Keeping a safe distance in traffic

In short: The safe distance to the vehicle ahead should be at least half the speedometer reading in metres, and a gap of two to three seconds is better.

In more detail: Anyone who follows too closely has no chance of stopping in time in an emergency. Rear-end collisions are among the most common kinds of accidents.

In detail

• Half the speedo: At 100 km/h at least 50 m.
• Two-second rule: Pick a fixed point by the roadside. When the car ahead passes it, count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two”. You may reach it after two seconds at the earliest.
• Poor visibility and wet roads: Increase the distance considerably.
• Delineator posts: On country roads they stand about 50 m apart and help with estimating.
• Fines: Too short a distance can lead to a fine, points and a driving ban, especially at high speed (bremsweg-und-anhalteweg).