Side and Rear Space, Backing and Stopping Distances
A 3-minute lesson from the Oregon course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Space beside and behind you matters too: it gives you room to dodge a drifting car and keeps tailgaters from hitting you. And stopping always takes longer than you think — at highway speed, longer than a football field.
Keep a side space cushion:
Beside other vehicles on multilane streets, drop back or move ahead — someone may crowd your lane
Keep as much space as possible from oncoming vehicles; the center of your lane is usually safest
Make room for vehicles entering freeways — move over a lane if no one is next to you
Help drivers signaling a lane change by slowing down or speeding up a little
Move away from parked cars without leaving your lane — doors open and people step out
If someone tailgates and there's a right lane, move over. If you can't, slowly reduce speed to encourage them to pass. Never brake hard to discourage tailgating — you could be hit from behind.
A common backing mistake is failing to look both ways behind you. Mirrors don't give a full view: turn your body and head to the right and look through the rear window, glance to either side for pedestrians and traffic, then back up slowly.
The faster you drive, the greater your stopping distance, even in ideal conditions. At 60 mph, the distance from spotting a hazard to a full stop is greater than the length of a football field.
A car rides your bumper on a two-lane road with no right lane. Don't tap-brake or slam on the brakes. Gradually ease off your speed so the driver passes or backs off.
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.
At 60 mph, the total distance needed to recognize a hazard, brake, and stop is:
About half a football field
About 120 feet
About 70 feet
Longer than a football field
Answer: Longer than a football field
At 60 mph, total stopping distance exceeds a football field's length.