Your commute to work gets pretty hectic – and the commute coming home isn’t any better. You worry about your safety during these times, and rightly so. A car accident can be devastating.
Safety experts sometimes advise drivers to “keep to their bubble” when they’re making their daily commute – but what, exactly, does that mean?
Staying in your bubble means creating space between you and other drivers
Texas is one of the five worst states when it comes to tailgating, and tailgating leads to a lot of avoidable crashes. You don’t want to be part of the problem, so you need to focus on keeping a bit of extra space (or a “bubble”) between your car and any other vehicle.
Forget that old rule that you probably learned in driver’s education classes about leaving “two seconds” or even “two car lengths” of space. According to updated standards, a safe traveling distance at 55 mph (in good weather) equals:
- 16 car lengths behind another car or SUV
- Four car lengths behind farm equipment
- Five car lengths behind other equipment, like snow plows and repair trucks
- 20 car lengths behind a semi or any other big rig
- 33 car lengths behind emergency vehicles
That may sound like a lot, but the distance has to do with the estimated stopping time of the other vehicle, the space you may need to adjust if someone cuts you off and the fact that your visibility around larger vehicles is very limited (giving you less time to prepare for upcoming hazards or stops).
Despite your best efforts, you may still end up in a collision during your commute. If that happens, make sure that you have experienced help as you assert your right to the compensation you need to cover your losses.