Rules of the Road: Leave Adequate Room Between You And Other…

Far too often drivers don’t leave enough space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them, particularly in tight traffic or at a stop light. The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to see the rear tires of the car in front of you and if you cannot, then you’re too close. But it’ll be impossible to stay this far back if you’ve been following too closely to start with.

By maintaining plenty of distance from the car in front of you while moving, you’ll have no problems coming to a proper stop with the appropriate amount of room at a light or when there’s a sudden halt in the movement of traffic. It’s your responsibility to keep this distance and hope that the car behind you is doing the same. Should you ever get the feeling that the driver following you isn’t being alert or they’re approaching too quickly when you’re stopped, pumping your breaks may get their attention.

Another habit that you should avoid when in close traffic or stopped at an intersection is slowly creeping forward. Either consciously or unconsciously, drivers tend to think that inching forward in these situations is going to save them time but clearly that’s not the case. It’s best to simply remain patient then reacting quickly when it’s time to move. You’ll also want to refrain from spacing off in stopped or slow moving traffic so that you’re not still stopped when the traffic in front of you is moving.