Roadwise States Alaska Driving lessons Following distance Alaska driving lesson · Speed, Following Distance & Highways
Following distance A 3-minute lesson from the Alaska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Speed, Following Distance & Highways
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 32, 33, 69 Rear-end crashes are common and mostly preventable. Leave enough space ahead to react, and help the driver behind you avoid hitting you.
Know the rule
You may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, considering speed, traffic, and road conditions.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Four-second rule Watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed point and count "one thousand and one" to "one thousand and four." If you reach the point first, you're following too closely.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ 6+ seconds Following interval when towing a trailer or when the road is wet or slippery
Handbook p. 32 ↗ 2 seconds Minimum following interval the law requires (13 AAC 02.090); the handbook recommends 4
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
Use the four-second rule at night, too, to make sure you're not "overdriving your headlights."
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
You also have a duty to yield to following vehicles. On a two-lane road outside an urban area, you must safely pull over when five or more vehicles are immediately behind you (AS 28.35.140).
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Avoid hitting the vehicle ahead: Watch for brake lights and move your foot to the brake promptly Watch for a shrinking gap between you and the car ahead Watch for stopped vehicles; relate distant cars to fixed objects to tell if they're moving Look for problems developing for the driver ahead so you can react in time Handbook p. 32 ↗ Avoid being hit from behind: Keep brake lights clean and working; flash them when preparing to stop Have an outside rear-view mirror and keep the rear window clear of frost and snow Signal well in advance for lane changes, stops, and turns Slow down gradually over a long distance Keep pace with traffic, within weather conditions and speed limits Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
Don't follow the same vehicle or group for a long distance; you become complacent and stop treating the car ahead as a danger.
Handbook p. 69 ↗ Know the rule
Don't drive in another driver's blind spot. They can't see you in their inside mirror when you're near their left or right rear fender.
Handbook p. 69 ↗ Put it into practice
The pickup ahead passes a mile marker. You count "one thousand and one... one thousand and three" and pass it. That's only three seconds. Ease off until you reach four, or six-plus on a wet road.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the recommended method for judging a safe following distance in good conditions? The four-second rule The one-second rule The ten-second rule Counting car lengths only Answer: The four-second rule
The four-second interval method is the recommended way to judge following distance.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ What is the minimum legal following interval required under 13 AAC 02.090? 1 second 2 seconds 4 seconds 6 seconds Answer: 2 seconds
While the handbook recommends 4 seconds, 13 AAC 02.090 requires a minimum 2-second interval.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ When towing a trailer or driving on a wet road, how should you adjust the four-second following rule? Decrease it to two seconds Keep it exactly the same Increase it to six seconds or more Cut it in half Answer: Increase it to six seconds or more
Towing or wet roads call for increasing the interval to six seconds or more.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ On a two-lane roadway outside an urban area, when must a driver safely pull over for vehicles behind them? When any single vehicle is following behind When three or more vehicles are following behind This rule does not exist in Alaska When five or more vehicles are following immediately behind Answer: When five or more vehicles are following immediately behind
AS 28.35.140 requires pulling over when five or more vehicles are immediately behind on a two-lane road outside urban areas.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ What can happen if you follow the same group of vehicles for a long distance, according to the handbook? You can become complacent and stop treating the car ahead as a danger You become more alert to hazards ahead Your following distance naturally increases You learn to predict their moves safely Answer: You can become complacent and stop treating the car ahead as a danger
Following the same vehicles too long can cause complacency about the danger ahead.
Handbook p. 69 ↗ The four-second rule is a legal requirement, while the two-second interval is only a suggestion. True False Answer: False
It's the reverse: the two-second interval is the legal minimum, while four seconds is the recommended practice.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Previous lesson Speed limits & the speed law Next lesson Speed, impact & stopping distance More in Speed, Following Distance & Highways About the source Roadwise’s Alaska course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 32, 33, 69. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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