As a professional driver one of the safe driving behaviors that are critical to your success and avoiding crashes is maintaining a safe following distance.
This is a challenge as many of the motoring public that we share the highways with do not understand the danger of cutting in front of a large commercial vehicle.
Let’s take a look at some of the issues and how you can increase your safety awareness regarding following distance and preventing rear-end crashes:
• Speed Sense – The trucks we drive today are very advanced and ride better than ever before in the history of our industry. The use of air ride on today’s trucks is great but it also creates a disconnect with sensing the speed you are traveling. SPEED and FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY are serious issues in trucking. It is critical to be focused on a safe speed for road, weather and traffic conditions.
• Motor Public Awareness – Even with the efforts of safety groups to educate the motoring public, most people do not understand the dangers of sudden or drastic movements around a large truck. Maintaining a SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE on today’s highways requires extra focus. As a professional driver it is a basic responsibility to watch out for “regular” drivers and make adjustments to avoid a crash; yes, even if the other person is “wrong”. You would expect the same from any other driver that your family was driving near.
• Complacency and Distracted Driving – As a professional driver you have a very hard job. Your work environment changes constantly. This requires focus on the task of driving safely and dedication to your profession. Be involved in the work of driving the truck all the times.

MOVE YOUR EYES - CHECK YOUR MIRRORS AND DO NOT DO THINGS THAT WILL DISTRACT YOU from your responsibility of driving safely. We must watch out for the families we share the nations’ highways with and help them return home safely.
• Following Distance – A good rule of thumb for following distance is 7 seconds when traveling under 40 miles per hour. Adding one second when traveling over 40 MPH for 8 seconds total, is considered the MINIMUM in ideal conditions. Traffic, weather and time of day will all create situations where EXTRA following distance should be used. Things happen on the road and the best way to be ready for the uncertainty of the open road is to control your speed and maintain a wide cushion of safe following distance.
Managing your speed for conditions and being VERY focused on safe following distance are habits of a professional driver that will keep you and the families we share the road with safe.

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