Pay Attention
One of the most common statements we hear from drivers we interview after they have been involved in car accidents is, "I only looked away for a second." Few people understand how far a vehicle can travel in a second at typical city driving speeds. If we add the time it takes for the average driver to perceive and respond to a danger (1.6 seconds) to the second the driver's attention was diverted we come up with the following distances a vehicle will travel at the below listed speeds:
- 20MPH-76 feet (approximately 5 car lengths)
- 30MPH-114 feet (approximately 8 car lengths)
- 40MPH-152 feet (approximately 10 car lengths)
And these distances do not include the time it takes for the car to actually stop. As you can see, just looking away for a second can get you into big trouble, even at city driving speeds. Please be careful and pay attention.