Speed, Stopping, Following and Parking: the Basic Speed Rule and Its Nine Conditions, Stopping Within the Assured Clear Distance, the $654 Fine and Doubled Zones, State Limits From 80 mph Turnpikes to 25 mph School Zones, Turning at 10 mph or Less, Road Rage Warning Signs and What to Do, Night Driving and Overdriving Your Lights, Perception, Reaction and Braking Times and the Stopping Table From 20 to 80 mph, Braking Smoothly and in Emergencies, Never Tapping ABS, Black Ice and Skids, the First Drops of Rain and Hydroplaning, One Car Length per 10 mph or the Three-Second Rule, 200 Feet in a Caravan, Following Trucks, Avoiding Rear-End Collisions and Tailgaters, Securing a Parked Car, Parking on a Highway, Angle and Parallel Parking Within 18 Inches, Bracing Wheels on Hills, Starting on a Hill, Disabled Placards and Thirteen Places You May Not Park

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Oklahoma Class D driver license written test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: Oklahoma Driver Manual (Service Oklahoma, November 2025), Chapter 7 "The Basic Speed Rule" (pages 40–41), Chapter 8 "Stopping and Following" (pages 42–45) and Chapter 9 "Parking" (pages 46–49).

The basic speed rule and speed limits

Consider every condition affecting your driving, drive at a speed safe for those conditions and be able to stop without hitting anyone. The basic speed rule sets no exact figure but limits your speed to current conditions: a posted 65 is too fast at night on a two-lane state highway in rain or fog. Your speed must be careful and prudent, using skill and judgment, and reasonable and proper, neither too fast nor too slow, for the amount and speed of traffic, the presence of pedestrians especially children in school zones, the road's surface, width and structure such as curves, bridges and narrow shoulders, visibility, weather and air conditions such as rain, snow, ice, fog, smoke and dust, and your own ability; you may not drive so slowly that you block or hinder vehicles moving at normal speed; and you must be able to stop within the clear distance ahead. If the car ahead stops suddenly in a line of downtown traffic and you cannot stop in time, you were breaking the basic rule even within the posted limit, or following too closely. The maximum penalty for speeding is a fine of up to $654 and 30 days in jail, and fines double in school and construction zones when workers or equipment are present. Unless otherwise posted, under normal conditions the state limits are 75 mph on controlled-access highways, 80 mph on turnpikes, 65 mph on undivided state highways, 55 mph on county roads, 35 mph on highways in state parks and wildlife refuges, and 25 mph in properly marked school zones on highways outside a municipality; cities and towns set their own limits, which change by zone, so obey the posted business, residential and school limits. The recommended speed for turning is 10 mph or less. Recognize the warning signs of aggressive driving, tailgating, cutting off vehicles, careless lane changes, speeding and running red lights, which can escalate into obscene gestures, verbal assault, deliberate collisions and weapon threats; avoid offending other drivers, do not engage them and keep your anger in check, and if you suspect a driver is targeting you, go to a safe place with people such as a police, fire or gas station, call 911 if necessary, and never drive home. Night driving is seriously dangerous on poorly lit highways and country roads, where dark animals, objects and people in dark clothing are hard to see; reduce speed, adjust to conditions, and never overdrive your lights, so that you can stop within the distance you see, considering how powerful your lights and how responsive your brakes are; never wear sunglasses or colored glasses at night or on dark days, since glare from headlights, billboards and streetlights already slows your eyes' adjustment and colored lenses slow it more.

Stopping distance and braking

No formula tells exactly how long a stop takes; it depends on your reaction time, weather and road, vehicle weight and brake condition, in three steps: perception, seeing or hearing danger, about 0.5 second; reaction, the brain telling the foot to brake, about 0.66 second; and braking, which depends on speed. The emergency stopping table runs from eye to brain to foot to wheel to road: at 20 mph about 44 feet of reaction distance plus 15 to 22 feet of braking, 59 to 66 feet in all; at 30 mph 66 plus 33 to 50, or 99 to 116 feet; at 40 mph 88 plus 53 to 107, or 141 to 195; at 50 mph 110 plus 83 to 167, or 193 to 277; at 60 mph 132 plus 120 to 240, or 252 to 372 feet; at 70 mph 154 plus 163 to 327, or 317 to 481; and at 80 mph 176 plus 213 to 427, or 389 to 603 feet, which is why a deer in your headlights at 80 mph on the turnpike may be unavoidable. Apply the brakes slowly and evenly, and with a standard transmission flash your brake lights first, then downshift to slow for a stop sign or signal. Maximum braking comes just before the wheels lock, and too much pedal pressure locks them and skids the vehicle; anti-lock brakes use different techniques, so read the owner's manual. In emergencies with standard brakes: for a flat or blowout, take your foot off the gas and brake cautiously, never suddenly; if you run off the pavement, hold the wheel firmly, brake lightly, slow until you can safely return, check traffic both ways and steer carefully back; on ice, snow, sleet, gravel, sand and other loose surfaces, tap the brakes lightly about one second apart, since sudden braking skids the car, but never tap anti-lock brakes; and make all changes slowly, because sudden over-correction loses control. Icy roads, especially invisible black ice, leave little you can do once a skid starts, so prevent it: feel out the road by testing the brakes gently once moving, since traction varies with traffic, sun and shade; watch for black ice on bridges and in shady spots; remember sudden braking increases the skid and do not use the clutch; and as a general rule, when a skid starts, take your foot off the brake and steer in the direction of the skid, unless that would run you off the road, into something or into oncoming traffic, for instance when the rear skids left toward oncoming cars. The best advice for icy roads is not to drive: ask whether the trip is worth the risk. Roads are slickest just after rain or drizzle begins, when the first drops loosen grease and dirt into a slippery film, so slow and use extra caution; whenever the road is wet, slow to avoid hydroplaning, in which the tires ride on the film of water and lose contact, reducing traction, lengthening stops and making turns hazardous, and wide tires can hydroplane even at reduced speeds; slow or pull off in a heavy downpour, and never drive into water crossing the road, whose depth and force you cannot judge.

Following

Keep a cushion of safety with open space ahead, behind and to the sides, far enough back to stop if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly, remembering that speed, traffic, road and weather affect stopping. Allow one car length for every 10 mph, or use the three-second rule: pick a fixed object such as a tree, sign or pole ahead of the car in front, and once that car passes it you should count "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three" before you pass it, raising the count to four in bad weather or poor road conditions; the manual's safety tip also counts to four seconds and adds more distance on slick roads, behind large vehicles and motorcycles, at night, in fog and in bad weather. Cars bunch into packs; avoid them and keep your cushion. In a caravan or motorcade such as a funeral procession outside a business or residential area, leave at least 200 feet between vehicles so others can enter the line. Trucks take longer to stop because of their size, though at higher speeds or on wet pavement they may have better traction and stop sooner than a car, so following too closely risks rear-ending one. Rear-end collisions are a major problem avoided by a few rules: pay strict attention when following; watch for brake lights four or five cars ahead and move your foot to the brake as soon as you see them; watch for the gap ahead shrinking; watch for stopped vehicles on the shoulder, comparing a distant car with a fixed object to tell whether it is moving; look for problems developing for the driver ahead; leave plenty of space; and slow and prepare to stop when the car ahead signals a left turn. To avoid being hit from behind by a tailgater, flash your brake lights if braking will not cause a collision, slow and encourage the driver to pass, and if that fails pull over, stop and let the tailgater pass with your doors locked, preferably where there are people such as a convenience store and, at night, in a well-lit area.

Parking

An improperly parked car can roll, gain speed, destroy property or kill. When you leave the car, set the parking brake, put the gear in low, reverse or park, turn off the motor, and lock the ignition and remove the key; lock the car even in your own driveway. Where highway parking is permitted, signal, slow and drive completely off the pavement or main traveled part; if the vehicle breaks down, move it completely off the highway and turn on the flashers; watch for fast traffic as you get out and keep children from approaching it. Angle parking is used in lots, shopping centers and some curbs: entering, watch for vehicles and pedestrians ahead and behind, signal and slow, make sure your rear will clear the parked car, steer sharply in and straighten, centering the car. Backing out, make sure nothing such as a shopping cart is in the way; look both ways and double-check, since oncoming traffic is hard to see, especially beside a truck or van; back slowly with the lane clear; tap the horn to warn pedestrians; stop and look again once you can see past the tops of the neighboring cars; remember the front swings opposite to your turn and can hit the car beside you; back while turning until your left front wheel passes the rear bumper of the car on the left; and straighten as you enter the lane. Parallel parking is allowed at any curb, within 18 inches of it, unless signs prohibit it or the curb is painted yellow: choose a space large enough, signal, pull even with the car ahead about two feet out; making sure you will not interfere with oncoming traffic, turn the front wheels all the way right and back slowly toward the curb; when your front wheels are opposite the rear bumper of the car ahead, quickly turn the wheel all the way left and back slowly into position within 18 inches of the curb; then straighten and drive into the final position, centering the car. Spacing and timing matter: too close to the car ahead or cutting right too soon puts you too close to its rear bumper, too far out keeps you from the curb, and cutting left too late hits the curb; each time you pull out or back up, signal, watch for oncoming traffic and move slowly. On a hill, a car can roll forward or backward if the brake fails or it is not braced against the curb: parallel park but stop within six inches of the curb, brace the wheels against it, set the parking brake, put the car in reverse, low or park, and turn off the switch. Facing downhill, turn the wheels toward the curb and drive slowly forward until the wheel touches it, then shift to reverse or park; facing uphill against a curb, turn the wheels sharply away from the curb and back slowly until the rear of the tire rests against it, then shift to low or park; facing uphill without a curb, turn the wheels sharply to the right so the car would roll away from traffic. To start on a hill: start the motor, shift to the proper gear, signal, look in the rearview mirror and to the rear, release the parking brake, check again for oncoming traffic and drive out when the lane is clear, since drivers already moving have the right-of-way; with a standard transmission, accelerate and release the clutch as you release the brake so the car does not roll. Service Oklahoma issues a transferable disabled parking permit, hung from the mirror, to physically disabled residents whether driver or passenger, on an application completed by a physician stating the disability (a driver review test may be required); a false statement or unauthorized use is a misdemeanor, and you may apply online. Parking laws keep your car from being hit and from endangering others; no one may stop, park or leave a vehicle unattended, except to avoid conflict with traffic or under an officer's or device's direction, on a sidewalk; in front of a public or private driveway; within an intersection; within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; on a crosswalk; within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection; within 30 feet on the approach to a flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic signal at the roadside; within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing; within 20 feet of a fire station driveway, or within 75 feet on the opposite side of the street where signposted; alongside or opposite an obstruction or street excavation where parking would obstruct traffic; on the road side of a vehicle stopped or parked at the curb (double parking); on any bridge, elevated structure or highway underpass; or anywhere official signs prohibit stopping.

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