Skip to content
FreeG1
Following distance

Following distance and space

Why the two-second rule works, how much space to keep, and when to leave even more.

Rear-end collisions are among the most common crashes, and they are almost entirely preventable with one habit: leaving space. Space buys you time — time to see a problem, decide, and react before you reach it.

The two-second rule

Pick a fixed point ahead, like a sign or a shadow across the road. When the vehicle in front passes it, start counting: "one thousand and one, one thousand and two." If you reach that point before you finish counting, you are following too closely. Two seconds is the minimum in good conditions — at 50 km/h that works out to roughly three car lengths.

Keep at least a two-second gap to the car ahead — both of you are moving, so counting “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand” keeps a safe following distance.2 seconds12Stay two seconds back — more in rain or snow
When the car ahead passes a fixed point, you should not reach it until you have counted two seconds.
  • Two seconds
    The minimum gap in clear, dry conditions.
  • Three seconds or more
    In rain, snow, fog, or at night — everything takes longer to stop.
  • Extra room
    Behind motorcycles and large trucks, and whenever you are heavily loaded.
💡

You can always make more space by easing off the gas. The one thing you can never do safely is create space by speeding up into the car ahead.

Still unsure about this topic?

Get a quick, plain-English explanation from the AI tutor.