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What is the two-second rule for driving?
My son recently began driver’s ed and said that he was learning the two-second rule. When I was learning how to drive I never heard that phrase. What is the two-second rule and should I be following it when I drive?
Sean Boehme · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s great that you’re interested in learning new tips about safe ways to drive! The two-second rule is a tip that can help keep both you and your son safe.
The two-second rule for driving is a method of keeping distance between yourself and the car in front of you. If you maintain proper distance, you’ll have time to react if the driver in front of you stops abruptly or attempts an unsafe maneuver.
If you want to follow the two-second rule, you should do the following:
- Wait until the car in front of you passes by a shadow, sign, or any other noticeable landmark
- Begin counting by saying “one one thousand, two one thousand”
- Pay attention to how far along you are with your counting when your car reaches the landmark
If you pass by the landmark after already finishing the second number, that means you are an adequate distance from the other car. If you haven’t finished counting when you pass by the landmark, you should consider slowing down or changing into an empty lane.
The old advice for maintaining proper distance on the road was to keep a car’s length away for every 10 mph that you are driving. Most people don’t teach this method anymore since it’s pretty difficult to visualize the length of two or more cars while driving.
Because of how much easier it is, the two-second rule has become the standard that most driving instructors teach nowadays.
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