Safe following distance?

**R6_kid:Me** · 16th January 2009, 18:29

What do you judge as a 'safe following distance'?

In the last few days i've seen a lot of people on bikes following quite close to the vehicle in front.

In a 10 minute period I saw 3 bikes ride past, all of them were less than 2m from the car in front and travelling at approximately 50kmh+. Either these people have lightning fast reactions and superhuman braking abilities or they are simply being stupid and following too close.

So how do you judge that you are at a safe following distance from the vehicle in front? And what do you believe constitutes a safe following distance?

**James Deuce** · 16th January 2009, 18:32

Only a fool, forgets the 2 second rule. It's a reasonable guide.

I like to see what's on the road in front of the vehicle I'm following.

The one that gets me is the people who start over taking from behind the vehicle they want to over take.

Select gear, indicate, check, pull into other lane, check the coast is clear and then nail it. If something's coming you've left yourself room to pull back in. You can't pull in alongside the car you're overtaking without a little stress.

**Bren** · 16th January 2009, 18:36

personally for me...4 to 5 seconds behind ...always leave myself a good space

but then I am a bit of a nanna on the road...

**Trudes** · 16th January 2009, 18:39

I know what you're saying, I've seen a lot of it lately also, gives me the shits!!
I've realised that my reactions suck so have learned to back off the arse end of cars and other bikes, sometimes forget and creep up a bit but usually doesn't take me long to remember and back off again.
It's really not necessary, we ride bikes, (most) of us have plenty enough acceleration to get past cars etc without having to slip-stream them first!!!

**Katman** · 16th January 2009, 18:49

Interesting question (and I know I'm likely to get flamed)......

The three bikes that hit that tanker were supposedly travelling line astern. How on earth did they all manage to hit it if they weren't following each other way too close?

Yes, I'm aware it was a blind corner, but watching the rider ahead should certainly give a fair degree of warning if your spacing is adequate.

**varminter** · 16th January 2009, 19:02

Two seconds works for me, four when it's raining (but then my brains saying "it's ice, it's ice) leave too much and some fucknuckle in a cage will fill it up. Nana's live longer I reccon.

**Katman** · 16th January 2009, 19:06

Originally Posted by varminter

leave too much and some fucknuckle in a cage will fill it up.

Ummmm, so fucking what?

Chill the fuck out and create a new space.

**R6_kid:Me** · 16th January 2009, 19:14

Thats exactly my point - if the car in front fucks up, it shouldnt become your problem.

If the car behind you fucks up, that is another story.

**Highlander** · 16th January 2009, 19:22

Originally Posted by Katman

Interesting question (and I know I'm likely to get flamed)......

The three bikes that hit that tanker were supposedly travelling line astern. How on earth did they all manage to hit it if they weren't following each other way too close?

Yes, I'm aware it was a blind corner, but watching the rider ahead should certainly give a fair degree of warning if your spacing is adequate.

I agree entirely. I wasn't there so may be judging unfairly, but it is hard to imagine how this could have happened if the first rider was traveling at a safe speed given the ammount of road he could see clearly in front of him, and the following riders were respecting safe following distances.

I must admit I'm guilty of having ignored both of those at times but it is something I think about regularly when riding and conciously try to improve on.

**spookytooth** · 16th January 2009, 19:26

maybe on the other hand bikes stung out/blind corner= 2nd guy didnt see first guy hit the breaks or even know something was wrong till it was too late ?Dunno i wasn't there

**smoky** · 16th January 2009, 19:49

Originally Posted by Katman

Interesting question (and I know I'm likely to get flamed)......

The three bikes that hit that tanker were supposedly travelling line astern. How on earth did they all manage to hit it if they weren't following each other way too close?

Yes, I'm aware it was a blind corner, but watching the rider ahead should certainly give a fair degree of warning if your spacing is adequate.

Originally Posted by Highlander

I agree entirely. I wasn't there so may be judging unfairly, but it is hard to imagine how this could have happened if the first rider was traveling at a safe speed given the ammount of road he could see clearly in front of him, and the following riders were respecting safe following distances.

I must admit I'm guilty of having ignored both of those at times but it is something I think about regularly when riding and conciously try to improve on.

Good on ya spookytooth - you're right;
I lived on that road, I know the spot, I’ve also felt my heart leap into my mouth coming over a blind hill at a reasonable speed to find a tanker pulling out of a farm crossing both sides of the road, leaving me with absolutely nowhere to go
RIP John – he wouldn’t of stood a chance at any speed.
Leave your ignorant comments out of this thread please

**smoky** · 16th January 2009, 19:59

All depends really – not talking legally of course, but If I’m coming up behind traffic with the intention of overtaking I can be guilty of following to close while waiting for on coming traffic to clear, or just timing it so I don’t have slow down too much and can overtake a bit quicker on a shorter bit of road. Of course I’ve changed down and can see past the car in front.

I know it’s wrong, I know it’s illegal, and on occasions the car in front does something unpredictable, I have always had a contingency plan – or I wouldn’t do it

Now here comes the flack

**Katman** · 16th January 2009, 20:08

Originally Posted by smoky

Leave your ignorant comments out of this thread please

Who the fuck are you talking to?

For three bikes to concertina into a vehicle, that even the first rider should have made allowance for being there, suggests something inherently wrong with the manner in which the bikes were ridden.

Much the same as the two bikes in the Buller Gorge.

**smoky** · 16th January 2009, 20:17

Originally Posted by Katman

Who the fuck are you talking to?

For three bikes to concertina into a vehicle, that even the first rider should have made allowance for being there, suggests something inherently wrong with the manner in which the bikes were ridden.

Much the same as the two bikes in the Buller Gorge.

Have you been drinking – or are you just not thinking tonight?

The topic of this thread can be well discussed without surmising or supposing about something we don’t have all the facts about.
I think you're wrong

I don’t believe articulated trucks should be able to pull across the entire road, meters the other side of a blind spot.
There should be a law requiring them to pull out to the left only on country roads.
It may have had nothing to do with their riding style

**mattian** · 16th January 2009, 20:18

Originally Posted by Katman

Who the fuck are you talking to?

For three bikes to concertina into a vehicle that even the first rider should have made allowance for being there suggests something inherently wrong with the manner in which the bikes were ridden.

Much the same as the two bikes in the Buller Gorge.

Can we stay on topic please?.... and not turn this into a bitch fight