subject: Maintain a Safe Distance [print this page] Maintain a Safe Distance Maintain a Safe Distance
In the heyday of bumper stickers, it was common for you to see one that said "if you can read this, you are too close!" indicating that a great percentage of drivers tailgate, which can cause serious accidents if unforeseen incidents happen. Nowadays, with bumper stickers being less predominant, the rule still applies. When learning to drive, it is drummed into you that when you stop in traffic, you should be able to see tyres and tarmac in front of you. If you can't, you are again riding too close to the car in front of you.
If you create a buffer of space in front of you, even at slow speeds, you are creating a safety blanket and therefore erring on the side of caution. Think about this, you may have stopped in time but quite close to the car in front, but what if the car behind you has the same problem? If you get hit from the back you have no room for movement before hitting the car in front, and therefore an accident is caused that could have been avoided.
Keeping a good space behind is also important if you are driving at faster speeds. If the car in front of you brakes suddenly and you have left a large gap, you can take evasive action and change lanes, avoiding an accident. If you are too close you could cause a bad accident, and it could have been easily avoided. This way your Car Insurance Quote won't raise the next time you come to renew.
