Following interval — Kansas Permit Test

A Kansas driver keeps a minimum following distance of two seconds, with an additional second for any unusual weather or traffic conditions.

Two seconds is the floor on a good day. Anything unusual about the day adds to it.

Keep a minimum following distance of two seconds with an additional second for any unusual weather or traffic conditions.

A Kansas driver is following too closely if they pass the stationary point before counting to one-thousand-two.

The count is the test. Reaching the sign first means the gap is not there.

You are following too closely if you pass the stationary point before counting to one-thousand-two.

Kansas rear-end crashes are very common at intersections, caused by drivers following too closely and then being unable to stop before hitting the vehicle ahead.

Junctions are where cars stop unexpectedly. Following closely there is what turns a stop into a collision.

Rear-end crashes are very common at intersections.

A Kansas driver should keep more space in front of the vehicle when following motorcycles, because motorcycles have different braking capabilities and if one falls the driver needs extra stopping or steering distance.

A motorcycle can stop far shorter than a car. If the rider goes down, the extra space is what lets you miss them.

Keep more space in front of your vehicle when following motorcycles.

A Kansas driver should allow an extra cushion of space when following drivers whose view to the rear is blocked, such as trucks, buses, vans or vehicles pulling campers or trailers.

If you cannot see their mirrors, they cannot see you. They can stop without knowing you are there.

The drivers of trucks, buses, vans, or vehicles pulling campers or trailers may not be able to see your vehicle when you are directly behind them.

A Kansas driver should add more space in front of the vehicle when carrying a heavy load or pulling a trailer, because the extra weight increases stopping time and decreases steering ability.

Weight makes a car slower to stop and slower to turn. The gap has to grow to cover both.

The extra weight increases your vehicle's stopping time and decreases steering ability.

A Kansas driver should leave extra space in front of the vehicle when stopped behind another vehicle on a hill or incline, because the vehicle ahead may roll back before it begins to move forward.

A manual car rolls back a foot or two when it pulls away. Being tucked up behind it is how bumpers meet.

The vehicle ahead may roll back before it begins to move forward.

What minimum following distance does Kansas give?

Two seconds. Two seconds is the floor on a good day. Anything unusual about the day adds to it. Kansas Driving Handbook, p.62: “Keep a minimum following distance of two seconds with an additional second for any unusual weather or traffic conditions.”