How to Determine the Distance to the Following Vehicle
2 Answers
To determine the distance to the following vehicle, you can use the rearview mirror or the in-car reversing camera. If the image of the following vehicle occupies the entire area of the rearview mirror, the distance is approximately three meters. When the image occupies two-thirds of the mirror, the distance is about five meters. If it covers half of the mirror, the distance is roughly nine meters. And when the image takes up one-third of the mirror, the distance is around twelve meters. The rearview mirror is a tool that allows the driver, seated in the driver's seat, to directly obtain external information about the rear, sides, and lower parts of the car. For the convenience of the driver, to prevent traffic safety accidents, and to ensure personal safety, all countries mandate that vehicles must be equipped with rearview mirrors, and all mirrors must be adjustable in direction.
When driving, I mainly rely on the rearview mirror and experience to judge the distance of the car behind. If the entire front of the car behind fills the inner rearview mirror, the distance may be within five meters; if only part of the windshield is visible, it might be about ten meters away. The side mirrors are also useful: a clear outline of the car behind indicates it’s not too close. When parking, I usually check the parking lines—if the car behind is approaching the white line, it means it’s nearby. On the highway, it’s especially important to pay attention to changes in the brightness of the car’s lights—the brighter the light, the closer the car. Safety first—I’ve found that reflections are worse in the rain, so I need to judge more slowly to avoid being rear-ended. Years of driving have taught me that these small techniques make lane changes and reversing easier and reduce the risk of accidents.
