Speed Management and Following Distance
Core concepts
Speed must suit the road, the traffic, and the conditions - not merely the posted limit. In built-up areas, watch for schools, mosques at prayer times, and pedestrian crossings. Maintain a safe following gap using the two-second rule in dry conditions, extending to four seconds in rain or poor visibility; Bahrain's occasional heavy rain and dust reduce grip and visibility sharply.
What examiners watch
- Approaching hazards at a speed from which you can stop comfortably.
- Maintaining a consistent gap rather than drifting closer and braking late.
- Slowing before a bend, not during it.
- Adjusting speed for pedestrians, cyclists, and roadside activity.
Traps in questions
A common trap is treating the speed limit as a target; it is a maximum, and conditions may require less. Another is the belief that the two-second rule applies only on highways - it applies everywhere. Questions may also test stopping distances: they increase with speed disproportionately, and wet roads roughly double them.
Rule of thumb
Pick a fixed point ahead; if you reach it before counting two seconds after the car in front passes it, you are too close. In rain, dust, or at night, double the count.
Worked example
Following a car at 60 km/h in dry weather, the car ahead passes a lamp post. Count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two" - if you pass the same lamp post before finishing, drop back. In rain, count to four.