A 3-minute lesson from the Missouri course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Rear-end crashes are very common, and they're caused by following too closely. Use the three-second rule for the space ahead, manage the driver behind you, and keep a cushion on both sides.
Know the rule
Three-second rule: pick an object near the road ahead, like a sign or pole. When the vehicle ahead passes it, count "one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three." If you reach the object before you finish, you're too close.
If you're tailgated and there's a right lane, move right. If not, wait until the road ahead is clear, then slow down gradually so the tailgater drives around you. Never slow down quickly to discourage a tailgater.
Take hazards one at a time. If you're overtaking a bicycle while an oncoming car approaches, slow down and let the car pass first so you can give the bicycle extra room.
A driver is riding your bumper on a two-lane road with no right lane. Don't tap your brakes. Wait for a clear stretch of road ahead, then gradually slow down to encourage the driver to pass.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the recommended minimum following distance technique described in the handbook?
The one-second rule
Three-second rule
The five-second rule
The ten-second rule
Answer: Three-second rule
The three-second rule is the recommended way to measure a safe following distance.