California Car / Permit practice question · Speed & Space Management
As your speed increases, the distance needed to stop your vehicle:
Answer choices
- Stays about the same
- Gets longer— Correct answer
- Decreases
- Depends only on your brakes
Why this is the answer
The faster a vehicle is moving, the longer it takes to stop safely, and a heavier vehicle takes longer still. So as your speed goes up, your stopping distance gets longer, not shorter and not the same. Leave more room around you at higher speeds, and use the three-second rule to keep a safe gap.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road: Braking
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
More Speed & Space Management questions
- To keep a cushion of space around your vehicle in traffic, you should:
- If another vehicle merges into your lane too closely ahead of you, the best response is to:
- Under good conditions, you should keep a following distance of at least:
- Before passing another vehicle on a two-lane road, you should be able to see the road ahead clearly for at least:
- When following a large truck or bus that blocks your view, you should: