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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: 4, Informative) by FakeBeldin on Friday October 13 2017, @08:32AM

    by FakeBeldin (3360) on Friday October 13 2017, @08:32AM (#581643) Journal

    Unless you have a long commute, going 5-10 mph faster, which is often the differential that creates the road rage in the left lane, is generally not going to save you so much time that it's worth risking your life... IMHO.)

    And if you do have a long commute, you'd be better off leaving earlier.

    Speeding is necessary in some cases (e.g. medical emergencies). Commuting isn't one of those cases. Leave earlier and accept that there are other vehicles on the road.

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