Rear-end collision prevention

When you rear-end someone:

• Occupants of both vehicles are often injured
• In heavy traffic, you may be subsequently rear-ended
• You are almost always found to be at fault; this is true even if the driver in front of you:
  • Cut in front of you at the last minute
  • Slammed on their brakes unexpectedly

Practice following at a safer distance: The National Safety Council and most state driving manuals recommend the seconds-counting method.

• Determine the minimum number of seconds for your vehicle to stop:
  • 3 seconds for a sedan or light truck
  • 4 seconds for large vans
  • 4 seconds for light vehicles pulling trailers
  • 5 to 6 seconds for medium to large straight trucks
  • 6 to 8 seconds for tractor-trailers
• When the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed object, such as a light post or sign, start counting seconds
• If your vehicle passes the fixed object prior to your minimum number of seconds needed to stop, slow down and recount

Increase your following distance:

• During inclement weather: rain, snow, ice, fog
• When brakes and tires are worn or with heavy loads
• When being tailgated

There are almost 2.2 million police-reported rear-end collisions each year. Rear-end collisions account for about 32% of all crashes, far exceeding other crash types.¹ When a rear-end collision occurs, occupants of all vehicles are often injured.

The driver striking the other vehicle from behind is almost always found to be at fault. A driver is always responsible for maintaining an adequate following distance (gap) in front of them.