A truck traveling 65 mph in ideal weather takes 525 feet to react, brake, and stop.
In ideal weather:
- Maintain a 4-second following distance.
In less-than-ideal weather:
- Add 1 second for each weather variable (rain, snow, ice).
If a vehicle cuts you off:
- Stay calm; maintain the correct following distance; slow down if needed.
Rear-end collisions: Scanning & Awareness
- Scan ahead to detect hazards and improve reaction time.
- Know the location of each vehicle around you, including those behind you; check mirrors every 5-8 seconds.
- Avoid frequent lane changes.
- When stopping, identify an escape route (shoulder, sidewalk, curb lane) where you can safely get out of the way of a charging vehicle.
Rear-end collisions: Patience at Intersections
When stopped at an intersection:
- Make sure you can see the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you from your normal sitting position,
- At a controlled intersection, when the light turns green, wait for the vehicle in front to proceed before you begin to move.
- At an uncontrolled intersection, look left, right, and left again while counting “123 go” before proceeding.
