motorcycle crashes and that motorcycles normally need a minimum of two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. To check it, pick a marker such as a pavement marking or lamppost. When the rear of the vehicle ahead passes it, count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two.” If you reach the marker before you finish counting, you are too close. The manual says this gap gives you minimum room to stop or swerve and a better view of hazards.
8. When riding at night, you should:
- Move closer to the vehicle in front of you so you can use its lights to see farther down the road.
- Keep riding at your normal speed to lower the risk of being struck from behind.
- Reduce your speed and increase your following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Reduce your speed and increase your following distance.
At night, you should reduce your speed and increase your following distance. The manual says darkness makes it harder for you to see and be seen. To make up for that, ride slower than you would during the day, especially on roads you do not know well, and open up a following distance of three seconds or more. It also notes that distances are harder to judge at night. Slowing down and leaving more room gives you a better chance to spot and avoid a hazard.
9. When riding at night, you should:
- Increase your speed.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
- Decrease your following distance.
Answer: B. Increase your following distance.
At night you should increase your following distance — the manual says to open up a three-second gap or more. The manual explains that at night it is harder to see and be seen, and distances are harder to judge because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrast to tell how far away something is and how fast it is closing. Because of that, it tells riders to open up a three-second following distance or more, and to leave extra room when passing and being passed. The manual also says to ride slower at night, so the answer is about space, not speed.
10. Usually a good way to handle tailgaters is to:
- Get off the roadway.
- Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
- Ride faster.
Answer: B. Change lanes and let them pass.
Change lanes and let the tailgater pass. The manual's tailgater item gives the answer as changing lanes and letting the tailgater pass. The rider section also says to let them pass; if you cannot, it says to slow down and open extra space ahead, and it mentions turning off the roadway as a fallback. That makes changing lanes and letting them pass the usual response, rather than trying to outrun the vehicle behind you.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook