California Car / Permit practice question · Speed & Space Management
If another driver is following you too closely (tailgating), the safest response is to:
Answer choices
- Brake hard to warn them
- Increase your following distance and let them pass— Correct answer
- Speed up well over the limit
- Turn on your high beams
Why this is the answer
If someone is tailgating you, maintain your course and speed, create more space in front of your vehicle, and when it is safe merge right into another lane so the tailgater can pass. Braking hard to warn them could cause the very collision you want to avoid, and speeding up well over the limit is both illegal and dangerous.
Source: California Driver Handbook — Space Management
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
More Speed & Space Management questions
- When you merge onto a freeway, you should:
- As your speed increases, the distance needed to stop your vehicle:
- 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: