Following distances

Question 1

What does ‘following distance’ mean?

Answer 1

Following distance’ is the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle directly in front of you.

Good drivers watch their following distance and make sure there’s plenty of space in front of their car.

This gives them more room to react if something goes wrong or if they need to stop suddenly.

Keep enough following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. This gives you more time if you need to stop suddenly.

Question 2

What does the law say?

Answer 2

The law says you must keep enough space in front of your car so you can stop if the car in front of you stops suddenly.

It will usually be your fault if you crash into the back of someone, even if they stop unexpectedly.

If the car in front stops suddenly, a good driver makes sure they have enough space in front of their car to stop in time and avoid a crash.

Question 3

The 2-second rule

Answer 3

Good drivers keep a 2-second following distance when they drive.

This is how you can check if you are travelling 2 seconds behind a vehicle.

Watch the vehicle in front of you pass a landmark like a signpost, tree or power pole at the side of the road.
As the vehicle passes it, start counting ‘one thousand and one, one thousand and two’.
If you pass the landmark before you finish saying those eight words, you’re following too closely. Slow down, pick another landmark and repeat the words to make sure you’ve increased your following distance to 2 seconds.

Question 4

The 4-second rule

Answer 4

The 2-second rule works best for good driving conditions.

But if the weather is bad and the road is wet, icy or slippery you should use the 4-second rule.

The 4-second rule is used when it would take you longer to stop than usual.

To check you’re travelling 4 seconds behind the vehicle in front, follow the same steps as the 2-second rule but count ‘one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, one thousand and four’ instead.

Question 5

Using the 2-second and 4-second rules

Answer 5

It’s time to practise. Use the 2-second and 4-second rules to figure out whether your car is keeping a safe following distance.

Question 6

A higher speed means a bigger following distance

Answer 6

The faster you’re going, the longer it takes your car to stop. This means you must increase your following distance as you increase your speed.

The 2-second and 4-second rules work because they give you the right following distance no matter what speed you’re travelling.