Many accidents on the roads are caused by drivers travelling too close to the vehicle in front, this is known as 'tailgating'. This is a particularly dangerous thing to do and is the cause of many multiple collisions because drivers are unable to brake in time within the distance they have left clear. In the picture below, car 1 is tailgating behind a lorry which he cannot possibly see around. Not only this, but also the driver of the lorry cannot see him in his mirrors and therefore will not know the necessary action to take to avoid a collision.
The red and blue areas show the zone of vision of driver 1 and driver 2 which is obscured by the lorry ahead. You can see how much more of the road ahead car 2 can see and how much more stopping distance he has compared to car 1.
If you keep your distance and look well ahead, giving yourself plenty of time to react, accidents like these can be avoided. You should always leave a gap of at least one metre for each mph of your speed, or use the two-second rule. If the vehicle travelling behind you is not keeping a safe gap then you should ease off to increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front.
The Two Second Rule
When driving in good dry conditions an observant driver needs to be at least two seconds from the car in front. This is also considering the vehicle has first class tyres and brakes. If road conditions are bad then the safety gap needs to be doubled to at least four seconds or more.
To measure a two-second gap you should choose a stationary point ahead, such as a road sign, lamp-post, etc., When the vehicle in front reaches this point say the phrase 'only a fool breaks the two-second rule'. If you are passing the same point before you finish saying the phrase then you are too close and should ease off your speed to increase the gap.
(If you cant remember or just dont understand the 2 second rule, make sure that while driving at 50/60/70 miles per hour, you can NOT read the number plate of the vehicle in front of you)
Steven....
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