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How much of a following distance should you keep with big vehicles?
The rule of thumb is to maintain at least a three-second following distance, giving you time to react and avoid potentially dangerous situations. You can calculate this by using a fixed object, such as a pole or an overpass to determine how far in front of you the car is.
How much of a following distance should you allow?
The National Safety Council recommends a minimum three-second following distance. Determining the three-second gap is relatively easy.
How do you calculate safe following distance?
The easiest and quickest way to calculate a safe following distance (the safe amount of distance between you and the car ahead of you) is to use the two-second rule. Basically, the two-second rule states that you should stay a full two seconds behind the car in front of you, whatever speed you are traveling at.
What should be the distance between cars?
Keeping a big enough stopping distance is crucial to staying safe, particularly in fast moving traffic when you have less time to react. Always allow at least 2 seconds from the vehicle in front, and at least double this in bad conditions. Not doing so could have tragic consequences.
How much of a following distance should you allow between you and the vehicle when its raining?
As you may recall from Drivers Ed, the following distance in ideal conditions is three seconds—increase that distance to 4 seconds or more in the rain, depending on the situation.
When following a vehicle it is a good rule to keep?
It is recommended to keep a reasonable following distance so you can safely stop in a case of an emergency, e.g., if the car ahead of you stops suddenly. A defensive driver maintains a safe following distance of at least three seconds behind the vehicle ahead and increases it depending on weather and road conditions.
What is a 4 second following distance?
Use the 4-second rule. Count the number of seconds in between the car in front of you passing the object and your vehicle passing it. If you count at least 4 seconds, you are at a safe following distance.