Icy_1 t1_it9szrm wrote
Back when dinosaurs roamed, I was taught 1 car-length for each 10mph. This rule has served me well for millennia.
mattyrugg t1_ita95l4 wrote
>Back when dinosaurs roamed, I was taught 1 car-length for each 10mph
I was around when Dinosaurs roamed. They didn't adhere to this rule, and they all died in horrible rear-end collisions. Mystery solved. Seriously though, it's a great rule that most people can't seem to grasp the basic concept of.
HairyEyeballz t1_itaiwo9 wrote
It's not that it's a hard rule to grasp. I'm pretty sure everyone here is aware that if you leave more than two car lengths distance in front of you, before you know it you'll have just one car length in front of you because someone trying to win the race sees an opening and jumps into the space. So you drop back to open the space, and ba-bam, another clever person jumps into THAT space. And so on and so on.
The only way you're going to get anywhere near that kind of space is to just give it all up and putter along in the slow lane, and even then, you're going to get beeped at from behind and cut off in front.
Styx_Renegade OP t1_itag2k3 wrote
When I was a kid, my dad told me to always look two cars ahead to prepare.
In retrospect, 3 Second Rule is much easier than keeping an eye on the car 2 cars ahead.
Aeronaute t1_itaiv79 wrote
This seems to be sensible guidance that you've misunderstood. "Look two cars ahead" doesn't mean two car lengths. It means pay attention not only to the car directly in front of you, but also to the car in front of that one. You'll have advanced warning if they do something unexpected, and you start to react at the same time or before the car directly in front of you does.
Styx_Renegade OP t1_ital62j wrote
No, i mean in a line of 3 cars including me, he said to look at the car at the front of the line.
Aeronaute t1_italg36 wrote
How is that different than what I said? (Assuming you were the third car in line.)
Styx_Renegade OP t1_itallqw wrote
When I mean 2 car length rule, I mean roughly 32 feet.
What my dad means by looking at 2 cars ahead is to look at the car in front of the car in front of you.
Aeronaute t1_italvvd wrote
Again, your dad's version is good sense, and works over a large range of following differences.
Your fixed 32 ft rule makes no sense under any driving conditions, and isn't used by anyone I've heard of before you.
Styx_Renegade OP t1_italzn6 wrote
You’d be surprised how many people actually think this is a safe rule to follow.
TheMusicGenome t1_ita3reg wrote
This. And I was born in the 80s.
Magus6796 t1_itazg93 wrote
That was my DE teachers suggestion as well. As worked great for me. While I commend what you're doing, people are too stupid to get it. You'll get tons of people ssssqqquueezeing right in.
dexbasedpaladin t1_itc0r5k wrote
Did they use fossil fuels then??
Icy_1 t1_itcmbnq wrote
Turkey! Of course not! Didn’t you watch the Flintstones? Feet 🦶 power!
rjdriver t1_ituitzu wrote
Me as well. It's a very good rule. You just have to remember when you suggest this to people that many cars were much longer back then. You can't use a VW bug as a guide. Not only were many engines bigger and more powerful so you could escape from charging dinosaurs, but some 4 door sedans were 18-20 feet long. I try to picture one 1966 Cadillac Coupe Deville for each 10mph.
Icy_1 t1_ituoddr wrote
OMG. I forgot just how big those land-yachts were! you could fit 6 kids across the back seats.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments