Some driving safety experts claim the 2-second following distance rule is outdated and should be replaced by a 4-second rule.
According to experts at Smith System, the iconic driving safety training method that pioneered in 1958, inadequate following distance is the most common poor driving habit. Smith System research shows that most motorists maintain between 1 and 2 seconds behind the vehicle in from of them.
Why? One common reason they offer is, “I was taught the 2-second rule when I learned to drive.”
The rule was derived from testing the stopping distance and reaction time of drivers under ideal road, vehicle, and driver conditions and was considered a minimum. However, such ideal conditions are rare. Also, the formula never gave drivers adequate freedom to survey the complete traffic picture.
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Unnecessary Risk
According to Smith System training materials, “With 2 seconds or less, drivers can ill afford to take their eyes off the vehicle directly in front to identify risks further ahead, to the sides, or behind.” The limited information gleaned from driving in this way can lead to late, hasty reactions that expose drivers to unnecessary risk.
Proper Following Distance
What’s the proper following distance, according to Smith System? It’s at least 4 seconds, and drivers should measure it like this:
When the vehicle in front passes a fixed object (telephone pole, overpass, etc.), count “one thousand one, one thousand two…” You should get to “one thousand four” before passing the same fixed point.
The distance should be increased in poor road or weather conditions or when driving heavier equipment.
Some drivers voice concern that maintaining such a large following distance allows other drivers to constantly cut in. All that cutting in will force a driver applying the 4-second to keep dropping back, losing time and falling behind schedule.
Smith System says the roots of that concern are more emotional than logical. In fact, when such cutting in occurs, someone else usually is leaving the lane farther ahead. The net impact of a couple of seconds lost rarely has a negative impact on arrival time.
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