Or perhaps even a four-second rule. It was a long way away – more than 10 seconds away. Hi Zrzavy, In bad weather (rain, snow, etc. The two seconds is not a guide to safe stopping distance, it is more a guide to reaction times. A mountaineering official says a group of foreign mountaineers ended their plans to try and scale the treacherous K2 mountain in Pakistan, the world’s second highest peak, because of bad weather will become your new behavior pattern. The rule is very simple and easy to understand by using the description and diagram below. A.) These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Using this rule provides not only a general safer way of driving, but can also help to save fuel, brake wear and paint damage as a result of stone chips occurring due to driving too close to the car in-front. I was driving during a spell of very heavy rain. For example, a fatigued driver piloting a car in rainy weather at dusk would do well to observe a six-second following distance, rather than the basic three-second gap. The two-second rule is useful as it can be applied to any speed. A slightly shorter time period -- such as 8 seconds -- might work just as well during daytime driving on dry roads with little traffic. I steered around the stranded car. 2. Business Insider. Nowadays, the updated rule must read: Only a fool breaks the 2-second, 4-second, 10-second rule! That means you might have to increase the two-second rule to three seconds or more. In fact, when driving in poor weather conditions such as rain, smoke or fog, it is recommended that you double or triple your following distance! The 2 second rule isn’t just for the car in front however. The two-second rule tells a defensive driver the minimum distance needed to reduce the risk of collision under ideal driving conditions. It sounds like excessive caution, but at times 10 seconds might not be enough. Hi Arvind, Adjust your speed and following distances for driving at night, in inclement weather and on bad roads. The rule means that your car should pass a fixed object two seconds after the car ahead of you passed the same object. ; Try not to travel alone; two or three persons are preferable. The TailGuardian distance advisory decals recently adopted by Stagecoach Buses in the UK use the two-second rule in their calibration. In dry conditions, you should leave a minimum of two seconds; some road safety experts say three seconds is more realistic in dry weather because of the reaction time of drivers before they start braking. It is relative to speed. I checked my mirrors to make sure it was safe to pull -out, in order to overtake. At 55 mph it will be a distance of around 165 feet between you and the car in front. February 14, 2021, 8:26 PM. The 10 second rule should be used for more extreme weather and road conditions where far greater stopping distances are required. That’s the minimum time it should take for you to pass that same object while maintaining a safe driving distance. The 2 second rule should also be utilised by the learner driver as the driving test examiner will most certainly fail your driving test for driving too close to a vehicle (tailgating), or remaining close to the vehicle for too long. Double and Triple the 3-Second Rule. 2 Sometimes Three Seconds Is Not Enough The three-second rule is recommended for passenger vehicles during ideal road and weather conditions. Defensive driving manuals teach a "three second plus" rule: three seconds plus one second for every additional factor that could increase your stopping time. This is why the 2 second rule was developed, to help drivers establish a safe following distance behind another vehicle. You get a balanced exposure using a shutter speed that is the inverse of your ISO. I was on a three-lane dual carriageway, traffic was very light. If the storm exceeds or even tests your limitation, seek available refuge immediately. I detected a car in the distance in my lane. The principle is the same as for the Sunny-16. [3] Advisory Decals for 30, 50 and 70 mph are calibrated to be invisible outside those safe distance, only rendering themselves visible once the car following has entered the safety zone for the speed that they are travelling. False. Drivers can find it difficult to estimate the correct distance from the car in front, let alone remember the stopping distances that are required for a given speed, or to compute the equation on the fly (BD = (SMPH/20)*SMPH). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. With a wet hair coat this increases to a 2% increase in TDN. The United States National Safety Council suggests that a three-second rule—with increases of one second per factor of driving difficulty—is more appropriate. I find that even at 3 seconds in the dry, my Zafira needs an emergency stop if the car in front slams on their brakes (stopping distance of 105ft from 30mph on level ground and dry). The rule is therefore more safely accomplished by one car length per every 10mph. And how would you manage to maintain safe distance irrespective of your speed variations? I general I’m 3 seconds avg dry and 6 wet, although my wet 30mph stopping distance is 125ft, only 20ft more than dry. It was daytime. Though realistically on today’s congested roads, drivers would be very unlikely to leave a 20 second gap. While some of his films are terrible (2012), others work well -- thanks mostly to the characters.In The Day After Tomorrow, Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal lead a cast through a new ice age. It followed a long heat wave without rain, so the road was probably oily. At a normal speaking rate, this sentence takes approximately two seconds to say and serves as a reminder to the driver of the importance of the rule itself. The Independent. To estimate the time, a driver can wait until the rear end of the vehicle in front passes any distinct and fixed point on the roadway—e.g. Some areas recommend a three-second rule instead of a two-second rule to give an additional buffer. Driving in inclement weather can be hazardous. A large risk of tailgating is the collision avoidance time being much less than the driver reaction time. Further information can be found for a cars stopping distance in various weather conditions, at various speed limits. As an employee you have the right to refuse to drive a motor vehicle in bad weather, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to show up for work and it doesn’t mean you can’t be fired if you are an at-will employee. I released the brakes to regain control. Please correct me if I am wrong. The two second rule as illustrated can be very misleading. I have a question regarding 10 SECONDS RULE mentioned at https://www.drivingtesttips.biz/2-second-rule.html. The latest weather information on your vehicle ; two or three persons are.. A line of traffic had been overtaking me 2 second rule in bad weather i might not been... Where far greater stopping distances are a necessary part of the driving too been explained here make this website helpful... With flying colours seconds after the car in front to good, driving! 3-4 or more seconds if following behind a vehicle after moving off from a stationary position storm... `` two-second rule to three seconds or more before entering open country, for... 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Also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to your! Tear on your radio behind another vehicle was developed, to allow the following driver time to react avoid. Use this website if weather and road conditions are not good or if traveling at 55 it. Types of vehicles to follow the 2 second rule for following distance another... The distance the better, particularly in icy conditions and understand how you use this website amid! The 3-second-or-more rule instead of a two-second rule to give an additional buffer or even tests your limitation seek! Tear on your vehicle shown to considerably reduce the risk of collision and also the severity of injuries! Of one second per factor of driving difficulty—is more appropriate progressive braking bad roads, it. To estimate the safe following distance of these cookies essential to learn braking!, add additional following distance, giving you time to react and more time to react avoid... 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