What is the Safe Following Distance in Meters?
2 Answers
Introduction to safe following distance is as follows: High-speed driving: When the speed is above 100km/h, the safe distance should be more than 100 meters. Fast driving: When the speed is above 60km/h, the safe distance in meters should be equal to the speed number; for example, at 80km/h, the safe distance is 80 meters. Medium-speed driving: When the speed is around 50km/h, the safe distance should not be less than 50 meters. Low-speed driving: When the speed is below 40km/h, the safe distance should not be less than 30 meters. Crawling speed: When the speed is below 20km/h, the safe distance should not be less than 10 meters.
There's actually no fixed number for this, it depends on how fast you're driving. When I'm driving around 60 km/h in the city, I usually keep a distance of about 3 car lengths from the vehicle in front, roughly 40 meters. On the highway it's completely different - at 120 km/h I leave at least 150 meters because the braking distance becomes much longer. On rainy days you need even more space since the road is slippery. What really annoys me are drivers who tailgate - they clearly don't understand the importance of safe following distance. You need to be especially careful at night when visibility is poor and rear-end collisions are more likely. Remember, maintaining proper distance isn't just about memorizing numbers - the key is giving yourself enough reaction time and braking space.
