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BACK TO BASICS: a review of defensive driving techniques
4: Maintaining Space for Life: FOLLOWING DISTANCE
Another important segment of maintaining a space for life is following distance. Proper following distance can only be maintained by a judicious use of scanning techniques (see Back to Basics 2: Scanning Techniques). The amount of distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you differs with the type of conveyance you are driving. The basic distance is modified by factors such as the condition and maintenance of your vehicle, road conditions, traffic density, available light, speed, and weather. That distance is generally expressed in terms of time instead of distance, because doing so makes some of the adjustments (such as for speed) automatically, and time is easier for most drivers to estimate accurately than distances, especially when the distances are between moving vehicles.
If you are driving a private passenger vehicle, the minimum following distance you should maintain under ideal driving conditions is 2 seconds. When you are driving a van or similar vehicle, that time separation under ideal conditions is 4 seconds. Should you be driving a bus or other vehicle for which a commercial driver's license (CDL) is required, the minimum time separation between you and the vehicle in front of you is 5 seconds. These minimums should be increased for inclement weather, reduced visibility, deteriorated road conditions, increased traffic, accidents, or equipment malfunction.
Many people feel that other drivers will not allow you to maintain the following distance that is advocated: others will just fill the void, so to speak. However, the driver that cuts in front of you will quickly be dissatisfied and cut right back out. You will find that you can maintain the appropriate following distance if you diligently try. The biggest enemy to maintaining a safe space for life is not other drivers, but your own driving habits. The space for life you maintain will help keep your life from being unnecessarily shortened, and will improve the quality of the life you live right now by reducing the stress of driving. You will be able to see what is happening around you instead of just the rear of the vehicle in front of you; you will have time to respond to the actions of other drivers instead of just reacting. At the end of the day you will not be exhausted from the stress of the job. Even your back and shoulders will notice the difference at the end of the workday.
An easy way to determine following distance is to observe the vehicle in front of you as it passes a fixed object like an overpass, road sign, etc. Begin counting "one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand…" If you reach the appropriate count before you pass the same fixed object, you have an adequate following distance. If not, you need to reduce your speed momentarily to increase your following distance at least to the recommended minimum. A good procedure for accomplishing that is backing-off, i.e., removing your foot from the fuel control and placing it over (but not on) the brake. This allows you to slow gradually because of the decreased fuel supply. Such action will often be all that is necessary to remove yourself from a situation that has become less than desirable. Should further action be required, you have significantly reduced your reaction time by being physically and mentally poised to brake.
As noted, some circumstances require increased following distances to maintain an adequate space for life. For example, ice or other slippery road conditions may require up to 12 times the stopping distance of dry pavement. Further detail will be given in the sections that discuss specific driving environments.
Maintenance of an inadequate following distance is one of the most dangerous driving errors a driver can make. Federal statutes (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations or FMCSR, which govern CDL licenses) consider it a serious violation. Any CDL driver that receives 2 such violations in any 36-month period is to be suspended from driving for 60 days. Most van drivers are not so controlled, but the dangers are the same. Only the driver has any substantial control of how much space for life will be provided by proper following distance.
FOLLOWING DISTANCE... A BRIEF RECAP
| Who: |
You...
you cannot rely on your passenger, and you certainly cannot rely on the
other drivers on the road
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| What: |
Private passenger vehicles: 2 second separation under ideal conditions
Van or similar vehicle: 4 second separation under ideal conditions
Bus or vehicle requiring CDL: 5 second separation under ideal conditions
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| Why: |
To allow the possibility of maneuverability
To avoid danger and maintain a space for life
To comply with Federal statutes and maintain your driving privileges
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| Where: |
Applicable in all driving environments
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self-adjusting for many conditions
increases for:
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inclement weather
reduced visibility
deteriorated road conditions
increased traffic
accidents
equipment malfunction
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| How: |
By constant, diligent practice
Using the counting method: as vehicle passes fixed object, start counting "one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand...;" if you reach the appropriate time separation before you pass the same fixed object, your following distance is adequate; if not, back-off until at least the suggested minimum has been achieved.
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