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posted by martyb on Thursday October 12 2017, @09:36PM   Printer-friendly
from the who-is-behind-whom? dept.

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.


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Corelli's A on Thursday October 12 2017, @10:47PM (1 child)

    by Corelli's A (1772) on Thursday October 12 2017, @10:47PM (#581406)

    Although I have not driven in .au, I have driven in many parts of .us. I have driven in the SF bay area for about a quarter century and have been pleasantly surprised at the behavior I observe on the freeways here under congested (stop-and-go) conditions. My goal is to travel close to the average speed without getting on the brakes. In practice this means getting off the gas when I see brake lights ahead and sometimes leaving quite a large gap in front of me.

    I have a strong urge to close the gap, which I have to resist because intellectually I know I will have to brake soon anyway. No matter how ridiculously large a gap I leave, within a minute I have caught up and sometimes still need to brake. I am surprised at how few other cars change lanes into the gap and at how few drivers behind me seem to get impatient. Maybe it's the high proportion of engineering types on the road, or maybe the mild weather calms people down, but I couldn't imagine the same experience in, say, Maryland.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @03:36AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @03:36AM (#581533)

    my driving experiences in Phoenix AZ were psychotic. Driving at 11pm on highway. speed limit is 65. OK, I'm in the "slow" right lane, driving the speed limit. the other 3-4 lanes are empty. fucking empty. Inevitably, someone from behind comes up going...faster than 65mph. Quite riding on my bumper. Well, I don't speed up. Eventually they speed around. And, no, it wasn't so they could get to the next exit.

    WTF.

    Fuck driving in Phoenix AZ.