How to Judge the Distance from the Front of the Car?
3 Answers
Here are the steps to judge the distance from the front of the car: 1. When you can see the upper edge of the rear bumper of the car in front, the distance is approximately 1m. 2. When you can see the lower edge of the rear bumper of the car in front, the distance is approximately 2m. 3. When you can see the lower edge of the rear tires of the car in front, the distance is approximately 3m. Here are the steps to judge the left and right distance from the front of the car: 1. Imagine a person about 1.7 to 1.8 meters tall in front of you, with feet about 10 cm high, knees about 45 cm high, and the lower part of the hips about 70 cm high. 2. When the front of your car rises from the ground to the person's feet or heels and stays there, the distance between the front of your car and the person is about 3 meters. 3. When the front of your car rises to the height of the person's knees (i.e., you can see the person's knees), the distance between the front of your car and the person is about 2 meters. 4. When the left or right front of your car rises to the lower part of the person's hips, the distance between the front of your car and the person is about 0.3 meters.
I judge the distance to the front of the car mainly through years of habit and a sixth sense. When parking or navigating narrow roads, I focus on the relative position changes between the lower edge of the windshield and obstacles. When the front wheels cross the line or the bottom edge of an object disappears from the front edge of the car, the distance is usually about half a meter. This requires repeated practice to get a feel for it—for example, placing a cone in an open area and slowly approaching to observe the point where it disappears from view. Different car models have varying front-end heights, so it's important to familiarize yourself with your own vehicle. Visibility is good on clear days, but extra caution is needed at night or in rainy conditions, where fog lights can help. I always remind myself not to be too aggressive, to slow down in advance, and to leave extra room to avoid scratches.
As a new driver, my biggest fear when learning was misjudging the distance to the front of the car. The instructor taught me several practical tips: for example, when reversing, watch the rearview mirror and stop when the ground line appears parallel to the car body for safety; or when parking forward, use a specific wiper point on the windshield as a reference to align with the base of an obstacle. Thanks to a friend's reminder to approach slowly and not rush, I now get out to check the actual distance after parking to reinforce my memory. I've developed a habit of walking around the car before getting in to check the surroundings and rolling down the windows in tight spaces to listen for better judgment. Though still inexperienced, each small improvement makes me feel more confident.
