When traffic is moving at a steady rate, following distances don’t feel as important. If you’re on the interstate and everyone is driving at a consistent 70 miles an hour, it might feel safe to be just one or two seconds behind the next car. You still have plenty of time to react, precisely because there is little to react to.
But this is a dangerous mindset to get into. Law enforcement officers point out that a three-second following distance is mandatory in order to be safe. This is the only way that drivers can avoid tailgating and reduce the odds of being involved in a car accident.
Why is two seconds not enough?
The reason that you need at least three seconds is because you can’t react instantly when something happens. Say that the car ahead of you starts to slow down rapidly. It will generally take you just under a second to notice that this is happening and realize that you need to hit the brakes. You may feel like you react right away, but there’s actually a delay.
After that, if you have your foot on the gas pedal, you have to pick it up and move it over to the brake pedal. You then have to press the brake pedal and get the car to begin slowing down. Once again, this is something that people think happens immediately, but there’s another delay of around 0.75 seconds.
In other words, the fastest you can start slowing down in unexpected conditions is about one and a half seconds. It still takes time for the car to actually begin reducing speed after you press the brakes, so a three-second following distance helps keep you safe.
Unfortunately, other drivers may not follow this rule and could injure you in an accident. If so, be sure you know how to seek compensation for medical bills and more.
