Momentary IQ Loss

Capital Beltway - safe following distance at 50 mph.  🤣 ... 70+mph is the norm, of course.

Green - safer.  Red - depends on no one making any mistakes or doing anything stupid.

Given the opportunity to choose between holding a two-ton boulder over some unknown person's head or keeping your distance, most would probably choose the latter ... except when driving in traffic.

Typical reaction time is 0.25 - 0.7 seconds.  If the fellow in front of you puts on his brakes, the brake lights are your visual cue, and you'll begin to react after that time interval.  Good enough?  Maybe not.

Research shows typical reaction time from stimulus to max braking is 2 seconds or more.  At 50 mph, that's half a football field, or 10+ car-lengths that you'll travel before you start to slow down.  If the guy in front breaks hard, you'll hit him, and legally it will be your fault.


Joining the competition in a traffic swarm can momentarily reduce your IQ to match that of the moron tailgating behind you and the idiots cutting in front of you.  You'll be tempted to close the gap ahead to keep your place.

Following too closely is considered aggressive driving and is a leading cause of accidents in most states.   It's also reported as behavior likely to elicit road rage.  Most states define safe distance as 2 or 3 seconds separation.

A reasonable alternative?  The 2-second rule allows you to flow with traffic.  Aggressive drivers will beat you by perhaps 3-5 minutes in a typical commute.  It isn't worth it. 

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(I was embarrassingly far into my adult years before I could say, "I don't care" about traffic congestion or rude drivers.  These days, it's a needed reminder on the DC beltway every week as we go to visit our granddaughter ... we'll gladly take an extra 5 minutes to get there safely.)