Following distance conditions — Wyoming Permit Test

Double your following distance when roads are wet; for a car, that is 4 seconds.

Wet pavement makes tires slip, so it takes longer to stop.

wet, when you are carrying a heavier than normal load, or at night (cars, four seconds).

Besides wet roads, double your following distance when carrying a heavier than normal load or driving at night.

A heavy load takes longer to stop, and at night you see trouble later, so both need a bigger gap.

wet, when you are carrying a heavier than normal load, or at night (cars, four seconds).

Triple your following distance when roads are covered with snow and slush; for a car, that is 6 seconds.

Snow and slush cut your tires' grip far more than rain does, so stopping takes much longer.

covered with snow and slush (cars, six seconds);

Quadruple your following distance when ice covers the road; for a car, that is 8 seconds.

On ice a car can slide a very long way before it stops, so it needs the biggest gap of all.

the number of seconds when ice covers

If you cannot see clearly in reduced light, increase your following distance by at least 3 or 4 seconds.

When you see hazards later, you need extra time to react to them.

If you cannot see clearly, it makes sense to increase your following distance at least three or four seconds.

On wet roads, how many seconds of following distance should a car keep?

4 seconds. Wet pavement makes tires slip, so it takes longer to stop. Wyoming Rules of the Road Driver License Manual, p.75: “wet, when you are carrying a heavier than normal load, or at night (cars, four seconds).”