What is the recommended following distance under normal conditions?

• A. At least a three-second interval behind the vehicle in front.
• B. Five seconds.
• C. One second.
• D. Ten seconds.

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a safe following distance gives you time to react if the vehicle in front brakes suddenly. Under normal conditions, the recommended distance is a three-second interval behind the vehicle in front. You can check this by picking a fixed object on the road and counting seconds from the moment the lead vehicle passes that object to the moment your vehicle passes it—the goal is at least three seconds. If you reach the object sooner, you’re too close. This three-second rule accounts for typical reaction time and stopping distance on dry pavement. In adverse conditions like rain, snow, or poor visibility, you should increase the gap to four seconds or more. One second is not enough to react safely, while five or ten seconds would be longer than necessary in normal driving.