If you’re in traffic (i.e. if you are part of the traffic) and you leave a 3 second gap between you and the car in front of you, another car will drive into that gap. If you back off to create another 3 second gap, it will happen again. Even worse, if you hit the brakes to create that three second gap, even if it’s very lightly, you might cause an even worse traffic jam behind you.
Comment on Make it make sense
9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 3 weeks agoYeah ideally you put 3 seconds between you and the car in front of you. Gives a nice, springy cushion.
merc@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Rhaedas@fedia.io 3 weeks ago
If you're still moving with traffic, why do you care that someone got in front of you? If you're slowing so much that lots of people are getting in front at one time, then you're the obstacle. A 3 second gap changes with speed, if it's slow traffic that's less than a car length. And if some asshole muscles their way into a gap unsafely, let them. You'll still get to your destination far faster than if you hit each other or cause some road rage stupidity because of who is in front.
Driving brings out the worst in people for no gain at all.
merc@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
If you’re still moving with traffic, why do you care that someone got in front of you?
Because you no longer have a 3 second gap so you can no longer safely react to something happening in front of you.
If you’re slowing so much that lots of people are getting in front at one time, then you’re the obstacle.
That’s my point. If you keep trying to make a 3 second gap and it keeps being filled in, you’re going to cause a traffic problem.
A 3 second gap changes with speed, if it’s slow traffic that’s less than a car length
Technically, sure. If you’re driving at less than 5 km/h and people on foot are passing you, then yes, you can have a 3 second gap with less than 1 car length. But, if you’re driving at less than 5 km/h are you really driving, or are you effectively stopped in traffic?
9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If all these people are merging in front of you, then the adjacent lanes are moving a lot better, which is helpful for traffic. Less braking is the goal, and if 2 or more lanes aren’t braking as much because you left some space in front of you, then traffic should flow much better.
iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
“if you leave a 3 second gap, there will be enough space for others to safely merge into that space as they need to”
merc@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
And after they do, there will no longer be a 3 second gap, and you’re now driving too close to the person in front of you.
9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
You don’t have to brake and maintain a hard 3 seconds between gap. Just let off the gas a bit let it slowly restore itself. That gap is there so cars can move in and out as freely as they need.
iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Too many people were taught, and still teach, the “two car’s length” rule. Which is awful. 2 to 3 seconds is much better and intuitive to figure out.
You say 3, which is great, but I’d settle for 2. Most people on the highways around me leave more like 0.5; I sincerely think the vast majority of people greatly overestimate the amount of space in front of them to the next car.
merc@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Two car lengths is ridiculously close. The average car is approx. 4.5m in length. Two car lengths is 9m. The average human reaction speed to visual stimuli is approx 250 milliseconds. At 100 km/h (28 m/s) you would travel 7 metres in that time, and that’s just the time for you to notice the stimulus and react, not to choose an appropriate action. If you’re 2 car lengths behind and the car in front of you brakes hard, you’re going to hit it.
2 seconds behind is 56 metres behind, or 12.5 car lengths. 3 seconds is 18.5 car lengths. Even 0.5 seconds is 3 car lengths. Not enough to safely react to the car in front of you doing something unexpected, but not the tailgating that 2 seconds implies.
Rhaedas@fedia.io 3 weeks ago
I've always said that if you're using your brakes on the highway and it's not for an emergency stop, you're too close to the car in front of you. Even if they're the type that are on and off the brake constantly, if their speed isn't changing much you shouldn't need to follow their example. Of course I try to get out from behind them because they are like crying wolf and one of those brakes might be for real.
When caught in a traffic jam I look for a semi to get behind. They won't accelerate fast like some car drivers do, and they don't stop as fast either. Plus they can see better if things area really starting to move or not. Keep a few car lengths behind them and while everyone is doing the start and stop motions, I'm keeping a slow but steady speed usually without needing to brake at all. It's also less stressful.
Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I don’t always hang out behind a semi when just doing daily driving, but I will 100% camp out behind one when pulling my trailer - massive fuel savings from reduced wind resistance.
brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
It’s a joy to go an hour using a release of the gas pedal as the “brake“