One of the key components of defensive driving is managing the space around your car. What does managing the space around your car mean? Well, that term covers the ability and the necessary method of watching the space around your car. There are four sides to your car. A front, back, and two sides. Being aware of what is happening on all sides and making sure there is enough space between you and other drivers, objects, or situations is key to safe driving.
Have you ever heard someone say that you should be driving “five seconds behind” another car or driver? That term can be difficult to understand if no one has ever explained it to you. How do you measure seconds with distance? In this case, to measure the distance between you and another driver in seconds, pick an inanimate object that the driver in front of you will soon pass. It can be a building, sign, or bark bench. Really anything. When they reach and pass the item, begin counting. Once you reach the item, stop. Whatever the number of seconds it took you to reach that item after they did is how far behind them you are in seconds. Most people say the minimum distance you should be behind another car is four seconds. Some say longer, like 5 or 6. In most cases, more is better. Especially if you are a new driver. Even if you are not new to driving, leaving as much space as safely possible between you and the driver in front of you is important to driving safety.
We have the power to control the space between us and the car in front of us. However, the space between us and the car behind us? That is usually up to the driver behind us, unfortunately. Hopefully, they follow the same five-second rule that you do, but many do not. Some driving experts do say that there are a few ways that you can influence them to leave more space between you. If you leave plenty of space between you and the driver in front of you, the driver behind you may be more likely to do the same. Also, if you give plenty of time and warning before you switch lanes, turn, and smoothly brake, they are likely to leave space between you as well. We cannot control the behaviors of others, but occasionally the way we behave on the road may influence others to do the same.
Many people will say that this rule does not apply during traffic. That is not true. If there is ever a time to leave plenty of space between you and another driver, it is during rush hour. There is so much that can go wrong when cars are tightly packed together, so leaving plenty of space for yourself to brake, change lanes, and give warnings to other drivers is vital to managing your space well and being a defensive driver. When you are driving, the more space and more time you give yourself and other drivers to make decisions, the better.
For Online Driving Course Connecticut Visit Our Courses Section.
