How to Determine the Distance Between the Front and Rear Vehicles
3 Answers
Here are the specific methods to determine the distance: 1. Judging the distance to the front vehicle: Estimate by observing the position where the front of your vehicle obscures the rear of the vehicle ahead. When the edge of your car's hood aligns with the bottom of the front vehicle's tires, the distance is approximately 5 meters. If your car's hood overlaps with the lower part of the front vehicle's bumper, the distance is about 3 meters. When it overlaps with the upper part, the distance is roughly 1 meter. If your car's hood reaches the lower edge of the front vehicle's license plate, the distance is about 0.5 meters. 2. Judging the distance to the rear vehicle: When parking, determining the distance to the rear vehicle is more challenging than with the front vehicle and can only be done through the rearview mirror or the car's reversing camera. Generally, if the engine hood is completely obscured in the rearview mirror, the distance is approximately 5 meters. When you can just see the rear vehicle's windshield in the rearview mirror, it's time to stop, at which point the distance is about 0.5 meters. If you have a reversing camera, it naturally becomes much simpler.
I just started learning to drive, and what worries me most is the distance from the car in front, fearing a rear-end collision. My instructor taught me the simplest 2-second rule: pick a fixed point, like a roadside sign, and start counting '1-2-3' when it reaches the front of my car. If the rear of the car ahead is still far away by the second second, it's safe. On the highway, I usually glance at the position of the car behind me in the rearview mirror. If I can see the entire license plate or the bottom of the tires, there's still some buffer space. It's harder to judge in rain or at night, so I slow down and use hazard lights to alert the car behind me. In city traffic jams, I prefer to leave more space to avoid hitting the car in front during sudden braking, especially since as a beginner, my reactions are a bit slower. These are all everyday tips I've learned from driving school and friends.
Having driven for over twenty years, experience has taught me that judging the distance between cars ahead and behind relies on eyesight and habit. In the city, I usually start slowing down when I can clearly see the lower edge of the front car's tires, which provides a safety buffer of about 3 to 4 meters. On the highway, I use the 3-second rule, focusing on the gap between the car ahead and the one behind, counting silently to ensure enough reaction time. When encountering large vehicles like trucks, I double the distance because their size makes misjudgment easier. During my commute, I always remind myself to ease off the accelerator early when traffic gets dense and avoid tailgating—getting into a rear-end collision is trouble for everyone. At night or in foggy conditions, I turn on the fog lights to increase visibility, helping the car behind see my position better. These little tricks can prevent major accidents.
