What following distance should you keep when driving behind a motorcycle?
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A.
Roughly ten seconds.
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B.
Three to four seconds. Correct
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C.
The same as any other vehicle.
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D.
About one second.
The answer is "Three to four seconds."
Illinois says to allow at least three to four seconds behind a motorcycle so the rider has time to maneuver in an emergency. Drivers who close up on a bike because it looks small in the lane and quick to react are the ones who pick the one-second answer.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Roughly ten seconds.
Ten seconds is much more than Illinois asks for behind a motorcycle; the manual says to allow at least three to four seconds, and notes that motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars in dry conditions. This answer overcorrects for the motorcycle's vulnerability by inflating the three-to-four-second interval into a much larger cushion.
C. The same as any other vehicle.
The manual sets a longer three-to-four-second interval behind a motorcycle precisely because the situation is not the same as behind a car. This answer applies the standard car-following habit to motorcycles and misses the Illinois motorcycle-specific interval.
D. About one second.
One second is too little following distance in normal driving, and it is far too close behind a motorcycle whose rider may need room to swerve or brake. This answer assumes the motorcycle's small size means the rider can react quickly enough to justify riding tight behind it.
This question tests your knowledge of Sharing the Road in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Chapter 5: Sharing the Road, Following and Stopping Distance," p.42..
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