One in four drivers breaking Highway Code’s simplest rule, expert warns

Motoring experts are warning that many drivers are failing to follow one of the simplest Highway Code rules for safe driving. An analysis by experts at Dick Lovett [1] suggests that the two-second rule if often flouted. The rule is designed to make it easier to judge safe gaps on the road, but Dick Lovett's analysis of Department for Transport data reveals that one in four drivers (25 per cent) do not leave even the minimum two-second gap between themselves and the car in front.

Every second makes a huge difference. The calculations show that leaving just one second less means losing just over 31 metres at motorway speeds, or more than seven car lengths. Here's how much distance is lost per second at different speeds:

20 mph: 8.9 m per second
30 mph: 13.4 m per second
40 mph: 17.9 m per second
50 mph: 22.4 m per second
60 mph: 26.8 m per second
70 mph: 31.3 m per second

To help drivers stay safe on the road, Alex Lee, motoring expert at Dick Lovett, has shared advice on how to make sure you are leaving enough space:

1. Use a fixed marker: "Choose something fixed, like a lamppost or road sign.

When the car in front passes it, start counting 'one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two.' If you pass the marker before you finish, you're too close."

2. Count for the conditions: "In the rain, double your count to four seconds, and in ice or snow, leave as much as 10 times the normal gap.

Braking distances can rise sharply, so there's no such thing as leaving too much space in poor weather."

3. Use time, not distance: "Metres are hard to judge when you're moving, but time works at any speed.

Counting seconds keeps it simple, whether you're in town at 30mph or on the motorway at 70mph"

With a quarter of drivers failing to leave even the minimum safe gap, Alex is urging motorists to check their driving habits, as a simple count of two seconds could make all the difference in avoiding a collision.

References

^ Dick Lovett (www.dicklovett.co.uk)