When carrying a passenger, you should increase your stopping distance to at least...?

When carrying a passenger, you should increase your stopping distance to at least...?

• A. 1 second
• B. 2 seconds
• C. 4 seconds
• D. 3 seconds

Answer: (D)

Carrying a passenger means you need more time and space to stop, because the extra weight and potential distraction can lengthen your braking and reaction time. The minimum you should aim for is a 3-second following distance. The 3-second rule works like this: pick a fixed object on the road, and as the vehicle in front passes it, start counting seconds. When you reach the object about three seconds later, you’re at the right distance. At typical speeds this is roughly 50 meters, and it grows with speed. In bad weather or on slick surfaces you’d want even more space, while a 1- or 2-second gap wouldn’t provide enough margin with a passenger. A 4-second gap is safer in adverse conditions, but the required minimum with a passenger is 3 seconds.

Carrying a passenger means you need more time and space to stop, because the extra weight and potential distraction can lengthen your braking and reaction time. The minimum you should aim for is a 3-second following distance. The 3-second rule works like this: pick a fixed object on the road, and as the vehicle in front passes it, start counting seconds. When you reach the object about three seconds later, you’re at the right distance. At typical speeds this is roughly 50 meters, and it grows with speed. In bad weather or on slick surfaces you’d want even more space, while a 1- or 2-second gap wouldn’t provide enough margin with a passenger. A 4-second gap is safer in adverse conditions, but the required minimum with a passenger is 3 seconds.