Question

at highway speeds, on a dry road, a safe following distance is at least:

2 car lengths of following distance from the car ahead of you.
2 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you.
3 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you.
4 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you.

Explanation:

Identify the standard safe following distance rule

Under normal, dry road conditions, standard driver education guidelines (such as the DMV handbook) recommend maintaining a minimum following distance of at least 3 seconds behind the vehicle ahead.

Evaluate the given options

• 2 car lengths: Too short and unsafe at highway speeds.
• 2 seconds: Often cited as a bare minimum for low speeds, but standard modern guidelines recommend at least 3 seconds for safety at highway speeds.
• 3 seconds: The standard recommended safe minimum following distance on dry roads.
• 4 seconds: Recommended for wet roads or inclement weather, but the question specifies a dry road.

Answer:

• 2 car lengths of following distance from the car ahead of you.
• 2 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you.
• 3 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you. (Correct answer)
• 4 seconds of following distance from the car ahead of you.