Keeping a safe distance / accident history

[Russ]

OK lets see if keeping a safe distance helps in reducing being involved in front to rear accidents. Please try to be honest.

[W2K_83]

All I would say is that the only time I hit a car in front was when I was keeping a distance of about 6 cars length away and driving at 70km/h. Maybe the safe distance made me feel overly safe and complacent.

[Qpik]

i believe keepg a safe distance helps but in spore either dun see pple keepg or it is not enuff

[Whitemondeo]

Keeping safe distance does help... but if the speed is 40km/h, do you still keep 10 cars lenght????

Maybe you would like to change to question in the poll.

 

example: At 90km/h what is you safe distance = 1~3 cars lenght..., 5~8 cars ....

 

my 2 cents.

 

Cheers,

Whitemondeo

[Mzrmazda3]

Normally i keep about 2 car length on expressway

[Vidz]

rule of thumb, 2 secs...

 

You should be always 2 secs away from the car infront...

irregardless of speed...

[Eyke]

just "regardless", there's no "irregardless"...

[Blu_g]

The safe distance I keep depends on my speed n the traffic flow..

[Mafi__folos]

Keeping a safe distance sure helps

[Thug]

OK lets see if keeping a safe distance helps in reducing being involved in front to rear accidents. Please try to be honest.

 

Nope...never had an accident on E-way b4.

Only accident was 3 years ago, when still driving my dad's car. Kissed the rear of a taxi...

[Zyrofillica]

All I would say is that the only time I hit a car in front was when I was keeping a distance of about 6 cars length away and driving at 70km/h. Maybe the safe distance made me feel overly safe and complacent.

 

for 70km/h u need to be 7 car lengths away

[Octopus]

OK lets see if keeping a safe distance helps in reducing being involved in front to rear accidents. Please try to be honest.

 

For me I'm keeping roughly 1 ~ 1.5 car length behind, luckily so far so good...

 

But if I noticed the driver infront is the type whom likes to tap brakes frequently (sometime unnecessary), I will keep a longer following distance from such 'unsteady' drivers....

[Octopus]

Normally i keep about 2 car length on expressway

I noticed that some drivers from lane beside may cut in even with 2 cars length, and such situation may caused the rear drivers to jam brakes....

[Dwoon]

OK lets see if keeping a safe distance helps in reducing being involved in front to rear accidents. Please try to be honest.

 

Depending on the speed... say 100km/h... I'll be like 2 to 3 car lengths behind. Slower the speed, closer the gap.

 

It all depends on the car & brake setup really..... it one has upgraded brakes, then shorter distance is still quite safe.

[Dgwee]

This is shocking... Close to 75% of forumners polled here do not keep a safe distance when driving. All of you must be really lucky to not have rear ended anyone.

 

It normally takes a human 0.75sec just to perceive that the car in front is stopping and another 0.75sec to react. At 90km/h, this equates to 37.5m, or 7 car lengths travelled before the brakes are even applied! Go figure.

 

http://www.toronto.ca/taxitraining/following.htm

[Aimnfire]

i'm using 2 second rules

regardless of what speed

 

1 sec to react

1 sec to brake

 

unless your brakes cannot make it

 

but nowadays can see driver follow 1 sec rule

 

why?

if more than 1 sec

sure got other cars trying to squeeze in between you and the front vehicle

[Rtth84]

look at 2 cars infront thats what the 3rd brake light for. brake when 2 cars infront are braking not wait till you see the car infront of you brake

[Dwoon]

It normally takes a human 0.75sec just to perceive that the car in front is stopping and another 0.75sec to react. At 90km/h, this equates to 37.5m, or 7 car lengths travelled before the brakes are even applied! Go figure.

 

 

Hmmm.... how you calculate? 90/3600 = 0.025km/sec = 25m/s. For 0.75sec = 18.75m leh.... how you get 37.5m? (Oh ok... now when I re-read... saw liao... 0.75sec to perceive? What's there to perceive???)

 

Anyway, unless you mean to say that the car in front can stop instantaneously..... else the actual difference in distance (when both cars are braking/stopping) is due to the deceleration rate. (which I'm not gonna go calculate based on whatever scenario... waste time nia)

 

So let's see... if an average car length is like 6m.... reaction time of ~ 3 car lengths (18m) , considering car in front dun stop instanteneously.... I have figured out very well Thank you.

Edited July 17, 2007 by Dwoon