You are driving a vehicle that is 60 feet long, including a trailer. What is the minimum recommended following distance, in seconds, under ideal driving conditions?
- A2 seconds
- B3 seconds
- C6 seconds
- D4 seconds
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 6 seconds
The general rule for following distance is 2-3 seconds for passenger vehicles in ideal conditions. However, for longer vehicles like trucks or vehicles with trailers, you should increase your following distance by at least one second for every 10 feet of vehicle length. A 60-foot vehicle thus requires 6 seconds (60 feet / 10 feet/second = 6 seconds, or using the 2-3 second rule + 1 second for every 10 feet over 20 feet: 3 seconds baseline + (60-20)/10 = 4 seconds extra = 7 seconds, so 6 is the closest minimum recommended). The DMV manual recommends 4 seconds for a 40-foot vehicle, and generally states 'more space' for longer vehicles. For a vehicle 60 feet long, a 6-second following distance is a safe minimum under ideal conditions.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Too short for a long vehicle.
- B. The minimum for a standard passenger vehicle, not a long vehicle.
- D. Better, but still potentially insufficient for a 60-foot vehicle.
Following Distance (Long Vehicles)
The recommended safe space a driver should maintain behind another vehicle, adjusted for vehicle length and conditions.
- General rule: 2-3 seconds for passenger cars.
- Increase by 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle length.
- Increase in poor weather or heavy traffic.
- Allows more time to react and stop.
Memory trick: Seconds count, for safety's fountain!