Avoid expensive nose-to-tail crashes
30% of all crashes are nose-to-tail because the driver behind is too close and they get distracted. On freeways and motorways, 80-90% of crashes are nose-to-tail with the driver at the back always paying for the damage.
This is how nose-to-tail crashes happen. The driver of this black car can’t see around the white van because they are too close. When the large truck in the middle lane suddenly moves to the right lane the driver of the white van has to apply the brakes because the vehicles in front will also suddenly slow down to avoid the truck and the middle lane is blocked.
The driver of the black car doesn’t know the truck has changed lanes. At 80 km/h, he will cover 22 metres in the one second it takes to see the van’s brake lights and get their foot to the brake pedal. By this time the van has already slowed to less than 60 km/h but the black car is still doing 80 km/h and it will crash into the back of the van. The driver of the black car will pay for all the repairs to any cars involved, the van and even the armco fence if it is damaged.
You need to maintain a good following distance – a 3 second gap
A 3 second gap gives you time to see what is happening up ahead and time to take action. This photo shows you how to maintain a 3 second gap: As the truck passes the lane marker count: 1 – 1000, 2 – 1000, 3 – 1000 Then you should pass the lane marker. You are 3 seconds behind the truck, you can see what is happening in the other lanes and you have time to take action if needed.