Rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of car accidents. And most rear-end collisions are caused by tailgating. are you guilty of following other vehicles too closely?
You probably don’t think of yourself as a tailgater. In fact, when people are involved in rear-end collisions, it’s easy to blame the other driver who braked too suddenly. But many drivers today don’t realize they are following other vehicles much too closely, whether they are driving around town or on the freeway. In fact, many rear-end collisions occur at speeds of only 25 to 35 miles per hour! The good news is that making sure you’re not tailgating other drivers is as easy as using the ‘three-second’ rule — or in some cases the ‘four-second’ or ‘five-second’ rule. When the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain stationary point, such as a sign, simply count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three.” If you pass the same point as the other vehicle before you finish counting, you are following too closely.
Sometimes, even the three-second rule isn’t enough. You’ll want to consider using a four- or five-second rule when you are:
- Driving in rainy or snowy weather. Even if you are driving fairly slowly in bad-weather traffic, a rear-end collision can still cause a fair amount of damage to your vehicle — and you. Giving yourself more time to stop in inclement weather can help you avoid a car accident.
- Towing a trailer of any kind. The heavier your vehicle — and load — the longer it will take you to stop. Allow yourself more space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
- Driving at high speeds. The faster you’re driving, the longer it will take you to stop. You’ll generally want more space between you and the car in front of you when you’re driving on a major highway compared with surface streets.
- Following a motorcycle. This is especially important in bad weather. Hitting a motorcycle from behind can be deadly. When driving, make sure you’re allowing for ample space between you and those driving motorcycles.
- Following any type of vehicle that stops frequently, such as a school bus. When it’s safe, you could pass a slower-moving vehicle, or slow down so that you always maintain adequate space between them and you.
- Attempting to merge. When you’re entering a freeway or expressway, it’s important not to crowd the vehicle in front of you. Depending on how smoothly they are able to join the other vehicles and integrate into traffic, they may try to stop or slow down suddenly.
