If traffic changes unexpectedly ahead of you, such as if the next car slows down abruptly, how fast will you hit the brakes? Right away? Is it something you can do immediately to keep yourself and your passenger safe?
That certainly is how many drivers think of it. But the reality is that it takes longer than you realize. Just hitting the brakes in the first place is likely to take around a second and a half – 3/4 of a second to move your foot to the brake pedal and 3/4 of a second before that to realize that you need to hit the brakes.
This may not sound like a lot of time, but compare it to typical following distances. If you’re three seconds behind the next car, which is usually considered a safe following distance, you’re still using up half of your safety buffer before you hit the brakes. If you are accidentally tailgating the next car, you may rear-end them before you can stop your vehicle.
Why does this happen?
One of the main reasons why these accidents happen is that long following distances don’t seem as necessary when traffic is moving smoothly. If the vehicles around you have been traveling at roughly the same speed, you might get used to keeping a short following distance, and it may not feel dangerous. After all, with your cruise control on, you may not even have any close calls.
But in an emergency situation, you may suddenly realize that you are much too close. There’s just no way for you to stop your car in time.
Have you suffered injuries?
As you can see, it’s important to maintain proper following distances at all times. Unfortunately, even if you do so, you could be injured by another negligent driver. Make sure you know what legal options you have.