What is your minimum clear following distance?

SMSW

Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,047
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
Consider this scenario. You are riding in moderately heavy to heavy traffic that is rolling along at 50 to 65 mph. Cars are flowing with maybe two or three car lengths between them. Every time you slow down to put more distance between you and the car ahead, the guy next to you fills the space. This is especially prevalent in rush hour traffic, but not necessarily so, and I've seen it mostly on the interstate looping around cities and traversing large metropolitan areas.

What is your minimum clear distance to the car ahead and how do you deal with the situation I've described above?

I'll go first. I like far more than the recommended minimum two second space - in fact, I don't feel comfortable riding next to a car (in adjacent lanes) or in their blind spot. If someone is texting nearby or cell dialing, I get away as quickly as I can. And I recognize every traffic situation is different. When I can, I slow, get in the right lane, and keep drifting back to give me as much space as possible - an imperfect solution because the guy behind me invariably is now riding my rear license plate. Sometimes I grit my teeth and stay where I am, focusing on the car ahead, and brake lights two or three cars ahead of him, trying to anticipate any slowing.

I'm sure I will learn some alternate strategies, so what do you think? This situation is probably foreign to California drivers - from what I have heard or seen on the news, freeway traffic at rush hour rarely goes above 25 mph. (just kidding).
 
I ride almost on top of the white line that way I am offset from traffic. I have a lower chance of being rear ended and a better position for passing between cars if necessary. I use the HOV lane almost exclusively.
 
I feel more confident following 2-3 seconds. If someone pulls into the space, I will back off. Only adds seconds to the trip and no one has ever pulled into my lane with that following distance. In heavy traffic, I also 'wander' back and forth from the left of my lane to center of my lane. Not weaving....which I dislike...., but just enough to provide some relative motion to keep the attention of adjacent drivers. Stay in a position where the driver ahead can see you in both his side and rear view mirrors. Stay in a position where drivers on either side can see you clearly. This requires some slight speed changes, there are so many variables that it is really a balancing act rather than a set of hard rules. I also do not use the right side of my lane as a rule.

Watch the adjacent drivers. If they are playing silly games instead of paying attention...move.

Stay visible. Stay in a position where you have an escape route most of the time. Avoid heavy traffic.
 
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I generally do the 2 to 3 seconds in the evening rush hour. Just go with the flow.

I always try to protect my lane. If I'm far right lane I stay in the center to left of it. In the far left, I stay to the right of center.

Ya see someone texting, get around them and give a toot on the horn to wake 'em up.
 
I do 2-3 seconds also.

But, I flex that based on the speed of the road I'm on. If the limit is 45+, I'm aiming for 3 seconds. Less than 45 and I go 2 seconds at the minimum; still trying for 3.

I think I remember Bamarider mentioning a 30% speed rule or somesuch once that I thought was interesting; but that had more to do with handling than spacing. Forgot how he applied it.

There are a myriad of other reasons to extend that distance (such as a pillion or heavy load will increase braking distance). I'm perfectly content to sit in the slowest lane, keep a gap, let the cages pass me, and hum an Iron Maiden song as I toot along.
 
I use the 2 second rule as a guide, oftentimes I find myself settling in at the 3 or 4 second mark. Although, usually I'm the rabbit. I'll try to stay ahead of the clustered packs. My lane position varies, constantly, although I favor the middle of the lane in good weather, when rain hits I move to the inside track, keeps me out of the gully puddles, and away from that slick section in the middle, *that* has caught me on more than a couple of occasions. Passing a large truck on the ST is always fun, I'll slide up until I hit the buffetting zone, then move to the far outside edge, roll on the throttle and punch my way through the wake, generally passing the trucks bow wave with just a little wiggle. The ST doesn't seem to like the turbulence.
 
Oldbikefixr said:
Watch the adjacent drivers. Stay visible. Stay in a position where you have an escape route most of the time. Avoid heavy traffic.
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My main rules also. I use the left (or HOV) lane, with the left area as the escape. Line up with the left edge of cars to be in their mirror and shortest jump to the escape. Right lane staying right and line up with right edge of traffic, again a short jump to the right area escape. Center lanes moving right and left to maintain an open escape and limit time in these lanes. In the given scenario tough to keep an escape in the center lanes.

3+ seconds keeps me happy and I always keep an escape route and have used them.
 
Firstoffly, I don't commute on workdays on my bike--there simply are too many distracted drivers, too many full size semi's acting like race cars dropping rocks an debris all over the road, and a problematic sprinkling of very timid, conservative, clueless, left lane bandits (many seem to drive Toyota Prius!) which all other vehicles are having to filter around. And too many others who pull up too close behind me.

Secondishly, I also try to maintain 2 seconds in front of me (not shrinking that 2 sec padding if someone is up my tailpipe). Inevitably as I create that space pad, it invites one (or two!) cars to pull into my lane (as if they think I'm creating that space for them!). Of course, no blinker or shoulder check happens--they'll usually just make a quick glance in the mirror as they've already started the car drifting into my lane. It happens fast--BAM! the space is taken. As others have mentioned, I also move in the lane forward, rearward, left, and right to be most visible as the vehicles around me jostle around.

Threely, when I've managed a bit of padding to the car in front of me, and when there's a vehicle in the lane adjacent to me (the vehicle having placed itself with potential to BAM! move into my lane), but which I CAN'T be forward of, I actually pull towards their side of my lane and also back off further to make sure that there's space between my front wheel and their rear bumper. Doing so makes me more visible in their rear view mirror and helps keep them from clipping my front wheel if they suddenly BAM! take my lane.

Fourly, when I've managed a bit of padding to the car in front of me, and when there's a vehicle in the lane adjacent to me (the vehicle having placed itself with potential to BAM! move into my lane), but which I CAN be forward of, I actually pull forward in my lane (closing up some of my 2 second pad) to that I'm visible through their font windshield, forward of their A-pillar. I don't necessarily move in my lane towards them, but try to have the rear of my bike forward of the front bumper of their car.

Fivish, if I'm in the left lane and there is one of those "cable barrier systems" in the divider/median, I further modify how much time I spend close to the median. Those 'cable barrier systems' may be cheap and effective for automobiles to avoid head-on collisions from other vehicles, but they are deadly to motorcyclists. There's fatalities here very often (another one just last weekend here).

Overall, its a game of chess that isn't enjoyable, so I avoid busy roads when possible so that I'm not trapped in the above defensive mode.
 
BakerBoy said:
Firstoffly, I don't commute on workdays on my bike--there simply are too many distracted drivers, too many full size semi's acting like race cars dropping rocks an debris all over the road, and a problematic sprinkling of very timid, conservative, clueless, left lane bandits (many seem to drive Toyota Prius!) which all other vehicles are having to filter around. And too many others who pull up too close behind me.
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And they said there'd be no trouble legalizing marijuana in your state... :)
 
What I find interesting about this thread is all of the strategies that are used, some consciously and some more reflexively and that those strategies are largely based on the perception of what other drivers may or may not do. I call this emphatic cognition. It's something that even the smartest autonomous vehicle can not do. A mix of self-driving vehicles and user-operated vehicles are not going to play well together.

I use most of these strategies, but probably leave a bit more than 3 seconds (I think). Especially if I'm behind a vehicle that blocks the view of the road ahead of it.
 
I must leave to much space because the same thing happens to me in my car or on one of my bikes. If you leave a couple of car lengths ahead of you, doesn't matter what lane your in, some driver will slide in quickly. I especially like the tall vehicles to do it so I am unable to look over them to see the traffic way down the road. We all must be very aware of exits off the interstates. That's where the real danger happens. The drivers that are late getting off and don't care how they do it. They will cut in front of you like your not there. Very dangerous place to be. Just try to never be in anyone's blind spot. And hope they head check.
 
I feel most vulnerable in stop and go traffic, when the traffic is moving I want to move with the faster traffic so most of your problems are ahead of you. If someone comes up fast behind me and it is safe I will move over and let them go get the attention of the police. I was in Toronto yesterday and riding in around lunch time was pretty much a breeze but the GPS all of sudden comes up with a new route due to congestion, it estimated a 22 minute saving so I thought the toll will be worth paying. The toll road moved at 20 to 30 km above the posted limit not sure what the 401 would have brought but it could have been stop and go agony.

Gerhard
 
Lots of good info in this thread.....I'll go ahead and add my :tc1:

I try to always leave AT LEAST two seconds between me and the car ahead, more if situations warrant it (rain, night, unfamiliar area, etc.). Of course, cars will inevitably fill that gap but you make adjustments and move on.

For two lane roads, I generally stay in the left portion of the lane where I have the best vantage point to see ahead. On multi-lane city streets, I tend to stay in the leftmost lane so that I stay away from all the turning onto, and off from, the roadway that goes on in the right lane (and all the slowing down and speeding up it causes).

On multi-lane highways and interstates, I usually move from lane to lane, choosing whichever lane gives me the most clearance from other vehicles around me. I rarely stay put in any particular lane for very long. Also, I try to go a LITTLE bit faster than everyone else around me so that I can keep everyone in view. I'd rather be overtaking others than being overtaken myself, that way I can focus most of my attention on what's in view ahead of me. Of course, I also check my mirrors and will yield to cars that are approaching from behind but if I keep a little faster than the crowd, this tends to be minimal. Also, staying a little faster than surrounding traffic prevents me from becoming stagnant in a group of cars. I HATE being "boxed in" on a freeway (where there are cars ahead, behind, and on each side so that I have no escape routes available to me). If this happens, I will take drastic steps to get out of the box (ie: I will brake so that surrounding traffic moves ahead, then I'll change lanes...sometimes two or more, so that I get away from the cluster and then I will typically speed up to pass the cluster and get into an open area).

As always, situational awareness is a must!
 
It's apparent that we all do the same thing in the long run. Assume the other drivers are idiots.
 
EASt said:
And they said there'd be no trouble legalizing marijuana in your state... :)
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Speaking of which ... MJ users are easy to detect by smell (if the smoke-hazed windows from hotboxing and dozens of bumper stickers wasn't already a giveaway)! In such cases, it is wise to provide an extra second or two of following distance, and avoid inhaling!
:hyp1:
 
Uncle Phil said:
I thought I was the only one to notice the Toyota Prius thing ... :D
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Nope. When I get stuck behind one for miles and miles I fantasize that one of the buttons on my bars fires a "Prius Seeking Missile".
 
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