"CSA, yeah I used to be annoyed at that, but now I just back off more. A few minutes later arrival means zilch. "
I do that, too, where I live now. But, you obviously have never driven the commuting route that I was referring to, originally. Trust me, it wouldn’t work. You’d be run into or run off the road. The only defensive driving possibility was the exit ramp.
CSA
@BillRussell around here holding up traffic in the left lanes will get you a ticket up to $500. Speeding will only cost you $150.
How far back and at what speed BillRussel? I try to stay 2-3 car lengths at 55 mph. Rocketman
"2-3 car lengths at 55 mph"
That’s about 50 feet, a bit low. See graph below, which lists 130 ft as stopping distance at that speed. I’d go with 3-5 car lengths ideally, but I’d probably be down to your number in heavy traffic. Depends on visibility and conditions, of course.
Tester: That reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw a few years ago. “I’m not speeding. I’m qualifying”. LOL
2-3 seconds works most speeds
I Still Try For The Following Distance That Was Taught During My Drivers’ Education In Brand New AMC Ramblers. I Believe We Used The “Smith’s System Of Driving” Book.
One Car Length For Every Ten Miles Per Hour.
For me, I can visualize that better than counting seconds. It’s a safe margin.
It still works pretty well in my rural locale, but as traffic congestion builds in other locales, people make it impossible to maintain that rule. I do what I can do.
CSA
The rule of thumb on dry pavement is, one car length for every ten miles per hour.
Tester
2 seconds = 29’ per 10 mph. A bit more conservative. And harder to maintain in traffic.
Using My Rear View And Side View Mirrors, I’d Say About One In Ten Drivers Leave Anywhere Near That Much Space. I Guess They Were Absent That Day At Driver’s Ed.
CSA 