How many times have you found yourself tailgating someone? Look around you next time you’re in rush hour traffic, and you’ll see this happening all around you. Do you sometimes do it yourself? Tailgating is a dangerous practice. It can unnecessarily leave you involved in a serious accident.
All motorists can employ one simple practice to minimize their chances of causing or becoming involved in a crash, which is to employ the 3-second rule. Learning more about it could save your life.
What does the 3-second rule involve?
This rule involves maintaining what equates to a 3-second distance between you and the motorist in front of you. You can train yourself to keep this distance by tracking when the driver in front of you passes a stationary object and then counting how many seconds it takes until you do the same.
If you’re wondering why the magic number here is three, that’s because researchers have found that’s how long it takes for you to recognize an issue or obstruction and to brake or take some other type of evasive action to avoid it.
While 3-seconds is the best estimate as to how long you need to respond to avoid a crash, there are some instances in which you may need more time, depending on the material that the roadway is constructed of and the weather. You may need to increase the amount of time between you and the motorist in front of you to significantly more than three seconds.
Many motorists make the mistake of assuming that they don’t need to implement the 3-second rule because traffic is moving at a steady pace. That’s an incorrect assumption. Traffic patterns can change in an instant, which is often when people get hurt. If you’ve been injured in a crash caused by another driver, it may be wise to seek legal guidance to make sure you’re getting the compensation you need.