Colorado State Patrol Troopers frequently talk about the dangers of speed and distracted driving. Speed and distracted driving are two significant contributors to vehicle crashes, often resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. Understanding the dangers associated with these behaviors is crucial for promoting safer driving practices.
The combination of distracted driving and speeding exponentially increases the risk of crashes. A distracted driver is less aware of their speed and the surrounding environment, while a speeding driver has less time to react and greater difficulty controlling the vehicle. Together, these behaviors create a perilous situation on the road.
If the dangers of distracted driving and speeding weren’t enough, I would like to discuss an additional part of the equation: following too closely. Although there isn’t a magic number of feet to put between yourself and the car in front of you, we do know that according to the National Safety Council, a lightweight passenger car traveling 55 mph can stop in about 200 feet. Other vehicles require different stopping distances. So, following at a distance of 50 feet in a 20 MPH zone might be plenty, but 50 feet on the interstate is way too close.
The law states when following another vehicle, you must do so at a safe distance and consider the conditions of the roadway at the time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has studied the topic and determined the average person’s response time is between 2 and 2.5 seconds. The most effective way to describe a safe following distance is to talk about time-distance.
Troopers are equipped with an excellent tool for determining if you are following too closely. Most people are aware we can measure speed, but we also have a LIDAR or Light Detection And Ranging tool. We use LIDAR to determine the speed and distance of two separate vehicles. We can see how fast both vehicles are traveling and how much physical space is between them. With this information, the LIDAR can calculate the time-distance between them. The time-distance will provide how long it will take for the trailing vehicle to be occupying the space where the lead vehicle was at the time of measurement. If the time is under two seconds, you’re following too close. Using this calculation method, it does not matter if you are traveling 35 or 75 MPH. The fact that you allow yourself less than 2 seconds to respond to a hazard makes that following distance unsafe.
So, is it possible to follow too closely when you are completely stopped? The answer is yes. Have you ever seen a multi-vehicle rear-end collision at a red light? When you are stopped too close, it causes a domino effect of each vehicle that is too close to the next slamming into each other. This could have been avoided by giving the vehicle in front of you more space. A good rule of thumb: Stop where you can see the tires meet the pavement on the vehicle in front of you. From here, you can steer around the vehicle in front of you in either direction if needed, and you reduce the likelihood of being pushed into the vehicle during a rear-end collision.
Awareness and adherence to safe driving practices, such as keeping attention focused on the road, obeying speed limits and giving space to the vehicle in front of you, are essential steps in reducing crashes and enhancing road safety for everyone.
