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Difficulty: EasySpace Ahead and Following Distance

A commercial motor vehicle with an overall length of 50 feet50\text{ feet} is traveling at a steady speed of 30 mph30\text{ mph} under ideal road and weather conditions. Following standard commercial driver safety guidelines, what is the minimum following distance, in seconds, the driver must maintain behind the vehicle ahead?

Answer: 5 seconds

Answer

5 seconds
Under CDL safety standards, a driver must allow at least 1 second for each 10 feet of vehicle length when traveling under 40 mph. For a 50-foot vehicle traveling at 30 mph, the minimum following distance is 5 seconds.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Calculate the base following distance required for vehicle length
50 feet divided by 10 feet per second equals 5 seconds
The standard rule establishes 1 second of following distance for every 10 feet of vehicle length.
2
Evaluate speed threshold modifier
No additional second is added because speed (30 mph) is less than 40 mph
The extra 1-second safety buffer is only required when driving at speeds of 40 mph or greater.

Key Concept

CDL basic following distance formula (1 second per 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds under 40 mph)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Space Ahead and Following Distance

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