About how much faster than the vehicle you are passing should you be traveling?
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A.
About 25 mph faster
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B.
The same speed as the vehicle ahead
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C.
About 10 mph faster Correct
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D.
About 5 mph faster
The answer is "About 10 mph faster"
The manual sets the target speed difference at about 10 mph faster than the vehicle you are passing. Drivers who pick 5 mph are half-remembering a safe following cushion rather than a passing differential, and a gap that small leaves them stuck in the oncoming lane long enough for traffic to close before they clear.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. About 25 mph faster
25 mph is well above the manual's 'about 10 mph faster' target and may risk exceeding the posted speed limit depending on the speeds involved. This answer treats a bigger speed gap as automatically safer, applying a 'more cushion is better' rule of thumb rather than the manual's stated 10 mph target.
B. The same speed as the vehicle ahead
Matching speed means you never actually complete the pass. This answer reads passing as merely moving into the oncoming lane rather than actually overtaking the vehicle ahead.
D. About 5 mph faster
Too small a speed gap; the pass takes so long that oncoming traffic can close the distance before you clear. This answer applies a 'gentler pass is safer' rule of thumb, halving the manual's 10 mph target.
This question tests your knowledge of Passing in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Passing / On a Two-Lane Road," p.47..
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