Social distancing in moving vehicles
In principle, social distancing is the practice of maintaining an adequate space in public between people or objects when a transmittable disease is flourishing. A prevailing thought is that it can reduce exposure and minimize the spread of infection. Prepubescent children may social distance unintentionally when they leave space so they don’t touch the opposite sex. Their concern is that the other spreads cooties. In reality, cooties aren’t children’s folklore, they’re real parasites that can affect humans.
Since social distancing helps people, it stands to reason that it can also help minimize vehicle crashes. But what’s considered a safe social following distance between moving vehicles? It depends on circumstances like speed, the type of vehicle driven, lighting, road conditions, weather condition and driver ability.
Roads that have poor lighting reduce the ability for drivers to see. Construction zones can offer unexpected hazards like debris, narrow lanes, construction barrels, workers and sudden stops. Rain, fog, snow and other inclement weather conditions can conceal hazards until it’s too late to avoid a crash.
All drivers must have the ability to accurately control their vehicle, see details close up or far away, and have suitable control of their extremities. Good driving takes special skills that are tied to knowledge, practice and the too often lost gift of common sense.
According to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, following too closely (tailgating) contributed to nearly one third of all vehicle crashes in 2019. Georgia is listed in the top five worst states for tailgating. Research has shown that sports cars and SUVs tailgate twice as often as family and economy vehicles.
Drivers can find time to react and avoid possible vehicle crashes by keeping at least a three-second social following distance from the vehicle in front. The use of a measuring device isn’t practical, but estimates can be made by using a fixed object like a pole, a tree or an overpass. After a vehicle passes the fixed object, the driver of the following vehicle should start counting. If the following vehicle reaches the same fixed object before the count of three, it’s following too close.
Unfortunately, many drivers feel that the three-second rule takes up too much of their time. They feel that when other vehicles cut them off, their travel time increases. If 25 cars abruptly cut in front of another vehicle, the added amount of travel time is miniscule. If time is that critical, leaving a couple of minutes earlier should preserve the planned schedule and help avoid the risk of a traffic crash.
Farm tractors, snow plows, cars, emergency vehicles and semitrucks travel at different speeds and offer different driving hazards. Most drivers have tailgated at least once, and nearly all have had vehicles follow so close that with a little imagination, they could smell the other drivers’ breath.
Many drivers have no clue that they’re tailgating, whereas a few do it out of meanness. They are parasites that like to play a game of unnerving other drivers. Physics say there is a reaction for every action, and road rage can be caused by the reaction of the driver being tailgated. No one has control over another person’s feelings, but being tailgated increases the possibility that a person becomes angry or frustrated and reacts regretfully.
Pumping a vehicle’s brakes to teach a tailgater a lesson is a curriculum for road rage. It’s like having a collapsed parachute in mid-air where survival can’t be predicted. This can also cause an unnecessary vehicle crash if the other driver loses control. Ignoring the tailgater or easing a couple of toes off the accelerator can be a positive solution. The idea is to ruin the game and give the tailgater an opportunity to pass. When drivers speed up, they’re playing by someone else’s rules and taking unnecessary risks.
Lots of drivers are in a hurry, stressed out, confused or have anger management issues. Motorists who exhibit intense rage are no safer than those who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol or those who have brain damage. Considering that large vehicles and motorcycles need a longer distance to stop, it’s smart to keep a greater distance when following. In today’s climate of unrest, a proper social following distance can help protect vehicles, even sports cars and SUVs, from becoming involved in a crash. Any driver can win, they just need to know how to play the game.
Charlie Sewell lives in Cherokee County. His book “I’d Rather You Call Me Charlie: Reminiscences Filled With Twists of Devilment, Devotion and A Little Danger” is available on Amazon. Email him at retiredchiefsewell@
gmail.com.