Have you ever wondered whether you are too close to the vehicle in front of you or felt that the driver behind you was following you too closely? If you understand what constitutes a safe following distance, you can better answer these questions and reduce the chance you have an accident on the roads.
Here is what road safety experts recommend.
At least 3 seconds
There should always be at least three seconds between the front of your vehicle and the tail end of the one in front of you. You will note that this is not so much a following distance, but rather a following time. The reason is that many people are poor at judging a specific distance, but most can count to three and more.
All you need to do is pick a point on the road ahead and start counting once the tail end of the vehicle you are sitting behind crosses that point. If you arrive before you count to three, then you need to slow down.
When you need more
There are plenty of occasions when three seconds won’t be long enough. For example, if you are not feeling very alert, your reaction time may be slowed. Poor traction on the road is another occasion that merits a longer time gap, be it due to ice, snow, water, gravel or worn tires. Low visibility, such as in fog, is another reason to expand that gap.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of drivers out there who do not leave enough space. If one of them causes a crash that injures you, then it’s important to examine your options for compensation.
