Driving School Blog

Whether it’s during rush hour traffic or a weekend excursion destination that you are all too eager to get to, at some point you’ll find yourself behind a slower driver.  Have you ever wondered what the safe driving distance between your car and the car in front of you should be?  Here are some driving tips to help you keep a safe driving distance from the car in front of you:

Keep your distance: Give yourself room to react.  You will need this extra room in a crisis situation.  Keep a large “safety cushion” around your vehicle in order to protect yourself from a potential collision.  Then, if the unexpected happens, you will have room to stop or take evasive action.

Keeping a safe distance between vehicles increases your ability to see and to be seen by other drivers, thereby preventing a crash.

A “safety cushion” between your vehicle and the one ahead gives you time when the driver ahead of you is about to stop, slow, or turn unexpectedly.  Tailgating does not leave space for any last minute maneuvers.

Be aware of changing weather and traffic conditions.  Expand your “safety cushion” when traveling in bad or inclement weather, on poor roads or in a congested traffic area.

Consider the stopping distance of other vehicles.  The stopping distance is much longer for a heavy truck than it is for a passenger vehicle.

We hope these tips will help you to avoid high risk driving mistakes, and take charge of your driving behavior and reduce your crash risk.

Do you have any tailgating stories that you would like to share with us?  If so, please submit your driving story with the following information: What time of day was it? What were the traffic conditions like?  Who was in your car? What happened?  And what did you learn from the driving experience?