What is the safe following distance at 120 km/h on the highway?
3 Answers
It is best to maintain a distance of over 150m. Additional information: 1. Introduction: To prevent human contact with or proximity to hazardous objects or dangerous conditions, and to mitigate the harm caused by such hazards, a certain spatial distance must be maintained between them. 2. Maintaining a safe distance: To prevent injuries caused by vehicle collisions, a safe distance should be maintained. According to the Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, when a motor vehicle is driving on the highway at a speed exceeding 100 km/h, it should maintain a distance of at least 100 meters from the vehicle in front in the same lane. When the speed is below 100 km/h, the distance can be appropriately reduced, but the minimum distance should not be less than 50 meters.
I think maintaining a safe distance is particularly crucial when driving on highways, especially at high speeds like 120 km/h. Based on my experience, you should leave at least 150 meters of safety distance under such conditions. Here's why: human reaction time takes about one second, during which the car can travel over 30 meters; the normal braking distance on dry roads requires 70-80 meters; plus factors like varying road conditions and differences in vehicle performance, 150 meters is a relatively safe value. After driving for over a decade, I have a practical method: pick a fixed reference point, such as a roadside billboard, and start counting 'one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three' silently when the car ahead passes it. If you pass the same point after counting, the distance is roughly adequate. Especially during rainy days or at night, you should double the distance.
When I first got my driver's license, my instructor repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining a safe distance on highways. At a speed of 120 km/h, the legal minimum safe distance is 100 meters, but in actual driving, it's best to keep 120-150 meters. Here's a simple calculation formula: at 120 km/h, the distance traveled per second is approximately 33 meters. Considering that a normal person needs 0.5 to 1 second of reaction time, plus a braking distance of about 70 meters, a minimum of 100 meters should be reserved. On highways, I often use the three-second rule: pick a fixed reference point and ensure that I pass it at least three seconds after the car in front. When the car is fully loaded or the road is wet in rainy conditions, the distance should be increased to at least 200 meters for safety. Remember, maintaining a safe distance is giving your life a buffer zone.
