The Three Second Rule

You don’t want to tailgate. It’s not polite. It’s illegal. And it’s dangerous. ON the other hand, if you stay too far behind, other cars might cut in front of you. How far back should you be?

There are all sorts of rules and methods for calculating the correct distance to maintain from the car in front of you. The simplest one is the Three Second Rule. In good weather and with good road conditions, make sure you are three seconds behind the car in front.

Here’s how to calculate three seconds: Start counting when the car in front passes an object such as a road sign or a tree. Immediately, start counting “One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three.” If you reach the location before “one thousand three,” then you are driving too close to the car in front. If you reach one thousand three when you reach that spot or after, then your distance is fine.

Obviously, as you speed up or as the car in front slows down or is replaced by a different car, you will need to repeat this practice. In addition, you should increase your distance in rainy, snowy, icy, or foggy weather and if the road surface is not perfect.

This is just one valuable driving tip that you can learn by attending a defensive driving class. Remember, each state has laws pertaining to tailgating. It is best to take defensive driving courses in your home state: California online traffic school, Florida online traffic school, Texas defensive driving course, or Washington defensive driving class.