Remember people, use the 3 Second Rule. Too many people in this state still use the 2 Car Length rule for some weird reason.

Submitted by Styx_Renegade t3_ya70w9 in RhodeIsland

If you abide by the 2 Car Length rule (which is about 32ft), it doesn’t scale with speed at all.

At 20mph, that’s 1 second of reaction time. Shave off 250ms for your brain even registering.

At 55mph, 2 car lengths is less than half a second of reaction time.

At 65mph, that’s 1/3 of a second of reaction time. There is no way in hell you’ll avoid an accident if you’re 2 car lengths behind.

Use the 3 Second Rule.

At 20mph, 3 seconds is about 90 feet or 5.6 car lengths

55mph = 240 feet or 15 car lengths

65mph = 286 feet or about 18 car lengths

Yes, that seems like a far distance but it gives you 3 whole seconds to react if the car in front of you explodes and stops dead in their tracks.

The most common type of accident is a rear end collision and most rear enders get faulted for the accident.

DON’T BR A TAILGATER. IT’S DANGEROUS TO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU.

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Comments

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Icy_1 t1_it9szrm wrote

Back when dinosaurs roamed, I was taught 1 car-length for each 10mph. This rule has served me well for millennia.

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mattyrugg t1_ita95l4 wrote

>Back when dinosaurs roamed, I was taught 1 car-length for each 10mph

I was around when Dinosaurs roamed. They didn't adhere to this rule, and they all died in horrible rear-end collisions. Mystery solved. Seriously though, it's a great rule that most people can't seem to grasp the basic concept of.

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HairyEyeballz t1_itaiwo9 wrote

It's not that it's a hard rule to grasp. I'm pretty sure everyone here is aware that if you leave more than two car lengths distance in front of you, before you know it you'll have just one car length in front of you because someone trying to win the race sees an opening and jumps into the space. So you drop back to open the space, and ba-bam, another clever person jumps into THAT space. And so on and so on.

The only way you're going to get anywhere near that kind of space is to just give it all up and putter along in the slow lane, and even then, you're going to get beeped at from behind and cut off in front.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itag2k3 wrote

When I was a kid, my dad told me to always look two cars ahead to prepare.

In retrospect, 3 Second Rule is much easier than keeping an eye on the car 2 cars ahead.

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Aeronaute t1_itaiv79 wrote

This seems to be sensible guidance that you've misunderstood. "Look two cars ahead" doesn't mean two car lengths. It means pay attention not only to the car directly in front of you, but also to the car in front of that one. You'll have advanced warning if they do something unexpected, and you start to react at the same time or before the car directly in front of you does.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_ital62j wrote

No, i mean in a line of 3 cars including me, he said to look at the car at the front of the line.

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Aeronaute t1_italg36 wrote

How is that different than what I said? (Assuming you were the third car in line.)

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itallqw wrote

When I mean 2 car length rule, I mean roughly 32 feet.

What my dad means by looking at 2 cars ahead is to look at the car in front of the car in front of you.

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Aeronaute t1_italvvd wrote

Again, your dad's version is good sense, and works over a large range of following differences.

Your fixed 32 ft rule makes no sense under any driving conditions, and isn't used by anyone I've heard of before you.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_italzn6 wrote

You’d be surprised how many people actually think this is a safe rule to follow.

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Magus6796 t1_itazg93 wrote

That was my DE teachers suggestion as well. As worked great for me. While I commend what you're doing, people are too stupid to get it. You'll get tons of people ssssqqquueezeing right in.

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dexbasedpaladin t1_itc0r5k wrote

Did they use fossil fuels then??

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Icy_1 t1_itcmbnq wrote

Turkey! Of course not! Didn’t you watch the Flintstones? Feet 🦶 power!

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rjdriver t1_ituitzu wrote

Me as well. It's a very good rule. You just have to remember when you suggest this to people that many cars were much longer back then. You can't use a VW bug as a guide. Not only were many engines bigger and more powerful so you could escape from charging dinosaurs, but some 4 door sedans were 18-20 feet long. I try to picture one 1966 Cadillac Coupe Deville for each 10mph.

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Icy_1 t1_ituoddr wrote

OMG. I forgot just how big those land-yachts were! you could fit 6 kids across the back seats.

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techsavior t1_italvdb wrote

You have one logical fallacy in your argument…

You assume that RI drivers actually give a shit about other people.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itam15v wrote

Hey, if it makes one person drive safer, that’s mission accomplished.

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Aeronaute t1_ita8bm0 wrote

Oh FFS, nobody's using an outdated rule by mistake! Some people are just assholes, and think if they ride your ass, you'll get out of their way sooner. They're not thinking in terms of car lengths or time delays.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itafoz3 wrote

No, some people legit use this rule. One of my friends abided by this but recently switches to 3 seconds.

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Aeronaute t1_itaiemy wrote

I did drivers' ed in RI, in the 70s. Even then, we were taught a time based guide, and the car length per 10 MPH thing (I've never heard of a car length rule that didn't scale with speed) was mocked as old fashioned and dangerous. I don't think anyone claiming two car lengths, regardless of speed, is arguing in good faith.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itag5if wrote

Plus my Dad isn’t an asshole driver yet he does the 2 car length rule.

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avoritz t1_itaftfl wrote

Problem is everyone cuts in front of you because they see a slight “opening.”

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itagazh wrote

True, but I’d rather do the rule and let people slip in than be too close and risk a rear end collision.

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avoritz t1_itagitv wrote

Oh I always leave room, its just annoying how everyone takes that as an opening. Forcing everyone to be bumper to bumper. Just annoying and so dangerous.

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LiarVonCakely t1_itbzw2f wrote

It's so irritating how many people think you're slow just because you're leaving a safe amount of space. When you're actually traveling at the same speed as the car in front of you.

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RedditSkippy t1_it9ql19 wrote

Funny you should mention this. I just checked myself with the three-second rule today (I gave the car ahead of me plenty of room.)

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Hotwheels-666 t1_itbutpx wrote

SORRY IM TOO BUSY SLAMMING MY CAR INTO THE BIKE LANE GOING 5 OVER IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER TO AVOID SLOWING DOWN BEHIND SOMEONE TAKING A LEFT

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FjordExplorher t1_ita9v21 wrote

You have to know that this post is going to do absolutely 0 to change anything. If I give 2 car lengths, that's just an excuse to cut me off because there's enough room. Everybody in this state thinks they're a NASCAR driver, medical expert, and an economist. Drive like an animal, know better than the experts, and approve every bond issue because it's "free money".

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itag8jf wrote

Hell, if I changed 1 person’s driving methods, that’s a potential life saved.

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Mg962 t1_itan8u5 wrote

Said the driver parked in the high speed lane doing 62 miles an hour.

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JimmyHavok t1_itadj6u wrote

3 second rule is great because a) it's easy, and b) it becomes automatic with a bit of practice. I rarely check now, but every time I do I am spot on.

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SausageSmuggler21 t1_itbotzh wrote

Here's a good indicator: If you have to use your brakes on the expressway, you're not driving well.

I'm a high speed driver. Using whatever buffer rule ( # of seconds or car lengths), and watching the car in front of the car in front of you, and checking your mirrors for the racers, you should not need to use your brakes even going 10-15-mph over the speed limit if you have to use your brakes, you're driving too fast for the situation.

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Llilbuddha422 t1_iu0e89h wrote

Thank you for this post. I CONSTANTLYYYYYY FUCKING REMIND MY GIRLFRIEND AND she doesn’t believe me so now every time she’s driving like a fucking idiot ima bring this up, scientific factual evidence that can keep us safe unless she wants to be ignorant :) thanks mang

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Artistic-Passenger-9 t1_itbop2t wrote

I teach 4 seconds. But then again traffic laws are merely a suggestion in RI.

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ride5k t1_itbsobq wrote

too many people don't keep right except to pass. like it or not im riding your ass if you pace cars to your right instead getting out of the way.

driving since '90, never rear ended anyone.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itbxnaw wrote

I usually stick to the slow lane regardless. And always keep pace with traffic if I’m in the fast lane.

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mpm4q2 t1_itbz4y5 wrote

Just drive fast and always be in front of everyone!

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radioflea t1_itc1i41 wrote

People also stop a few feet before the line on the ground at intersections. your supposed to stop at the line folks!

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Vast-Celebration3322 t1_itc3qt2 wrote

Look up the worst states to drive in. We’re one of the top ones, it’s more of an issue of being polite to the people behind, if you think leaving 6 cars in front of you in the fast lane is acceptable, you’re an asshole just move over.

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bryrb48 t1_itclb7l wrote

If you can’t see the rear tires of the car in front, you are too close

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knittingengineer t1_itcls58 wrote

I was taught one car length per 10 miles an hour. So at 60 mph, 6 car lengths… but I learned to drive in Oregon and even after 7 years of living here other peoples driving still frightens me.

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degggendorf t1_iteh9kf wrote

Wait I thought the rule was to follow close enough that you can't see their license plate

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Jack__Squat t1_itm36uc wrote

I try, especially when towing, but some asshole always fills the gap. And I slow down, create a new gap, and here comes another asshole.

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HelloMalt t1_itc05uz wrote

have you considered that i'm very important and need to be where i'm going right now?????????

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Muezza t1_itcdnzr wrote

People talk about folk cutting them off if they leave any room. I don't think this has ever happened to me.

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edthesmokebeard t1_itdpu9d wrote

DONT BE A KAREN. IT'S ANNOYING TO EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU.

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Leothecat24 t1_ita4ys2 wrote

They now teach the 1 second rule and I think that’s reasonable if you’re paying attention to the road at all. Unless the car in front of you hits a solid wall or is in a head-on collision (both of which you should be aware enough to see coming) it’s not going to stop in it’s tracks, it will take a good distance to slow down as will your car

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Frosty-the-hoeman t1_ita6gyd wrote

SEVERAL times I have had the car in front of me swerve out of the way of a nearly stopped car. If you can't stop by the car in front of you, you are in danger.

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JimmyHavok t1_itadzbr wrote

Who is this "they" that is teaching stupidity like that? If you are one second behind and something comes out from under that car ahead, you're screwed.

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Styx_Renegade OP t1_itafvcr wrote

DMV Driving booklet iirc teaches 3 Seconds. At least as of 2018.

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