Keep Your Following Distance
The space in front of you is your time to react. Measured in seconds rather than car lengths, a following gap of at least a few seconds gives you room to stop when the car ahead does something sudden.
Most rear-end crashes come down to one thing: no room. When the car ahead brakes hard and you are close behind, the distance you left is all the time you get to notice, react, and stop. Too little space, and there is nothing you can do.
Seconds work better than car lengths because they scale with your speed automatically. Pick a fixed object ahead — a sign, a shadow across the road — and count the gap after the car in front passes it. A cushion of at least a few seconds is a common rule of thumb; widen it in rain, fog, or the dark. Your local handbook gives the specific count your area teaches.
This one habit turns countless near-misses into non-events. The driver who leaves space is never surprised by a sudden stop, an opening door, or a swerving neighbor — because they built in the time to handle it.
Count the gap
Measure your gap in seconds
When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count the seconds until you reach the same point. If it is under a few seconds, ease off and let the gap grow.
- Count in seconds, not car lengths
- Check the specific gap your local handbook teaches
Add more space when conditions worsen
Double or more your usual gap in rain, snow, fog, darkness, or heavy traffic. Poor grip and poor visibility both mean you need extra time to react.
Let tailgaters pass
If someone crowds you from behind, do not speed up or brake-check them. Slow gently and give them room to go around, so their following mistake cannot become your crash.
The space ahead of you is time you are saving for the moment you will need it most.