Safe distance. At 60 km/h it is at least two seconds

Keeping too short a distance from the vehicle in front is one of the most common causes of accidents on straight sections of the road. Also in Poland, which is confirmed by the police.

Two seconds is the minimum distance between cars, in favorable weather conditions, moving at speeds up to 60 km/h. It must be increased by at least a second when driving a two-wheeler, a truck and in bad weather. According to American research, 19 percent. young drivers admit that they drive too close to the car in front, while among older drivers it is only 6%. Drivers of sports cars and SUVs are more likely to keep a distance that is too short, while drivers of family cars keep a greater distance.

In accordance with the Polish Highway Code, the driver is obliged to keep the distance necessary to avoid a collision in the event of braking or stopping the vehicle in front (Article 19, par. 2, cl. 3). “The distance to the vehicle in front must be increased whenever weather conditions or the load on the vehicle increase the stopping distance,” says Zbigniew Veseli, director of the Renault driving school. A prerequisite for increasing the distance is also limited visibility, i.e. driving at night on an unlit road or in fog. For this reason, you should also increase the distance behind a large vehicle.

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“When driving directly behind another vehicle, in particular a truck or a bus, we do not see what is happening on the road in front of it or next to it,” the Renault driving school coaches explain. Too close approach to the predecessor also makes it difficult to overtake. Firstly, you cannot see if another car is coming from the opposite direction, and secondly, you cannot use the right lane to accelerate.

Drivers should also keep a good distance when following motorcyclists, as they frequently apply engine braking when downshifting, meaning that drivers behind them cannot rely solely on "stop lights" to indicate that the motorcycle is braking. It is unacceptable to drive very close to the vehicle in front in order to force it into the adjacent lane. This is dangerous because there is no room for braking in an accident, and it can also frighten the driver, who may suddenly make a dangerous maneuver.

“It is worth adopting the rule that if the driver is moving at a constant speed and has no intention of overtaking, then it is better to keep a distance of more than three seconds due to the visibility of the road, independence from the driver’s behavior in front of us and more time to react,” the driving school coaches explain. Renault. More distance also results in fuel savings as the ride becomes smoother.

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How to determine the distance in seconds:

– Select a landmark on the road in front of you (eg road sign, tree).

– As soon as the car in front passes the indicated place, start the countdown.

– When the front of your car reaches the same point, stop counting.

– The number of seconds between the moment when the car in front of us passes a given point, and the moment when our car arrives at the same place, means the distance between the cars.

Renault driving school coaches advise in which cases it is necessary to increase the distance to the car in front:

– When the road is wet, snowy or icy.

- In conditions of poor visibility - in fog, rain and snowfall.

– Driving behind a large vehicle such as a bus, truck, etc.

- Next motorcycle, moped.

– When we are towing another vehicle or our car is heavily loaded.