Driving - do you leave an adequate gap?

Admittedly yes, prior to my speed awareness course i probably drove too close to the car infront....however after sitting the course i am much mroe aware of things around me, particualrily distances and speeds!

Yes, I always try to do this. Where I live, there are a lot of windy country roads and people often need to stop suddenly when there's a sheep wandering across the road!

It annoys me then when other cars overtake and squeeze into the gap. I've left it there for a reason!

I was involved in a crash on the M6 when I was 20 and that was due to driving too close (there were four cars involved, all of us were driving too close). Since then I always leave an adequate braking gap. The problem is that once a gap is available, someone else will move into it, so you are constantly dropping back.

If someone comes too close up my backside when I am driving, unless I have other options, i.e. moving lanes, I purposely slow right down until they drop back (why is it always men in BMW's that do this?). I refuse to drive right up the back end of someone else purely to keep the car behind me happy.

I get so on edge if I am a passenger in a car which is driving too close and

People were driving like complete idiots on Friday night.

The fog was patchy but thick in places, we drove past 2 bonfires lit within 10 metres of the M5 with smoke billowing across the road. Fireworks were distracting.

At times we were down to 30mph with our fog lights on and people were whizzing past us, one occasion leaving us pretty shaken up. Husband and I discussed how relieved we were to be past that stretch of road and out of the fog/smoke. The conditions were dangerous and yet so few people seemed willing (or able?) to alter their driving to take it into account.

It was undoubtedly an horrific accident but, sadly, not one either of us were surprised to hear about.

My theory is that alot of drivers were probably having a bit of a nosey at the fireworks. Doesn't take much for a pile up to occur. I'm always careful in bad weather conditions, especially when I have the children with me. Although that backfired once when I decided it was safer to leave the car at the top of a hill, get picked up by the kids dad in his 4x4 to take us down the hill to home.. We ended up almost going over a very large drop down into the forest below. Got out to walk and then fell over with the baby in my arms -complete nightmare! I hate driving on fresh snow, you still get idiots who think they can drive like they do on a dry day.

I do. Driving to work today M25 and then M4 there was a man in a Mini Cooper sitting on my backside. Where ever I moved he followed me.. I finally managed to get rid of him when I came off the motorway only to gain another fool doing the same..

I am sure it is because I drive a car that they all want to race with but seriously it is rush hour the motor way is busy so what is the point!

Nothing annoys me more tho when driving on the motorway than the people that break for no good reason...

A work colleague was stuck for ten hours on the M5 on Friday night - sounds horrific.

I leave an adequate gap, boy rarely does, although better now. His argument was that his reflexes (and brakes) are quick enough to outbrake the car in front (*probably* true). I counter that he can't outbrake the car in front if the car in front ploughs head-long into something without giving an indication on their brake lights. That foxed him and seems to have made him a little more cautious.

I am a rubbish passenger and, rather hypocritically, drive far more aggressively than I "allow" others to drive. He thinks it amusing, I remind him of our crash score.

Overbraking - the major cause of traffic jams. Fact.

OH thinks I don't leave enough gap; he's probably right on occasion. My parents are far, far worse, so I guess I just picked up from them what "feels" right or not. I always try to adjust my driving to the conditions though, and have been known to pull off the dual carriageway because of driving rain that was so awful I didn't feel safe.

Last year due to the snow we were driving single file on the motorway, edging along. Until some idiots came up the inside late to overtake all the other cars, and then got stuck, then another one would try it, until both lanes were blocked, and the resuce vehicles couldn't get through. So we were all stuck there for 14 hours because of these t*ats.

Sad though it is, it doesn't surprise me this accident happened considering the way some people drive.

This is the reason I try not to drive on the motorway unless I really have to, I'd rather use the train if I can. I like to leave a big gap as you just can't judge what other drivers are going to do. But then people squeeze into the gap overtaking/undercutting which then leaves me way too close and I have to drop back. It makes me really nervous.

This drives Mr C nuts... he shouts in the car. A lot.

Those who don't know which lane to use on the motorway is also not particularly helpful.

I do sometimes drive a little too close, but do try and remind myself why and back off.

I used to drive like a t*wat; up people's a*ses, too fast etc etc.

I drove into the back of someone one day. Luckily I was only going about 10mph but it was enough to scare me into driving properly. I now always leave a gap and if someone drives up my a*se I slow down to about 5 mph or (my favourite) shout "get off at my a*se at them in my interior mirror.

I cant be a passenger when on the motorway as I'm terrible. Me and H have had many arguments about my screaming, gasping, slamming on the imaginary brake and grabbing the side of the car door. I always do motorway driving now as it's just easier.

ha ha ha ha, i do this!!!!

Yes, for reasons exactly like this, I always leave a massive gap between me and the car in front. The only time I don't is if the person is driving REALLY slow, then I get right up their bumper and smoke them at the earliest opportunity (not literally of course, though I do overtake).

My sister and my OH drive so close to the car in front that I can literally see the colour of the drivers' eyes. It scares me so much and I'm always telling them to get out of their bums.

I always seem to get some tw*t sitting up my arse and it scares me as a driver because I think if I have to brake suddenly, they'll be in my backseat

I'm not convinced this was the main reason for the crash, though. It probably factored in it, but it most likely didn't cause it.

I get terrible rage on the road, I feel sorry for anyone that annoys me. The braking thing annoys me so much as there's no reason to brake sometimes but everyone behind the car then brakes and it goes on and on until everyones at a standstill for no reason!!

I do this all the time and it drives OH round the bend. He seems to think that, because his car has got ABS or something, he can go round roundabouts at 50 mph. I questioned one day what would happen if the ABS breaks. He didn't take one scrap of notice and still does it. We have had countless arguments about it, but he STILL doesn't change his driving. I'm clinging onto the roof and car door for dear life and all he does is sigh. You'd think that, after writing off 5 cars, he'd know he needs to change his driving.

He can do what he likes when he's in the car on his own, but when I'm there I expect him to change his driving to care for his passengers!

I'm pretty certain there is absolutely nothing wrong with H's driving (he's never had a crash) but I am such a control freak I just cant cope.

Things that annoy me:

people who would rather slam on their brakes than just slow down a bit

people who sit in the middle lane

people who weave dangerously just to get one car in front

people who brake every 10 seconds and don't realise that lifting their foot off the accelerator would be enough

people who come right up your ass even though you have nowhere to go

people who see indicating as a request for permission rather than an intention to manoeuvre

I always leave an adequate gap. I just don't see the point in tailgating, especially the idiots who do it too lorries, don't they realise the lorry driver can't see them if they are too close? It makes me nervous when people try and intimidate you in order to force you to break the spped limit so they can pass, especially when my child is in the backseat.

That accident this weekend was really upsetting.

I always leave a big gap. Few years ago I was in a horrible accident, the woman in front of me slammed on her brakes (at 60mph) to avoid an idiot driver cutting her up, I then had to hit mine hard. The ejitt behind me hadnt left sufficient gap and he ploughed into the back of my car and forced me into the car in front and the central reservation. Had he left a gap we would have all been fine.

He had to be cut out of his car. Lady in front was ok just bumper damage, my front bumper was damaged but the back of my car was mangled.

Luckily the 6 bottle of wine I had in the car had been stored in the front passenger foot well and all 6 bottles survived the accident.

I do this too!

Since seeing the terrible pictures on the news I've been thinking about it alot and my driving and it's made me realise that I probably drive too fast and too close sometimes, so I'm going to make a concerted effort now to leave more room.

I thought a everyone would be thinking this after what happened this weekendbut alas no, there were still the usual kn0bheads out in force this morning.

I try to abide by the 2 second and 4 second (when it's wet) rule. But yes, someone will inevitably pull into my gap.

I only passed my test in February of this year and OH has been driving for a couple of years longer. I hate his driving. Twice he nearly caused an accident because he was looking out his side window instead of the road ahead. I am an awful passenger. I have an imaginary brake and clutch pedal (for my emergency stop)!

I always leave plenty of space between me and the car in front, although i do have road rage sometimes - If your going to overtake me, the least you can do is get the fruit out my sight!

Was anyone else taught "only a fool breaks the 2 second rule" by their driving instructor?

PC Stamp from the Bill taught me that when he hosted Police Stop! in the 90's.

Generally I am pretty good and try to leave plenty of space, at least until some plant cuts in that is. I can be a bit naughty when I find myself stuck behind Granny Gump though, they give me the rage! And I am always cautious of people who drive wearing hats - why?! They are normally either V old and doddery or V young and dangerous.

Ah I remember him!

I always leave an adequate gap, it's just part of good safe driving as far as I'm concerned and I frequently marvel at how badly some of the arseholes on our roads drive. My worst trait is occasional speeding though.

I hate people who hog overtaking lanes when they're not overtaking someone, I hate people not indicating and I hate people who undertake. I can get terrible road rage at times, especially as I live right by Liverpool Freeport and the lorries frequently pull out on to the roundabout without looking, caring or slowing down, meaning although I'm on the roundabout with right of way with cars behind me I have to slam on.

I recently got the rage when an old lady was going 20mph down a slip road onto the M42 when it was all flowing nicely and there were no jams in sight. People who are that scared and unsure of using the motorway, should just avoid it altogether and get on a train.

I'll admit that I have done this on occasion. I was once left with no choice when some stupid woman insisted on driving in the outside lane on a dual carriageway at 40/50 miles per hour, despite there being nothing in the slow lane for miles. I sat behind her for about 10 minutes waiting for her to pull in, so I undertook her. The massive line of traffic behind me followed suit. After we were all past, she still didn't pull in!