When it comes to following distances, drivers should generally leave three seconds between cars. They may need to adjust this for the weather. If it’s rainy or if the road appears slick for some reason, four or five seconds may be necessary. But three is a general rule that applies to most drivers at most times, so it’s wise for drivers to constantly monitor their position and count off their following distance.
But when they do so, some drivers will say that three seconds just seems like too much. They may also be frustrated because other drivers keep moving into the gap between vehicles. Why is it that an entire three seconds is actually best and safest?
The length of your reaction time
The reason for three seconds is that reaction times are not instant, so braking in the car is always delayed. First of all, the driver has to see the hazard or another indicator that they need to stop the vehicle. Simply perceiving this and deciding on a course of action can take around 3/4 of a second.
After that, the driver’s foot is likely on the gas pedal, so they have to move it to the left and push the brakes. Again, this may feel like an instant reaction, but it takes another 3/4 of a second. As such, that driver has already used up 1.5 seconds of their three-second following distance. If they were any closer, they would have almost no time to stop the car.
Seeking compensation
It’s a common illusion that a shorter following distance feels safe when traffic is moving at a consistent speed. And as long as nothing changes, an accident may not occur. But a longer following distance is needed because drivers can’t predict the unexpected and so they need enough space to react.
When drivers fail to maintain enough space and cause serious accidents, those who have suffered injuries need to know how to seek financial compensation.
