Topic 4 · Defensive Driving and Safe Driving Practices
To reduce the risk of rear-ending another vehicle at 60 mph, your minimum following distance should be:
- Six car lengths
- At least three seconds — correct answer
- One second
Why
Three seconds is the minimum safe following distance under good conditions, at any speed — the rule adjusts itself automatically as you go faster. (Handbook, Section 8.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.