What is recommended safe following distance?

Answer 1

The general rule of thumb is three vehicle lengths, as it will generally take that much distance to stop the vehicle you are in. Four vehicle lengths is better though.

First understand two things: Most chain accidents where multiple vehicles are involved are the result of following too closely. There may be extenuating circumstances such as smoke, fog or other contributing factors, but it still boils down to tailgating, and the inability of drivers to react and stop their vehicles in time to avoid the vehicle in front of them. Science defines the problem as dissipating the kinetic energy built up with the movement of your vehicle. The heavier the vehicle, and the faster it travels the more kinetic energy is built up. Add that to the fact that once a object is in motion, the energy contained within it will attempt to keep in in motion. If you just remove your foot from the accelerator, it slowly bleeds of the energy on it's own until still. A large vehicle such as a semi, a bus or even a large class A motor home has much more stored energy than the average automobile. If the two collide, without any doubt the smaller vehicle will be the loser as the energy from the larger vehicle is released into the smaller. Stopping your vehicle: When you apply the brakes, energy held in your vehicle will be transferred to the stopping power of your tires onto the road. As these (four small patches) of contact will slow the vehicle and help bleed off the contained energy until you are stopped and the energy has dissipated. If you can grasp the above then you will quickly understand that tailgating another vehicle, swerving into the path of a larger vehicle , or removing your attention from the traffic around you can end in your disaster. The old rule of one car length for every ten miles per hour has validity. But do you really know how far that is? Here is an example. The next time you park your car in a large parking lot, then look out your windshield and count out parked cars in front of your windshield until you see the back end of the forth car parked in front of you. (or where it should be parked) -- That is the distance you should hold between your car and the next if traveling at fifty mph. Further than you normally would?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), it is recommended with speeds under 40 to leave 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle length between you and the vehicle in front of you. For larger vehicles, such as tractor trailers, it is recommended to leave 4 seconds for every 10 feet of vehicle length. For speeds over 40, apply one additional second. Another way to maintain a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you is to leave one car length for every ten miles per hour speed of your vehicle. This means; if you are traveling at 50 mph you should leave a minimum of five vehicles distance.

Answer 2

1 car length per every 10 miles per hr

Is that a Smart Car or a stretch limo? The best way is the 2 second rule - when the car in front goes past a fixed object (anything will do) if you can say to yourself "only a fool breaks the two second rule" and you pass the same object before you finish then you are too close. This works at any speed. In the wet it becomes "only a fool breaks the two second rule. In a downpour allow two seconds more".

Answer 3

One car length per ten miles per hour