SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Confusion over what is a "safe following distance" has QUT [(Queensland University of Technology)] road safety researchers calling for a standardised definition to prevent tailgating.
- Tailgating conclusively linked to rear-end crashes
- Most drivers leave less than a 2 second gap between them and the vehicle in front
- Rear-enders account for one in five Queensland crashes
Dr Sebastien Demmel, from QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety -- Queensland (CARRS-Q), said the results of the study which found 50 per cent of drivers tailgate, was being presented at the 2017 Australasian Road Safety Conference in Perth today.
"This study, for the first time conclusively linked tailgating with rear-end crashes, but we also identified confusion among drivers over what is deemed to be a safe following distance," he said.
"Despite drivers perceiving they are following at a safe distance, our on-road data showed that in reality most don't leave the recommended two to three second gap," he said.
"At some locations 55 per cent of drivers were found to leave less than a two second gap between them and the vehicle in front, and 44 per cent less than a one second [gap]."
A safe following distance is 5 feet. While looking at a smartphone.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by NewNic on Thursday October 12 2017, @10:06PM (7 children)
If I am travelling at a reasonable speed (at or above the speed limit, or constrained by traffic in front of me), and I pick up a tailgater, I slow down.
This is only safe behaviour. I am forcing the driver behind to leave a safe distance between us, by making 2 seconds correspond to a shorter distance. I might also tap the brakes a few times if they don't get the hint. If they pass me, I'm fine with that. Let them tailgate some other person.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 5, Informative) by Valkor on Thursday October 12 2017, @11:29PM
Hit the windshield washer button. If you have one for the rear, use it. The spray will get on them, too.
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Friday October 13 2017, @07:21AM (5 children)
Its called a "break check". Pretty stupid actually. The person you hurt is likely to be the person behind the tailgater, or the one in the lane the tailgater dives into to avoid your break check.
All you need do is slow down evenly and not suddenly. They will go around.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Friday October 13 2017, @08:59AM
How do you hurt the guy behind the tailgater? Unless that person is also tailgating...
(Score: 3, Informative) by RedBear on Friday October 13 2017, @11:07AM (3 children)
No, it's called a "brake check". But tapping on the brakes enough to light up the brake lights momentarily, without reducing speed by any meaningful amount, is not in any way the same thing as slamming on the brakes long enough to endanger anyone following too closely. Don't confuse the two ends of the spectrum. One is an attempt to surreptitiously get the tailgater to decide to either back off to a safe distance or pass, the other is a crime. Nobody should be "diving" anywhere from your brake lights briefly flashing.
There are many road situations where the tailgater has no safe way to turn off, change lanes or get around you. If you haven't encountered any, I encourage you to take a few long road trips. Slowing down is rarely a real solution to the tailgating problem. You'll just piss off a stupid, road-rage prone driver even more. It is tailgating that is the most dangerous behavior. And all of the impatient a-holes on the freeway that will jump into the smallest gap between vehicles to instantly negate the safe distance you were trying to keep at 80mph. That's always fun.
I've lost count of the number of times I've been tailgated by an impatient so-and-so who seems to want to drive home at 15mph above the posted speed limit, in pitch darkness and pouring rain on a winding, heavily forested mountain road with blind curves, no turnouts, no safe shoulders and double-solid no-passing lines on the road for miles and miles. So much fun looking for unmarked, barely visible turnouts in the dark while driving a top-heavy 30-foot RV around what feel like 360-degree turns that are still inexplicably posted as 50mph zones. Good times. Being tailgated is the icing on the cake.
¯\_ʕ◔.◔ʔ_/¯ LOL. I dunno. I'm just a bear.
... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ
(Score: 4, Informative) by PiMuNu on Friday October 13 2017, @03:18PM (2 children)
> Slowing down is rarely a real solution to the tailgating problem.
Not true. If you slow down you
(a) increase the gap to the car in front, allowing a controlled deceleration in the event of a problem (e.g. queue ahead)
(b) slow down the car behind, helping them to slow down in a controlled manner in the event of a problem (e.g. queue ahead)
It seems like exactly the correct response.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday October 13 2017, @04:04PM
Unless you're on a country highway with only one lane in each direction. Near me they seem to love making them no-passing zones approximately 85% of their length.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Friday October 13 2017, @05:42PM
Exactly. I have avoided several accidents by realizing that the person behind me was going to hit the rear of my car as I braked, then eased up on my braking, giving the idiot behind more space.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory