The in basket: I was cleaning out old e-mails when I came across
one from Donald Payne, sent in 2008, to which I’d never
attended.
“Yesterday I was signing up a senior driver for an AARP Senior
Driver Class,” Don said, “and she said she had seen a program on TV
in which two
Washington State Patrolmen were discussing, explaining and
advocating a two-second following distance. I saw the program
myself, earlier, and
that’s what they were dealing with — a two-second
distance. “The lady said she was confused. She is aware
that the
State Driver’s Guide says four seconds; and having taken our
class previously, she is aware of the three-second
recommendation.
“So, the lady’s question is: Which one is right? Is
it two, three, or four?
“What’s your take on the situation?”
The out basket: One of the troopers in question, Johnny
Alexander, said he and Monica Alexander “may have briefly mentioned
following distance during the KOMO Traffic Reports more than
three-years ago. (That would have been around 2005.)
“However, we never participated in a television program where
following distance was the topic,” he said. “The Department of
Licensing Drivers Guide, page 71 – “Space Ahead,” indicates if you
are driving 30 mph or less, the two- to three-second rule is
recommended. However, at speeds higher than 30 mph, the
four-second rule is recommended. The Washington State Drivers
Guide can be accessed through www.dol.wa.gov.
“We encourage our troopers to use the four-second rule.
Most troopers add one-second to the count to further reduce the
chance of being the causing driver of a rear-end collision,” he
said.
Since Don asked, my take on the situation is you’ll be darn
lucky to maintain the recommended distance from the car ahead on a
multi-lane highway in heavy traffic as some other driver will
probably slide into the space, but it’s worth a try. It should be
easily observed on a two-lane highway.
And in case this whole idea is foreign to you, here is how the
driver’s guide says it works:
• Watch when the rear of the vehicle ahead passes a sign, pole,
or any other stationary point.
• Count the seconds it takes you to reach the same spot:
one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one- thousand,
four-one-thousand. You are following too closely if you pass the
mark before you finish counting.
• If so, drop back and then count again at another spot to check
the new following distance. Repeat until you are following no
closer than four seconds.