I would rate myself a “B” on an overall drivers scale. I use my turn signals. I don’t run red lights or stop signs. I watch 1, 2 and 3 cars ahead and to the side, as well as look far down the road as possible. I don’t hang out in blind spots. I can usually tell you how many cars are behind me and whether any car appears to be following me (a bit of paranoia :). My wife claims I exceed the speed limit, but I will neither confirm nor deny this claim.
There is one part of driving that I have been working on for a while, and it’s the hardest two seconds of my day.
Did you know that moving at 60 MPH is the same as 88 FPS (feet per second), or almost 30 yards per second?
Think of it this way. If something happened 30 yards ahead of you when driving on the highway at 60 MPH, you would have 1 second to:
- Process in your mind that something happened requiring you to stop
- Remove your foot from the gas pedal
- Move your foot to the break pedal
- Press the break pedal
- Stop safely
- Hope that the people behind you were able to process the same event as quickly as you did
According to an article by esurance, the activity mentioned above takes roughly 4.6 seconds!
A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) determined that most rear end collisions are caused by drivers following too close.
My brother-in-law, a policeman, told me he has clocked cars on highways tailgating with a gap of only a 3/4 (0.75) of a second! And the police radar measures from front bumper to front bumper. That is ridiculous!
Most rear ending accidents are totally avoidable with a simple, yet difficult practice. This practice is the most difficult two seconds of my day. And according to esurance, I should be back about 5 seconds to ensure safety.
This is the most difficult two seconds of my day.
The two second rule is pretty simple. Here is all you do:
Mark, Measure, Modify
- Mark – Note when the car in front of you passes some type of mark (line in the road, street sign, tree, whatever).
- Measure – Count how many seconds it takes for the front of your car to get to that same mark.
- Modify – Make your goal at least two seconds. Most people will say 3 seconds is really the safe zone. Maybe 5 seconds is more your style.
Five Benefits of the Two Second Rule!
You might be thinking, “Dave, this seems too hard. Why do this?”.
Here are five benefits of the two second rule that encourage me to keep at it:
1) Peace – When I am driving too close to a car, my senses are very active, and my blood pressure raises to pump oxygen to my brain. When I get to a safer driving distance, I can feel my body calm and my blood pressure reduce.
2) Patience – When I first started doing this, I was surprised at how far the car ahead of me seemed. I was tempted to speed up to reduce the monstrous gap I had now created. I have to tell myself, “Dave, you only have two second of a gap. Speeding up will only gain one second.” I like my work, but getting there one second faster isn’t going to make or break my day. This isn’t the Indy500.
3) Pleasant – I have found that my added peace and patience makes for a more pleasant drive. I can easily let people move in front of me if they need to, and it isn’t dangerous for either of us. Most people do not stay in front of me for very long anyway. That second didn’t really go anywhere.
4) Prosperous – The two second rule may not make you rich, but it does save money. Tickets and accidents are expensive. I remember when I learned that police could pull you over for driving too close. On a road trip with friends, I was pulled over for tailgating. It wasn’t a cheap ticket.
5) Protected – This is just safe.
When I think about my family, friends, and all the fun I like to have, it is worth an extra second to make sure I get to where I am going.
Comment below – what is one thing you experienced when trying to drive with the two second rule?