To avoid tailgating, it is a good idea to pay attention to your following distance. As a rule of thumb, you want to keep three seconds between vehicles. Just look for a street sign or another stationary object. Watch the car ahead of you until it passes that object, and then make sure you do not pass the same point until three seconds have gone by.
But if you are periodically checking your following distance and trying to stay safe, you may realize that the three-second gap feels too large. Do you really need such a big following distance? Couldn’t you be closer – such as two seconds behind – without increasing the odds of an accident? Maybe the gap between cars is so large that other drivers keep merging into it, for instance, so you’re thinking of making it shorter.
Delays in reaction times
The reality is that two seconds often isn’t enough. Many people say that three seconds is the minimum, and it may even be better to increase your following distance beyond that.
The problem is that all of your reactions are naturally delayed when you have to slow down. For the first three-quarters of a second, you are simply realizing that you need to hit the brakes in the first place. For the next three-quarters of a second, you’re moving your foot to the left and pushing the brake pedal.
Most drivers think of these as immediate actions, things that they do almost instantaneously. But, research shows that there is about a second-and-a-half delay before the car starts slowing down. If the following distance is too short, a driver may attempt to hit the brakes and still not be able to avoid a rear-end accident.
Have you suffered injuries?
Even when you maintain a proper following distance, other drivers may tailgate and cause serious accidents. If you’ve been injured due to their negligence, take the time to carefully look into your legal options.