Mississippi driving lesson · Speed, Signaling & Following Distance
Following distance & stopping distance
A 3-minute lesson from the Mississippi course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Following too closely is dangerous and the main cause of rear-end collisions. Space ahead buys you time to react if the car in front changes speed suddenly, and it lets you see around that car.
Know the rule
Allow at least one car length between you and the vehicle ahead for every ten miles per hour of speed.
In a motorcade such as a funeral procession, leave enough space for other vehicles to pull in safely, don't follow too closely, and match your speed so everyone moves smoothly.
The chart assumes ideal conditions: good tires, good brakes and dry pavement. In bad weather, on a slick road, or if you're tired or intoxicated, the distances will be drastically different.
You're doing 40 mph on a city street. Leave at least four car lengths. If the car ahead stops suddenly, even under ideal conditions you'd need 176 feet to stop, and 94 of those feet pass before you even apply the brakes.
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.
According to the handbook's rule of thumb, how much following distance should you leave for every 10 mph of speed?
Three car lengths
Half a car length
Two car lengths
One car length
Answer: One car length
The handbook recommends at least one car length of space for every ten miles per hour of speed.