One of the most common errors I address on driving lessons is “tailgating,” following too close.  If I ask the student what the proper following distance is, they often respond with the wrong answer.  “Two car lengths” is very common.  I tell them they just crashed because that car in front stopped quickly and they did not have time to react.  When I ask them if the “3 Second Rule” sounds familiar, they usually say “oh, yeah” or similar response, but, they do not know how to implement it.  Space is time, and time is your friend.

What is the “3 Second Rule?”  It is the MINIMUM distance we should maintain behind the car we are following.  Students will often get that correct on the written test, but then have trouble putting it to practice on the road.  It really is very simple.  When the vehicle in front of you passes an identifiable, fixed point start counting.  “One-thousand one,…one-thousand two,…one thousand three.”  Put half a beat between each one.  You should reach one-thousand three at or BEFORE the point where you started counting.  You can check your accuracy with a clock that has a second hand and compare your counting to the actual seconds.

What we use as a starting point is not important as long as we can see it and tell when the car ahead passes it.  Shadows work very well because they are easy to identify and tell when the car passes them.  Over passes, shade from trees, buildings or other things are very useful.   Changes in pavement that can be seen from a distance, lines across the road, arrows or speed limits painted on the road all work well.  A point where two painted lines on the highway come together, a pile of trash alongside the road, where skid marks begin or end.  This time of the year the sun is always at an angle, causing the vehicle ahead of us to throw a shadow and that can be used as a “pointer,” pointing at a sign or other landmark.  These are all easy to see and use as our starting point.

Tailgating is a common contributing factor in new driver collisions.  It can, of course, cause a rear end collision but also may cause a loss of control collision as the new driver tries to avoid hitting the car in front of them.  It is important to work with your student driver to practice safe following distances in varied situations.  Have your student driver set what they think is a three second following distance and have them count it out loud.  Remember, normal speaking cadence with a half a beat between each one. Adjust the distance as necessary by just slowing slightly, two or three miles per hour is all it takes in most situations, let the car in front pull ahead until the “3 Second Rule” space is established or reestablished.  Space is time, and time is your friend.

I had a student who consistently followed too close.  This student knew the three second rule so I had them count it out.  The student counted so fast, it was difficult to understand.   They were counting that fast to get to three before reaching the point they started counting.  This is not the proper way and the student was actually about one second behind the car they were following.

The benefit of using time as a guide is that it adjusts for speed.  The faster you are traveling, the bigger the gap and the more time you have to perceive, react, and stop or otherwise avoid hitting the hazard.  A three second gap between your car and the one in front will appear HUGE when compared to other cars on the road. That is because very few drivers are maintaining the proper and SAFE following distance.  They are apparently willing to jeopardize their safety and that of others on the road to arrive at their destination two to five SECONDS sooner.  It may actually take them a couple hours longer after they deal with the crash, if not several weeks of recuperation from injuries received in the crash.  Is a few seconds really worth the risk?  I don’t think so.

The California Driver Handbook recommends more than a three second following distance in some circumstances.  It advises a “4 or more” second following distance when: being crowded by a tailgater, driving on slippery roads, following motorcycles, the driver behind wants to pass, towing a trailer or carrying a heavy load, following large vehicles that block your view like a semi, or you see a vehicle that must stop at railroad crossings.  I advise emphasis on the “more“ part.  More is better, in all situations, especially for new drivers because they are still learning to recognize hazards as they develop skills and experience, and may need more time to perceive the danger and react.

Leaving more distance between your car when following a large vehicle that blocks your view allows you to see around that vehicle.  You can see changes in traffic conditions sooner and, have more space and time to react and adjust.  The vehicle ahead of you may see a hazard that they need to avoid, but wait until it is safe, or sometimes the last minute, to avoid it.  If you are following those vehicles too closely, you will not have time to react when they move out of your way to avoid that hazard they have blocked from view.

Motorcycles can stop shorter than cars in most situations and, because they have two wheels they can go down. We should give them more space so we can avoid running over them in those situations, which will ruin their day, and yours.    If we are towing a trailer, we have less control and need more space to stop.  The same applies to hauling a heavy load in a truck or SUV.  Slippery roads, from water, dirt, snow, ice and other debris, does not give our tires the friction coefficient that a dry, clean road will, so we need more space and time to stop under those conditions.  Space is time, and time is your friend.

Tailgaters are difficult to deal with but if we increase OUR following distance we minimize the hazard.  I ask my students what is the danger of a tailgater.  They usually respond correctly, that if I have to stop quickly they will hit me.  The Driver Handbook suggests slowing down for a tailgater, changing lanes, or pulling off the road and let them pass.  All good techniques, but I recommend and always go to an increased following distance first, which does require slowing down slightly, then look at the other options.  By increasing our following distance to SIX or MORE seconds, we give ourselves more space and time to slow down gradually, we don’t have to stop suddenly and we also have time to look for an “out.”  Where can I go to avoid being hit from behind?  I have seen many tailgating crashes that could have been avoided if one of the drivers had driven onto the ten foot, or wider, shoulder or into the center dividing strip of land.  Work with your teen driver and practice the “3 Second Rule” every time you go for a drive.  It will give your teen a safety factor if they delay in reacting, are distracted for a brief time like changing a CD or radio station.  We drive by habit and need to develop good, safe practice driving habits.  SPACE IS TIME AND TIME IS YOUR FRIEND.

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What was the point of the ticket? Was it about money or to teach you a lesson, or was it to make you stop and think about what your doing when your behind the wheel of a 3000 lb vehicle that kills people.  More people are dying in cars than on our operating tables.  We all have a false sense of security in our cars.

There are lots of reasons the officers write tickets. Personal goals, bad day. neighbors call the department to complain and keep there neighborhoods safe and the dreaded, shall we say it quota’s.

The goal of the ticket, should be to save you from an accident. That ticket probably will cost you a whole lot less than the headache of a ticket.

I have been teaching traffic school for 20 years.  I see first hand the impact an in classroom setting can have on people when they hear the personal stories of loss, or injury.  The personal interaction can be so valuable.

But in todays busy world, setting 7 hours aside at one time to attend a class can be so difficult. So choosing online can be an option that works.  It forces you to take the time to read the update laws and defensive driving rules,  Just the burden of taking the time to finish, is enough of a reminder to slow down, be careful, get off the phone, pay attention.

 and 2,000 of their passengers die every year, and 400,000 kids

are seriously injured, the driving manuals and other literature

usually say little more than ‘Be careful.’  Cigarette packs carry

 warnings about death, and patients going into surgery are

 warned multiple times that death is a potential consequence,

 but the driving literature doesn’t warn parents about how

dangerous teen driving is, and why. Meanwhile, every night

 on television we see ads with cars doing 360’s on busy city

streets, crashing through glass, spinning into parking spaces,

 and weaving through dense traffic at high speeds, all without

 a scratch.  Our culture glorifies risky driving. We need a

counterbalance that will caution parents and teens

Plan Ahead – Before you leave the house, have a plan and let your child know, where your going and were your driving. Let your child take their time to make adjustments in the vehicle with the seat and mirrors, so their comfortable and confident.

Be Careful with Directions – Make sure to give them plenty time follow directions. Give them plenty of warning of were their going next.  Its important that you use the street names, so they have a sense of direction and remember directions.

Guide them through the process –  When you first begin driving with your child, you will help them make decisions, and that’s ok. It also helps you as a parent recognize that they see what you see.  After a few weeks of driving, when your child ask you for help, respond by saying “I don’t know”, should you.  Get your child to think for themselves.

Provide plenty of time for driving – The key is to plan on the extra time you need to get to your location, so that you can be patient with them through the process