Cheat Sheet

The Following-Distance Rule

4 seconds minimum in a rig. 6+ in rain. Triple it on ice — and set it BEFORE the bridge, not on it.

Count it

When the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point (sign, shadow, crack), count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two…" until your bumper reaches it. Under 4 in the dry? You're tailgating.

Why trucks need more

~28 m

covered every second at 100 km/h

~80 m

to stop a loaded rig on dry pavement

300+ m

sliding on black ice — brakes are passengers

20 km/h

drop before the bridge — costs nothing

⚠ The bridge rule (black ice)

Bridges freeze first — the air cools them top and bottom. Before every bridge deck in freezing weather:

Lift early. Drop ~20 km/h before the deck, not on it.
Triple the gap. Your 4-second rule becomes 12.
No sudden inputs on the deck. No braking, no sharp steering. Straight and steady.

Winter tires help too

Real winter rubber shortens every number above. The deductible and the rate hike after a slide cost more than the tires.

Research-based stopping distances are illustrative for a loaded tractor-trailer; your weight, tires, and road change the numbers. The gap rule doesn't change: count the seconds.

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