Driver Educators of Alberta

Welcome to our brand new blog, please share your thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns...
Please also feel free to contact our office for immediate answers and help. Thank you.
 

As president of the association, I welcome all members and guests to our new blog section. Through this technology, I hope that we can develop some great dialogue about driver education and the industry in general. I look forward to your comments.

Randy
 

Current following distance formula is unsafe

The “2/4” rule for following – 2 seconds for cars, 4 for large vehicles – is not enough.
While maintaining a proactive driving stance in traffic, it is conceivable that even the best driver with the best habits, all coming together all the time, cannot respond effectively within a margin of 2 seconds; and, with a high GVW – a legal GVW – stopping safely, or performing another controlled manoeuvre within 4 seconds is highly improbable.
At speeds up to say 30k, it probably might be possible that you should may be able to stop and/or otherwise react effectively in time, but at speeds higher, or whenever you’re in heavy traffic (a relative term, to be sure) it is unlikely that collisions will be easy or safe to avoid when the minimum we ask is only 2/4.
MINIMUM following distances should be nothing less than 4 seconds for light vehicles and 6 seconds for heavy straight-truck and 8 for combination vehicles (1 sec per 3m/10’ plus a 2 second minimum margin for Kinetic Energy).
Teaching people to follow at 2/4 seconds means that they will unlikely increase it until experience has taught them the difference, but if we teach and/or encourage drivers to at least double our following distances from what we use now, we have a much better chance at reducing collisions and improving traffic flow.
Hey, if we ask for 8, we might get 4, right?
 

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I agree with Brent's comments.
 

More Space means fewer surprises, more time to react and more space to manoeuvre – This leads to fewer collisions. Harold Smith developed the first following distance rule: 1 car for every 10 mph. Over time this became the 2 second rule or the Time Interval Formula.

This rule was actually developed by transport drivers, and for longer vehicles such as tractor trailers it is 1 second of following distance for every 3 meters of length of the truck or 6 – 7 seconds.

We advocate a 4 second rule.

We also advocate staying out of blind areas, avoiding tailgating and simply driving with a space cushion around the vehicle.
 

The extra seconds are for Perception Time and Decision Time. Reaction time is about 3/4 of a second so by allowing an extra couple of seconds we provide that extra margin of safety, especially if we are in a passive/reactive mode.

Perception Distance + Decision Distance + Reaction Distance + Braking Distance
= Stopping Distance
 

I went for my medical recently and was shocked to learn that some clinics charge up to $160!
For ten minutes of a physician’s time, anyone that requires a medical; from the indispensible semi-truck driver that delivered the materials to erect and stock his clinic, to the bus and cab drivers that deliver his patients, not to mention the instructor that helps make it safer, this same physician has the potential to earn $960 an hour so we can get a blood pressure test, color blindness test, and answer a few questions.
Few are under $100.
I’m surprised it’s legal.
 

I found couple of really good posts for Traffic Circles:

http://www.beyond.ca/how-to-navigate-a-traffic-circle-roundabout/210.html

and

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/2013.htm

Check them both out. Cheers.
 

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