Unit 6 Lesson 1 Joshua's Law (2024)

FAQs

What is an appropriate following distance for most vehicles is Joshua Law? ›

Correct: An appropriate following distance for most vehicles is 2–3 seconds in normal conditions.

If it is not at least three seconds, leave more space and increase your following distance. Think of following distance in terms of time, not space. With a standard of 2.5 seconds, highway engineers use time, rather than distance, to represent how long it takes a driver to perceive and react to hazards.

Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination. Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. Use fog lights if you have them. Never use your high-beam lights.

The rule of seconds advises that if you're driving below 40 mph, you should maintain at least one second of distance for each 10 feet of vehicle length. Over 40 mph, add an extra second. For a truck driver cruising in a longer, heavier vehicle, more space and time is needed.

Use the three-second rule to ensure a safe following distance and avoid a collision. Following other vehicles at a safe distance gives you enough time to react if another driver makes a mistake.

The 3-second rule advises you to keep a distance of three car lengths between you and the car in front.

A car doing 30 mph will cover about 32 yards (27.6m) in 2 seconds, or about 5 to 6 car lengths. At 60 mph it will cover 64 yards (55.2m) in 2 seconds or about 10 to 12 car lengths. Easiest way to tell is pick an object that the car in front passes, and count “1,001, 1,002” and that will be about 2 seconds.

A general rule that helps many drivers maintain safe following distances is the “three-second rule.” It requires leaving three seconds of space between your vehicle and the vehicle driving in front of you.

You should only use your high-beam headlights when it's difficult to see and no one is front of you, you're at least 200 feet behind a vehicle and its back lights aren't illuminating the road enough for you to see, or you're at least 500 feet from oncoming traffic and need the high beams to see the road.

What is the number one rule for driving in bad weather? ›

Below I have outlined 10 precautions you should take to minimize the risks of driving in bad weather: 1. Slow Down. The single most beneficial action you can take to minimize the risk of a car accident in bad weather is to slow down.

Why Should You Drive Slower at Night? Night driving is dangerous because, even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react to something in the road, especially when driving at higher speeds.

Avoid yelling, gesturing in the direction of the tailgater, and doing anything else that could upset them even more. Let the tailgater pass. If you're on a multi-lane road, move over to the right when it's safe, giving the driver a chance to pass you on the left.

Use your headlights: When it is too dark to see from 1,000 feet away. Beginning 30 minutes after sunset. Until 30 minutes before sunrise.

Headed either uphill or downhill when there is no curb: Turn the wheels so the vehicle will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.

Leaving a distance of two car lengths is generally recommended to maximize your stopping distance. Although this measurement was once the most favoured method of determining how far you should be from the car in front of you, now, most people prefer the three-second rule, as it better accounts for speed.

The simplest way to keep a safe following distance is to follow the 3-second rule. When the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed object down the road, such as a sign or other landmark, start counting to three. (Make sure you're counting properly; count one-1,000, two-1,000, three-1,000.)

The two-second rule is equivalent to one vehicle length for every 5 MPH of the current speed. It's preferable to use seconds to gauge safe distances instead of feet or car lengths because vehicle sizes (and people's depth perception) vary widely.

Keeping to the safe distance rule: Drivers must allow at least 1 second for every 10 feet when traveling under 40mph. If going over 40mph, drivers are supposed to allow for an additional second per 10 feet.