Do You Know How to Choose the Right Following Distance?

Maintaining proper following distance is one of the best ways to reduce your chances of getting into a car collision. Fortunately, there are some easy rules to remember that can help you maintain the appropriate distance between you and the car in front of you. Here are a few “following rules” that will help you avoid a collision.

Three-Second Rule

The standard distance that should be maintained between you and the car in front of you is approximately three seconds. If you are traveling at 25 miles per hour, this amounts to 111 feet. If you are traveling at 65 miles per hour, the distance will be more like 288 feet. If you’re following this rule and the car in front of you stops or swerves, you will have enough time to react and avoid a collision. If someone is following you at closer than two seconds, let them pass you or change lanes as soon as possible.

Six-Second Rule

There are many cases when the three-second rule doesn’t cut it. If you want to be safe in heavy traffic and during nighttime driving, it’s best to follow the six-second rule instead so that you can double the normally safe following distance and decrease the likelihood of a collision. Six seconds is also a good rule to follow if it is lightly raining or snowing or if there is light fog.

Nine-Second Rule

If the weather is exceptionally bad, it’s good to keep about nine seconds in between you and the car in front of you. It might seem excessive, but if you’re driving in heavy rain, snow, or fog, you will need all the time you can get to react in case the driver in front of you slams on the brakes or loses control of his or her vehicle.

If you were recently in a collision, let the collision repair experts at Michael J’s Body Shop get you back on the road. With two state-of-the-art body shops in San Jose, finding quality collision repair in the Bay Area is easy. Call us at 408-279-2070 to learn more.