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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: 2) by frojack on Friday October 13 2017, @07:36AM

    by frojack (1554) on Friday October 13 2017, @07:36AM (#581617) Journal

    You're right. We should get rid of the HOV lane.

    Agreed. There is no engineering or traffic safety reason to have HOV lanes. It totally fucks up a well defined traffic system that has been designed and improved with scientific traffic and accident statistics since the 30s. People are in the wrong lane going the wrong speed, and the whole road way is impacted.

    Since the invention of the HOV, We've been taught that lane choice based on speed and destination is wrong. We've been taught that lane choice is for political reasons.

    Someone mentioned Seattle. One of the worst examples of political engineering you can imagine. The pay to drive the 405 is just a money grab. Rent seeking using a Federally funded freeway that was paid for by tax dollars. It does not solve any problem. Traffic does not move faster. And they still have the an ever increasing number of homeless persons living under the freeway every year. A money grab in the name of social engineering.

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