What is the best method to judge the distance between vehicles?
2 Answers
Methods for judging the distance between vehicles are as follows: 1. Determine the distance of the rear vehicle to assess whether a lane change is possible. Observe how far the vehicle in the adjacent lane is located behind the side of your vehicle, typically using the side rearview mirrors. When using the rearview mirror to judge the distance, first adjust the vehicle seat and the angle of the rearview mirror. If the body of the rear vehicle has entered the danger zone to the left of the dotted line in the rearview mirror, it indicates that the distance between the vehicles is very close, and turning should not be attempted at this time. 2. Since the driver is positioned on the left side of the vehicle, it is more challenging to gauge the situation in the right lane. Moreover, the blind spot in the left side rearview mirror is larger than that on the right. If the rear vehicle occupies half of the rearview mirror's area and only half of its body is visible, it means the rear vehicle is very close to your car. In this case, you should maintain your current lane and avoid changing lanes.
I remember when I first started driving, judging the distance between cars always felt quite challenging. My usual method was to observe through the rearview mirror: if the car behind occupied about half of the mirror's surface, the distance was roughly ten meters, and if it appeared smaller, it meant the car was farther away. When parking, I also liked to use roadside references, such as aligning the front of my car with the parking line ahead. With more practice, I found that my sense of distance naturally improved, especially by focusing on a point to see if it was getting closer. While driving, it's important not to follow too closely and maintain at least a three-second braking distance to avoid rear-end collisions. These methods, though simple, are quite effective and have helped me stay safe on numerous occasions.
