When you drive, you need to do your best to avoid causing a crash, but you also need to be proactive in trying to avoid a crash that someone else might cause.
One area to take care of is when following another vehicle or being followed by another vehicle. It is in these situations that rear-end collisions are more likely, and the results of this type of crash can be devastating.
Here are two steps that may help you avoid a rear end collision.
Count to three when following someone
Road safety experts say you should always stay at least three seconds back from the car in front. The faster you drive, the greater the bumper-to-bumper distance becomes, so it helps keep you safe no matter what your speed. You should, however, increase it to four, five or even more seconds when visibility is poor or the road surface is wet or loose.
What if the vehicle behind is not respecting a safe following distance?
Having someone sitting right on your tail can be frustrating and scary but you cannot make them change their behavior. Your best bet is to allow them to pass whenever it is safe to do so. While you may begrudge doing this, or feel you do not have the time to pull over just so someone in a rush can get past, it could save you hours of time in the long run by avoiding a potential crash.
While someone who crashes into you from behind would usually be found responsible for the crash, it’s best not to have to put that to the test.