The highway requires that cars are properly organized to ensure accidents are minimized. When driving behind a vehicle, some distance must be left to prevent a collision. This distance is there for drivers to make quick moves during emergencies.
As a driver who completed a successful driving test, driving at some speed will require some precise distance in feet or meters to ensure you are safe from collision. Therefore, what is the safe distance between cars at 70mph?
Depending on the condition of your type of car, tires, brakes, and weather, the safe distance between cars at 70 mph is 387 feet
What Is The Safe Distance When Driving?
Research has proven that the “three seconds rule” is effective for drivers to make quick decisions during dangerous times.
It means when driving on the highway, drivers are instructed to keep three seconds’ worth of space between the cars ahead of them to be on the safe side.
As time goes on, at various speed limits, different distancing rule is being proven to be more effective than other.
Years after years, a car length (20 feet) is acceptable for traveling at a 10MPH while a “two-second rule” is applied for a speed limit of 35 mph.
This approach isn’t a blueprint definitely, as drivers should decide what distance is required between them and the car ahead.
What Is The Safe Distance Between Cars at 70MPH?
The safe distance between cars at 70 mph is 387 feet. This however depends on the condition of your tires, your brakes, the weather, etc.
When driving to be safe, the lengths of the vehicles are also important. A vehicle with a length of 10 feet shouldn’t be compared to a vehicle length of 5 feet.
The length of the vehicle ahead or behind you will determine which safe distance is required to be on the smiling side.
Driving at 70mph is explosive if you don’t leave a safe distance between you and the car ahead, you can likely cause a quick collision with the car ahead, to drive safely will require a more adequate and proven driving distance to ensure you are on a safe side.
What Is The Average Stopping Distance Between Cars at 70MPH?
There are various figures assigned in feet to any car traveling at 70MPH to attain an average stopping distance.
When traveling on a dry road, a more recognized stopping distance is 96 meters or 314 feet with a 24-meter equivalent car length.
The function of a stopping distance is to ensure cars can effectively stop without causing a crash when the car ahead of you suddenly uses the brake or slows down without due notice. This way, you can decide and stop effectively without causing a collision.
A car traveling at a certain speed cannot come to halt immediately after you apply the brake, to bring it to halt require some moments (seconds) before it comes to a halt totally, the distance your vehicle travels once you hit the brake till when the car stops are known as the stopping distance.
How Long Does it Take for a Car to Stop at 60MPH?
To travel at 60mph will cover 88 feet every second; to stop the vehicle will take about 4.5 seconds covering a distance of 271 feet before reaching a complete stop.
When braking, there are various figures attached to various reactions. The time before effective braking is done, and the reaction time all add to the seconds it will require to cause a complete stop to a vehicle.
The perception time is three-quarters per second for a driver to recognize the need to use a brake, while the reaction time is the three-quartz per second required to move your foot to use the brake.
These reactions most times determine if you will crash into another car or not.
What Happens if You Don’t Keep Safe Distance Between Cars at 70mph?
Not keeping a safe distance when traveling at a speed of 70MPH is easy cause a collision. A sudden slow down or halt in brake at a safe distance will run you into the car ahead and this alone is tied around safety and expenses.
Regardless of the road you are traveling through, be it icy, wet, and dry or the condition of the car, regardless of these factors, you are 95% sure to run into the car ahead in situations of a sudden use of the brake by the car ahead.
Pros Of Keeping Safe Distance Between Cars At 70MPH?
The advantages of keeping a safe distance between cars at 70mph are:
Escape Route During an Emergency
Traveling at 70 mph is a little high and might require you to drive with more caution to avoid causing a collision.
In case the car ahead doesn’t move at your pace and because of your speed limit, it is much easier to use your wheels to your advantage without causing a collision.
A safe distance can create an escape route or a chance to make a move in case the vehicle ahead uses the brake.
You Can See Ahead
One advantage to driving at a safe distance even at 70MPH is that you can see some images ahead, signs, potential threats, or offensive occurrences that might want to cause you to lose focus.
The safe distance ensures you can manage the situation. Even at 70 MPH, you can manage situations before they get too close.
Conclusion
Safe distances are rules assigned to keep you safe. To make the needed decision variables like your speed limit and the vehicle length ahead of you will determine how many feet are needed to be between you and the vehicle ahead to be safe.
If you are traveling at 70mph, you can consider a “4 seconds distance interval” and one second for every 10 feet of vehicle length. With this approach, you should be on the safer side.
