Under ideal conditions, about how far does a car travelling at 80 km/h need to stop completely?
Nova Scotia Class 7 overview
Nova Scotia Class 7: Speed, stopping distance and following
Default speed limits, 50 km/h situations, school zone limits, stopping distances, driving too slowly, keeping right, the two-second rule, safety scans, blind spots and curves.
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 19 questions
- Topic drill
0/19
Study reference: Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook (2017 revision), Ch. 2 Rules of the Road — Basic rules: driving on the right, stopping distances, two-second rule, choosing a safe speed, curves
All 19 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
Under ideal conditions, about how far does a car travelling at 80 km/h need to stop completely?
- About 200 metres
- About 60 metres
- About 90 metres
- About 140 metres
Why does stopping distance grow so much at higher speeds?
- Your reaction time doubles once you are above 60 km/h
- You cover more ground reacting and need more room to brake
- Tires only grip the road well at low speeds, under 50 km/h
- Brakes work less well when they are warm
You are driving at the speed limit in the left lane of a four-lane highway. What should you do?
- Move to the right lane when it is safe
- Speed up so others cannot pass
- Stay left until your exit
- Stay left, since you are at the limit
Where are your vehicle's blind spots usually located?
- To the back left and back right
- Directly in front of the hood
- Only on the passenger side
- Directly behind the rear bumper
Why should you leave extra space when following a motorcycle?
- It is not allowed to use its full lane
- It has no brake lights
- It can stop more quickly than your car
- Its rider may wave you past
Which of these should you never do in a curve?
- Check your mirrors
- Use your turn signal
- Keep both hands on the wheel
- Make a U-turn
What is the speed limit in a public park within a city or town, if no other limit is posted?
- 20 km/h
- 50 km/h
- 30 km/h
- 40 km/h
How should you position your vehicle when going around a curve to the left?
- As far right as you can
- Close to the centre line
- On the right shoulder
- In the middle of your lane
On the open highway, how much space should you leave ahead of you?
- One car length for every 20 km/h
- At least 30 metres at all speeds
- Just enough to see the car's tires
- Enough for a passing car to move into
What is the speed limit in a residential or business district if no other limit is posted?
- 40 km/h
- 60 km/h
- 30 km/h
- 50 km/h
You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce speed?
- While turning through the curve
- Before entering the curve
- After you leave the curve
- At the middle of the curve
Traffic has built up behind you because you are driving slowly on a two-lane road. What should you do?
- Pull over where it is safe and let it pass
- Keep going at the same speed
- Wave the cars to pass you on a curve
- Speed up past the speed limit
Unless a different limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on a Nova Scotia highway?
- 90 km/h
- 70 km/h
- 100 km/h
- 80 km/h
You are driving past a church on a road posted at 70 km/h while people are leaving a service. What is your maximum speed?
- 60 km/h
- 70 km/h
- 50 km/h
- 30 km/h
Why is driving slowly especially dangerous just beyond the crest of a hill?
- Your brakes may overheat
- Your engine may stall on the hill
- Faster vehicles may not see you in time
- You will use more fuel going slowly
In which situation should you leave more than two seconds of following distance?
- When following a large truck that blocks your view
- When the car ahead is much faster
- When you are driving well below the posted speed limit
- When driving on a dry, clear road
According to the handbook's chart, what is the total stopping distance at 100 km/h in ideal conditions?
- About 140 metres
- About 120 metres
- About 300 metres
- About 205 metres
How do you check that you are following at a safe distance using the two-second rule?
- Leave two car lengths for every 10 km/h
- Brake two seconds after the car ahead starts braking
- Look ahead two blocks at all times
- Count 2 seconds once the car ahead passes a landmark
You are within 15 metres of a rural intersection where you can see less than 60 metres along the cross road. You are not on a through highway. What is the maximum speed?
- 70 km/h
- 30 km/h
- 50 km/h
- 60 km/h
Speed, stopping distance and following: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Driving on the right
- Drive on the right except when passing, turning left or avoiding an obstruction. Slow traffic stays as close as practical to the right edge or curb.
- Don't hug the centre line (head-on risk). Stay within one lane; leave it only when safe.
- Multi-lane highways: slower vehicles use the right lane. Driving at the limit does not entitle you to "camp" in the left lane; it is for passing. Staying there invites passing on the right, which is less safe.
Stopping distances
- Stopping distance depends on speed and reaction time; at higher speeds you cover more ground while reacting and need more braking distance.
- Ideal conditions, total stopping distance (reaction + braking): 50 km/h = 63 m (35 + 28); 80 km/h = 140 m (56 + 84), i.e. more than 140 m (460 ft); 100 km/h = 205 m (69 + 136); 110 km/h = 246 m (76 + 170).
- Every extra km/h reduces control and raises the chance a crash causes serious injury or death.
- Driving considerably below the posted limit in ideal conditions also raises crash risk.
Driving too slowly, safety scan, blind spots
- Slow driving is especially dangerous just past the crest of a hill or around a curve.
- Don't block the normal flow; a slow driver must stop where safe to let blocked traffic pass, then carry on.
- Safety scan: frequently move head and eyes; check rear-view and side mirrors; shoulder-check blind spots, especially before turning or changing lanes.
- Blind spots: usually back left and back right; mirrors don't show them.
Two-second rule
- Pick a landmark; when the vehicle ahead passes it count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two"; reaching it before you finish = too close.
- Allow more than two seconds on slippery roads, in fog, rain, snow or sun glare, behind large commercial vehicles that block your view, when carrying a heavy load, and behind smaller vehicles like motorcycles that stop more quickly.
Choosing a safe speed
- Never exceed the posted limit or a speed unreasonable for conditions (visibility, weather, traffic, wet roads).
- The faster you go, the farther ahead you must be able to see.
- Slow down when workers are present in construction zones.
- Unless otherwise posted, the maximum on any Nova Scotia highway is 80 km/h. Business and residential districts: 50 km/h.
- Maximum 50 km/h: passing a school or grounds during recess, when children are arriving or leaving, or any time children are present where the limit before the zone is over 50; passing a church while people are entering or leaving; within 15 m of an intersection where your view is under 60 m either way (not on through streets or at signal-controlled intersections); public parks in cities/towns unless posted; within 30 m of a railway crossing; residential districts; business districts; danger zones.
- School zone with children present, any time of day: 30 km/h where the approaching limit is 50; 50 km/h where it is higher.
Curves
- Momentum becomes centrifugal force in a curve, pushing the vehicle outward; too much speed or poor traction can cause a skid.
- Reduce speed before the curve so you don't need to brake in it; gently accelerate from the midpoint.
- For right curves keep as far right as you can; for left curves keep to the middle of your lane.
- Never stop, park or make a U-turn in a curve; don't pass or back up in a curve.
Following
- Following too closely is a leading cause of collisions. On the open road, leave enough room that a passing vehicle can move into the space ahead of you.
Study the Speed, stopping distance and following rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- Regulatory signsStop, yield and school zone signs, green-circle and red-slash signs, turn, passing, parking and stopping restrictions, one-way, keep-right, speed limit and accessible parking signs.
- Warning and guide signsYellow diamond warning signs for curves, narrowing roads, merges, lane endings, divided highways, bumps and hidden hazards, chevrons and checkerboards, lane-use arrows and green guide signs.
- Work zone signsOrange work zone signs, general, arrow, specific and human activity signs, traffic control persons, flashing arrow boards, lane closures and the main causes of work zone collisions.
- Railway crossingsThe crossbuck and advance railway warning sign, flashing lights and gates, vehicles that must stop at crossings, what to do if you are stuck on the tracks, and parking near a crossing.
- Traffic signals and crossing guardsGreen, yellow and red lights, right and left turns on red, arrow signals, flashing red, yellow and green signals, lane-control signals, dark signals, pedestrian Walk signals and crossing guards.
- Pavement markings and special lanesYellow and white lines, broken, solid and double solid centre lines, edge lines on divided highways, climbing lanes, continuity lines and two-way-left-turn lanes.
- Graduated licensing: Class 7, 5N and restricted stageApplying for a Class 7 learner's licence, the knowledge and vision tests, learner and newly licensed restrictions, curfew, waiting periods, driver training, the restricted individual stage, visitors and new residents, and licence classes.
- Demerit points and losing your licenceDemerit point values for common offences, warning, interview and suspension thresholds for learners, newly licensed and other drivers, probationary and conditional licences, revocation and suspension.
- Right of way, pedestrians and emergency vehiclesIntersection right-of-way rules, marked and unmarked crosswalks, pedestrians at signals, driveways, emergency vehicles, the slow down and move over rule and yielding to transit buses.
- Signals, turning, lane changes and passingSignal lights, hand signals and the horn, right and left turns, turning lanes, lane changes, overtaking and passing, places where passing is unsafe, being passed and backing up.
- Parking, roundabouts and drivewaysWhere you may not stop or park and the distances involved, parallel and angle parking, parking on a hill, roundabouts and rotaries, and entering or leaving driveways.
- Highways, school buses and sharing the road100-series controlled-access highways and interchanges, large commercial vehicles and truck blind spots, school bus lights, motorcycles and bicycles.
- Your vehicle: inspection, equipment, registration and insuranceAnnual safety inspection, tires and studded tire dates, maintenance checks, lighting and horn rules, special flashing lights, loads and trailers, vehicle permits and plates, and mandatory liability insurance.
- Seat belts, child seats and safe driving habitsSeat belt law, child restraints and booster seats, airbags, carrying passengers, driving position, steering, braking and ABS, defensive driving and highway hypnosis.
- Night driving and bad weatherHeadlight timing and dimming distances, glare, rain, fog and snow, hydroplaning, wet brakes, ice and black ice stopping distances, gravel roads, four-wheel drive and winter driving.
- Emergencies and collisionsBreakdowns, brake failure, blowouts, power and headlight failure, a stuck gas pedal, fires, skids, wheels off the pavement, animals, water, downed wires, snow plows and collision reporting duties.
- Impaired driving and fitness to driveBlood alcohol limits, standard drinks, roadside screening results and suspensions, the administrative licence suspension, penalties by offence, drug impairment, emotions, vision standards and fatigue.