What is the safe following distance on highways?
3 Answers
Highway safe following distance is: According to the Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law, when a motor vehicle is driving on the highway at a speed exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, it should maintain a distance of more than 100 meters from the vehicle in front in the same lane. When the speed is below 100 kilometers per hour, the distance from the vehicle in front can be appropriately reduced, but the minimum distance should not be less than 50 meters. The following distance includes two aspects: one is the front and rear distance between vehicles, and the other is the lateral distance when two vehicles are parallel during overtaking. On highways, following distance measurement signs appear at regular intervals, where 0m to 50m indicates a 50-meter interval, and 0m to 100m indicates a 100-meter interval.
I drove long-haul trucks for over a decade, and maintaining a minimum 3-second following distance on highways is a lesson learned through blood and tears. When the vehicle ahead passes a certain point, you start counting 'one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three'—if you reach that point only after finishing the count, you're safe. At higher speeds, the distance naturally increases; at 100 km/h, it should be around 50 meters. In rain or heavy fog, increase it to 4 seconds, doubling the distance. Be extra vigilant when fatigued, allowing even more buffer space. I've seen many rear-end collisions caused by tailgating, where braking was too late and reaction time was compressed. Highway traffic is complex, with frequent lane cutters, but sticking to this principle saves lives. Remember, higher speeds mean greater risks—at 130 km/h, maintain over 60 meters.
I've only been driving for a year, and my coach repeatedly emphasized the 2-second rule on highways: when the car ahead passes a billboard, you start counting 'twenty-one, twenty-two'—if you haven't passed that spot by the time you finish counting, you're at a safe distance. Beginners tend to be impatient, and I made mistakes at first, like tailgating when overtaking—I thought 20 meters was enough at 80 km/h, but 30 meters feels much safer at 100 km/h. In bad weather or at night with headlights on, I extend it to 3 seconds for peace of mind. Modern tools help a lot—the app I use reminds me of the distance. Make it a habit, and don’t let honking from cars behind startle you. Safety first: better slow than rushed. On highways, following distance is the core safeguard for braking distance.
