How to Judge the Distance Between Cars When Driving?
2 Answers
A following distance of about 2 meters is generally appropriate. Being too close can easily lead to rear-end collisions, while being too far may allow other vehicles to cut in. Normally, drivers can judge the distance by observing the position of the rear bumper and tires of the preceding vehicle from the outline of their own car's front: How to judge the distance between cars on the left, right, front, and rear To determine the position of the left wheel, we need to know where the left wheel will pass to avoid running over solid lines or obstacles like potholes and rocks on the road. When our line of sight aligns the protruding node of the left wiper with an object on the ground, the left wheel will pass over that object. For example, in the following illustration, if the wiper node aligns with the centerline on the ground, the tire will run over the centerline.
Having driven for decades, judging car distance actually relies heavily on experience and some small techniques. When driving in the city, I use roadside lampposts or crosswalk lines as reference points. When the car ahead passes the post, I start counting 'one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three' in my head. If I can finish counting three seconds before reaching that point, the distance is safely sufficient, leaving at least a 40-meter gap at normal speeds. On highways or during rain, I extend the count to four seconds to ensure extra buffer space in case of sudden braking. When parking or reversing, judging the distance of the car behind via the rearview mirror is also crucial: if you can see the entire body of the rear car in the mirror, it's usually about five to six meters away; if only the license plate is visible, be extra cautious—it might already be too close. Don’t just rely on instinct. Practice these visual cues to drive more confidently, as safety first saves a lot of trouble.
