Tailgating through traffic lights 5152

Yes, that is right. But to be safe that is what you need. As i said, panic braking is to be avoided, and in the weyt or on ice, you won't achive your 0.9g whatever you drive.

Have you seen those chevrons on motorways that sometimes appear to indicate a safe following distance? Thet are desigend to be safe at no more than the leagl limit of 70mph. Have you seen how far apart they are? Do you understand that braking distance varies as the square of speed, and what a square lawe means? It means that at 80mph, you need four times the distance that you need at 40mph. At 160mph, if anyone is brave enough, you need 16 times the distance.

One second per 10mph should always allow you tostop confortably in anty conditions except perhaps sheet ice.

It can never be too far for safety. It can, however, be too close. Many dont even obey the 2 second rule. God help them if anything goes wrong.

I know, but that is no excuse for not driving as safely as you can.

Which means when the car bounces back into your path, you probably haven't got enough brakes.

And 3600 people die every year. Ten times that number are seriously injured. You should not be complacent, one day it could be you (as the lottery adeverts say, but you are much more likely to be end or injured on the raods than to win the lottery jackpot - do you buy lottery tickets?).

Keeping a safe distance reduces the probability that it will happen to you. It isn't foolprooof, but it helps.

This will work in most situations I agree. But sometimes the unexpected happens, and a bit of extra safety margin might just save your bacon. On the road our safety depens on our own driving , but also on that of thaose around us. As you say, most drivers do their best but perhaps don't fully inderstand the physics that governs their situation. A few are idiots that threaten the safety ofthe reat.

So what can we do about it? Spoil our ballot papers?

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