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New York City Car Accident Lawyer
Following Too Closely
Four out of ten motor vehicle crashes involve rear-end collisions. Most of these accidents were caused because the other driver was negligent by following too closely or tailgating the vehicle ahead.
Following another car too closely – or tailgating – creates a dangerous driving condition by raising the chances that an accident will occur. his endangers the lives of other motorists on our roadways.
Avoid Tailgating!
When following another car, be sure to leave enough room between your vehicle and the one ahead so you can stop safely. You must also account for sudden stops by the lead vehicle.
If you are tailgating, by the time it takes you just to apply the brakes, it may be too late to avoid the accident.
As a general rule, most Departments of Motor Vehicles recommend applying the “two-second rule” to maintain a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front. For speeds over 35 mph, some recommend that even three or four seconds be applied. All agree that the more time added allows for a safer following distance.
When driving conditions involve fog, snow, ice, following a truck or motorcycle, you should increase your following distance by one or more seconds, depending on the circumstances.
To apply the two- or three-second rule pick, and an object or landmark on the road ahead. As the vehicle ahead of you passes the landmark, count slowly, “one thousand one, one thousand two.” If you reach the same landmark before you finish counting, you are following too closely. Slow down and let the other vehicle get further ahead and repeat the process.
Brake Time Reaction
For every one mile per hour a car travels a distance of approximately 1.467 feet per second. That means that at a speed of only 30 mph a car will travel about 44 feet per second. This is why it is so important to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead of you. If you are tailgating, by the time it takes you just to apply the brakes, it may be too late to avoid the accident.
In general, the brake reaction time for the majority of drivers is 2.5 seconds or less.
This is known as “brake reaction time.” Brake reaction time is the amount of time that elapses between the time you see an object or hazard in the road and the time it takes you to apply the brakes. The length of time it takes to apply the brakes varies widely among drivers. An alert driver may react in less than 1 second, while other drivers may require more than several seconds.
In general, the brake reaction time for the majority of drivers is 2.5 seconds or less. The distance traveled during the brake reaction time can be calculated by multiplying the vehicle’s initial speed by the brake reaction time.
Thus, in our example, if the brake reaction time is 2 seconds and the vehicle is moving at 30mph, the car would travel about 88 feet before the brakes were even applied. To get a visual of this, imagine 88 feet as about 8 car lengths. Now, increase the speed and calculate how far you travel before braking.
New York City Rear-end Collision Attorney
When you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident that was due to another driver following too closely, or tailgating, you need an experienced New York City personal injury lawyer to fight for your rights. The insurance company for the other party is not on your side. They will try to defeat your claim or get you to settle for far less than what your claim may be worth.
Mr. DiMartini is a seasoned New York City personal injury attorney. Over the years, he has represented hundreds of people hurt in car accidents throughout the New York City metropolitan area.
We have the experience you need to succeed in your claim. We will aggressively pursue your claim to get you the maximum compensation you deserve. Let our experience work for you!
NYC car accident lawyers.
