What is the minimum distance you must maintain from the vehicle in front of you when driving a 6-tonne lorry at the maximum permitted speed on this road?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
B. 40 m.
Explanation
In the photo you are driving on the A4 motorway - you can see a direction sign with the numbers A4 and E40 and directions to "Rzeszów", "Korczowa" and "Lwów" (Lviv). When driving a lorry with a maximum permissible mass of 6 t on this road at the highest permitted speed, you keep a following distance of at least 40 m - answer B.
The Road Traffic Act requires a driver on a motorway or an expressway to keep a distance from the vehicle travelling in front in the same lane which, in metres, is at least half of the speed in km/h. A lorry with a maximum permissible mass of 6 t may drive on a motorway at no more than 80 km/h, so the minimum distance is 40 m. The value of 70 m (answer A) would come from the speed of 140 km/h allowed for a passenger car, and 35 m (answer C) - from the speed of 70 km/h, which applies to a lorry on an ordinary road. The rule does not apply while overtaking. Remember that this is a minimum - on a wet surface you need a greater distance.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 3a and Art. 20 para. 3 point 2 letter a of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)