Managing Space
What the exam tests
Following distance, space cushions, and escape routes around a large passenger vehicle.
Core rules
- Use the four-second rule at 40 mph or less. Add one second for each 10 mph above 40.
- A school bus should have more space than a car, especially with students aboard.
- Keep space ahead, behind, and to the sides. If a driver tailgates, increase your space ahead so you can stop gradually.
- At stops, leave enough space to pull around the vehicle ahead.
- At intersections, stop where you can see the traffic light and cross traffic.
- Have an escape route: know where you will go if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly.
- Do not drive beside another large vehicle in its blind spot.
Worked example
You are following a car at 45 mph. The minimum following distance is five seconds: four seconds for 40 mph or less, plus one second for the extra 5 mph. In rain, add more. Reasoning: at 45 mph, five seconds gives roughly 330 feet of travel, enough room to react and stop.
Traps that cost marks
Using a two-second gap; keeping the same following distance when loaded; stopping too close to the vehicle ahead; ignoring tailgaters; lingering in another driver's blind spot.