Traffic engineers calculate this buffer zone based on vehicle speed, braking capability, and driver reaction time. Maintaining an adequate gap ensures that a trailing vehicle can come to a complete stop if the lead vehicle brakes abruptly. In commercial trucking, this required spacing is significantly longer due to the massive weight and extended stopping distances of loaded rigs.
Heard on the job
The automated braking system kicked in because the car cut into our security distance without warning.
Also heard as
- safe following distance
- headway