The factors are easy to remember – just start at 2 for 20mph and add 0.5 for each 10 mph increase in speed. Example: Question: What is the overall stopping distance at 50mph? Answer: Factor for 50mph is 3.5 and so overall stopping distance at 50mph is 50 x 3.5 = 175 feet.

The 4 second rule’s main purpose is to ensure drivers stay at least 4 seconds behind the car in front of them. 4 seconds is proven to be the adequate distance to prevent crashes, contradicting previous estimates of 2-3 seconds.

The safe rule is never to get closer than the overall stopping distance (see Typical Stopping Distances diagram, shown below) allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads carrying faster-moving traffic and in tunnels where visibility is reduced.

Your Guide to Safe Following Distances. Leave “two seconds” of space between you and the car in front of you. It’s a common mantra in driver’s ed and most safe driving articles.

Most drivers remember the two-second rule as being the safe following distance; some drivers actually observe it.

It’s something you should always do when stopped behind a car at a stoplight, during heavy traffic, or when a car has stopped while waiting to make a turn. The answer is making sure you can see the rear wheels of the car in front of you touching the ground.

Just as your vehicle is coming to a stop, ease the pressure off your brakes while maintaining the pressure on the clutch to avoid a sudden jerky stop. If you’re stopping for more than a second, put the handbrake on. This is good practice for the driving test, so use your handbrake even if you’re not on a hill.

Driver Care – Know Your Stopping Distance

The first of these was the car length rule. This was a rule of thumb decreeing that for every 10 mph of speed the following distance should be one car length. At 20 mph, following distance would be two car lengths, and at 60 mph six car lengths.

It is recommended to keep a reasonable following distance so you can safely stop in a case of an emergency, e.g., if the car ahead of you stops suddenly. A defensive driver maintains a safe following distance of at least three seconds behind the vehicle ahead and increases it depending on weather and road conditions.

• Rolling Stops. One of the most common mistakes to avoid during your DMV road test is making incomplete stops.
• Improper Lane Changing.
• Lack of Steering Control.
• Distracted Driving.
• Confusion at Four-Way Stops.
• Improper Freeway Merging.
• Driving Too Slowly.
• Driving Too Fast for Conditions.

Smith System, a leader in professional driver training, analyzed 50 years of driver training and found an inadequate following distance to be the most common driving error. “Inadequate following distance is commonly called tailgating or following too closely,” said Smith System president Tony Douglas.

The easiest driving test in the world

• Mexico City. Mexico City is densely populated and heavily polluted, largely due to the four million cars milling around on its roads.
• Pakistan.
• India.
• South Korea.
• Honduras.
• Egypt.
• Quirky test elements.
• Russia.

The Hardest Driving Test The most difficult driving test has to go to the tiny European country of Finland, where it takes 3 years to get a full license. Getting the initial license requires a minimum of 37 hours of driving, a computerized test, and a city traffic test.

Maryland

1. Finland. Finland has some of the strictest driving regulations in the world. Everyone must go to a driving training centre to get their license.

Norway

While the test may have evolved, data suggests that pass rates have remained rooted in 1935. Reportedly over 50 million have sat the driving test with the first time pass rate remaining consistently around 49%.

The 10 countries with the most powerful licences:

• United Kingdom / France.
• Germany.
• Sweden.
• Belgium.
• Finland.
• Italy / Spain.
• USA.
• Australia / Japan.