When I took my driving test. The correct spacing was taught as, if you can see their bottom back tires visible above your hood, then that's the correct distance.
this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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Mildly Infuriating
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so with modern hood heights, that's... 30 meters?
I still hear my driving instructor saying this, 30 years ago. Thanks. :D
I don't know... People have wildly different positions in a car and this easily fluctuates for a few car lengths. Then again, people in general suck at estimating distances.
I got the advice once to make sure you can see the bottom of the tires in front of you. As a general rule, your turning radius tends to align with that. This falls apart with big trailers and snub nose trucks, but it's a good start.
I think this advice made more sense when the majority drove reasonably-sized vehicles rather than the huge trucks and SUVs that pollute our roads now (at least in North America).
I wouldn't be surprised if this bit of advice contributes to the problem in OP.
That's likely true. I drive a little car, so it still makes sense for me
I leave a couple of feet between the front of my Miata or Wrangler and the next car ahead. I've been driving since the late 70s and this is the first I've heard of the "botton of the tires" rule of thumb. It wasn't taught back in the day (is it, widely, now?) and it doesn't make much sense to me since it's a function of the size and the shape and height of one's vehicle, which can vary greatly, whereas I know where my front bumper is and I can (usually) clearly see where the rear of the car in front of me is, and hence create the appropriate gap. Sure, I might leave more space if I'm on a steep hill and think the person in front might have a manual (another Miata for example) but that's rare.
Up until very recently people seemed to always keep just a couple of feet between cars at stops like I did. This business of "a car length or two" seems like a very new thing - the past 5 years mostly - and that led me to think it's some kind of stupid new internet cancer. Probably some "influencer" telling his/her audience that you should put your dominance on display at stoplights by pissing people off and preventing them from getting through intersections. Or putting your dominance and alpha-hood on display by blocking them from getting into the turn lane at all. Anything to get attention, anything to show that you're not (truly) a nobody, even when you are, because you have power!
I've only been rear-ended once in 45 years of driving. Being a d*ck on the road in order to (allegedly) absolutely f-ing MAXIMIZE your own self-perceived "safety" (from highly unlikely events) at the expense of everyone else is a totally modern-American sort of thing to do I guess. But I'm not doing it.
You should just be able to see the ground under the back tires of the car in front of you. That’s the appropriate distance.
I believe this happens everywhere. I think maybe some people lack correct depth perception or something and maybe they are overcompensating for it? It is highly annoying though, I would agree.
Also: TURN SIGNALS, PEOPLE!!! USE THEM EVERY SINGLE TIME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. EVEN IF YOU THINK NO ONE IS LOOKING OR YOU’RE IN A TURN ONLY LANE. No excuses
Though, of course, don't use them until you're already halfway through the turn or lane change. It's not like the signal is to show your intention, it's to assert that You Had The Right Goddamn It to have just made that abrupt and dangerous maneuver that you just made. You signaled, so all's OK, you're in the right, no matter what happens.
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Usually this is the result of distracted driving. At a stop light? Perfect time to check your phone! Once the light turns green I give a solid three count then I honk. I'll probably end up shot dead sooner than later but fuck it and fuck those assholes on their phones.
In case of armed road rage, remember that your car is a weapon. It's self-defense if a gun is drawn on you.
Once the light turns green I give a solid three count then I honk
In Ottawa it's a customary 4 picoseconds.
I usually flash my high beams first as a more gentle “look up” and then do the horn if they don’t notice that one
Yup, I see this shit all the time. "The sooner I stop the faster I can stare at my fucking phone!" It's one thing I wish was actually policed, cause these people are a menace. It's one thing to risk your own life, but those dumb asses are making it dangerous for all of us around them. Throw in two or more and baby you've got a stew going.
Tyres and tarmac!
I was taught this in driving school. If you’re the last car slowing down, leave a gap of a few car lengths so if a car behind you is going to hit you, it gives you some room to escape either to move up, or enough room to turn out of the lane.
That sounds like some kind of superhero fantasy to me. In what scenario am I about to be rear ended and have enough time to move my car safely?
I usually leave enough space that I could turn into another lane without having to reverse, so if the car in front of me stalls I can go around without too much fuss. That’s like half a car length at best.
I agree it's highly unlikely. However, I've been rear-ended once, and my car got pushed forward the space of at least another car and a half, in spite of my panicked reflex of pressing the brakes as it happened. I didn't crash into anything because I was first on the lane, I got pushed into the intersection.
So yes, you can get rear-ended and the gap in front of you will save you in money and insurance claims bs time if you don't hit anyone in front as well as a result. It will make little difference regarding your ability to switch lanes though.
In saying that, I don't leave this massive space in front of me. I stick to the "see the next car's tyres" rule and if traffic is really packed (as during rush hour, when everyone crawls start stop) I sometimes reduce it to curb parking distance.
On the other hand I had a guy get out of his Jaguar the other day and yell at me a while because I stopped too close to his bumper.
I'd just be like "my bad dude" and pull a little bit closer after that. What a weenie.
I turned up my music and ignored him because historically nothing good happens when someone gets out of their car in traffic and you bet your sweet ass I made sure our bumpers were almost touching next red light.
I don't leave any space
I just ram them
You should be able to see pavement under the rear tires of the car in front of you when stopped
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