Ohio Truck Following Distance
300 feet, but only on a blind hill. Outside a municipality, while cresting a grade you can't see over, you stay 300 feet back from another truck (ORC 4511.34). Everywhere else on the open road the truck rule is unnumbered: leave enough room for a passing car to merge. It never blocks passing and skips truck-only lanes. Day to day, tailgating is cited under the general reasonable-and-prudent standard (4511.34(A)): a minor misdemeanor, up to $150.
How much room Ohio makes you keep
300 feet, but only on a blind hill. Outside a municipality, while cresting a grade you can't see over, you stay 300 feet back from another truck (ORC 4511.34). Everywhere else on the open road the truck rule is unnumbered: leave enough room for a passing car to merge. It never blocks passing and skips truck-only lanes. Day to day, tailgating is cited under the general reasonable-and-prudent standard (4511.34(A)): a minor misdemeanor, up to $150.
The required distance
- Rule: Fixed truck gap
- Gap: 300 feet behind another truck only while ascending to the crest of a blind grade outside a municipal corporation; on the rest of the open road, leave sufficient space for a passing car to merge — no everyday fixed-feet gap; not on truck-only lanes, not while passing
- Fine: Minor misdemeanor, up to $150; rises to a 4th-degree misdemeanor with one prior traffic conviction within a year, 3rd-degree with two or more. 2 points.
Ohio Following Distance FAQ
How much following distance must a truck keep in Ohio?
What is the required gap in Ohio?
What is the following-too-closely fine in Ohio?
Reference information for planning, not legal advice. Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it. Last reviewed July 2026. Source: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.34. See our Terms & Disclaimer.
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