Mar 21 2011, 02:05 PM, updated 15y ago
Increase the following distance to reduce car insurance accident claims
The so called “fender bender” car accidents are perhaps the biggest contributor to claims from car insurance. This becomes especially evident during rainy weather on our urban roads. Why are these accidents such a big threat to vehicle safety?
When drivers follow too closely behind other vehicles, they limit their forward vision and are not able to spot potential emergencies unfolding. By the time they see the problem, it’s too late to do anything about it.
It is said that at 120km/h, the combination of a driver’s reaction time and the vehicle’s stopping distance could be as much as six seconds. Few drivers however keep an ample following distance, meaning they are unable to successfully avoid an incident like the driver ahead of them having a head-on collision.
It is advised that drivers keep at least a two to three second following distance from the cars ahead of them. This would give drivers a time cushion to swerve round someone else’s crash. A longer following distance could also allow them to use their vision creatively and to start predicting things they can’t actually see.
On the Arrive Alive website we refer to the “2 Second Rule” in a section on Following Distances and Road Safety. We would like to quote:
“The 2 Second Rule”
Most International road safety campaigns refer to the “2 Second Rule” as a guideline for safe following distances. A point on the road is noted, two seconds are counted, and if that point is still visible then there’s probably enough following distance.
The 2 Second Rule is applied as follows:
- Watch the vehicle in front of you pass a landmark – such as a sign, tree, or power pole – at the side of the road.
- As it passes the landmark, start counting “one thousand and one, one thousand and two”.
- This rule will ensure that you keep the correct following distance, no matter what speed you are travelling at.
If you pass the landmark before you finish saying all eight words, you are following too closely. Slow down, pick another landmark and repeat the words, to make sure you have increased your following distance.
The "2 second rule" helps you determine a safe following distance in ideal driving conditions. Due to slower reaction time, older drivers should use the "3 second rule".
- Pick a marker on the road ahead, such as a road sign or telephone pole
- When the rear of the vehicle ahead passes the marker, count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two and one thousand and three"
- When the front of your car reaches the marker, stop counting
Source:
- http://carinsurance.arrivealive.co.za
- http://www.mto.gov.on.ca
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.. i remembered the instructor explained about every single aspect or road attitudes when i attain my first driver's license back in the 1996 .. 
.. 1.9k .. the time i took my B2 and D is just RM170+
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